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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Dublin v Mayo, All Ireland semi-final

We went minute-by-minute Mayo as set out to upset the odds.

We went minute-by-minute as Dublin and Mayo locked horns to decide who would join Donegal in the All-Ireland final.

It was a game which brought everything, except for a goal or a red card. An absorbing contest throughout.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game and you can reach us in a variety of  new-fangled methods.

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Full time: Dublin 0-16 Mayo 0-19

THROW-IN: Afternoon, Ewan McKenna is experiencing some technical (Croke Park Wi-fi) difficulties so it’s Sean Farrell back in TheScore.ie HQ bringing you the play by play.

It’s a good start for Dublin as Kevin Keane is pinged by Joe McQuillan for steps allowing Bernard Brogan to tap over an easy free.

Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-0; 5 mins: Brogan given another easy free on the edge of the square. Mayo have had one sojourn towards the Hill so far. And it ended with a loud ironic cheer as Andy Moran fired high and wide off his left.

Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-1. 9mins: Cillian O’Connor is pointing at his temple, urging Mayo to show their mental strenght. He’s leading by example, curling over a fine point from a placed 65.

Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-3. 10 mins: I could well copy and paste that last entry. O’Connor has pointed another 65 from an identical position.

Dublin have dropped two shot well short into the grasp of David Clarke. The men from the west are not here to make up the numbers.

Michael Conroy makes it three-in-row for Mayo, they lead.

Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-3. 14 mins: Paul Flynn sends a powerful shot against the Mayo cross-bar after a brilliant turn on the edge of the square. Clarke was beaten, but the ball pings back out to safety.

Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-3. 18 mins: O’Connor is made to wait while Lee Keegan is down receiving treatment at the other end. The Westport man is off the field now and O’Connor curls this effort from the left touchline wide of the near post.

Mayo’s third wide.

Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-5. 20 mins: Alan Dillon fists over from close range. The Hill is eerily quiet as Barry Moran adds another from distance.

Dublin steam forward, but Kevin Nolan loses the ball and it’s a free out. Dublin have not score since the fifth minute.

Dublin 0-3 Mayo 0-6. 24 mins: Dublin’s barren run is over thanks to a point from Connolly. It’s their first score from play, but Dillon responds with a fantastic hit off his right boot from the right side.

Dublin 0-5 Mayo 0-6. 25 mins: Diarmuid Connolly is keeping Dublin in this. Two in a row for the big man from St Vincents and his scores have inspired Ciaran Kilkenny, he adds to the ‘from play’ column to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

Dublin 0-5 Mayo 0-6. 28 mins: Dublin went looking to re-take the lead instantly. James McCarthy ran at goal but was forced too wide to shoot. He sensibly fed Brogan, but the All-Star was crowded out and his low drive blocked.

Dublin 0-5 Mayo 0-7. 30 mins: O’Connor from 65, he’s lethal.

Dublin 0-5 Mayo 0-8. 34 mins: Superb from Enda Varley, cutting inside his man and rifling over from a tight angle. Kilkenny responds , but Mayo add an instant two more from play through McLoughlin and Doherty.

Dublin 0-6 Mayo 0-12. 35 mins: Conroy is called for a foul on Varley as the pair sprint out to reach a long ball. That free is tapped over and Mcloughlin rubs salt into the Dubs’ first half wound.

HALF TIME: Dublin 0-6 Mayo 0-12. It’s been a superb 35-minute display from the green and red. O’Connor’s placed balls and some wonderful, strong running from deep from McLoughlin have them well in control.

But Dublin will be facing Hill 16 in the second half. Can Mayo keep up this astounding tempo, can Dublin match it?

It’ll be an intriguing second half, no doubt.

Dublin out nice and early before they resumption. Presumably Pat Gilroy squeezed plenty of words into a short space of time.

Mayo don’t keep them waiting long, they need to rev themselves right back up again.

Dublin 0-7 Mayo 0-12. 36 mins: That’s a bad, bad miss from michael Conroy to open the half. Keith Higgins won possession and quickly turned defence into attack. Conroy was unmarked, but curled his effort well wide.

He’s almost punished instantly, but as Diarmuid Connolly bears down on goal, he tries to slip a finish into Clarke’s near post. Excellent save from the ‘keeper with his toe. 65 is scored.

