Afternoon, everybody.
Here we go. The big one. Dublin and Mayo in Croke Park, with a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals at stake.
But it’s more important than that, too, really, isn’t it?
Who do you reckon, so?
Poll Results:
Four late changes for Dublin: what’s the point in naming teams a couple of days beforehand, honestly?
One change for Mayo, too.
For the Dubs, in come David Byrne, Eoin Murchan, Paul Mannion and Cormac Costello. Byrne will probably pick up Aidan O’Shea. Out go Ciarán Kilkenny, Jack McCaffrey, Daire Newcombe and Paddy Small.
For Mayo, Sam Callinan replaces Jason Doherty.
Amhrán na bhFiann underway now at Croke Park.
We’re about to get started.
What a game this should be…
Dion Dublin is here as well, for some reason…
1′ – Dublin 0-0 Mayo 0-0: David Gough throws it in — and we’re off!
Dublin versus Mayo, with an All-Ireland semi-final at stake.
4′ – Mayo 0-1 Dublin 0-0: Ryan O’Donoghue opens the scoring for Mayo. Dublin shoot a wide — I think it was Eoin Murchan but apologies if I’m wronging him.
Both sides kicking the ball, feeling each other out in these intriguing opening few minutes.
6′ – Dublin 0-1 Mayo 0-1: Cormac Costello levels proceedings after a nice carry out of defence by Murchan.
Good point by Costello, who drills it between the sticks from maybe 35 yards.
8′ – Mayo 0-2 Dublin 0-1: Ah, a great Mayo score. O’Shea takes one out of the sky over Davey Byrne’s head. He feeds a lovely ball into O’Donoghue who doubles his and Mayo’s tally.
10′ Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-2: Lovely jinking run by Colm Basquel who fires the Dubs level with another picturesque point.
13′ – Dublin 0-3 Mayo 0-2: Cormac Costello pokes the Dubs into the lead.
Lovely bit of defending, then, by Jordan Flynn as he smothers Con O’Callaghan in a dangerous position and forces O’Callaghan to pick the ball off the ground.
15′ – Mayo 0-3 Dublin 0-3: O’Donoghue brings us level with another free from close range.
Pretty good game, this. Huge emphasis from Mayo to move the ball as quickly as possible. The Dubs are kicking a lot, and also finding moments of success.
Just two good teams getting into it.
17′ – Mayo 0-4 Dublin 0-3: Another great take by O’Shea, who lays it off to Tommy Conroy for a great point.
18′ – Dublin 1-3 Mayo 0-5: GOAL! It’s Colm Basquel! Dublin go long and the corner forward makes a wonderful claim, turning and firing into the net. Simple goal but super goal.
Up the other end, Mayo dust themselves down and reply through Conroy, who bags his second of the game.
21′ – Mayo 0-6 Dublin 1-3: O’Donoghue brings Mayo back to parity. Great response to Basquel’s goal by then.
23′ – Mayo 0-7 Dublin 1-3: Aidan O’Shea moves Mayo into the lead from a free on the right-hand side. Tommy Conroy had done very well to make the catch and earn the free after a ball was skied.
24′ Mayo 0-8 Dublin 1-3: Ryan O’Donoghue is on one. Seems Davey Byrne has been moved onto him now.
29′ – Dublin 1-5 Mayo 0-8: A couple of Cormac Costello frees bring Dublin level — but Mayo will feel they were harshly denied a goal, there!
Jordan Flynn was adjudged by David Gough to have picked the ball off the ground before smashing it past Stephen Cluxton… But he didn’t? He picked it up between his knees, and he never touched it on the ground with his hands.
Looked like a brilliant piece of improvisation by Flynn, but Gough gives a free out. A let-off for Dublin.
32′ – Dublin 1-5 Mayo 0-8: Enda Hession on for Padraig O’Hora.
