Mayo caught at the death by Dublin sucker-punch

ALL-IRELAND SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3

Mayo 0-17

Dublin 0-17

Roscommon

SO many things right – a few things wrong! To make history - to win big games, mistakes must be kept to a minimum and naivety utterly eradicated. Mayo produced their best display in years today in Hyde Park, but in the closing seconds showed a naivety that cost them a ticket straight to the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Ryan O'Donoghue kicked Mayo in front with 40 seconds left. However, Dublin were allowed win the kick-out and run the length of the field without a hand being laid on them for Cormac Costello to equalise.More devious teams might have prevented the Dulin men from advancing at that stage – as the Dublin men themselves have practised with great success over the years.

Mayo will now take their place in tomorrow morning's preliminary quarter-final draw and they will face either Derry, Cork or Monaghan in Castlebar next weekend.

The first half was a story of chances created, chances taken and chances missed. Mayo went to the dressingroom a point behind, 0-6 to 0-7, but it could and should have been so much different. Stephen Coen's goal effort flew over the bar, Ryan O'Donoghue's goal effort was blocked and two shots fell into Stephen Cluxton's arms.

That said, Mayo had done a lot of things well. They gave up no goal chance, hassled and harried the Dublin men and Tommy Conroy's direct running caused the Leinster team no end of problems. However, Dublin seemed to be getting their scores much easier and there was a sense that they were just biding their time before pulling away with their legendary third-quarter surge.

However, Mayo refused to let them out of their grip.

When Conor Loftus kicked a point after 45 minutes the sides were level, 0-10 apiece, and that see-saw pattern remained all the way to the finish. Dublin would pull ahead and then Mayo would reply. Eoin Murchan's goal effort hit the crossbar and flew over after 59 minutes and Paul Mannion nudged Dublin two in front going down the stretch as he and Jack McCaffrey made a big impression off the bench.

Mayo sub, Diarmuid O'Connor, found O'Donoghue for a superb long-range point soon after and when Colm Reape strode forward to level the scores from a '45 at the end of normal time, the three added minutes promised great excitement and so it transpired.

David McBrien won a ball over Mannion in front of the Mayo posts and set in train a move which ended with O'Donoghue fouled 35 yards from the Dublin posts.

The Belmullet man nervelessly sent the ball flying between the sticks and the roof lifted off the stand with the Mayo roar. The green and red were a point up, headed for victory and a place in the quarter-final, but Dublin won the kick-out, ran down the middle and Costello punched over the equaliser.

So many things right – a few things wrong. Dublin are in the quarter-final – Mayo are headed for week-on-week games. It should have been different.