A response 11 months in the making

Mayo 4-17 Donegal 1-10

Sure felt like hurt for their opponents. Sure looked like it too for those at home and the 63,644 in Croke Park.

Hurt turned into motivation. Hurt inflicted on Donegal for crimes against Mayo football 11 months ago.

Revenge is a motive dismissed by most nowadays but it is such base, innate sentiments that can inspire teams.

Mayo, led by an excellent manager in Horan and armed by a quality coach in Donie Buckley, disposed of Donegal in a comprehensive manner rarely seen at GAA HQ.

Collapse is the word Jim McGuinness used afterwards. As hard a word as it is, it was most appropriate.

Donegal have not looked right since beating Tyrone in Ballybofey in May. Like Kilkenny’s win over Tipperary, did it take too much out of them? But then this was a victory all of Mayo’s making and taking too. Aidan O’Shea was a peerless force in midfield, a major player in ensuring Donegal claimed just one of their own kick-outs in the first half.

The early lead that they needed they got in this wire-to-wire win. Two points were slotted over before Kevin McLoughlin forced Eamon McGee into losing possession on the end-line and Cillian O’Connor finished deftly to the net. Alan Freeman tagged on another point and stage one was complete: Donegal had been denied the advantage they so crave.

Mayo’s deficit was cut in half by the 13th minute, but by that time they realised what was in front of them, Aidan O’Shea’s mistimed heavy shoulder on Frank McGlynn a sore reminder that Mayo were intent on keeping the initiative. It firmly swung their way in the 13th minute when Donal Vaughan’s run, one of many marauding meanders forward, was spotted by Alan Dillon and he was quick to beat a fully-committed Paul Durcan to the ball before coolly breaching the goalkeeper’s line.

By the 27th minute, all of the starting Mayo forwards, excluding the rejigged Keith Higgins, had scored from play as a stunned Donegal remained stuck on their heels.

More goal chances came Mayo’s way, Durcan level to an O’Connor ground kick and Cathal Carolan striking the post, but 10 points was a satisfying gap at the interval.

There was no coming back for Donegal and while Colm McFadden’s late goal may have been mere consolation it lifted Donegal from the grave of having the worst championship defeat by reigning All-Ireland champions.

That badge of dishonour is still owned by the Dublin team of 1978 after their 5-11 to 0-9 final defeat to Kerry.

It mightn’t have been the county’s heaviest championship loss — they lost 5-8 to 0-3 in 1946 — but it would have felt like it.

With nine minutes of normal time remaining they were 23 points in arrears, trailing 4-17 to 0-6.

By that stage, a large portion of their support had vacated the premises. They recognised the game was up long beforehand, the most pessimistic and yet realistic noticing the 2-10 to 0-4 half-time deficit was always going to be too much for a team bereft of the spirit that had brought them all the way in 2012.

But then they had so many players unfit or off-form, Karl Lacey being introduced in the 24th minute when he had been clearly struggling for fitness since returning from injury.

Mayo, just as they did against Galway, smelt blood and went for the kill. There was no let-up, not after their third goal in the 40th minute when Donal Vaughan’s intelligent run and hand-pass set up Cillian O’Connor, and not after the fourth strike five minutes later when Andy Moran’s shot was parried by Paul Durcan but finished to the net by O’Connor.

But for a misplaced pass here and another there, there would have been more goals, but Mayo were content to keep the scoreboard operators busy with points.

It wasn’t until the 13th minute of the second half that Donegal finally raised a white flag, but by then they had done so in the metaphorical sense.

Nineteen behind at that stage, Eamon McGee crowned a most forgettable experience when he was dismissed for stamping on substitute Enda Varley’s neck.

Varley was up on his feet four minutes later to kick over a point, one of Mayo’s 13 scorers in all and one of four replacements to post scores one after another.

Donegal may have pieced together 1-4 in the final 11 minutes to give the scoreline a slightly more respectable look, but they were like a punch-drunk boxer swinging wildly and connecting by chance.

In January, Horan had spoken about how he had to rein in his players from getting back to training weeks after losing last September’s final.

Yesterday, he unhooked their leads and they ran wild.

Scorers for Mayo: C O’Connor 3-4 (0-2f, 1 45); D Vaughan 1-0; A Dillon, A Freeman 0-2 each; K McLoughlin, A Moran, C Boyle, S O’Shea, R Feeney, E Varley, C Barrett, K Keane, L Keegan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Donegal: C McFadden 1-0; M Murphy 0-6 (4f, 1 45); M McHugh 0-2; David Walsh, K Lacey 0-1 each.

MAYO: R Hennelly; C Barrett, G Cafferkey, T Cunniffe; L Keegan, D Vaughan, C Boyle; A O’Shea, S O’Shea; K McLoughlin, A Dillon, K Higgins; C O’Connor, A Freeman, A Moran.

Subs for Mayo: C Carolan for T Cunniffe (27, inj); R Feeney for A Dillon (46); E Varley for A Moran (49); D Coen for C O’Connor (54); K Keane for C Boyle (57).

Red card: A O’Shea (70, second yellow).

DONEGAL: P Durcan; P McGrath, N McGee, E McGee; Declan Walsh, A Thompson, F McGlynn; N Gallagher, R Kavanagh; M McHugh, R Bradley, R McHugh; P McBrearty, M Murphy, C McFadden.

Subs: K Lacey for A Thompson (24); M McElhinney for N McGee, David Walsh for R Bradley (both half-time); L McLoone for R Kavanagh (44); M Boyle for P McGrath (60).

Red card: E McGee (52).

Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).