34′ – Dublin 1-5 Mayo 0-8: Just some clarification on the disallowed Flynn goal: you’re not allowed pick the ball off the ground using your knees — but there’s a strong chance the ball was never actually grounded, with the way Flynn scooped it up.
In fairness, that would have been a very hard spot for David Gough.
35′ – Dublin 1-6 Mayo 0-8: Niall Scully hits the post with an improvised, fisted effort! James McCarthy tidies up for the Dubs, however, and pokes them into the lead.
Very little stoppage time. Absorbing game between these two again.
The second half could be electric. Dublin lead by one going into the break.
39′ – Dublin 1-9 Mayo 0-8: Dublin have come out hot, here.
Three points on the spin, the latest by Brian Fenton — and HERE’S A GOAL CHANCE!
40′ – Dublin 2-9 Mayo 0-8: GOAL! It’s Basquel again!
Paul Mannion does brilliantly to keep a ball in play on the end-line and Cormac Costello produces a beautiful pick-up, chipping the ball into his hands on the run.
He feeds it across to Basquel who fists it in. Huge, huge score in this tie.
1-6 without reply for the Dubs, and they lead by seven!
46′ – Dublin 2-10 Mayo 0-8: Mannion adds a beauty to stretch the lead to eight.
Mayo just haven’t come out of the dressing-room at all, it’s a bit weird.
Jack McCaffrey on for Eoin Murchan for Dublin. Cillian O’Connor replaces Aidan O’Shea for Mayo, and that gets as loud a cheer from the Dubs as McCaffrey’s introduction.
48′ – Dublin 2-10 Mayo 0-9: Paddy Durcan brings it back to seven with Mayo’s first score of the second half.
50′ – Dublin 2-10 Mayo 0-9: Eoghan McLaughlin hits the post!
Oh, that’s such an annoying miss for Mayo. They fashion a goal chance and, after Ryan O’Donoghue’s effort is blocked, the ball balls to McLaughlin who has an open goal to aim for — but he clatters the post with a first-time shot off the ground!
53′ – Dublin 2-11 Mayo 0-9: Replacement Ciarán Kilkenny with a lovely score off his left.
You can probably stick a fork in this one — it’s pretty much done. That’s a crippling point by Kilkenny.
55′ – Dublin 2-11 Mayo 0-10: Outrageous score by Jordan Flynn who drives upfield and converts from all of 50 yards with the outside of his right foot.
56′ – Dublin 2-12 Mayo 0-10: Con O’Callaghan curls one home from centre-left.
57′ – Dublin 2-12 Mayo 0-11: Diarmuid O’Connor with an inspiring run through the Dublin defence, but his shot for goal from an angle is easily saved by Cluxton.
Colm Reape converts the ensuing 45′.
60′ – Dublin 2-13 Mayo 0-11: Costello free. Eight points in it. 10 minutes to go.
62′ – Dublin 2-14 Mayo 0-11: The Dubs extend their lead out to nine through Paddy Small.
It’s looking like three of the four teams in the semi-finals will be those who avoided the preliminary quarter-final stage.
67′ – Dublin 2-15 Mayo 0-12: Dublin squeezing the life out of Mayo. Unbelievable pressing and intensity, even at this stage.
James McCarthy gets his second point of the game and the lead is back out to nine.
73′ – Dublin 2-16 Mayo 0-11: Dublin’s lead out to 11, now. Sub Dean Rock with the latest score.
Tough day for Kevin McStay, here. That defeat to Cork has proven so costly.
74′ Dublin 2-17 Mayo 0-11: Con. Great score.
75′ – Dublin 2-17 Mayo 0-11: Jaysus: Dublin have scored 1-11 in the second half. Mayo have scored 0-3.
Six minutes of added time, by the way, and we’re into the last of those, here.
All over.
Dublin march into the semis with a brilliant second-half display. They blew away Mayo in the third quarter.
For Mayo, it’s another year that ends in disappointment.
Cheers for following our live updates. Keep an eye on The 42 for a full report shortly.
Catch you for the next one!
