Mayo are Allianz Football League Division 1 champions for the second time in five seasons after battling past neighbours Galway to a 0-14 to 0-11 win at Croke Park this afternoon.

Kevin McStay’s men were able to earn the final victory after having made a brilliant start before the 45,041 at headquarters, which saw them running up a 0-6 to 0-1 lead midway through the first-half.

Colm Reape, Ryan O’Donoghue, James Carr, captain Paddy Durcan and Jordan Flynn had been on target during those opening 16 minutes before Galway eventually got motoring with a couple of Shane Walsh frees.

The Connacht champions lost Johnny Heaney shortly afterwards following a collision with the on-rushing Reape and frees from the latter and O’Donoghue left it at 0-8 to 0-5 for the interval.

Heaney’s forced withdrawal saw Damien Comer’s introduction and Padraic Joyce’s men would have their deficit down to one early in the restart thanks to a pair of Rob Finnerty points.

Mayo stretched their lead out to three again prior to Walsh and Peter Cooke sailing over and Comer would be denied the net in the meantime thanks to a brilliant point-blank save from ‘Man of the Match’ Reape.

Two O’Donoghue frees and an insurance point from Jack Coyne on the 70-minute mark would seal the deal for Mayo to make sure of some early silverware in the McStay era ahead of their crunch Connacht championship opener at home to Roscommon a week from today.

Mayo are the Division 1 Allianz Football League champions 2023!

Mayo 0-14
Galway 0-11

Watch the Full-Time highlights here on #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/pPt6JgzM93

— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 2, 2023

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