We went minute-by-minute as Dublin and Mayo locked horns to decide who would join Donegal in the All-Ireland final.
It was a game which brought everything, except for a goal or a red card. An absorbing contest throughout.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game and you can reach us in a variety of new-fangled methods.
Leave a comment below, tweet @thescore_ie,post a message to our Facebook wall.
Full time: Dublin 0-16 Mayo 0-19
THROW-IN: Afternoon, Ewan McKenna is experiencing some technical (Croke Park Wi-fi) difficulties so it’s Sean Farrell back in TheScore.ie HQ bringing you the play by play.
It’s a good start for Dublin as Kevin Keane is pinged by Joe McQuillan for steps allowing Bernard Brogan to tap over an easy free.
Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-0; 5 mins: Brogan given another easy free on the edge of the square. Mayo have had one sojourn towards the Hill so far. And it ended with a loud ironic cheer as Andy Moran fired high and wide off his left.
Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-1. 9mins: Cillian O’Connor is pointing at his temple, urging Mayo to show their mental strenght. He’s leading by example, curling over a fine point from a placed 65.
Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-3. 10 mins: I could well copy and paste that last entry. O’Connor has pointed another 65 from an identical position.
Dublin have dropped two shot well short into the grasp of David Clarke. The men from the west are not here to make up the numbers.
Michael Conroy makes it three-in-row for Mayo, they lead.
Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-3. 14 mins: Paul Flynn sends a powerful shot against the Mayo cross-bar after a brilliant turn on the edge of the square. Clarke was beaten, but the ball pings back out to safety.
Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-3. 18 mins: O’Connor is made to wait while Lee Keegan is down receiving treatment at the other end. The Westport man is off the field now and O’Connor curls this effort from the left touchline wide of the near post.
Mayo’s third wide.
Dublin 0-2 Mayo 0-5. 20 mins: Alan Dillon fists over from close range. The Hill is eerily quiet as Barry Moran adds another from distance.
Dublin steam forward, but Kevin Nolan loses the ball and it’s a free out. Dublin have not score since the fifth minute.
Dublin 0-3 Mayo 0-6. 24 mins: Dublin’s barren run is over thanks to a point from Connolly. It’s their first score from play, but Dillon responds with a fantastic hit off his right boot from the right side.
Dublin 0-5 Mayo 0-6. 25 mins: Diarmuid Connolly is keeping Dublin in this. Two in a row for the big man from St Vincents and his scores have inspired Ciaran Kilkenny, he adds to the ‘from play’ column to reduce the deficit to the minimum.
Dublin 0-5 Mayo 0-6. 28 mins: Dublin went looking to re-take the lead instantly. James McCarthy ran at goal but was forced too wide to shoot. He sensibly fed Brogan, but the All-Star was crowded out and his low drive blocked.
Dublin 0-5 Mayo 0-8. 34 mins: Superb from Enda Varley, cutting inside his man and rifling over from a tight angle. Kilkenny responds , but Mayo add an instant two more from play through McLoughlin and Doherty.
Dublin 0-6 Mayo 0-12. 35 mins: Conroy is called for a foul on Varley as the pair sprint out to reach a long ball. That free is tapped over and Mcloughlin rubs salt into the Dubs’ first half wound.
HALF TIME: Dublin 0-6 Mayo 0-12. It’s been a superb 35-minute display from the green and red. O’Connor’s placed balls and some wonderful, strong running from deep from McLoughlin have them well in control.
But Dublin will be facing Hill 16 in the second half. Can Mayo keep up this astounding tempo, can Dublin match it?
It’ll be an intriguing second half, no doubt.
Dublin out nice and early before they resumption. Presumably Pat Gilroy squeezed plenty of words into a short space of time.
Mayo don’t keep them waiting long, they need to rev themselves right back up again.
Dublin 0-7 Mayo 0-12. 36 mins: That’s a bad, bad miss from michael Conroy to open the half. Keith Higgins won possession and quickly turned defence into attack. Conroy was unmarked, but curled his effort well wide.
He’s almost punished instantly, but as Diarmuid Connolly bears down on goal, he tries to slip a finish into Clarke’s near post. Excellent save from the ‘keeper with his toe. 65 is scored.
