WHILE MAYO GOT off to a flyer, Jim Gavin’s Dubs only won one of their first four games as they bid for a third straight league title. Would that form hold in Castlebar this evening?
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Good evening and welcome to minute-by-minute coverage of the Allianz Football League Division 1 clash between Mayo and Dublin.
There has already been one disappointment for GAA fans in the capital today with the hurlers overturned by a resurgent Clare in Ennis. With just one win from the first four rounds of the league, Dubs boss Jim Gavin will be hoping that lightning doesn’t strike twice.
Throw-in in Castlebar is at 7pm.
Here’s a quick reminder of how the league table looks ahead of tonight’s game. Mayo are sitting pretty at the top of the pile but Dublin need a win tonight if they’re to have any chance of defending their league title.
Cheltenham week gave us a sharp reminder that the bookies rarely lose money! They make this a one-point game in the Dubs’ favour and if previous meetings between these sides is anything to go by, they’re fairly on the money.
Team news: Here’s the named Mayo starting XV, with five changes from the side which beat Derry in Celtic Park.
Mayo
1. Robbie Hennelly (Breaffy)
2. Tom Cunniffe (Castlebar Mitchels)
3. Kevin Keane (Westport)
4. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis) (Capt)
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)
Team news: Dublin make just one change from the draw against Tyrone — Cian O’Sullivan in for Nicky Devereux — but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see another change or two before throw-in. We’ll keep you informed of any late team news.
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)
9. Emmett O’Conghaile (Lucan Sarsfields)
10. Tomás Brady (Na Fianna)
11. Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)
12. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)
13. Kevin McManamon (St Jude’s)
14. Paddy Andrews (St Brigid’s)
15. Bernard Brogan (Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruaidh)
Two late changes for the Dubs — Paul Flynn and Diarmuid Connolly start in place of Emmet O Conghaile and Paddy Andrews.
This just got interesting.
The teams are out and we’re just about ready to roll. Who do you fancy?
Referee Padraig O’Sullivan gets us underway.
Mayo 0-1 Dublin 0-0: Mayo get their opening score just 20 seconds in through Jason Doherty.
Diarmuid Connolly’s first meaningful contribution of 2015 for Dublin is to foul Lee Keegan. Mayo go short but the shot comes back off Cluxton’s upright.
Mayo 0-2 Dublin 0-0: Mayo take a quick sideline to spring Donal Vaughan in behind the Dublin defence. He rifles a point over Cluxton’s bar.
Mayo 0-2 Dublin 0-1: Good running from Jack McCaffrey on the overlap and he plays in Tomás Brady who takes a handy point rather than attempt a shot on goal.
GOAL FOR DUBLIN! Dublin 1-1 Mayo 0-2 (Bastick) Super stuff from the Dubs and they’ve the game’s opening goal. Paul Flynn played a great crossfield pass, fielded by Bernard Brogan. He’s unlucky not to score himself as his shot cannons off the underside of the bar, but Denis Bastick is there to tap home into an empty net.
Dublin 1-2 Mayo 0-2: Tomás Brady tacks on another. The Dubs are flying these last few minutes.
Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-2: Ciaran Kilkenny powers through two Mayo tackles and kicks a point. That’s 1-3 without reply for the visitors.
Dublin 1-4 Mayo 0-2: McCaffrey shrugs off O’Connor and points. Brogan looked to be unmarked there in space if McCaffrey had squared it and maybe Mayo can count themselves lucky to have just conceded a single point.
Dublin 1-5 Mayo 0-2: Sloppy foul by Kevin Keane and Dean Rock slots the free without any fuss. Dublin stretch their early lead to six.
Dublin 1-5 Mayo 0-3: Aidan O’Shea is pulled back as he tries to force his way towards goal. Jason Doherty points the free.
Dublin 1-6 Mayo 0-3: Fine score by Diarmuid Connolly who gathers the pass from Paul Flynn and shoots, off-balance, and still scores. The Dubs must be delighted to have him back!
