Costello score earns Dublin hectic draw with Mayo and two-week break
Dublin’s Cormac Costello after scoring a point in the All-Ireland SFC Group 2 game against Mayo.
Dublin can consider themselves roadtested after this hectic draw in front of a 16,870 Dr Hyde Park crowd this afternoon.
Just when it appeared Ryan O’Donoghue had sent over Mayo’s winner to secure an All-Ireland quarter-final berth, Dublin came down the other end and Cormac Costello’s fisted point sealed the score required to finish top of the table.
Dessie Farrell’s men will now have a two-week break to an All-Ireland quarter-final while Mayo will face one of Cork, Derry or Monaghan in Castlebar in next weekend’s preliminary quarter-final.
The sides were level 11 times in total and eight at the end of the third quarter. Matthew Ruane guided over his second point of the half and the game. Dublin went ahead again and were pulled back once more prior to Costello cleverly finding Eoin Murchan in space in the 59th minute and the defender’s shot rocketing off the bar and over it.
Substitute Paul Mannion doubled the All-Ireland champions’ lead but they were reeled in by O’Donoghue and Colm Reape (45) scores going into additional time. O’Donoghue won and converted a free to put Mayo ahead for only the second time in the game but Dublin’s top scorer Costello ensured a share of the spoils.
Mayo mustered just two points from play in the first half but should have and could have been ahead at the turnaround. A combination of players reluctant to kick into the wind and four balls dropping short were chief among the reasons for that fact.
Dublin kicked as many wides as Mayo (three) in that period but kicked two scoring attempts short compared to their opponents’ four. Put through by a lovely Jordan Flynn hand-pass, Stephen Coen also blazed over a goal attempt in the 19th minute.
Mayo worked their kick-outs well up to the 20th minute when they lost their first but their patient build-up and forcing Dublin into turnovers was given them the upper hand in general play.
The teams were level five times in the first half, although Dublin did open up a two-point lead with a brace of quick scores, one of them coming off that restart turnover. Four minutes later, Brian Fenton dove to deny Ryan O’Donoghue a strike at goal, a borderline tackle which injured the Mayo forward.
O’Donoghue dusted himself off to punish a foul on Aidan O’Shea in the 27th minute and O’Shea sent over an equalising free in the 33rd. Costello sent over his fourth of the game, second from play, to give Dublin the advantage going into the break, 0-7 to 0-6.
C. Costello (0-7, 3 frees); C. Basquel (0-2); P. Small, C. O’Callaghan (mark), N. Scully, S. Bugler, C. Kilkenny, J. McCaffrey, E. Murchan, P. Mannion (0-1 each).
R. O’Donoghue (0-7, 5 frees); T. Conroy (0-3); M. Ruane (0-2); S. Coen, A. O’Shea (free), J. Flynn, C. Loftus, C. Reape (free) (0-1 each).
S. Cluxton; E. Murchan, M. Fitzsimons, S. MacMahon; B. Howard, J. Small, T. Lahiff; B. Fenton, S. Bugler; C. Kilkenny, C. Basquel, C. Costello; P. Small, C. O’Callaghan (c), N. Scully.
Subs for Dublin: K. McGinnis for T. Lahiff (h-t); J. McCaffrey for N. Scully, P. Mannion for P. Small (both 51); R. McGarry for K. McGinnis (64); J. McCarthy for S. Bugler (68).
C. Reape; J. Coyne, D. McBrien, R. Brickenden; S. Callinan, S. Coen (c), E. McLaughlin; D. McHugh, J. Carney; A. O’Shea, D, McHale, J. Flynn; T. Conroy, R. O’Donoghue, M. Ruane.
Subs for Mayo: C. Loftus for E. McLaughlin (33); C. O’Connor for D. McHale (56); D. O’Connor for S. Coen (59); B. Tuohy for M. Ruane (63); P. Towey for J. Carney (68).
M. McNally (Monaghan).
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