Thomas Tuffy’s point in injury time secured a draw for Mayo against Sligo in the final group game of the Connacht MFC on Friday evening at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, finishing 1-11 apiece.
Sligo lead 0-3 to 0-2 inside five minutes as they came quickly out of the blocks through Aaron Lang’s first free and scores by Conor McDonagh and Eoin Tuffy. Mayo would punish poor shooting from the Yeats County as they hit the next five without reply through Fionnan Burke, Tiernan Egan, Thomas Tuffy and two from Dara Neary to lead by four points with five minutes of the first half to play.
Sligo hit their first score for 23 minutes with a Dara Mostyn free and he pointed again for good measure moments later before Aaron Lang’s second free saw them get within a point of Mayo only for another Fionnan Burke effort in injury time to see Mayo lead 0-8 to 0-6 at the interval.
Sligo drew back level with the hosts early in the second Mayo would hit back at the end of the third quarter when Matthew Leonard received a nice birthday present after was picked out by an exquisite ball from the right and the Ballina Stephenites man finished into the net.
The Boys in Black responded well through Dara Moystn once more and substitute Eamon O’Mahony finished off a great move down the field to fire past Evan Campbell to put Sligo a point ahead before Tuffy’s late leveller.
Mayo will now play Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final next Friday in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park while Sligo take on Leitrim in the provincial shield final.
Full report and reaction in Tuesday’s edition of The Western People.