Dublin 1-7 Mayo 0-3: Kevin McManamon has been very lively in this opening quarter and a right handful for Mayo. He’s fouled by a combination of Keane and O’Shea, and Rock makes no mistake with the free.
Big let-off for Mayo! Again Kevin McManamon causes all the trouble, ghosting past Seamus O’Shea before popping it to Rock. He sends it towards Brogan who tries to flick it backwards over his head past Hennelly, but it goes wide.
I don’t think he realised he had time to pull that one in, turn, and shoot.
Dublin 1-7 Mayo 0-4: Kevin McLaughlin pulls one back for Mayo
GOAL FOR DUBLIN! Dublin 2-7 Mayo 0-4 (Brogan) Dublin strike again, and this game is in danger of getting away from Mayo very quickly.
Again it’s McManamon who does all the damage with powerful, direct running before sending the ball across for Brogan to palm in at the back post.
McManamon DID hop the ball twice though, but the referee missed it and it’s a huge break for the visitors.
Kevin McLaughlin has a simple free to get Mayo back on the scoreboard but he pulls it badly wide. Very disappointing.
Dublin 2-8 Mayo 0-4: Dean Rock has a free in a central position and back out near the 45. It’s the same result as all the others and he takes his tally to 0-3 for the evening.
Dublin 2-8 Mayo 0-5: Mayo are really being made to work for as little as a free in sight of the Dublin goal. When they get one, Jason Doherty kicks his third point of the night.
Dublin 2-9 Mayo 0-5: Mayo pull an extra few men behind the ball to try to frustrate Dublin as Tyrone did last Saturday night, but the Dubs are patient. Tomas Brady uses Brogan brilliantly, and he finds Ciaran Kilkenny speeding by on the overlap for a well-constructed point.
Less than five minutes to the break here and Dublin lead by 10. Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes will want to get their men back into the dressing room before there’s any further damage.
Colm Boyle pushes up to join the attack and tries to find Alan Freeman at the back post. Freeman can’t keep it in play — but why did Boyle not just take his point?
Dublin 2-10 Mayo 0-5: Bernard Brogan makes it look oh so simple, selling Higgins with a little show and go before curling over a point.
Dublin 2-10 Mayo 0-6: Mayo get one more on the board before the break — Mark Ronaldson takes the score well to his credit.
Dublin 2-10 Mayo 0-6
Sensational first-half from Dublin who have strolled into Castlebar and simply cut Mayo to pieces. They did get a lucky break for their second goal but there have been plenty of other occasions when they let Mayo off the hook, and some of their point-taking has been majestic. McManamon and Brogan in particular have been superb in attack, while Dean Rock’s free-taking eye is certainly in.
As for Mayo, they’re finding themselves crowded out every time they make a meaningful foray into Dublin territory. They came to play an open game against the Dubs and it’s hard to see how they’ll claw back a 10-point deficit from here.
Back in five.
We’re back underway in Castlebar. Can Mayo make a game of this?
Dublin sub: One change for the Dubs at the break – Mick Fitzsimons on to replace Rory O’Carroll
Mayo look to have come out with a very defensive setup in this second half. Are they going to try to out-counter the counter-attacking Dubs?
Keith Higgins comes up from the back again but there’s very little support and he takes on the pot-shot himself. It skews away right off his boot and wide.
Little bit of a kerfuffle as Diarmuid Connolly fouls Donal Vaughan in midfield. There’s a small bit of afters as well as Vaughan half-kicks out at Connolly but I don’t think there was much in it.
Dublin 2-11 Mayo 0-6: Jack McCaffrey wins the battle of wills with Keith Higgins, leaving the Mayo captain hanging on to the back of his jersey like your mammy trying to keep the washing together on a windy day. McCaffrey brings about a fine save from Rob Hennelly who tips his shot over the bar for a point.
Dean Rock’s free-taking has been on the money so far this evening but he sends this one left and wide.
Dublin 2-12 Mayo 0-6: Dublin are scoring at will here. McManamon pops it to Flynn who scores off his left boot.
