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Mayo's Alan Dillon and Down's Brendan McArdle in action in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final today. INPHO/Donall Farmer
AS IT HAPPENED

As It Happened: Mayo v Down, All-Ireland SFC quarter-final

Would it be James Horan or James McCartan who guided the first team into the semi-finals of this year’s All-Ireland senior football championship? We were in Croke Park for all the action.

They had never met in the All-Ireland senior football championship before but Mayo and Down crossed paths this afternoon in the quarter-finals of this year’s action.

We were live from Croke Park to record all the action.

Send us your thoughts and comments on today’s action. E-mail fintan@thescore.ie, tweet us@thescore_iefind us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

RESULT: Mayo 3-18 Down 2-9

Welcome to Croke Park as we get set for the first of this year’s All-Ireland senior football quarter-finals. Mayo and Down square off at 5pm.

Here’s all you need to know about today’s game. Down have been in the midst of their warm-up for a few minutes while Mayo are just on the field and starting theirs.

Here’s the Down team for today’s game. Kevin McKernan is back into their side at centre-back with several positional changes seeing Kevin Duffin, wing-forward last week against Tipperary in Mullingar, the player to make way.

DOWN SF: Brendan McVeigh (An Ríocht); Darren O’Hagan (Clonduff), Dan Gordon (Loughinisland), Conor Garvey (Mayobridge); Niall McParland (Glenn), Kevin McKernan (Burren), Brendan McArdle (Annaclone); Ambrose Rogers (Longstone), Kalum King (Bryansford); Aidan Carr (Clonduff), Mark Poland (Longstone), Conor Maginn (Bryansford); Eoin McCartan (Burren), Conor Laverty (Kilcoo), Brendan Coulter (Mayobridge).

We’re going to hold off on putting up the Mayo team as there is strong speculation that Aidan O’Shea will come in at midfield in a pre-match change. Danny Geraghty would seem the most likely player to make way in that instance.

The Mayo team looks likely to line up alongside these lines with Aidan O’Shea expected to come in for Danny Geraghty at midfield while Michael Conroy is on course to get the nod for Enda Varley at right corner-forward.

MAYO SF: David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites); Kevin Keane (Westport), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis); Lee Keegan (Westport), Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe), Colm Boyle (Davitts); Barry Moran (Castlebar Mitchels), Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber), Alan Dillon (Ballintubber); Michael Conroy (Davitts), Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole).


Mayo positional changes sees Jason Doherty and Cillian O’Connor swapping places in attack. Kevin McKernan at right half-back for Down with Aidan Carr playing right half-forward. We’re just underway.

Early goal chance for Down sees Conor Laverty through but when he smacks his shot goal ward, David Clarke is quick off his line to bravely block the ball. Yellow card for Down’s Eoin McCartan for an incident in the aftermath of that.

Key match-ups will be Mark Poland against Lee Keegan, and Benny Coulter against Ger Cafferkey. At the other end Alan Dillon is being picked up by Kevin McKernan.

Mayo 1-0 Down 0-0: 5 mins – What a dream start for Mayo as they find the net. Andy Moran is really brave in going down low to gather possession under pressure and he quickly offloads to Jason Doherty who has taken up a brilliant angle to run at. He cuts through the Down defence and keeps calm to roll a lovely left shoot to the net.

Mayo 1-1 Down 0-0: 8 mins – Andy Moran nows scores himself having previously been the creator, smacking over a great point for Mayo from the left. Barry Moran is dominating the early midfield exchanges for Mayo and they’ll be delighted with that start from Jason Doherty as he recaptured the great goal-scoring form he showed in the 2011 league campaign.

Mayo 1-1 Down 0-1: 11 mins – Down register a point from a free by Aidan Carr to settle themselves after Ambrose Rogers was fouled by Donal Vaughan.

Mayo 1-2 Down 0-1: 12 mins – Dan Gordon tugs at the jersey of Andy Moran and Mayo are awarded a free 20 yards out to the left of the goal. Routine chance for Cillian O’Connor and he gratefully converts it.