Dublin 0-7 Mayo 0-13. 40 mins: The six point lead is restored as the Dublin defence give away another free. O’Connor, from his hands this time, coolly places it over.
… and we have our first melee.
It appears to have begun after varley felt contact from O’Carroll. O’Carroll began hauling the corner-forward to his feet, but he opted to remain a dead weight.
Dublin 0-7 Mayo 0-13. 44 mins: After much confusion Joe McQuillan hands out yellow cards to O’Carroll, James McCarthy and Mayo’s Alan Dillon. It’s getting feisty out there now as Dublin look to knock Mayo off their stride.
As a reader kindly pointed out my (habitual) habitual reference to O’Connor’s scores from “65s” were indeed “45s” and he is not Superman.
Dublin 0-8 Mayo 0-17. 52 mins: A period of sustained pressure from Dublin, but is sustained because Mayo are defending like lions.
Mayo added on three more in quick reply with O’Connor and Dillon hitting yet more from play.
RTE have called the result. ‘Mayo’s day’. With 20 minutes to go, Dublin are a full 10 points behind and Mayo only look like getting stronger.
Cluxton narrows the gap slightly with a very well struck 45, got it right that time.
Dublin 0-11 Mayo 0-17. 58 mins: Paul Flynn has been one of the better Dublin players today and he hits a monster score from the right wing to bring the gap down to seven. Nerves?
A fine passing move from the eastern county puts Brogan into space outside the rectangle. he’s instantly chopped down and he rises to score Dublin’s fourth in a row.
Dublin 0-12 Mayo 0-17. 60 mins: Just like the Chicago Tribune’s assertion that Harry Truman had failed in his bid to be US president. RTE’s Darragh Maloney is eating his words that it was “Mayo’s day”.
Another Brogan free has him saying “game on”, but Eoghan O’Gara has stunted the momentum with a poor effort off his left boot. Should have been five in a row for Dublin.
Dublin 0-13 Mayo 0-17. 65 mins: Over ten minutes now since Mayo’s last score, they need one badly now. Brogan frees are steadily shutting the gap. The intensity so lacking in the first 45 minutes are here in abundance now. Bear in mind there will be at least four minutes added on here.
The Dubs worked the ball in in front of the Hill well, but O’Gara is crowded out and hit hard. Mayo get it out for a 45, converted by Cluxton.
Dublin 0-15 Mayo 0-17. 69 mins: Mayo are choking.
They had a massive chance to register their first score in almost 20 minutes, but as the ball in worked into O’Connor he tries to roll it past Cluxton and a defender dropping deep. No dice.
Where’s your money?
Dublin 0-15 Mayo 0-18. 69 mins: Jason Doherty collects a superb long pass, spins his defender, but fluffs his lines. He attempted to fist over the bar, but it trickles past the post.
Free for Mayo now, inside the 45 m line. 22 mins since last score…. he takes a deep breath, a couple of steps forward and nails it.
Dublin 0-15 Mayo 0-17. 66 mins: the moment arrived. Brogan latched onto a long free dropped into the area, but Clarke stood tall and batted away with a brilliant save.
Flynn grabs another from out-wide. Squeaky bum time.
Dublin 0-16 Mayo 0-19. 75 mins: It’s been 0-9 to 0-1 in the final quarter of the game. Brogan has just tapped over the ninth of those after O’Gara is hauled down on his way into the box.
Seamus O’Shea goes up the other end and shows tremendous power and pace before curling one inches inside the post.
FULL TIME: Dublin 0-16 Mayo 0-19. Mayo do their best impression of a choke tackle as McAuley powers towards goal. The free goes behind for a 45, which Cluxton lobs onto the edge of the small rectabngle, but after a flick Mayo come away with it, look for the final whistle and they have it!
Mayo are into the All Ireland final, they’ve come into the Croke Park and beaten Dublin again. Nobody gave them a hope, but they are still there.
It’s a joke, the FA are a bunch of clowns anyway
O take your punishment you sulky overpaid idiot. You knew exactly what you were doing with that goal celebration. Definitely knew it would be controversial.
even if that were true and i am not saying it is,you are suggesting being controversial is a punishable offense and at that with a 5 game ban ???
Yes because he knew what he was doing.
well mike punishing someone for being controversial is one of the most stupid things ive ever had the misfortune to hear and tell me how does such and ambiguous offense get defined and who decides ?? is it decided by mass hysteria on the internet ?? i disagree with the fact that he knew it would cause such a stir too,the vast vast majority of people outside france had never even heard of the gesture or the comedian until after anelkas celebration
I completely agree with it. Players can’t be allowed celebrate whatever way they want especially when it can cause controversy. The people in power as always are the people who decide. He will appeal and get the ban reduced as always. Rooney was banned for cursing in to the camera but that particular curse is part of 99% of people’s daily lives. I agreed with that ban too.
The FA should take a leaf out of the NFL’s book and ban all goal celebrations.
Gerard if that is one of the most stupid things you have ever had the misfortune of reading you must have lived a fairly simple and sheltered life up to now. Welcome to the real world!!
I’m glad the great Johnny Giles agrees with me. I would take what he has to say more seriously than what you have to say on the matter Paddy. Go read his article and you might understand the significance of what he did. You must be a big WBA fan to support him. I still find it laughable that you think it’s the must stupid thing you ever read.
can you not answer a simple question mike,who decides what is controversial and how do they define it ?? ” the people in power” is not an answer you might as well have said “holy god” !!!
It’s not up to me to decide who punishes players for incidents like this is it? I’m not involved in the FA. Do you acutally not know who punished him? Have you had your head buried for your whole life? The same people in the FA dish out all the fines and bans to players and managers. Go research it on the internet if you want further information as I’m not going to waste my time explaining it. You are either a wum or you know absolutely nothing about soccer.
Did you read the John Giles article like I said? You probably don’t even know who he is considering you don’t know who hands down the bans to players. Who hands down bans to any player in any sport?? The fans? The club shop worker? The burger van worker outside the ground? Or in this instance just possibly maybe the FA!! You probably don’t know what FA stands for.
Guess you just don’t like Monsieur Anelka, Mike
I only dislike any player who does a stupid needless goal celebration that could cause any kind of controversy. To do something that caused a lot of anger and disgust in your own country is disgusting. It’s nothing got to do with disliking a player it’s got to do with their lack if common decency
i will try one last time mike,you are testing my patience but i know you cant help it but HOW IS CONTROVERSY TO BE DEFINED ??? and you slow slow man who is to decide it as in because iabunch of sad people take to the internet to get hysterical does that then make something punishable by a 5 match ban or does everyone have to write a letter to the fa !!! tell me mike you vague ambiguous clown of a man
O Gerard are you getting a bit hot under the collar? Are you Anelka or a relative of his?
The people in the FA decide what controversy is and they called it spot on here. His gesture caused outrage in France. He knew his gesture would cause this. He will deny it the same way anyone will deny any wrongdoing. If there were not places like courts and sporting organisations to hand out prison sentences and bans etc. nobody would get punished for their actions.
What did you think of the John Giles article Gerard?
see first of all i didnt think you were talking to me because you said “paddy” my name is gerard,were you using a derogatory name for irish people ??? i had presumed you were irish second of all insulting me isnt the best way to get me to comply generally and lastly i am well aware of who charged him with the offense but its not because the english FA themselves personally found it controversial,they arent the kings of soccer in england,i will ask you for the fourth time,who decides its been controversial and more importantly how is controversial to be defined ??? if you dont know thats ok just say so !
I’m not here to teach you the workings of the FA Paddy. Go on the internet, if you know what that is, and read up about who decides. I’ll give you a hint it has the letters F & A in it. If that hint doesn’t help you along I think it would be best for all if you put your head back into that hole. Obviously you are not cut out for the real world as you are easily upset. Imagine getting upset about people having choice words to say about Nicolas Anelka. You must be either him, a friend, a relative or that idiot comedian.
hahahaha “paddy” oh im really insulted now,did you come up with that on your own ?? who’s a clever boy.id say you make your mother realy proud,the irony of saying i get too easily upset is almost too much for me,thanks mike ive had a great laugh at your expense mind yourself and remember to wear your helmet :-)
Ok Paddy no bother. Try enjoy your day. Keep the tissues close by to dry your weeping eyes!!
hahahaha paddy,say it again for me,it hurts me so bad !!!!! hey ive a question for HOW ARE THEY TO DEFINE CONTROVERSY ???? bet you cant answer !!!! ahhahahahah i love you mike
Say hello to Nicolas for me Paddy and give him a nice kiss. Ye will be able to spend lots of time watching DVD’s of yere comedian friend whilst he serves his much deserved ban for causing such controversy. Naughty boy that Nicolas. Ooops I hope that comment doesn’t upset you further, hope you took my advice and kept the tissues close by, give Nicolas a few too!
