Dublin 1-16 Mayo 0-7
Dublin’s unbeaten run across league and championship jumped to 33 as they humbled Mayo in front of a crowd of 34,578 at Croke Park this evening, writes John Fogarty.
The reigning league and All-Ireland champions could have won by more but what they offered up against an abject Mayo was more than good enough. Mayo didn’t score from play until the 39th minute and Dublin could afford to miss a second-half penalty, David Clarke saving thrice from Paddy Andrews.
Dean Rock was excellent from dead balls, sending over six, in a game where they left Mayo grasping at nothing and gasping for air. None of Mayo forwards scored and the visitors’ wide total hit 13. Andrews’ failure to punish Donal Vaughan’s foul on Rock in the 49th minute simply didn’t matter.
Dublin were utterly dominant in the first half. Although Stephen Cluxton had to be sharp twice in the space of three minutes to deny Andy Moran and Kevin McLoughlin, Mayo’s only scores of the half were Cillian O’Connor 45s.
Dublin could have been home and hosed by the half-time break when they led 1-5 to 0-2. Eoghan O’Gara was guilty of missing two gilt-edged goal chances, his first effort in the seventh minute going wide and the second so off-target it went out for a sideline.
However, it was after the first miss that Dublin seized their opportunity when Shane Carthy intercepted a floated Clarke restart. The ball was transferred rapidly towards Clarke’s goal and Conor McHugh was isolated to palm the ball to the net.
Michael Darragh Macauley beat Clarke again in the 35th minute but was rightly adjudged to have touched the ball on the ground in doing so. Nevertheless, Eric Lowndes, one of the best performers on the night, was on hand to send over another Dublin point to give them a most justified interval advantage.
Scorers for Dublin: D Rock (0-8, 0-6 frees); C. McHugh (1-3); E. Lowndes, P. McMahon (0-2 each); P. Flynn (0-1).
Scorers for Mayo: C. O’Connor (45s), E. Regan (frees) (0-2 each); S. Coen, T. Parsons, C. Boyle (0-1 each).
DUBLIN: S. Cluxton (c); M. Fitzsimons, P. McMahon, D. Byrne; D. Daly, J. Small, E. Lowndes; B. Fenton, M.D. Macauley; N. Scully, C. Kilkenny, S.B. Carthy; D. Rock, E. O’Gara, C. McHugh.
Subs for Dublin: P. Andrews for E. O’Gara (46); P. Flynn for S.B. Carthy (51); K. McManamon for C. McHugh (55); C. Reddin for D. Byrne (66); E Ó Conghaile for B. Fenton (70); C. Mullally for J. Small (70+2).
MAYO: D. Clarke; P. Durcan, L. Keegan, K. Higgins; S. Coen, C. Boyle, D. Vaughan; T. Parsons, J. Gibbons; D. O’Connor, K. McLoughlin, F. Boland; E. Regan, C. O’Connor, A. Moran.
Subs: C. Loftus for E. Regan (blood, 22-27); B. Harrison for J. Gibbons (h-t); S. Nally for D. Vaughan (black, 51); C. O’Shea for A. Moran (54); C. Loftus for D. O’Connor (63); D. Kirby for F. Boland (66).
Referee: D. Coldrick (Meath).
