As expected, Mayo set up a Connacht semi final showdown with Galway in Pearse Stadium on June 11th after a comfortable 2-14 to 0-11 win over Sligo in front of 14,664 supporters at a windswept Castlebar this afternoon. Playing into the wind, Mayo led 1-6 to 0-5 at half time thanks to a goal from Diarmuid O'Connor in the final minute of the opening half but with 5 minutes to go in the second half last year's beaten All Ireland finalists only led 1-10 to 0-10 until a late scoring burst, including a Cillian O'Connor goal, put a gloss on an eventual 9 point win.
Sligo showed little ambition in the opening half, despite playing with the strong wind, with extra players dropping back into defence to try and contain Mayo. The tactic kept the game tight until Diarmuid O'Connor's goal gave Mayo a 4 point half time lead they were never going to relinquish. The second half was much better from the Yeats County men as Niall Carew's side put in a huge effort to keep on the coat tails of their much vaunted opponents, but in the end Mayo showed their class and outscored Sligo 1-4 to 0-1 in the last 10 minutes of action, including injury time.
Mayo Scorers: C O'Connor 1-6, D O'Connor 1-0, A Moran 0-2, F Boland 0-2, K McLoughlin 0-1, P Durcan 0-1, D Kirby 0-1, J Doherty 0-1.
