GAA: Mayo edge Fermanagh thanks to controversial late penalty
Saturday 9 July 2016 22:57, UK
A controversial late penalty by Cillian O'Connor secured a 2-14 to 1-12 comeback win for Mayo over Fermanagh at McHale Park.
It was six years ago when Mayo last contested an All-Ireland qualifier and they had not won one since July 2007, but this time around they had enough in the tank to see off the spirited Ernesiders.
Mayo recovered from a 1-10 to 1-4 half-time deficit - Alan Freeman's first-half goal was cancelled out by Sean Quigley's strike - and Cillian O'Connor's 65th-minute penalty was the turning point.
Kevin McLoughlin sent a ball into the square and Aidan O'Shea was upended by Che Cullen. Referee Joe McQuillan pointed to the spot and O'Connor finished the ball to the net.
O'Connor won the toss but opted to play into the strong wind in the first-half, which looked to have backfired as Mayo fell 0-4 to 0-1 behind early on.
Aidan Breen scored from long range in the second minute and Diarmuid O'Connor tied things up for Mayo, but as the hosts dropped deep they invited Fermanagh on.
Barry Mulrone, Quigley and Tomas Corrigan all hit the target as Fermanagh opened up, but Mayo scored 1-1 in the 14th minute.
Evan Regan relayed the ball to Keith Higgins and although Christopher Snow saved brilliantly, Freeman followed up to slot the rebound into the bottom corner.
Fermanagh had to get the next score and Tomás Corrigan settled them, and then Quigley caught a Ryan Lyons delivery before he rounded David Clarke to score Fermanagh's goal on 16 minutes.
Corrigan tagged on another point but two scores from Cillian O'Connor looked to have salvaged a poor half of football from Mayo as they only trailed by two points with nine minutes remaining.
Fermanagh required a much bigger lead after playing with the breeze and they reeled off four points in a row to give them a cushion.
Breen kicked two more, Eoin Donnelly and then Lyons all scored as they led 1-10 to 1-4 at half-time.
Mayo needed a fast start to the second period and the O'Connor brothers obliged. Cillian and Diarmuid kicked two points in the first two minutes and they were back within four points of Fermanagh.
Mulrone looked to have stopped the rot for Pete McGrath's side but it only got worse as Regan began the latest Mayo onslaught and they kicked five in a row to draw level.
Again Corrigan had the answer for Fermanagh. He pushed them back in front in the 62nd minute, but then the penalty arrived, and Mayo finished strongly to book their place in Round 3B of the qualifiers.
Mayo: D Clarke; B Harrison, K Keane, K Higgins; L Keegan (0-2), C Boyle (0-1), P Durcan; S O'Shea, A O'Shea (0-1); K McLoughlin, S Coen, D O'Connor (0-2); E Regan (0-1, 1f), A Freeman (1-0), C O'Connor (1-5, 1-0 pen, 3f, 1 '45).
Subs: D Vaughan for Durcan (34), A Dillon (0-2) for Freeman (47), B Moran for Coen (53), A Moran for Regan (61), J Doherty for A O'Shea (71).
Fermanagh: C Snow; M Jones, C Cullen, M O'Brien; D McCusker, D Kelly, A Breen (0-3); E Donnelly (0-1), R O'Callaghan; B Mulrone (0-2), R Jones, R Lyons (0-1); R Corrigan, S Quigley (1-1, 0-1f), T Corrigan (0-4, 0-2f).
Subs: P McCusker for Lyons (47), J McMahon for O'Brien (57), K Connor for D McCusker (65), C Flaherty for O'Callaghan (66), P McGovern for Breen (73).
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).
