Late Boland point hands Mayo win in Castlebar against Dublin

Dessie Farrell’s team suffered a second successive one-point loss in the league.

Mayo 1-12

Dublin 0-14

THERE IS SELDOM a dull moment when great rivals Mayo and Dublin cross paths and this latest renewal was no different in Castlebar tonight.

A first draw between the teams in the Allianz League for ten years looked the most likely outcome with just seconds remaining, but Fergal Boland popped up to shoot the winning score in the fourth minute of added time to snatch victory for the league champions.

Boland’s neat effort — after a quick free from Ryan O’Donoghue — gave the Westerners a first home win over the All-Ireland champions for 12 years. It also means that Dublin are still chasing a first win of the campaign heading into round three in a fortnight’s time.

The sides had been deadlocked five minutes in front of a crowd of 14,789 patrons during a game that hung in the balance from the moment that Mayo substitute Stephen Coen fisted in the first goal of his senior career in the 52nd minute to put the Westerners in front.

The sides had been all square at the interval (0-8 apiece), but Dublin hit the ground running at the start of the second half to race three points ahead after scores from goalkeeper David O’Hanlon (free), Paddy Small (free) and Cormac Costello.

But Coen’s goal from close-range, after Jordan Flynn’s effort for a point had dropped short, threw Mayo a lifeline when they seemed to be struggling.

Kevin McStay’s team were still a point ahead swinging into the home straight, but Dublin continued to engineer scoring chances and, while some were spurned, Cian Murphy and Con O’Callaghan did raise white flags that edged the Metropolitans ahead after 62 minutes.

Remarkably though, Dessie Farrell’s men failed to score for the final 12 minutes.
A seventh point of the evening from Ryan O’Donoghue (six from frees) levelled the match in the 64th minute and ten action-packed minutes before Fergal Boland seized the moment.

Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-7 (0-6f), Stephen Coen 1-0, Jack Carney 0-1, Colm Reape 0-1 (0-1’45), Paul Towey (0-1), Bob Tuohy 0-1, Fergal Boland 0-1.

Scorers for Dublin: Cormac Costello 0-4 (0-3f), Seán Bugler (0-2), Con O’Callaghan (0-2), Jack McCaffrey (0-2), Brian Fenton (0-1), David O’Hanlon 0-1 (0-1f), Paddy Small 0-1 (0-1f), Cian Murphy (0-1).

Mayo

1. Colm Reape (Knockmore)

2. Jack Coyne (Ballyhaunis), 3. Rory Brickenden (Westport), 4. Sam Callinan (Ballina Stephenites)

5. Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels), 6. David McBrien (Ballaghaderreen), 7. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport)

8. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina), 9. Jack Carney (Kilmeena)

10. Bob Tuohy (Castlebar Mitchels), 11. Fergal Boland (Aghamore), 12. Conor Reid (Moy Davitts)

13. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), 14. Paul Towey (Charlestown), 15. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet)

Subs

21. Donnacha McHugh (Castlebar Mitchels) for Conor Reid (10)
17. Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore) for McLaughlin (30)
18. Tommy Conroy (The Neale) for Towey (48)
24. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber) for O’Shea (57)
19. Diarmuid Duffy (Ballinrobe) for Tuohy (64)

Dublin

1. David O’Hanlon (Na Fianna)

19. Theo Clancy (Kilmacud Crokes), 3. Sean MacMahon (Raheny), 4. Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcille)

5. Greg McEneaney (Skerries Harps), 6. Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis), 7. Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf)

8. Brian Fenton (Raheny), 9. Seán Bugler (St Oliver Plunketts/ER)

10. Ross McGarry (Ballyboden St Enda’s), 17. Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda’s), 12. Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)

13. Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 14. Con O’Callaghan (Cuala), 15. Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille).