Waterford 2-13
Mayo 1-6

by Oisín McGovern

Mayo suffered relegation to Division 2 of the Lidl National Football League for 2026 after going to a superior Waterford outfit at Kilmacthomas.

Two goals from Lauren McGregor were the main highlights as Tomás Mac a t’Saoir’s side, who finished third in the Division 1 table, triumphed as Mayo finished bottom after just one win from seven games.

Mayo led briefly when Annie Gough buried a well-taken goal in the second minute with their best move of the game.

However, Liam McHale’s side failed to replicate that ingenuity as Waterford re-took the lead when McGregor finished a goal at the end of the first quarter.

The Déise played the rest of the game with a tempo and intensity that Mayo did not match.

The Green and Red mounted several attacks but failed consistently to get the ball into the scoring zone.

All the while, their hosts pulled further in front, with six different players scoring before half-time. The 1-8 1-0 half-time score was a fair reflection of a half where Mayo worked hard but misfired up front.

Even after Danielle Caldwell moved from wing-back to full-forward, Mayo struggled to keep up with Waterford’s slick attacking play.

The visitors began the second half well when Sinéad Walsh (a free) and Ciara Whyte added two to their tally.

However, Mayo — who needed to defeat Waterford and for Tyrone to beat Kildare for a chance to survive Division 1 — did not build on their good start.

Spurred by their substitutes, Mayo conjured some goal chances but struck several wides.

Waterford, meanwhile, pressed ahead and went 2-10 1-2 up after 40 minutes when McGregor shrugged off a challenge to finish her and Waterford’s second goal.

Niamh Mooney countered with a point for Mayo before Aoife Brazil narrowly missed the chance to raise Waterford’s third green flag soon after.

The impressive Kellyann Hogan kicked the pick of the scores through a free as Mayo responded with late, but ultimately futile, efforts from Nicola O’Malley and Alannah Devereux.

Scorers - Waterford: L McGregor 2-1, K Hogan 0-6 (6f), C Fennell (1f), C Walsh 0-2 each, B McMaugh, A O’Neill 0-1 each.

Mayo: A Gough 1-0, S Walsh 0-2 (1f), A Devereux, N O’Malley, N Mooney, C Whyte 0-1.

WATERFORD: K Gardiner; C Murray, R Casey, M Ryan; Á O’Neill, E Power, K McGrath; E Murray (capt.), H Power; C McCarthy, B McMaugh, K Hogan; K Murray, C Walsh, L McGregor.  Subs: C Fennell for McCarthy (22), A Brazil for E Power (H/T), L Ni Harta for McMaugh (H/T), L O’Shea for O’Neill (48), A Murray for Walsh (48), A Murphy for Ryan (54), E Bolger for K Murray (48), N Power for H Power (54), O Kennedy for C Murray (55), M Dunford for E Murray (55), C Reynolds for Casey (59), N Whelan for E McGrath (59), D Beresford for Hogan (59)

MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkan; D Caldwell (capt.), C Whyte, S Lally; H Reape, A Geraghty; C Doherty, E Murray, S Delaney; A Gough, C Keane, S Walsh

Subs: N Mooney for Keane (H/T), E Brennan for Doherty (H/T), M McHale for Whyte (40), J Mortimer for Reape (48), A Flanagan for Geraghty (50, inj.), S Tuohy for Gough (52), A Devereux for Delaney (58)

Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford)

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