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Ruthless Dubs give Mayo an absolute walloping in Castlebar

Dublin set their sights on the semi-finals after a 14-point win in Castlebar.

Denis Bastick celebrates scoring the first goal of the game with Bernard Brogan Bastick and Brogan celebrate: their goals helped Dublin to a 14-point win. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Dublin 2-18
Mayo 0-10

DUBLIN WERE AT their devastating best as they blitzed Mayo in Castlebar last night and reignited their National Football League defence.

First-half goals from Denis Bastick and Bernard Brogan set the tone as the ruthless Dubs romped to a 14-point victory.

The win leaves Dublin on five points, out of the relegation places and setting their sights on a place in the semi-finals instead.

They scored an impressive 2-12 from play while holding Mayo to just six points and four frees at the other end.

Their performance was in marked contrast to last weekend’s against Tyrone, who frustrated Jim Gavin’s side by massing their defence behind the ball. Mayo were far less dour in their approach, with Aidan O’Shea lining out at full-forward, but they were made to look almost naive as Dublin cut them apart with some fine counter-attacking.

Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn were late additions as they made their first inter-county starts of the season, and their experience gave the visitors an obvious lift in a rampant first half.

Mayo opened the scoring through Jason Doherty and Donal Vaughan before the Dubs kicked into gear and scored 1-5 without reply.

Bastick was afforded the easiest of tap-ins for their opening goal in the seventh minute. Dean Rock showed superb determination — one of the hallmarks of Dublin’s performance across the park — to beat Tom Cunniffe to Flynn’s crossfield pass, and when Brogan gathered and rattled Hennelly’s crossbar, Bastick was the man following in to score.

Mayo were already well adrift and trailed 1-7 to 0-4 when Dublin struck for their second in the 22nd minute, although there was a huge slice of luck in their favour. Kevin McManamon was a menace in the first half but referee Padraig O’Sullivan missed the fact that he hopped the ball twice before crossing to the back post where Brogan palmed it in.

Kevin Keane with Kevin McManamon McManamon was a lively threat to the Mayo defence. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Rock added one of his six frees to stretch Dublin further in front while Tomás Brady — who was named man of the match and scored three from play himself — was at the heart of the patient build-up that yielded a fine score from Ciarán Kilkenny.

Mayo came into the game on top of Division 1 with only one defeat from their first four, but after shipping 2-10 in the first half and putting up just 0-6 in reply, the game was already well and truly beyond them by the break.

In the second half alone Dublin beat them by double scores, 0-8 to 0-4, as McCaffrey grabbed his second of the evening and Flynn and substitute Philly Ryan got in on the act.

Paul Flynn with Aidan O'Shea Paul Flynn made his first start of the season, as did Diarmuid Connolly. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

The visitors were relentless and even as Mark Ronaldson looked certain to score a goal that could have sparked a mini-revival, Denis Bastick made a heroic block before somehow scrambling the ball clear.

Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes emptied their bench and two of those subs, Danny Kirby and Alan Dillon, did get on the scoresheet while Kirby very nearly caught Stephen Cluxton off-guard with an audacious lob from all of 40 yards.

It was the closest thing Mayo had to a highlight. Dublin lost Rock to a late black card but otherwise, it was business the way they like it.

Scorers for Mayo: J Doherty 0-4 (3f), K McLoughlin 0-3 (1f), M Ronaldson, D Kirby, A Dillon 0-1 each.

Scorers for Dublin: D Rock 0-6 (6f), B Brogan 1-2, D Bastick 1-0, T Brady 0-3, J McCaffrey 0-2, J Cooper, D Connolly, C Kilkenny, P Flynn, P Ryan 0-1 each.

Mayo

1. Robbie Hennelly (Breaffy)

2. Tom Cunniffe (Castlebar Mitchels)
3. Kevin Keane (Westport)
4. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis, c)

5. Lee Keegan (Westport)
6. Colm Boyle (Davitts)
7. Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)

8. Seamus O’Shea (Breaffy)
9. Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe)

10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy)
12. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber)

13. Mark Ronaldson (Shrule/Glencorrib)
14. Alan Freeman (Aghamore)
15. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole​)

Substitutes:

22. Danny Kirby for Freeman (46)
19. Stephen Coen for Durcan (46)
25. Alan Dillon for O’Connor (50)
26. Mickey Sweeney for Ronaldson (51)
21. Barry Moran for S O’Shea (53)
17. Ger Cafferkey for Vaughan (63)

Dublin

1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)

2. Eoin Culligan (Kilmacud Crokes)
3. Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes)
4. Jonny Cooper (Na Fianna)

5. Philip McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
6. Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes)
7. Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf)

8. Denis Bastick (Templeogue Synge St)
10. Tomás Brady (Na Fianna)

22. Paul Flynn (Fingallians)
18. Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincent’s)
12. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)

13. Kevin McManamon (St Jude’s)
11. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
15. Bernard Brogan (Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruaidh)

Substitutes:

21. Michael Fitzsimons for O’Carroll (H/T)
26. John Small for Culligan (50)
19. Brian Fenton for Bastick (59)
24. Eoghan O’Gara for Brogan (59)
23. James McCarthy for Brady (61)
25. Philly Ryan for McManamon (63)

This article was originally published on 14 March at 9.39pm

As it happened: Mayo v Dublin, Allianz Football League Division 1

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