Mayo 0-17
Dublin 0-14
AFTER 45 GAMES unbeaten, the modern kings of Gaelic football were at last beaten in the championship arena.
If anyone was to knock Dublin out, it seemed fitting it would be Mayo.
An incredible All-Ireland semi-final required extra-time before it generated a winner and eventually it was Mayoโs success-starved players, management and fans who celebrated under the Croke Park floodlights.
Mayo had at last conquered Dublin after so many agonising misses since defeating them in the 2012 All-Ireland semi-final. It takes them one step closer to the ultimate Gaelic football prize and this was an extraordinary semi-final success for the Westerners after they trailed by seven points during the first half and were down six at the break.
But James Horanโs side were terrific thereafter, forcing level in injury-time when goalkeeper Robert Hennelly slotted over a โ45 and then finishing the job in extra-time with their attacking threats of Tommy Conroy and Ryan OโDonoghue catching fire.
The game looked set to culminate in a different outcome, when judging the first-half play. Dublin were 0-4 to 0-0 in front after 10 minutes, still in control at 0-6 to 0-2 by the first water break. Ciaran Kilkenny looked sharp with a brace of points while Dean Rock had supplied three.
And Dessie Farrell would have been satisfied with the second-quarter exchanges as Dublin continued to dictate the pace of the game. They rattled off three points in a row and it took a Robert Hennelly free in the 30th minute to provide Mayo with some scoring relief as they trailed 0-9 to 0-3. Kilkenny and Conor Loftus swapped points but a margin of six was a fair reflection of Dublinโs early superiority as the teams retired at the interval. So far, so good for the capital kingpins.
What ensued in the second half was quite remarkable. Mayo thundered into the match and kept Dublin scoreless in the third quarter. That gave them a genuine foothold in the game, trailing 0-10 to 0-7, but the water break was a timely intervention for Dublin and they slotted two points soon after, courtesy of Paddy Small and Rock.
Mayo had lost Eoghan McLaughlin during that time frame, John Small escaping sanction for a heavy hit on the Westport man. Dublin kept them at bay and by the 63rd minute, it was 0-12 to 0-7, the type of lead where you would back champions to triumph.
And yet Mayoโs persistence and appetite for the battle did not waver. Diarmuid OโConnor produced a stunning intervention to volley the ball back into play for a Kevin McLoughlin point. That kickstarted a scoring spree with Jordan Flynn, OโDonoghue and Conroy all involved, leaving just the minimum between them.
The atmosphere was electric in injury-time as Mayoโs supporters roared their team on. Dean Rock nervelessly nailed a free in the 71st minute to nudge Dublin ahead by two. Ryan OโDonoghue clipped over a shot at the other end in the 74th minute and Hennelly dug his team out with that โ45 in the last act of normal time.
The momentum lay in Mayoโs corner and they held onto it as extra-time commenced. Seรกn Bugler got clear to fist over a 71st minute point but that proved Dublinโs last score of the match. Conroy exploded into space for a pair of points that put Mayo in front, sandwiching a sin bin for Colm Basquel, another Dublin setback.
Mayo powered on, Darren Coen swinging over a splendid score and OโDonoghue converting another as Dublinโs challenge began to disintegrate. It was 0-17 to 0-14 at the midway mark in extra-time, no more scoreboard activity thereafter. Dublin lost Tom Lahiff and James McCarthy to black cards and the scores they chased to salvage the game, could not be registered against a stubborn Mayo defence.
A famous night for Mayo football and another final awaits.
Scorers for Mayo: Ryan OโDonoghue 0-5 (0-2f, 0-1 mark), Tommy Conroy, Robert Hennelly (0-2f, 0-1 โ45) 0-3 each, Lee Keegan, Matthew Ruane, Conor Loftus, Kevin McLoughlin, Jordan Flynn, Darren Coen 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dublin: Dean Rock 0-7 (0-5f), Ciarรกn Kilkenny 0-3 (0-1f), Paddy Small 0-2, Con OโCallaghan, Seรกn Bugler 0-1 each.
Mayo
1. Rob Hennelly (Breaffy)
2. Padraig OโHora (Ballina Stephenites), 3. Lee Keegan (Westport), 4. Michael Plunkett (Ballintubber)
5. Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels), 6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore), 7. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport)
8. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy), 9. Conor Loftus (Crossmolina)
10. Diarmuid OโConnor (Ballintubber) 11. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), 12. Darren McHale (Knockmore)
13. Tommy Conroy (The Neale), 14. Aidan OโShea (Breaffy), 15. Ryan OโDonoghue (Belmullet)
Subs
19. Enda Hession (Garrymore) for McHale (27)
23. Bryan Walsh (Ballintubber) for Plunkett (49)
26. James Carr (Ardagh) for Aidan OโShea (49)
24. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina) for McLaughlin (inj) (58)
21. Conor OโShea (Breaffy) for Loftus (64)
25. Darren Coen (Hollymount-Carramore) for Stephen Coen (76)
9. Loftus for McLoughlin (81)
18. Brendan Harrison (Aghamore) for OโConnor (87)
14. OโShea for Darren Coen (91)
Dublin
1. Evan Comerford (Ballymun Kickhams)
2. Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala), 3. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf), 4. Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)
5. James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams), 6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 24. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny), 6. Brian Howard (Raheny)
10. Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 11. Ciarรกn Kilkenny (Castleknock), 12. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
13. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams), 14. Con OโCallaghan (Cuala), 15. Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille)
Subs
17. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St-Endaโs) for Costello (49)
21. Tom Lahiff (St Judeโs) for Cooper (51)
19. Seรกn Bugler (St Oliver Plunkettโs-Eoghan Ruadh) for Scully (62)
7. Seรกn MacMahon (Raheny) for Murchan (66)
23. Philip McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams) for MacMahon (inj) (76)
22. Robert McDaid (Ballyboden St Endaโs) for John Small (81)
20. Aaron Byrne (Na Fianna) for Howard (82)
15. Costello for Paddy Small (85)
Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)
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Cork should be grateful for their soft All-Ireland last year. Worst team to win it in many year.
Thatโs a soft comment โ how many All-Ireland medals have you ? By the way -Iโm a Kerryman โฆ..
itโs way too easy to criticise after an event like yesterday. The reigning all ireland league and championship champions should now be grateful for their medals after years of hard graft and unquestionable talent, ridiculous comment to say the least, good to see sense prevails back in Kerry ;)