A dictionary is good for finding the definition of words, maybe you might use that in your quest to understand the word controversy. Although I’m not too sure you will understand what a dictionery is and you will need a dictionery to figure out what a dictionery is!!! Oooooo you live in a confused world!!! Poor baby
HOW IS CONTROVERSY TO BE DEFINED ???? imagine not being able to answer a simple question about the point you made,its like you dont even understand yourself !!! hahahahaha and the paddy is more clever,that must sting HOW IS CONTROVERSY TO BE DEFINED???
still cant answer my question ???ill give you another chance,im sound like that HOW IS CONTROVERSY TO E DEFINED ????
Poor Paddy doesn’t know what a dictionery is! Ah well to be fair I suppose not everyone had the good fortune to be educated.
If you did have a dictionery I’d say you would find a picture of your boyfriend Nicolas under the word controversial. Ah maybe that’s it, maybe you don’t want to look up the word in the dictionery as you know your boyfriend will be pictured there and you can’t come to terms with the fact he’s controversial. He probably will have a sulky face on him in the picture as usual
hahahahahahaha mike you legend !!! :-0 hey i have a question for you,HOW WILL THEY DEFINE CONTROVERSY ??? imagine a paddy who doesnt know what a dictionary is being smarter than you !! must sting,bit like your mothers vag !! hahaha go on mike keep it coming (again your mother springs to mind)
This might shock you Paddy but there is a dictionery that can fit in your pocket, it’s called a pocket size dictionery. Imagine you could have this in your pocket to help you when you get stumped by the definition of words. You could use it in the special school you obviously attend and you could become the star pupil. Imagine, Paddy of all people becoming the teachers pet after all the years of not understanding words and having your head buried in a hole, are you an ostrich by any chance? I don’t think you are unless Nicolas is dating an ostrich! I suppose he could be considering he likes doing controversial things. I hope one day you can figure out the definition of the word controversy special Paddy. Maybe ask the teacher in the morning and he/she might give you some help with it. I suppose it’s not fair to abuse thickos like yourself but it’s funny so why not, it passes cold January days!
Paddy do you know what an apostrophe is? Maybe that lesson hasn’t come up in that special school yet.
what is this apostrophe you speak of ??? is it the philosopher ??? we dont do philosophy in my special needs school.hey her’s a question for you HOW ARE THEY TO DEFINE CONTROVERSY ???
O Paddy Paddy Paddy you are even thicker than I thought. Don’t worry there is a place for people of all intelligence or lack of in this world. Ye make the world a funny place and give us intelligent people something to laugh at.
Proper order. I dont buy his stupidity defence at all. He is paid eneough to behave – no place for politics or racism in sport whichever way you interpret the gesture.
Well said James, fair play
it wasnt political nor racial,he did it in support of a comedian
He did but he knew it would cause outrage in his country as that comedian had already caused outrage because of things he said and did similar gestures. It’s not like he was doing a gesture in support of a comedian that had never got in trouble and it was taken up the wrong way. The soccer pitch is not the place to do any kind of gesture to support anyone.
so you cant answer ??? hahahahahahhahahaha ok ok,here’s an easy one for you HOW ARE THEY TO DEFINE CONTROVERSY ????
is that your way of sayin you dont know ????? :-0 hahaha go on the paddies we’re so smart and witty !!!!!! :-) hey ive a question for you mike HOW ARE THEY TO DEFINE CONTROVERSY ???
Paddy where are you gone? I thought we were friends!!!
Mike i dont know what your nationality is but you are one of the intelligencia in your country the God help your nation
With a head on you like that god help your nation and any future kids!! Good lord