Doherty has the decisive say for resilient Mayo

Mayo withstood Sligo's gutsy second-half comeback to record their first win of the competition.

Top scorer Jason Doherty's 45th-minute goal - a close-range finish after a scramble in Sligo's goalmouth - proved the decisive score at a blustery James Stephens Park in Ballina.

The hosts got home advantage after the scheduled venue, Quigabar in west Sligo, was deemed unplayable.

With breeze advantage, Stephen Rochford's charges were more potent. Free-taker Doherty landed a hat-trick of frees and Evan Regan supplied a brace of points.

Paddy Durcan and Diarmuid O'Connor were also on target with Mayo leading 0-7 to 0-2 at half-time. Aside from an energetic start - which yielded three wides in the opening five minutes - Sligo struggled and their only scores were pointed frees from Adrian Marren and Stephen Coen.

But Sligo, under new boss Cathal Corey, were a transformed unit in the second half. Not only was the wind behind them, the introduction of Ross Donovan and International Rules player Niall Murphy boosted their recovery.

They bagged five points without reply to draw level, 0-7 apiece, within nine minutes of the restart.

Murphy, Neil Ewing and Gerard O'Kelly-Lynch pointed and there was a sumptuous brace from Coen, who converted two dead balls, one from a sideline kick.

Mayo undid Sligo's work when Doherty found the net and they were able to keep them at arm's length from then on.

Mayo were denied a second goal in added time after Regan's neat flick, from a move involving Andy Moran and Shairoze Akram, was disallowed.

SCORERS - Mayo: J Doherty 1-4 (4f); E Regan 0-3 (2f); A O'Shea, P Durcan, D O'Connor 0-1 each. Sligo: S Coen 0-5 (2f, 1 sideline); A Marren (2f), N Murphy 0-2 each; G O'Kelly-Lynch, N Ewing 0-1 each.

MAYO - D Clarke; B Harrison, G Cafferkey, E O'Donoghue; C Boyle, M Hall, P Durcan; J Gibbons, S Coen; K McLoughlin, A O'Shea, D O'Connor; J Doherty, E Regan, A Moran. Subs: F McDonagh for McLoughlin (49, blood sub), C Loftus for O'Connor (56), S Akram for Durcan (59), S Nally for Coen (60), G McDonagh for Gibbons (65), F McDonagh for Doherty (67).

SLIGO - A Devaney; M Gordon, L Nicholson, E McGuinness; K Cawley, D Cummins, G O'Kelly-Lynch; J Clarke, P O'Connor; N Ewing, F Cawley, A Marren; S Coen, P Hughes, K Cawley. Subs: P Kilcoyne for Cummins (21), S Carrabine for K Cawley (35), N Murphy for O'Connor (h-t), R Donovan for Nicholson (h-t), C Breheny for Clarke (59), L Gaughan for F Cawley (60).

REF - Eamonn O'Grady (Leitrim)

Indo Sport