Dublin 0-7 Mayo 0-13. 40 mins: The six point lead is restored as the Dublin defence give away another free. O’Connor, from his hands this time, coolly places it over.

… and we have our first melee.

It appears to have begun after varley felt contact from O’Carroll. O’Carroll began hauling the corner-forward to his feet, but he opted to remain a dead weight.

Dublin 0-7 Mayo 0-13. 44 mins: After much confusion Joe McQuillan hands out yellow cards to O’Carroll, James McCarthy and Mayo’s Alan Dillon. It’s getting feisty out there now as Dublin look to knock Mayo off their stride.

As a reader kindly pointed out my (habitual) habitual reference to O’Connor’s scores from “65s” were indeed “45s” and he is not Superman.

Dublin 0-8 Mayo 0-17. 52 mins: A period of sustained pressure from Dublin, but is sustained because Mayo are defending like lions.

Mayo added on three more in quick reply with O’Connor and Dillon hitting yet more from play.

RTE have called the result. ‘Mayo’s day’. With 20 minutes to go, Dublin are a full 10 points behind and Mayo only look like getting stronger.

Cluxton narrows the gap slightly with a very well struck 45, got it right that time.

Dublin 0-11 Mayo 0-17. 58 mins: Paul Flynn has been one of the better Dublin players today and he hits a monster score from the right wing to bring the gap down to seven. Nerves?

A fine passing move from the eastern county puts Brogan into space outside the rectangle. he’s instantly chopped down and he rises to score Dublin’s fourth in a row.

Dublin 0-12 Mayo 0-17. 60 mins: Just like the Chicago Tribune’s assertion that Harry Truman had failed in his bid to be US president. RTE’s Darragh Maloney is eating his words that it was “Mayo’s day”.

Another Brogan free has him saying “game on”, but Eoghan O’Gara has stunted the momentum with a poor effort off his left boot. Should have been five in a row for Dublin.

Dublin 0-13 Mayo 0-17. 65 mins: Over ten minutes now since Mayo’s last score, they need one badly now. Brogan frees are steadily shutting the gap. The intensity so lacking in the first 45 minutes are here in abundance now. Bear in mind there will be at least four minutes added on here.

The Dubs worked the ball in in front of the Hill well, but O’Gara is crowded out and hit hard. Mayo get it out for a 45, converted by Cluxton.

Dublin 0-15 Mayo 0-17. 69 mins: Mayo are choking.

They had a massive chance to register their first score in almost 20 minutes, but as the ball in worked into O’Connor he tries to roll it past Cluxton and a defender dropping deep. No dice.

Where’s your money?

Dublin 0-15 Mayo 0-18. 69 mins: Jason Doherty collects a superb long pass, spins his defender, but fluffs his lines. He attempted to fist over the bar, but it trickles past the post.

Free for Mayo now, inside the 45 m line. 22 mins since last score…. he  takes a deep breath, a couple of steps forward and nails it.

Dublin 0-15 Mayo 0-17. 66 mins: the moment arrived. Brogan latched onto a long free dropped into the area, but Clarke stood tall and batted away with a brilliant save.

Flynn grabs another from out-wide. Squeaky bum time.

Dublin 0-16 Mayo 0-19. 75 mins: It’s been 0-9 to 0-1 in the final quarter of the game. Brogan has just tapped over the ninth of those after O’Gara is hauled down on his way into the box.

Seamus O’Shea goes up the other end and shows tremendous power and pace before curling one inches inside the post.

FULL TIME: Dublin 0-16 Mayo 0-19. Mayo do their best impression of a choke tackle as McAuley powers towards goal. The free goes behind for a 45, which Cluxton lobs onto the edge of the small rectabngle, but after a flick Mayo come away with it, look for the final whistle and they have it!

Mayo are into the All Ireland final, they’ve come into the Croke Park and beaten Dublin again. Nobody gave them a hope, but they are still there.

Amazing opening 45/50 minutes from Mayo. Credit Dublin’s (albeit) late response, it was a rally worthy of defending champions. Thanks to Clarke’s heart-stopping one-on-one save from Bernard Brogan in front of Hill 16; it was, however, too little too late.

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