Three-in-a-row for powerful Rebels as Mayo's challenge runs out of steam

Cork 2-10 Mayo 0-11:CORK'S DOMINATION of the Allianz Football League under Conor Counihan continued yesterday with a third successive Division One title. Mayo's less happy sequence was also maintained and the county has now lost five national finals – three league and two All-Ireland – since winning this competition in 2001.

This was the most competitive of those defeats although that will be cold comfort – literally on a day when the temperature was low enough to kill microbes – for James Horan after a campaign that had gathered momentum in recent weeks.

But Cork are a monolithic force in the game. They may have accumulated just one All-Ireland but their consistent, year-round ability to compete at the top level of the game is remarkable. The team’s physique and athleticism seriously challenges opponents and their ability to maintain the pressure means sides have to play well to beat them in knock-out contests.

Unlike last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final when Mayo dethroned them, Cork rode the early blows and in the second half, backed by a fierce and bitter wind, they quickly wrested control of the match away from the Connacht champions and subdued them.

It was actually a reversal of last August in that yesterday Mayo started the better before falling away and managing just two points in the second half. Yet in that first period there was plenty of bite in them.

Their defence was committed and energetic, swarming the ball carrier and plundering possession when Cork players were unwise enough to dawdle on the ball.

Mayo’s defenders also countered relentlessly with Donal Vaughan and Keith Higgins kicking points. Vaughan also received a yellow-card reprimand for catching Eoin Cadogan with a high tackle when the Cork defender was doing a bit of counter-attacking of his own.

Mayo were by far the busier in the first half, moving the ball around and drawing fouls, enabling Cillian O’Connor, whose lively and probing play was the team’s sharpest edge, to kick five frees to go with his one from play.

There was a sense, and not just in retrospect, that Mayo might have been doing better from the attacking possession but their finishing was economical – just two wides in each half – for a 0-9 to 0-5 half-time lead.

Paradoxically Cork’s big centrefield was well on top in the direct contests in the first half but saw their superiority fade a bit afterwards but whereas Mayo had worked hard on the breaks up until half-time the impact of the wind and their opponents’ stepped-up urgency after the break saw momentum switch.

In the circumstances Cork had done all right to take five points in the opening 35 minutes – Fintan Goold impressive with two from play into the wind – and with more of the ball they would assert their dominance and outscore Mayo by nine points 2-5 to 0-2.

The tone was set immediately on the restart with three points in the opening three minutes from Alan O’Connor, Patrick Kelly and Pearse O’Neill. In fact Cork were three in front by the time Mayo registered a first score in the second half.

Cork’s defence had been loosening up in the first half. Graham Canty had a terrific match, playing on the left side – reminiscent of another great display at wing back in the 2009 All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone – making himself available for kick-outs and playing his signature role as linkman between defence and attack.

Beside him Noel O’Leary held the middle and on the other wing Paudie Kissane raided with the usual enthusiasm.

The full back line was also increasingly on top, conceding just one score from play all afternoon. Shields subdued Cillian O’Connor in the second half, Ray Carey was rarely troubled and Eoin Cadogan had enough time left over from marking Conor Mortimer to launch a number of attacks.

Physically dominant, Cork squeezed the life out of the opposing forwards.

The goals holed Mayo below the waterline. Colm O’Neill had an erratic afternoon’s shooting but when presented by Donncha O’Connor with a goal chance in the 47th minute he nearly took the net off its hooks.

Aidan Walsh, still looking a little uncomfortable with his wanderings in the attack as opposed to centrefield where he made an immediate impact in this fixture two years ago, got the second in the 55th minute after reacting first to Goold’s shot coming off the post and firing in off a defender.

The score came directly from a clearance after Mayo felt they might have had a free when Lee Keegan’s high-speed break ended in a tumble after a challenge by Pearse O’Neill at a stage when there was just two points in the match.

There was no way back for Mayo and for the final 15 minutes the teams swapped one further point while Cork largely contented themselves tossing the ball around aimlessly but safely to secure an eighth title and move into fourth on the roll of honour behind Kerry, Mayo and Dublin.

CORK: A Quirke; R Carey, M Shields, E Cadogan; P Kissane, N O’Leary, G Canty (0-1); P O’Neill (0-2), A O’Connor (0-1); F Goold (0-2), P Kelly (0-1), P Kerrigan; A Walsh (1-0), D O’Connor (0-2, 0-1 free), C O’Neill (1-0). Subs: N Murphy for A O’Connor (65 mins), D Goulding (0-1) for C O’Neill (65 mins), B O’Driscoll (68 mins).

MAYO: D Clarke; K Higgins (0-1), G Cafferkey, K Keane; L Keegan, C Boyle, D Vaughan (0-1); B Moran, J Gibbons; K McLoughlin (0-1), A Moran (0-1), A Dillon; C Mortimer (0-1, free), C O’Connor (0-6, 0-5 frees), M Conroy. Subs: P Harte for Gibbons (40 mins), E Varley for Conroy (47 mins), D Geraghty for B Moran (55), J Doherty for O’Connor (61). R Feeney for Dillon (68 mins).

Referee: M Deegan (Laois).