SUPERB STOP BY DUBLIN! Mayo looks to have scored a certain goal as Seamus O’Shea plays in brother Aidan. He slips as he’s about to pull the trigger though and has to pass to Mark Ronaldson instead.
In that split-second, Denis Bastick closes the vital yards and he flings himself across Ronaldson’s boot and knocks the ball to safety. Serious determination considering the Dubs are 12 up.
Dublin 2-13 Mayo 0-6: And there’s a more tangible reward for that hustle at the other end. Dublin counter, win a free, and Rock scores.
Dublin 2-13 Mayo 0-7: Jason Doherty points his fourth of the evening.
Dublin 2-13 Mayo 0-8: MY DAYS – this would have been a cracker. Danny Kirby, who’s not on long as a sub, spots Stephen Cluxton a mile off his line and tries his luck from all of 40 yards.
It’s dropping … dropping … and it drops just over the bar, much to the Dublin keeper’s relief. I don’t think he was getting there.
Mayo sub: Alan Dillon is on to replace Diarmuid O’Connor
Dublin sub: John Small replaces Eoin Culligan
Dublin 2-14 Mayo 0-8: Mayo’s defence is non-existent and Johnny Cooper takes full advantage, roaming forward from corner-back to point.
Mayo sub: Mickey Sweeney is on to replace Mark Ronaldson.
Another Mayo sub: Barry Moran on to replace Seamus O’Shea
Dublin 2-15 Mayo 0-8: Dublin counter again and again, it’s Tomás Brady who applies the finishing touch. That’s three from play for him tonight. Thirteen points the difference at the moment.
Dublin 2-15 Mayo 0-9: Alan Dillon is given enough time and space to pick his spot, and he sends over a point.
Dublin 2-16 Mayo 0-9: Another pointed free from Dean Rock.
OOOH! That was nearly a third for Dublin as Dean Rock outjumps Tom Cunniffe and tries to fist the dropping ball past Hennelly. He doesn’t really make clean contact though and it skirts past the base of the post.
Dublin subs: Brian Fenton and Eoghan O’Gara on for Bastick and Brogan for the last 10 minutes or so.
Aidan O’Shea has been one of the better performers for Mayo this evening at full-forward and he nearly gets a goal for his troubles. He makes a nuisance of himself to outmuscle Cian O’Sullivan but then scuffs a shot across the face of Cluxton’s goal and wide.
Dublin sub: James McCarthy on for Tomás Brady.
Dublin 2-17 Mayo 0-9: Another pointed free from Rock — that’s six tonight I think. The gap is 14 now.
Mayo sub: Ger Cafferkey on for Donal Vaughan
Dublin sub: Philly Ryan on for Kev McManamon
A lot of the life has gone out of this, as you might expect, but Dublin’s subs still seem anxious enough to get on the board.
BLACK CARD! Dean Rock’s evening is over for a cynical foul.
Dublin 2-18 Mayo 0-9: Dublin sub Philly Ryan is very nearly Dublin goalscorer Philly Ryan but he’s falling backwards as he gets his shot off and it’s over Hennelly’s bar.
You’d have to feel for Jason Doherty there. It seems as though he cramped up as he swung at a simple free and put it wide. Just one of those nights, I guess.
We’ll have one additional minute and then Mayo will be out of their misery.
Dublin 2-18 Mayo 0-10: McLaughlin kicks a late free and that might well be that.
Dublin 2-18 Mayo 0-10
That’s that, then. Total dominance by Dublin who seemed to really relish the chance to play against a team who didn’t pull 15 men behind the ball. By the time Mayo realised why that might be a good idea, the damage was long done.
Tomás Brady has been given the official man of the match award on Setanta but there were standout performers all over the park for Dublin. They’ll now have their sights set on a semi-final place, and then a third straight league title.
Disappointment for Mayo who will be overtaken at the top of the table if Cork win. They were second-best for the entire evening, both in terms of appetite and in terms of tactics.
That’s it from us for this evening. Thanks very much for reading.
