Ciarán Whelan was full of praise for Mayo midfielder Matthew Ruane after their late comeback to draw 1-11 to 2-08 draw with rivals Galway.
It was an exciting encounter in Castlebar as Kevin McStay got his time as manager underway with a hard fought draw in the first round of the Allianz League.
In a game that had everything, one player that stuck out for Whelan was Mayo midfielder Matthew Ruane, who crucial to his side's comeback with an all-action display.
Speaking on RTÉ alongside Lee Keegan and Peter Canavan, Ciarán Whelan compared Ruane to former footballer of the year Brian Fenton after today's heroics.
When you have a player of his ability, he's probably kind of next to Fenton, in terms of a midfielder who has all the attributes.
He's very strong in the tackle, you see him here forcing the turnover, he works very very hard. He's also a good kickpasser of the ball, he sets up a score here. I thought he was hugely influential in that first quarter.
One of the most significant turning points was when he got that black card, because Mayo were dominant at that point."
Mayo Fightback To Draw Against Galway
As the Allianz Football League got underway today, Mayo's James Carr made a statement with this incredible goal against Galway.
When the fixtures were announced for the Division one campaign, all eyes were on this fixture, as Kevin McStay got his reign as Mayo manager got underway.
With an interesting, much changed youthful side named, one of those to stand out is James Carr, who scored a stunning goal after 10 minutes, with Mayo having a 1-1 to 0-2 lead after 10 minutes.
Galway responded with a goal of their own through Matthew Tierney to retake the lead. Padraic Joyce's side were taking advantage of their ariel dominance, with Damien Comer causing Mayo all sorts of problems.
GOAL – Galway quickly respond to Mayo’s goal with a green flag of their own, Matthew Tierney flicking the high ball to the back of the net
📱 Live updates 👉https://t.co/wIBNdp4lfs
📺 Watch live on @rte2 and @RTEplayer pic.twitter.com/b9Kui5zDE4— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) January 28, 2023
A point from Robert Finnerty, who has been in excellent form gave Galway a 1-4 to 1-2 lead in the 24th minute, but was replaced shortly after due to an injury that will be a worry for Galway.
A combination of Mayo's wastefulness and excellent defending from Galway meant they led in Castlebar 1-05 to 1-03 at the interval.
Mayo started the second half with stronger intent and had a point from Matthew Ruane within seconds of the restart.
Ruane's influence on the game was growing as they sorted their issues at the kickout, and had the lead in the 43rd minute through a point from Diarmuid O'Connor.
With no score until the 45th minute, Sean Kelly's goal was badly needed for Galway, as they retook the lead against the run of play.
GOAL – Galway end a scoring drought in style as captain and full-back Sean Kelly surges up the field and finishes with aplomb
📱 Live updates 👉https://t.co/wIBNdp4lfs
📺 Watch live on @rte2 and @RTEplayer pic.twitter.com/lSI660IfQr— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) January 28, 2023
Aidan O'Shea was introduced in the 52nd minute to add some needed physicality to Mayo, with Galway leading 2-6 to 1-6.
Kevin McStay's side were gifted a chance to equalise in the 53rd minute when Jack Glynn brought down Ryan O'Donoghue, and he made no mistake with the score 1-09 to 2-06 in the 64th minute.
Galway quickly restored their lead through substitute Peter Cooke, but a well taken scoe from Cillian O'Connor from a tight angle brought Mayo level.
A late free from Comer gave Galway the lead in the final minute, before O'Donoghue scored a brilliant point to secure a draw for Mayo with the last kick of the game.
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