Mayo edged a real game of two haves in Salthill to knock the 2022 beaten All Ireland finalists and provincial rivals Galway out of the championship by a single point.

Galway had a five point lead at the break but played with a major wind advantage which Mayo overturned within 15 minutes of the second half.

Both teams had major scoring droughts in a game of real high tensions but James Carr proved to kick the match winning score in the 72nd minute of the match.

Damien Comer did come off with an apparent hamstring injury at the break which did not benefit the Galway cause. 

Mayo now await to see how they play in the All Ireland Quarter Final in Croke Park next weekend, with Dublin, Armagh or Derry the potential opponents. 

Galway won the toss and elected to play with the wind in the first first in Salthill. Despite the major advantage it was the away side who held a one point advantage in the opening stages. McLoughlin, Coen and Conroy picked up the first three scores for Mayo with Cooke and Walsh responding for the Tribesmen. 

A Colm Reape wayward kickout as a result of the tricky conditions lead to the first goal opportunity. The quick long ball from Galway rocketed into the hands of Comer who did extremely well to take it down and get a thunderous shot off his left but Reape recovered and kept it out. 

Galway equalised through a superb Comer point on the 15th minute, having kept Mayo scoreless throughout the previous seven as momentum began to shift. 

John Maher picked up the third score in a row for the hosts with a fisted effort that ricocheted over the bar off the upright to give Galway their first lead of the tie. Tierney made it four unanswered with a bursting run through the middle of the park before smashing over the bar through contact as Galway were beginning to stretch their legs. 

Matthew Tierney took an incredible mark at the edge of the square despite the best efforts of Eoghan McLoughlin and slotted over to put double scores between the teams.Shane Walsh converted a 50 metre moments later to put four between the sides.

The scoring began to dry up after the Walsh long range effort, with the Kilmacud Crokes man putting two off target, and the sides exchanging one more each. 

2022 All-Star Cillian McDaid took it in his own hands to put an end to the drought with a well taken score from the right hand side to stretch the lead to five. 

Mayo kicked a further three wides in the last phases before the break leaving them scoreless after the 8th minute in the first half, with Galway five points up at half time. 

Ryan O’Donoghue broke a long drought for Mayo three minutes into the half converting a close range free as they now faced a four point deficit playing with the advantage. O’Donoghue added his second with a lovely score from range to cut the deficit to three as the tides were beginning to turn.

The game was level in the next play, a brilliant one-two pass between McBrien and Aiden O’Shea left the forward handing back to the back and he rifled home off his right to level the game not even ten minutes into the second half. 

Cillian O’Connor was introduced to the game by Kevin McStay and immediately came into it putting Mayo in the lead with a point. 

Matthew Tierney was through on goal moments later but Colm Reape was equal to hit down to his bottom right. A superb save to keep his side in the lead, before moments later Paddy Durcan kicked a wonderful point to stretch the lead to two. 

Durcan made it a three point lead to the roar of the Mayo faithful in Salthill but the noise went up another octave moments later as Paul Conroy kicked the first Galway score in 24 minutes to keep the Tribesmen within a score of victory.

After a few minutes of stout defending, Mayo forced a turnover with Conroy going up the other end to fist over and bring the lead back out to three.

Shane Walsh converted from play to bring the lead deficit down to two with seven minutes to go, as pressure began to ramp up on the hosts. Walsh added a free to bring the gap to one and the tension to the max in Salthill, but Mayo were calm and composed, keeping the ball in the following play for over two minutes, which ended up with James Carr putting two between the sides in the second of four minutes of injury time.

Galway spent the final stages trying to force a winning goal but Mayo with everyone back somehow kept everything outside the house. John Maher did kick an effort towards goal that sailed over but just consolation for the hosts as Mayo win by a point.