DOUBLE DOSE
Mayo follow up All-Ireland semi-f inal win over Dubs as Dessie Farrell’s men left rooted to foot of Division 1
Mayo 2-11 Dublin 0-12
THE six-in-a-row All-Ireland champions of 2020 are rooted to the bottom of Division 1 and facing a relegation battle after Dessie Farrell’s side crashed to a third successive defeat in the Allianz Football League.
Victory represented a milestone for Mayo who hadn’t beaten their opponents in a League game at Croke Park since the 1971 semi-final. It was their first league victory over Dublin since the 0-20 to 0-8 win in Castlebar a decade ago and it also followed up last August’s All-Ireland semifinal victory over Dessie Farrell’s men.
Mayo manager James Horan cut a happy figure afterwards. ‘Pleased with the manner of the victory,’ he said. ‘There was good intent from the players. We took our couple of goal chances.’
It means Dublin have to travel to Newbridge next Sunday needing to beat Kildare to get the necessary points to haul them off the bottom of the table and help fight relegation.
WHEN Mayo last turned Dublin over in a National League tie back in the spring of 2012, such was the jubilation at the extent of a 0-20 to 0-8 hammering in Castlebar that a posse of fans could be found taking selfies in front of the electronic scoreboard at the final whistle. Little did they know how the county team would suffer at the hands of the same opposition for the next decade.
Well, if there was a sense of Mayo bookending the Dublin era of dominance with that All-Ireland semifinal win last summer, there were more signs here that Dessie Farrell’s side are in real trouble.
It’s three defeats now in three opening games, leaving the slightly surreal sight of a county that won six in a row in 2020 propping up the Division One table. Facing what is looking now like a relegation four-pointer away to Kildare next Sunday.
Remarkably, this was Mayo’s first league win over Dublin since the 1971 league semi-final. And it was deserved too against a Dublin side right now that are defined by what they are lacking – a lack of urgency, a lack of leaders, a lack of cutting edge and goal threat up front in the continued absence of Con O’Callaghan. A lack, too, of a clearly defined defensive system, with Mayo twice finding the net and Dublin leaving too many pockets of space to be exploited.
While there was a touch of good fortune about the first of Mayo’s two first-half goals – Jack Carney’s shot rebounding off the post to hit goalkeeper Evan Comerford’s head and ricocheting in – Matthew Ruane also had the ball in the net right at the start only for it to be pulled back for a marginal call by referee David Gough.
Despite the very public and searching inquest into how badly Dublin’s defensive set-up has been exposed to date, once again, the warning signs were there for Dublin from the very off. From the very first ball in fact when the throw-in popped out of Brian Howard’s hands and Jordan Flynn thumped a long ball in to Diarmuid O’Connor, who was in acres of space inside – he kicked the first score. Mayo had the ball in the Dublin net in front of Hill 16 a minute later, Matthew Ruane slicing through only for David Gough to disallow it for O’Connor to supposedly have fouled the ball.
Dublin weren’t yet on the right wavelength with Niall Scully literally kicking the ball backwards to a Mayo shirt and Brian Howard being turned over one-on-one inside his own half.
Ciaran Kilkenny showed his leadership and the way up front by being the main out ball and he found his range to level it after Sean Bugler curled over his team’s first score.
Dublin were nearly in for a goal in
51
The number of years since Mayo last recorded a victory over Dublin on the road in the League
the 13th minute – Dean Rock did so well to win the ball under pressure from Rory Brickenden and just scooped it off one-handed to Niall Scully, whose low shot was blocked. Gough whistled back for the free, which Rock converted.
Ryan O’Donoghue was lucky not to be black-carded 10 minutes in when he caught John Small late with a frontal charge and there was the usual spice to proceedings.
Points from Ruane and ex AFL prospect Oisin Mullin levelled it at 0-4 apiece before the next main play came in the shape of a Mayo goal in the 21st minute.
Diarmuid O’Connor showed brilliant skill out near the Hogan Stand sideline to chip the ball up and then play a reverse handpass to set Jack Carney galloping clear. Poor Evan Comerford. When your luck is out, what can you do?
He narrowed his angles enough for Carney’s low shot to squeeze past him – but only enough to hit the bottom of the post. As the Dublin goalkeeper lay sprawled, the ball rebounded back and hit his head and went to the net. An own goal then to match the bizarre two Mayo conceded in the 2016 final.
Dublin responded with three points in succession, two from bright prospect Ross McGarry, before Aidan Orme played a one-two with Ryan O’Donoghue and palmed the ball to the net.
Ciaran Kilkenny replied before Rob Hennelly rounded off an entertaining half by converting a 45 to leave Mayo ahead 2-6 to 0-9 at the break.
It stayed that way for a cagey first eight minutes of the second half until Rob Hennelly broke the scoring deadlock with another placed ball from the 45-metre line.
Lorcan O’Dell didn’t take long to make an impression after replacing McGarry, his stinging shot forcing Hennelly into a dramatic save, the keeper tipping it over the bar after Sean Bugler had set up the chance.
Without Con O’Callaghan as a focal
point or another threat to go with Ciaran Kilkenny, Dublin looked a bit toothless and lacking that goal edge again up front.
Mayo were content to slow the play down and take steady chunks off the clock. Michael Plunkett interrupted the humdrum proceedings with a quality score down the right and when Brian Walsh got on the scoresheet, Mayo were five ahead and cruising at 2-9 to 0-10.
Oisin Mullin being forced off with an ankle injury was a worry for home fans as Aidan O’Shea entered the fray for the last 10 minutes after Dean Rock clipped a close-range free.
Once again, Michael Plunkett popped up in space down the right channel to curl another identical sweet point, making light of the number four on his back.
Even with five added minutes, Dublin never looked like threatening a goal to make it interesting. DUBLIN: E Comerford; D Byrne, M Fitzsimons, S McMahon; S Bugler, J Small, L Gannon (C Murphy 66);