1. Dublin get a test at last
There’s been plenty made of Dublin’s lack of contests in Leinster, and given the comfortable nature of their league semi-final and final victories back in April, it’s been a while since we saw them receive a stern examination.
That certainly happened today albeit that Dublin seemed on course for a stroll to success as they unleashed a dominant first-half display. But Ryan McHugh’s goal and a pair of dismissals ensured Dublin got a genuine gut test.
Jim Gavin will be hugely satisfied with how his side rose to the challenge. In fact after Diarmuid Connolly’s 47th minute dismissal, they still outscored Donegal 1-3 to 0-5 with a display that illustrated the football intelligence they possess.
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2. Mayo’s season picks up real momentum
The outlook for Mayo football looks a lot more promising on 6 August than it did on 18 June. After being stunned by Galway in Castlebar, they rehabilitated with wins over Fermanagh, Kildare and Westmeath. Their form was patchy though and today was an occasion where they needed to crank up the gears.
They certainly did that, winning a grinding battle against a Tyrone team who have already been crowned league and Ulster champions in 2016. The success means Mayo are now in a sixth successive All-Ireland semi-final – a testament to the brilliant consistency of their current bunch.
Lee Keegan, Cillian O’Connor and Aidan O’Shea were particularly inspirational today, producing the goods when it mattered most. Tipperary are up next and Mayo are now only two more wins away from delivering the Holy Grail.
3. Donegal fail to replicate the shock of 2014
Donegal arrived in Croke Park with the aim of overturning an ambitious Dublin side again. There was the heartwarming sight for them in seeing Ryan McHugh bag a goal again in front of Hill 16 to leave the fans from the north-west in full voice. Yet unlike 2014 it did not send them soaring clear on the scoreboard and couldn’t ignite a remarkable comeback.
After a first-half where they never hit full speed, Donegal had a chance to make inroads in the second-half against a Dublin team who were wounded by dismissals. But the closest they got was three points and it was significant that their blue-chip forwards – Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty – mustered only a single point from play between them.
A week after a career best championship display against Cork, McBrearty could not shoot the lights out here and that was a tribute to the discipline and concentration that coursed through Dublin’s defensive play.
4. Tyrone’s campaign crashes to a halt
Last August, Tyrone gave Kerry a real fright in an All-Ireland semi-final. They were young and emerging. All the signs to date in 2016 pointed to them arriving on the big stage as they surged to promotion in Division 2 and then conjured up a critical late rally to win an Ulster title.
The celebratory mood of that game ensured the Red Hands faithful were in high spirits arriving in Croke Park today but instead of bouncing on to a semi-final, they suffered an agonising narrow defeat. Peter Harte and Mattie Donnelly hit the heights as usual but they didn’t click elsewhere.
Being reduced to 14 men after Sean Cavanagh was sent-off forced them to chase the game and they will rue the wides they clocked up when the game was on the line. This defeat will sting as their 2016 involvement suddenly ends.
5. Marquee names suffer dismissals
It was a day when big names in the Gaelic football saw the line. Sean Cavanagh’s dismissal for Tyrone was a critical moment in influencing the outcome of the first encounter. It was unfortunate for Cavanagh but it was a high challenge. The shame would be if that was the last act of the 33 year-old’s celebrated career that has yielded a treasure trove of honours.
The second-half of the second match was dominated by dismissals. The departure of Diarmuid Connolly was a blow to Dublin given his majestic attacking form in the second-half. For the player himself it was a disciplinary incident he could have done without after the controversy in the Leinster final.
Dublin then saw Eoghan O’Gara shown a red card for striking Neil McGee and were fortunate they were little time left and they had enough maturity to cope with just 13 men on the pitch.
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