Senior footballers must do it all again

DUBLIN 2-12 MAYO 1-15

They must do it all again next Saturday in Croke Park (5.0) after his pulsating draw in Sunday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final.

Dublin might have thought they had done enough when they led  by seven points, 2-12 to 0-11, inside the last ten minutes but the Connacht champions threw caution to the wind and finished much the stronger to force a replay.

The Dubs commanding late position totally unravelled in a pulsating finish with Denis Bastick (black card), who was having a telling game following his introduction, and Diarmuid Connolly (red) both finishing the game on the sideline when Colm Boyle was awarded a 69th minute penalty which Cillian O'Connor converted as Mayo reeled in the Dubs successfully.

Dublin also had Johnny Small to thank for making a goal-line save to deny Andy Moran.

Only minutes earlier Dublin were in pole position when Kevin McManamon showed good soccer skills to adjust his body to fire to the net after Rob Hennelly had saved Brian Fenton's initial effort.

While Cillian O'Connor slotted a '45' points from Bernard Brogan, off his left, a superb Alan Brogan effort and another from Jack McCaffrey propelled Dublin into a 2-12 to 0-11 lead and all was well.

However, Mayo were rewarded for not raising the 'white flag' and snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat.

In a tension-filled game of high physical attrition Dublin had led 1-6 to 0-6 at the break, will all bar one point of Mayo's tally coming from Cillian O'Connor frees.

Dublin got a good start when Diarmuid Connolly converted a penalty in the fifth minute after Paul Flynn had been fouled.

Points from Paddy Andrews, Diarmuid Connolly and Bernard Brogan had Dublin 1-3 to 0-1 to the good by the 14th minute.

Neither county enjoyed any sustained periods of dominance or were allowed bring great fluidity to their game, however, the likes of Paul Flynn and especially Ciaran Kilkenny, who kicked three first half points, kept their side on the front foot at times.

SCORERS - Dublin: D Connolly 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), K McManamon 1-1, C Kilkenny 0-3, P Andrews, B Brogan 0-2 each, A Brogan, J McCaffrey 0-1 each. Mayo: C O’Connor 1-9 (1-0 pen, 0-8f, 0-1 ‘45’), A Moran 0-2, L Keegan, D O’Connor, K Higgins, A Freeman 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; J Cooper, R O’Carroll, P McMahon; J McCarthy, C O’Sullivan, J McCaffrey; B Fenton, MD Macauley; P Flynn, P Andrews, C Kilkenny; D Rock, D Connolly, B Brogan. Subs: M Fitzsimons for O’Carroll (blood 3), K McManamon for Rock (ht), J Small for Cooper (43), D Bastick for Macauley (black 51), A Brogan for Andrews (54), T Brady for Fenton (58), E Lowndes for Bastick (black 68).

MAYO: R Hennelly; C Barrett, G Cafferkey, K Higgins; D Vaughan, L Keegan, C Boyle; S O’Shea, T Parsons; D O’Connor, D Drake, J Doherty; K McLoughlin, A O’Shea, C O’Connor. Subs: P Durcan for Vaughan (inj 10), A Moran for Drake (45), A Freeman for Doherty (62), B Moran for S O’Shea (66), M Sweeney for D O’Connor (70).

ATTENDANCE: 82,300.