DONEGAL 0-13 MAYO 0-13 IT’S A GREAT LATE ESCAPE

Mayo retain top flight status with 74th-minute point

LAZARUS, Houdini and Dick Turpin are alive and well in Mayo after Kevin Mcloughlin struck a 74th-minute point to maintain their 21-year stay in Division One.

But Donegal will question the decision of referee Anthony Nolan to call time shortly after that late, late equaliser with fans feeling there were at least 20 seconds still to play.

The leveller was cruel on the outstanding Paddy Mcbrearty who had just made a rare mistake when he snatched at a shot with two team-mates in better positions inside.

Mayo boss Stephen Rochford was a relieved man as he left Ballybofey. “Yeah, no doubt there was a big sigh of relief,” he said.

“At times we played reasonably well but I think we gave the momentum to Donegal as much as they took it back.

“We just turned over the ball so easily in the top quarter of the field and we were punished. We found it hard to deal with their deep lying runners like Frank Mcglynn and Eoghan Ban Gallagher.

“We remedied that a little in the second half and ensured that there wasn’t a bigger margin than three points with the game coming to the end.”

Mayo showed all their old craft and experience by overhauling the 0-13 to 0-10 deficit with six minutes to go.

It was even more impressive considering they were minus Lee Keegan and Cilian O’connor.

A pacy Westerners side had settled swiftly and threatened to unhinge the Donegal defence from the off, veteran Andy Moran belying his 35 years.

He hit a snappy point that set the tone and Donegal looked a bit shell-shocked even though Frank Mcglynn levelled with a fine effort in the third minute.

Rampant Mayo streaked clear through further points from Jason Doherty and Mcloughlin before Donegal keeper Shaun Patton went from villain to hero.

A very poor kick out let Mayo in but Patton narrowed the angle to save Conor Loftus’ thundering shot although the ball broke to Moran who tapped over another point.

Moran then went through on goal in the 10th minute but he blazed over when a goal looked on.

But that was the last score for Mayo in 20 minutes as Donegal launched a comeback, largely thanks to captain Michael Murphy who began to dominate in the middle of the field.

And Ciaran Thompson struck a fine effort with the outside of the boot to settle the home side’s nerves.

Jamie Brennan and the electrifying Gallagher hit two great points for the hosts while Murphy landed a long-distance free that reeled Mayo back to 0-5 apiece. Then enter the returning Paddy

Mcbrearty who turned the game around with three of the finest points you are likely to see.

Two of them came from acute angles out on the right hand side of the field and the third was a converted free from the sideline.

Donegal were well worth their 0-9 to 0-6 half-time lead but although Odhran Macniallais and Murphy tagged on fine points, they could not pull away.

Murphy had a tremendous battle with Aidan O’shea in midfield but it was old heads like Mcloughlin, Colm Boyle and Loftus who turned the tide.