Dublin 1-09 : Mayo 1-08
The football fare didn't match the conditions or live up to the expectations for this clash between two unbeaten teams. In a game of contrasting styles, the defensive approach of Dublin may have smothered out the attacking style of Mayo but, in truth, it was an incredible 18 Mayo wides that led to our 1 point loss.
Match card....
Alan Freeman starts in Mark Ronaldsons spot , sunny conditions with a decent crowd estimated about 8000.
2 mins - Mayo point S O'Shea
12 mins - Mayo second point - Freeman free
15 mins - Chris Barrett on for Gardiner (injured)
20 mIns - McGarrity off injured / Neil Douglas on-S O'Shea moves to midfield
24 mins - Mayo have kicked 5 wides so far
26 mins - Enda Varley wins a free and converts it himself
30 mins - Fennel kicks Dublin back into 1 point lead
33 mins - another Dublin point
35+3 mins - Mayo score - Enda Varley point from free
Half time - Dublin lead 5-4. Dour, scrappy, low scoring match as Dublin pack the defence and Mayo can't make the room. When they do the shooting boots seem to missing as Mayo have hit 10 wides in the first half to Dublins 2. The injury loss of McGarrity and Gardiner also a set back. Only 1 Mayo score from play (S O'Shea) in first half.
37 Mins - Second half and 2 more Mayo wides - up to 12 now
39 mins - E Varley scores point from free (0-05 : 0-05)
45 mins - 13 wides now compared to just 2 for Dublin
46 mins - GOOOOAAAALLLLL !!! Enda Varley ! (1-05 : 0-05)
50 mins - Wide no 14 - Fennell and Henry subbed off for Dublin
51 mins - Dublin point - their first of second half (1-05 : 0-06)
52 mins - GOAL for Dublin - Brogan (1-05 : 1-06)
57 mins - A Moran levels it (1-06 : 1-06)
58 mins - Dublin point R McConnell (1-06 : 1-07)
59 mins - another Dublin point (1-06 : 1-08)
60 mins - Sub - Barry Kelly on for T Mortimer
62 mins - Dublin point (1-06 : 1-09)
63 mins - A O'Shea wins free, Freeman kicks it over (1-07 : 1-09)
64 mins - Conor Mortimer on for Alan Freeman
68 mins - still trailing by 2. C Mortimer has added his name to the list of wides for the day - 16 at this stage.
70 mins - Mikey Sweeney in for A O'Shea
70+2 mins - A Moran scores point from fre with last kick of the game.
All over - Dublin win by 1 point. Mayo crowded out by an intense tackling Dublin style employing a swarming defense approach. But it wasn't the Dublin tactics that beat Mayo it was the incredible 18 wides to just 3 for Dublin and that tells its own story. A freetaker like Ronaldson was badly missed ?? Scoring just 2 of those 18 wides would have given us a win today (in theory) !
Scorers today for Mayo : Enda Varley 1-3 (3 points from frees), Andy Moran 0-2 (1f), Alan Freeman 0-02 (2f), S O'Shea 0-1. So 1-2 from play and 0-6 from frees.
Other results today - Kerry 0-15 : Derry 1-09 and Monaghan 1-14 : Tyrone 0-16
David Clarke
Ballina Stephenites
Donal Vaughan Ger Cafferkey Keith Higgins
Ballinrobe Ballina Stephenites Ballyhaunis
Peadar Gardiner Trevor Howley Kevin McLoughlin
Crossmolina Knockmore Knockmore
Tom Parsons Ronan McGarrity
Charlestown Ballina Stephenites
Andy Moran Seamus O'Shea Trevor Mortimer
Ballaghaderreen Breaffy Shrule-Glencorrib
Enda Varley Aidan O'Shea Alan Freeman
Garrymore Breaffy Shrule-Glencorrib