Cillian O’Connor off target with a ’45 means Mayo have now racked up five wides already. Half a goal chance for Andy Moran before that but he was crowded out by the Down defence.

Mayo 1-2 Down 1-2: 15 mins – And we’re level in Croke Park. Firstly Down grab a point back when Carr scores from play after great work by Conor Laverty to create the chance. Then they find the net with Laverty and Coulter doing brilliant to cut open the Mayo defence and it’s their towering midfielder Kalum King who bundles a left foot shot to the net.

Mayo 1-3 Down 1-2: 17 mins – Mayo hit back instantly with Alan Dillon raising a white flag from play.

Mayo 1-3 Down 1-3: 19 mins – Aidan Carr ties the teams with a good point after being fed by Mark Poland. But Mayo should have cleared that ball with Lee Keegan failing to control possession at a crucial juncture. Down will be happy to be level considering their slow start and they have grown into this game.

Mayo 1-4 Down 1-3: 22 mins – Michael Conroy strikes the point that puts Mayo ahead but they could have received a greater reward for that attack. Alan Dillon and Jason Doherty created a move which lead to Cillian O’Connor being supplied with the ball but his blistering drive for goal smashed against the crossbar before the rebound fell to Conroy to point. Down change sees Aidan Brannigan on for the injured Niall McParland.

Mayo 1-4 Down 1-4: 24 mins – Mayo protest over the awarding of a free for a foul by Kevin McLoughlin on Conor Garvey but it is awarded nonetheless and Aidan Carr steps up to strike his fourth point of the game.

Mayo 1-5 Down 1-4: 26 mins – A really good free from distance by Cillian O’Connor sends Mayo back into the ascendancy.

Mayo 2-5 Down 1-4: 28 mins – Goal for Mayo. The Down defence is sucked into the middle by a penetrating run from Kevin McLoughlin, he spies Michael Conroy free and plays him in. The Davitts man holds his nerve to shoot to the net despite Brendan McVeigh managing to get a touch to the ball.

Bad wide by Cillian O’Connor into Hill 16 after he was fed by Andy Moran. Mayo good value for their four-point advantage approaching half-time. Down have brought on Donal O’Hare for Eoin McCartan, who appears to be injured.

Mayo 2-6 Down 1-4: 33 mins – Donal Vaughan is dragged down by the Down defence and Cillian O’Connor despatches the ball between the posts to stretch Mayo’s advantage.

Mayo 2-7 Down 1-4: 35 mins – The Down defence are being pulled apart, Mayo are running at them and drawing the fouls. Andy Moran is grounded on this occasion and the result is the same with the unerring Cillian O’Connor pointing.

HALF-TIME: Mayo 2-7 Down 1-4: And that’s the way it ends at the break with Mayo six points to the good. Apart from a brief Down phase of dominance during the half which featured a Kalum King goal, Mayo have been very much in control. They will be happy with their attacking movement, their strike rate in front of goal that saw Jason Doherty and Michael Conroy raise the green flags that pushed them ahead, and the form of their defence as the Down forward line have not threatened.

Here’s the scorers from the first-half of today’s game. We’ll be back shortly with the second-half action.

MAYO: Cillian O’Connor 0-4 (0-4f), Michael Conroy 1-1, Jason Doherty 1-0, Alan Dillon, Andy Moran 0-1 each.
DOWN: Aidan Carr 0-4 (0-2f), Kalum King 1-0.

The teams are back out on the pitch and we’re getting set for the second-half. No changes to report on from either Mayo or Down yet.

Actually there is one change in the Down side with Liam Doyle on for Conor Maginn.

Mayo 2-8 Down 1-5: 38 mins – And Mayo begin the second-half like they ended the first-half with Andy Moran winning a free and Cillian O’Connor slotting over the shot. Liam Doyle does pull a point back for Down with a free in reply.

Mayo 2-9 Down 1-6: 40 mins – Down really need to improve their defensive discipline. They concede another soft free and Cillian O’Connor gets another point for himself. Benny Coulter finally gets off the mark for Down though at the other end with a point from play. Down change sees Damian Turley replace Conor Garvey.

