Mayo 3 Drogheda 0
- Jun 14,2008
It just keeps getting better for Mayo here in Limerick, in cooler conditions here this morning as the Westerners advanced to the Kennedy Bowl Final with an emphatic 3-0 win over Drogheda. Mayo started off brilliantly, dominating the play and were rewarded with their early lead when Conor Byrne and Castlebar Celtics Colm Nevin combined really well to cross for Andrew Peters to head home. Mayo then played with lots of confidence and passed the ball well, though their defending from set pieces needed to be a little tighter. Mayo nearly doubled their advantage when a Fergal Forde cross was met by Andrew Peters forehead, and the keeper did well to get on it a second time. Mayo did double their lead when Cian Burkes laser accurate pass over the top was volleyed into the net by the pacy Aidan OSullivan. Mayo kept up the tempo for the remainder of the half and deservedly went in at the break 2-0 up.
Drogheda started the brighter in the second half and it took a last ditch tackle from Noe Baba to keep Drogheda out. Castlebar Celtics Marcus Moylette looked commanding in goal and the defence looked pretty much in charge. After Mayo weathered the expected Drogheda onslaught, Cian Burke tested the keeper with a long range effort and Mayo settled in again. The killer goal finally arrived when Noe Baba rose well and met Fergal Fordes corner perfectly with his head, cue some exotic goal celebrations with real African exuberance. There was delight at the final whistle and Mayo now meet Wexford in the Bowl Final on Pitch Three in University of Limerick at 11:00 tomorrow morning. Mayo will be highly focused and will possess steely determination to win the game tomorrow. It will be the game of their lives and they have the mental strength to produce a performance to bring the Bowl back to Castlebar.
Mayo: Marcus Moylette, Fergal Forde, Steven Conroy, Noe Baba, James ODonnell (Capt), James Stretton, Cian Burke, Conor Byrne, Andrew Peters, Aidan OSullivan, Colm Nevin. Subs: Jake Gannon-Andrew Peters, Gerard Haran-Aidan OSullivan, Lionel Jordan-Fergal Forde, Eoghan Lavin-Colm Nevin, Diarmuid OConnor-James Stretton.
