Three key moments: Dublin's dangers too much for Mayo

John Fogarty picks out the moments that mattered from Dublin's six-in-a-row clinching win over Mayo

Con O'Callaghan celebrates. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

23rd minute - Con O’Callaghan’s goal.

Mayo responded well to this against-the-run-of-play goal but it was a perfect reminder of the danger presented by Dublin. 

The risks attached to Mayo choosing to go zonal were also highlighted here as Cillian O’Connor in following the ball left Niall Scully all alone to feed O’Callaghan in a one-two move before spiking the ball past David Clarke. A decent tackler, O’Connor finding himself in that position wasn’t strange but his instincts to play the ball and not the player caught him out. 

It was a score that spooked Mayo and as much as they went level on a couple of occasions they retreated into their shell, certainly not as expansive as they had been playing previously.

35th minute - Robbie McDaid’s black card.

Referee David Coldrick issues a black card to Robbie McDaid. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Truly only significant really because of the timing of it on the stroke of half-time when Mayo also lost Paddy Durcan to a quad injury. Being able to think out how they were going to react to losing a man was of great benefit to Dublin. 

Two points up at half-time, they were still ahead when the defender returned to the action and had actually gone three up on a couple of occasions in that period via Scully and Brian Fenton, who tore into the second half after a subdued opening 35-plus minutes. 

Dublin have shown before in finals that losing a man means relatively little to them and here they were true to form. 

Had it come at another time when Dublin wouldn’t have been able to digest and recalibrate, it might have had more of an impact but not here.

62nd minute - Paul Mannion free.

Dublin players Michael Fitzsimons, Paul Mannion, and David Byrne celebrate. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

After substitute Brian Howard had just put Dublin three points up, whistle calls from the Dublin substitutes area came as David Clarke took time over his kick-out. The quality of the kick-out put Aidan O’Shea under pressure and he ended up conceding a free to Scully, which Mannion converted to put Dublin four up and out of reach. 

For a team who had been so good with their kick-outs in the first half and in the end won 18 of their 22 kick-outs compared to Dublin’s 11 from 17, it was that old failing that caught them out but did the Dublin reserves do their bit in evoking the power of Hill 16 in putting off Clarke?