MAYO just about scraped through to the Connacht semi-final after a nail-biting finish against Sligo in Castlebar.
That was Despite a late, late rally from the Yeats County, including a controversial-looking two pointer from Sligo star man Niall Murphy.
The Green and Red held on for a three-point victory to book their spot against Leitrim in the provincial semi-final.
Tony McEntee’s Sligo came firing early, with David Quinn putting them ahead just two minutes in.
Mayo hit back quick, Aidan O’Shea setting up Davitt Neary to fist one over. Sligo’s main man Murphy then nudged them ahead again.
Then, just before the six-minute mark, the net bulged for the first time on the afternoon, a cracking Mayo move, starting from keeper Colm Reape, saw the ball worked to Ryan O’Donoghue, who slammed it past Sligo netminder Daniel Lyons.
Mayo then bagged three points on the bounce – two from Aidan O’Shea and another from Darren McHale to leave them 1-4 to 0-2 up.
Murphy finally stopped the rot for Sligo with a beauty of a point from a tight angle, their first score in 15 mintues.
And Mayo weren’t letting up, O’Donoghue slotting a free and Jack Carney adding another to keep them ahead.
The sides traded scores, with Pat Spillane replying for Sligo to Carney’s effort, keeping Mayo six clear with just eight minutes to the break.
Sligo chipped away at the lead with a Murphy free and another Spillane point.
But Mayo’s Matthew Ruane then popped one over after a slick one-two with O’Shea, making it 1-8 to 0-6 with just a minute left in the half.
But Sligo weren’t done yet. McLoughlin and the impressive Murphy both fired over points in the dying seconds of the first half to leave just three between the sides at the short whistle with Mayo leading 1-8 to 0-8.
After the break, Mayo stretched their lead early doors when Aidan O’Shea rattled the net just two minutes in, stretching their lead to six.
But Sligo responded well with Luke Towey palming the ball home just three minutes later to keep them in the hunt.
By the three-quarter mark, Mayo seemed to be cruising, leading 2-17 to 1-11 after outscoring Sligo by seven points to one.
They even survived a scare when Donnacha McHugh pulled off a last gasp goal-line block to deny Pat Spillane.
But Sligo weren’t throwing in the towel! Cian Lally burst through the Mayo defence and he hammered the ball into the back of the net with just 11 minutes left, suddenly it was game on again with just five points in it.
Both sides swapped scores as the clock ticked down. Then, drama came first McLoughlin slotted over a two-pointer for Sligo in the 68th minute, and then Murphy fired over another two pointer – but it looked like he might have been inside the arc.
The ref waved it through though, leaving just a goal between the but time ran out for Sligo, and Mayo breathed a huge sigh of relief as they booked their place in the next round.
Mayo 2-20
Sligo 2-17
Mayo: C Reape; J Coyne, D McHugh, E Hession 0-1 ; S Callinan, D McBrien, S Coen; J Carney 0-3, M Ruane 0-1; D Neary 0-1, D McHale 0-4, F Kelly; A O’Shea 1-2, D Thornton 0-1, R O’Donoghue 1-4 4f.
Subs: D O’Connor for Ruane, F Boland 0-2 for Kelly, N Coggins for Neary, S Morahan for McHugh (BS), C Dawson 0-1 for Hession, P Towey for Thornton
Sligo: D Lyons; E Lyons, E McGuinness, P McNamara; B Cox, N Mullen, L Towey 1-0; C Mulligan, P O’Connor; C Lally 1-1, D Quinn 0-1, A Reilly; A McLoughlin 0-5, 1tp N Murphy 0-7, 1f 1tp, P Spillane 0-2
Subs: R Doherty for Quinn, L Deignan for McNamara, S Deignan for Spillane, O Flynn 0-1 for Reilly, M Gordon for O’Connor
Ref: N Mooney (Cavan)