Mayo mauled by second half Dublin demolition

ALL IRELAND SFC QUARTER-FINAL

Dublin 2-17

Mayo 0-11

A blistering start to the second half helped Dublin power past Mayo in the last of the weekend's quarter-finals in Croke Park this afternoon. The Metropolitans kicked 1-4 without reply just after half time and effectively won a game that was evenly poised before that.

Indeed, Mayo were probably the better team in the first half but Dublin went in at the interval a point clear, thanks in part to a well-taken goal from Colm Basquel after 18 minutes. The Ballyboden ace got on the end of a long ball, held off two defenders and crashed a shot past Colm Reape.

The Dubs needed that boost because Mayo were causing them a lot of problems at the other end where the movement and ingenuity of Ryan O'Donoghue and Tommy Conroy gave Mayo an excellent attacking foothold.

Aidan O'Shea was also heavily involved in positive Mayo attacking play and the men from the west were finding a lot of room through the middle of the Dublin back division.

O'Donoghue ended the half with five points to his name, three of them from play, and Conroy weighed in with two of his own.

Dublin were winning the vast majority of their own kick-outs thanks to Stephen Cluxton's accuracy, but Mayo's tenacity around the middle meant they found little room in which to build attacking patterns.

Instead, they had to rely on the excellence of Cormac Costello who was their shining light in the opening half. The Whitehall man looked dangerous whenever the ball came his way and Mayo's scramble defence was hard-pressed to keep him at bay.

The scores were tied as half time approached when a stray Mayo pass allowed Dublin in for a goal chance but they couldn't convert and James McCarthy swept over the lead score.

The Dubs began the second half brilliantly and built an eight-point lead before Mayo even had an attack. Brian Fenton hit a point, Paul Mannion got two and Basquel chipped in with 1-1. The goal arrived when hesitant Mayo play allowed Dublin in around the back and Basquel palmed the ball to the net.

Mayo were rattled but to their credit, went in search of redemption. Eoghan McLaughlin crashed the ball off the butt of the post and Diarmuid O'Connor forced Cluxton into a fine save but the goal they needed didn't arrive and Dublin clipped over points at the other end.

The final quarter was a non-event as Dublin played as they pleased and Mayo couldn't make any inroads against a team who knew they were on the way to the semi-final. Kevin McStay will now have to reassess his options for next season after the worrying fade-out after half time, but that's all for another day.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Byrne, M Fitzsimons, L Gannon; J McCarthy (0-1), J Small, E Murchan; B Fenton, B Howard; P Mannion (0-2), S Bugler, N Scully; C Costello (0-5, 3fs), C O'Callaghan (0-2), C Basquel (2-2)

Subs; J McCaffrey for Murchan (46), C Kilkenny (0-1) for Bugler (47), P Small (0-1) for Scully (54), T Lahiff for Costello (66), D Rock (0-1) for Basquel

MAYO: C Reape (0-1 '45); J Coyne, D McBrien, P O'Hora; P Durcan (0-1), S Coen, E McLaughlin; M Ruane, D O'Connor; S Callinan, J Carney, J Flynn (0-1); A O'Shea (0-1f), T Conroy (0-2), R O'Donoghue (0-5, 2fs)

Subs; E Hession for O'Hora (32), C O'Connor for O'Shea (46), K McLoughlin for McLaughlin (51), J Carr for Ruane (58), D McHugh for Coen (blodsub 59), J Doherty for Callinan (69)

Ref: D Gough (Meath)