Mayo up tempo after break in dress-rehearsal for the final

Mayo 0-16 Cork 0-11:MAYO DIDN'T require any outside assistance in booking their place in the final following a well-deserved victory in front of a crowd of just under 3,000 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday. They inflicted a first home defeat of the season on Cork, who played like a team already qualified for the decider as coach Conor Counihan used the occasion to experiment.

Cork rested a number of key regulars for what turned out to be a dress-rehearsal for the final, but the return of captain Graham Canty for his first start lasted less than half-an-hour as he went off with a shoulder injury.

The key period was just after the interval after the sides went in at 0-7 apiece, having been level five times during a listless first-half. Mayo, knowing Dublin were going well in Tyrone, upped the tempo with five unanswered points in as many minutes. Mark Ronaldson began the sequence after 60 seconds before Andy Moran hit the first of his pair, with Conor Mortimer sandwiching one in between and Alan Dillon pointing a free. Moran’s second summed up Cork’s afternoon. Goalkeeper Alan Quirke, on his comeback, took a quick kick-out to Brian O’Regan, who was robbed of possession by Aidan O’Shea, a constant threat throughout, and Moran punished the error.

Cork could only manage four points in the second half, and just one from open play, courtesy of Ciarán Sheehan after 45 minutes, with Donnacha O’Connor (2) and Colm O’Neill kicking frees. Even defenders Chris Barrett and Donal Vaughan scored for Mayo, a reflection of their greater tenacity and desire, epitomised by O’Shea, who landed a couple of well-taken points.

His second, kicked impressively from his left, opened up a 0-15 to 0-9 lead and while the visitors could only score once more, they had done enough to book their place in the final. The game petered out before the inevitable conclusion as O’Neill pointed a free for the home side.

In the first half Mayo started promisingly, using O’Shea as a target close to goal and he posed a lot of problems for Derek Kavanagh, who conceded three. However, Dillon and Mortimer kicked points from the resulting frees to help their side lead 0-4 to 0-2 after 12 minutes. Cork’s response was three points in as many minutes. Kevin McMahon claimed the first and O’Connor and O’Neill added frees to edge Cork ahead.

Mortimer restored parity with a fine point from way out on the right before Cork came again, John Hayes kicking a couple for 0-7 to 0-5 approaching the break.

Mayo hit back in an instant, Barrett powering from defence to land his side’s sixth point before midfielder Séamus O’Shea equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Then came their blistering start to the second half and the scoring spree which proved the difference.

CORK: A Quirke; J O’Sullivan, D Kavanagh, E Cotter; K O’Connor, G Spillane, B O’Regan; G Canty, captain, A Walsh; F Goold (0-2), D O’Connor (0-3, three frees), K McMahon (0-1); C O’Neill (0-2, two frees), C Sheehan (0-1), J Hayes (0-2). Subs: N Murphy for Canty (injured 28 mins), P O’Flynn for McMahon and S Kiely for O’Regan (44 mins), N Galvin for Kavanagh (injured 53 mins), C O’Driscoll for O’Sullivan (injured 56 mins).

MAYO: D Clarke; C Barrett (0-1), G Cafferkey, L O’Malley; D Vaughan (0-1), T Howley, K McLoughlin; T Parsons, S O’Shea (0-1); A Moran (0-2), A Dillon (0-4, three frees), T Mortimer (capt); M Ronaldson (0-1), A O’Shea (0-2), C Mortimer (0-4, two frees). Subs: P Harte for Parsons (44 mins), A Freeman for Dillon (67 mins).

Referee: G Ó Conamha (Galway).