Mayo 3-9 Down 1-6: 43 mins – That could be a defining score as Mayo strike for their third goal. Andy Moran wins a free, shows his alertness in taking it quickly to Cillian O’Connor who hand passes across for Michael Conroy who palms the ball to the net. Down have a mountain to climb now.

Mayo 3-9 Down 1-7: 46 mins – Aidan Carr grabs a point back for Down from a free but they still face an eight-point deficit.

Mayo 3-10 Down 1-7: 48 mins –  A lovely neat point for Mayo from Alan Dillon after he received a clever reverse pass by Cillian O’Connor.

They are comfortably ahead on the scoreboard but there is concern for Mayo by the fact that Andy Moran has gone down injured by the Cusack Stand. It looks like a knee injury and he seems to be in considerable pain.

And Moran is being put onto a stretcher and wheeled off the pitch. Alan Freeman is on as his replacement. But Moran could be a huge loss for Mayo if they reach the All-Ireland semi-final stage as he has been playing superb football this season.

Mayo 3-11 Down 1-7: 56 mins – Mayo are pulling comfortably clear at this stage with wing-back Lee Keegan getting in on the scoring act as he points.

Changes on both teams with Declan Rooney on for Brendan McArdle for Down while Richie Feeney replaces Jason Doherty for Mayo.

Mayo 3-12 Down 1-8: 62 mins – Another converted free for Down by Aidan Carr but the competitiveness has been drained out of this contest. It’s been far too easy for Mayo in the second half and that is underlined by Aidan O’Shea grabbing a point after his midfield partner Barry Moran supplied the pass.

Mayo 3-14 Down 1-8: 65 mins – Alan Dillon and Kevin McLoughlin notch further points for Mayo. They have brought Enda Varley into their attack for Michael Conroy while Jason Gibbons replaces Aidan O’Shea at midfield.

Mayo 3-15 Down 1-8: 66 mins – Cillian O’Connor hits his first point from play during the match for Mayo. Chris Barrett is on in their defence for Colm Boyle. This is turning into an extremely one-sided game with the Connacht outfit far too strong for their Ulster counterparts.

Mayo 3-16 Down 1-8: 68 mins – Substitute Enda Varley the latest Mayo player to score when he fists over a point.

Mayo 3-17 Down 1-8: 70 mins – The game ended as a contest a long time ago but Mayo boss James Horan must be happy with the manner in which his players have kept driving to the finish. Alan Dillon swings over another point for them.

Mayo 3-18 Down 2-8: 73 mins – A consolation goal for Down after a scramble in front of Hill 16 sees the ball fall to Benny Coulter who boots it into the net. The lack of a celebration by the Mayobridge attacker to that score illustrates what little significance it has and Kevin McLoughlin has just registered another point for Mayo.

FULL-TIME: Mayo 3-18 Down 2-9: Aidan Carr smashes over a late point for Down from a free but makes little difference as Mayo run out comfortable winners by a comprehensive 12-point margin.

An impressive afternoon’s work by Mayo. Apart from a brief phase of trouble in the first-half, they proved far too dominant for their opponents. By the interval they were deservedly six points ahead and Michael Conroy grabbed the third goal that killed off the match. A hugely disappointing end to Down’s season but Mayo move forward to an All-Ireland semi-final clash on September 1st. Yet their win was overshadowed by that serious knee injury that Andy Moran sustained during the second-half that necessitated his departure from the action.

Here’s the scorers from today’s game.

MAYO: Cillian O’Connor 0-7 (0-6f), Michael Conroy 2-1, Alan Dillon 0-4, Jason Doherty 1-0, Kevin McLoughlin 0-2, Lee Keegan, Aidan O’Shea, Enda Varley, Andy Moran 0-1 each.
DOWN: Aidan Carr 0-7 (0-6f), Benny Coulter 1-1, Kalum King 1-0, Liam Doyle 0-1 (0-1f).

That’s all from today’s second game in Croke Park. Join Ewan MacKenna for all the action when Dublin face Laois at 7pm. But Mayo have booked their berth in the All-Ireland semi-final’s with an excellent display against Down. Thanks for joining us.

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