HOLDERS ’LAND LATE KO BLOW
League champs break 12-year home hoodoo to beat Dubs
FERGAL BOLAND kicked a last-gasp winner as Mayo scored their first home win over Dublin in 12 years.
Having lost each of the four League meetings in Castlebar since their 0-20 to 0-8 victory back in 2012, Kevin Mcstay’s charges recovered from a slow start to both halves to eke out the win, making it two from two in this League campaign after making light work of Galway last weekend.
With the teams having been level six times, a draw looked the most likely outcome until Mayo won a free after a foul on Ryan O’donoghue in the right-hand corner in the fourth minute of injury time.
With no obvious left-footed kicker on the field with Aidan O’shea having been replaced at that stage, the quick-thinking O’donoghue caught Dublin napping and played a crossfield pass to Boland, who cleared the crossbar from 40 metres.
It’s a second one-point defeat from as many outings for Dublin now, with their chances of landing a first League title outright since 2018 fading fast and, indeed, they have a bit of work to do now to avert a second relegation in three seasons with the home tie against Roscommon in a fortnight very much now must-win.
Despite playing with the elements in their favour, Mayo were rather flat for the first 20 minutes and made minimal headway in up front, with Dublin able to funnel numbers back in plenty of time to snuff out their cumbersome attacks.
The All-ireland champions had no such problems at the other end as a pair of Cormac Costello frees bookended scores by Brian Fenton, Con O’callaghan and Jack Mccaffrey as Dublin led by 0-5 to 0-1 by the 17th minute, Jack Carney with the sole response for Mayo.
Goalkeeper Colm Reape doubled their tally with a long range free in the 19th minute and though Mccaffrey responded with his second of the night, a sweet leftfooted effort, Mayo finally found a groove with four swift points drawing them level, two of them O’donoghue frees followed by Paul Towey and Bob Tuohy scores.
Greg Mceneaney and Sean Bugler slotted points from the right flank to push Dublin two ahead but O’donoghue hit his first from play, a peach from distance off the outside of the right foot, and then added a free following an infringement by Theo Clancy on Aidan O’shea as the sides retired level at 0-8 each at the break.
Dublin immediately made the most of the wind advantage on the restart, goalkeeper David Hanlon and Paddy Small slotting frees followed by Costello’s first from play and, similar to the first quarter, Mayo were struggling to make any impression as they had to wait until the 49th minute for their first score of the second half, an O’donoghue free which he had won himself.
But the game flipped on its head three minutes later, however, as Jordan Flynn’s point effort dropped just short and, with Hanlon indecisive, Mayo sub Stephen Coen swooped to slap the ball to the net and put the home side in front for the first time.
Dublin levelled twice before Con O’callaghan restored their lead in the 63rd minute but they failed to score again as O’donoghue’s seventh of the night drew Mayo level before Boland popped up to ensure the holders took both points.