LAST UPDATE | 2 Jul 2023
Dublin 2-17
Mayo 0-11
YOU SUSPECT THAT the famous Saturday night, when Mayo finally drove the stake into Dublin hearts and slayed the beast in the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final, might have meant more to one side than the other.
And it’s quite possible, as the cameras panned over the crowd and captured the tears flowing freely down the faces of Mayo fans, that you thought it meant more to Mayo.
After this 12-point drubbing, we might think again.
Instead, Mayo went on to play the All-Ireland final. They lost to Tyrone when it seemed they had the hard work done, plunging themselves into new realms of despair.
Meanwhile, that semi-final defeat fermented and stewed in the psyche of the Dublin players. Being relegated the year after soon had them looking extremely vulnerable.
Everybody wanted a cut off Dublin in 2023, it seemed. Even the Kildares of this world were getting uppity.
Think again.
Key to this devastation, was the performance of Colm Basquel. It’s hard to beat a direct player but few might have predicted how he would open up in a game as cagey as these encounters can be.
His 2-2 against his parent’s county is one of those great GAA yarns made flesh. From the opening minutes he showed he was in the mood.
He burned past Pádraig O’Hora after ten minutes to take his opening point of the game. O’Hora had to be replaced before the first half was out and Enda Hession was next up. It all made little difference.
Game four of the weekend’s football programme was expected to be the saviour of Gaelic football after the proscribed and sometimes torturously deliberate gameplans that had scourged the previous three matches over the weekend.
The anticipation however, is frequently better than the event and while the draw provided pairings to make us pregnant with expectation, the result was two mis-matches and two non-events. Any positives came from the f0irst half of this game and a penalty shoot-out.
It could have been different. It needn’t be like this, though with the All-Ireland semi-finals pairing Dublin and Monaghan, with Kerry meeting Derry, we might have to wait until July 30th and the All-Ireland final for the annual salvation of Gaelic football.
After going 0-4 to 0-3 up, Mayo were hauled back by a goal borne from that most basic of tactics; an up and under from David Byrne that rested in the hands of Colm Basquel who shrugged off the challenge of Pádraig O’Hora to slot to the net beyond Colm Reape.
Mayo’s response was immediate. They wiped out that lead with a jinking point from Tommy Conroy, another from a direct kickout from Reape, fielded by Aidan O’Shea and a pass arrowed to Ryan O’Donoghue who kicked on the turn. Frees from O’Shea and O’Donoghue then had Mayo motoring in the lead.
Mayo might have had a goal approaching the half hour mark. Under pressure, Jordan Flynn went to ground while charging at Stephen Cluxton’s goal at the Hill 16 end. The ball was controlled between his knees and while he rose to stick it in the net, the Dublin defence had already stopped as David Gough had his whistle blown.
It was to be Dublin that went closest to another goal though. Under no real pressure in a bout of ball recycling, Reape carelessly frittered away a loose pass for Lee Gannon to pounce. Cormac Costello had a shot that was partly blocked and Niall Scully redirected the flight of the ball onto the post.
1-6 to 0-8 in Dublin’s favour at the break, it was set up for barnburner of a second half.
As the first half was drawing to a close, it was at the back of every Mayo person’s mind how long they were going without keeping the scoreboard ticking over. That gap kept growing from the 24th minute to the 48th.
By the time we had reached that point, the game was out of sight for Kevin McStay’s men.
Dublin scored 1-5 to Mayo’s 0-1 in response, up to the 54th minute.
Paul Mannion was back to his buzzy best, opening the second half scoring after a brilliant run from James McCarthy from the throw-in. Basquel and Brian Fenton got in on the scoring act.
Then, fatal hesitation.
McCarthy played a ball down the line that was rolling out for a wide. Sam Callinan tried to shield the ball from Mannion, but credit his soccer skills, he managed to poke it free. Costello was upon it in a flash and played across to Basquel to finish.
Sure, by the 51st minute Mayo had a chance. O’Donoghue had a shot blocked the ball squirted out to Eoghan McLaughlin. With the open goal at his mercy, he clipped the bottom of the post. Had it gone on, it would have been just four points of a margin.
But from then on, Dublin hit seven points to Mayo’s two. They rolled a galaxy of stars off the bench, including Jack McCaffrey and Ciaran Kilkenny.
Their dominance was absolute and total. They are now a side to be afraid of once again. Those that fancy themselves might be careful what they wish for.
Scorers for Dublin: Colm Basquel 2-2, Cormac Costello 0-5 (3f), James McCarthy 0-2, Con O’Callaghan 0-2, Paul Mannion 0-2, Brian Fenton, Ciaran Kilkenny, Dean Rock, Paddy Small 0-1 each.
Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-5, (2f), Tommy Conroy 0-2, Aidan O’Shea 0-1 (1f), Colm Reape 0-1, (1x’45), Paddy Durcan, Jordan Flynn 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
17. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf), 3. Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala), 4. Lee Gannon (Whitehall)
5. James McCarthy (Ballymun), 6. John Small (Ballymun), 23. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny), 9. Brian Howard (Raheny)
22. Paul Mannion (Kilmacud), 11. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh), 12. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
18. Cormac Costello (Whitehall), 14. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala), 15. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden)
Subs
7. Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf) for Murchan (46)
10. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock) for Bugler (48)
13. Paddy Small (Ballymun) for Scully (54)
20. Tom Lahiff (St Jude’s) for Costello (67)
26. Dean Rock (Ballymun) for Basquel (71)
Mayo
1. Colm Reape (Knockmore)
2. Jack Coyne (Ballyhaunis), 3. David McBrien (Ballaghaderreen), 4. Pádraig O’Hora (Ballina)
5. Paddy Durcan (Castlebar), 6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore), 7. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport)
8. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy), 9. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber)
17. Sam Callinan (Ballina), 11. Jack Carney (Kilmeena), 12. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina)
13. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), 14. Tommy Conroy (The Neale), 15. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet)
Subs
19. Enda Hession (Garrymore) for O’Hora (32)
25. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber) for O’Shea (46)
24. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore) for McLaughlin (53)
18. James Carr (Ardagh) for Ruane (59)
23. Donnacha McHugh (Castlebar) for Coen (59)
10. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole) for Callinan (70)
Referee: David Gough (Meath)