Shane Walsh stars as Galway’s two-point mastery sinks Mayo

Shane Walsh stars as Galway’s two-point mastery sinks Mayo in Castlebar

Galway made full use of the new two-point rule to dispatch Mayo with clinical ease, strolling to a comfortable 0-27 to 0-17 victory at MacHale Park. Shane Walsh and Cillian Ó’Curraoin were the driving forces, as the visitors racked up seven two-pointers, punishing Mayo for lapses in defensive structure and showcasing a tactical edge that defined the contest.

Mayo had edged a narrow 0-9 to 0-8 lead at half-time, twice clawing their way back from four-point deficits. But Galway’s sharpness after the break, spearheaded by Walsh and Ó’Curraoin, turned the game firmly in their favour.

The hosts opened brightly, with Seán Morahan splitting the posts in the first minute. Conor Gleeson followed up with a ‘45’, and Paul Conroy added a neat close-range point to hand Galway an early 0-3 to 0-0 advantage.

Mayo’s Conor Reid quickly restored parity with a pair of points, but Galway took control once more. Sean Kelly, Walsh, and Dylan McHugh combined to fire them three points clear. Kelly had a golden chance to stretch the lead further but saw his goal-bound effort brilliantly saved by Colm Reape. Galway regrouped, and Conroy added another point to extend the margin to 0-6 to 0-2.

Mayo attempted to rally. Frank Irwin registered a much-needed point, but when Davitt Neary’s effort was disallowed due to Mayo’s failure to have three players in their defensive half, Ó’Curraoin coolly converted the resulting free, restoring Galway’s four-point cushion.

Paul Towey and Conor Reid responded for Mayo, with Towey levelling matters at 0-7 each thanks to a two-pointer that ignited the home crowd. Donnacha McHugh nudged Mayo into the lead, but a scuffed shot moments later denied them a chance to pull further ahead. Kelly equalised for Galway before Towey’s third point of the half sent Mayo into the break with a slender 0-9 to 0-8 advantage.

It’s all too easy for Shane Walsh who grabs another two points for @Galway_GAA 💎#GAANOW #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/UyAWYmTiQy

— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 2, 2025

The second half was all Galway. Walsh immediately seized control, landing a stunning long-range two-pointer to restore the visitors’ lead. Ó’Curraoin added a point and followed it with another two-point free, quickly stretching the margin to four.

Neary briefly cut the deficit for Mayo, but Walsh was unrelenting. His second long-range effort of the night made it 0-15 to 0-10, and when he repeated the trick on 49 minutes, the gap had ballooned to seven points. Galway had the win firmly in their grasp with 15 minutes remaining.

The closing stages saw Galway press home their advantage in ruthless fashion. Ó’Curraoin added two more two-pointers, while Walsh capped off a stellar performance with another of his own, driving the final nail into Mayo’s coffin. In total, Galway outscored the hosts 0-19 to 0-8 in the second half, as the two league points comfortably boarded the team bus back to the west.

For Mayo, the defeat will be a harsh reminder of the dangers posed by the new rules. For Galway, their mastery of the two-point shot may just set the tone for a successful league campaign ahead.

‘ The game needed change… everyone was aware of that’ @Galway_GAA #MAYvGAL

Smaointe Shane Walsh, Laoch na hImeartha Allianz inniu! 👏

BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV 📺@AllianzIreland #AllianzLeagues #GAABEO pic.twitter.com/Adznc7Olip

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 2, 2025

Scorers for Galway: Cillian Ó Curraoin 0-10 (3 2ptf, 2fs), Shane Walsh 0-10 (2 2pt, 2 2ptf), Paul Conroy 0-2, Seán Kelly 0-2 , Dylan McHugh 0-1 and Connor Gleeson 0-1 (45)

Scorers for Mayo: Paul Towey 0-5 (1 2pt), Ryan O’Donoghue 0-3 (3fs), Davitt Neary 0-3, Conor Reid 0-2, Sean Morahan 0-1, Donnacha McHugh 0-1, and Frank Irwin 0-1.

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Séan Fitzgerald, Daniel O’Flaherty; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Séan Kelly, Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid; John Maher, Finnian Ó’Laoí, Céin Darcy; Cillian Ó’Curraoin; Shane Walsh, Sam O’Neill.

Subs: Jack Glynn for Sean Kelly, Robert Finnerty for Sam O’Neill, Cathal Sweeney for Cillian McDaid, Johnny Heaney for Finnian Ó’Laoi, Colm Costello for Shane Walsh

Mayo: Colm Reape; Sam Callinan, Rory Brickenden, Enda Hession; Stephen Coen, David McBrien, Seán Morahan; Donnacha McHugh, Matthew Ruane; Conor Reid, Fergal Boland, Davitt Neary; Paul Towey, Frank Irwin, Ryan O’Donoghue.

Subs: Darren MacHale for Fergal Boland, Diarmuid O’Connor for Conor Reid, Eoghan McLaughlin for Matthew Ruane, Bob Tuohy for Diarmuid O’Connor, Cian McHale for Frank Irwin.