Ciarán Moore and Donegal knock heartbroken Mayo out of All-Ireland race  

Fergal Boland thought he had secured their spot in the preliminary quarter-final with a glorious point in the dying seconds. There was still time for one more kickout, though. Jason McGee plucked it out of the sky and sent Moore free to score.

CHAOTIC FINISH: Ciarán Moore of Donegal in action against David McBrien of Mayo. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

All-Ireland SFC: Donegal 0-19 Mayo 1-15 

Heartbreak. Donegal knocked Mayo out of the championship with a last-gasp Ciarán Moore point after the hooter. After an almighty effort, they came so close. It will prove zero comfort.

Fergal Boland thought he had secured their spot in the preliminary quarter-final with a glorious point in the dying seconds. There was still time for one more kickout, though. Jason McGee plucked it out of the sky and sent Moore free.

As carnivals go, this looked certain to be a wild spectacle. The rush through the gates two hours before throw-in was pandemonium level. 

18,731 packed out King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park. A giddy cohort of green and red supporters gathered behind the town end terrace for some soulful chanting. Even the descent of a calming Garda failed to dispirit them. Fever was in the air.

Mayo set out to manage their way through that. Donnacha McHugh welded to Michael Murphy, Ryan O’Donoghue striving to evade Brendan McCole at the other end, an early verdant gold wave just about held back.

Peadar Mogan scored from the throw-in. Aidan O’Shea slipped and was swallowed, allowing the corner-back point again. Ciaran Thompson thundered into Bob Tuohy from a kickout break. O’Donoghue went for two and missed.

A big turning point came with Donegal three up. Matthew Ruane roared into Thompson, from the turnover O’Donoghue broke and became tangled in Mogan’s legs. The verdict was a black card and tap-over free.

Donegal missed five shots in a row while Mayo hit the front. Darren McHale found valuable territory inside their defensive D to yield two first-half points. Order was restored in the closing period, a Michael Murphy two-point free functioning as a calming influence. It was 0-9 to 0-6 at the turnaround as Conor O’Donnell and Finbarr Roarty darted in to clip over systematic and simple scores.

All the while, there was a sense that Jim McGuinness’s outfit weren’t quite clicking. Oisin Gallen could not shake off the sticky shadow that is Jack Coyne. They missed with their first three shots of the second half including a Shane O’Donnell goal chance denied by the outrushing Colm Reape.

With 20 minutes left, a three-up breach on their own kickout handed O’Donoghue a free. He converted to make it a two-point margin. With 15 minutes left, a Murphy mistake was seized upon and punished mercilessly.

It took one errant handpass to tilt a controlled contest into chaos. David McBrien roared into open country, Aidan O’Shea teed up Jack Carney who squared across to the driving McBrien. He found the corner. Mayo hit the front. Holy smokes.

With a fire at their backs, the Ulster champions sparked. Daire Ó Baoill delivered a bomb of a two-pointer. Murphy made up for his slip with a second point, a 45 and lung-bursting kickout catch.

Stephen Rochford dug into his panel to salvage their season. Jordan Flynn and Boland both scored. It wasn’t enough.

Scorers for Donegal: M. Murphy 0-5 (1 tpf, 145); P. Mogan, C. Moore, C. Thompson (1 free), D. Ó Baoill (tp), C. O’Donnell 0-2 each; F. Roarty, C. McColgan, S. O’Donnell, O. Gallen 0-1 each.

Scorers for Mayo: R. O’Donoghue 0-6 (5 frees); D. McBrien 1-0; D. McHale 0-3; C. Dawson 0-2; D. McHugh, J. Carney, J. Flynn, F. Boland 0-1 each.

Donegal: S. Patton; F. Roarty, B. McCole, P. Mogan; R. McHugh, E. Gallagher, C. Moore; H. McFadden, M. Langan; C. McColgan, C. Thompson, S. O’Donnell; C. O’Donnell, M. Murphy, O. Gallen.

Subs: J. McGee for McFadden, D. Ó Baoill for Gallen (both 52); P. McBrearty for McHugh (58); E. McHugh for O’Donnell (67).

Mayo: C. Reape, J. Coyne, D. McHugh, E. Hession; S. Coen, R. Brickenden, P. Durcan; D. McBrien, M. Ruane; B. Tuohy, J. Carney, C. Dawson; A. O’Shea, D. McHale, R. O’Donoghue.

Subs: J. Flynn for Tuohy (23); D. Neary for McHugh (42 – Inj); S. Morahan for Hession (52); P. Towey for Neary (56); F. Boland for Coen (68).

Referee: P. Faloon (Down).