The Mayo for Sam bandwagon is up and running for 2024 after they secured a 1-12 to 0-14 win against Dublin in the Allianz League for the first time in 12 years in McHale Park. Mayo GAA are two for two in Division One after overcoming an early five point deficit.
Former inter-county hurler Fergal Boland - dropped from the panel last year- continued his tremendous start to the League, by kicking the winning point in the 74th minute after Ryan O’Donoghue spotted his teammate in space as he was taking the game's decisive free
O'Donoghue had used his wiles to win the 74th minute free after a q1challenge from Cian Murphy that pundit Lee Keegan described as 'naive'.
Fergal Boland finishes off a clever short free in the fourth minute of injury-time to secure a 1-12 to 0-14 win for Mayo over Dublin
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📱 Live updates https://t.co/BdKgqkwZQI#AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/PMHxVrE2i2— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 3, 2024
Lee Keegan was full of praise for his former teammate O’Donoghue for having the bottle to take on that pass.
“It’s the risk that he has to do it. Other players will not take that on, but he has the bravery to do it,” Keegan said.
“That one risk they took won them the game. It’s those small margins we don’t see enough of, and he has the opportunity to do it. A lot of players pass that up, and he took it on, and as a result, they win the game.”
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McStay on Mayo GAA's win: 'I loved the effort'
After the game, Kevin McStay was full of credit for his side's attitude, with O’Donoghue’s ‘cheeky pass’ the icing on the cake for Mayo.
“I would have settled for the one [point], that’s for sure, but getting the two was brilliant. It gave us four of the two games, and we stayed at it,” McStay said.
“That’s what I loved about the effort. Until the very end, we stayed alive and thought about what was possible, and Ryan found Fergal with a cheeky pass when everything was on the line. It was the last play, pretty much. It was a great way to win it. I'm delighted. Two points were the big ones we tried to get out of our destiny. It makes life a bit easier.”
Mayo manager Kevin McStay admits he would have been happy with a draw against Dublin but was delighted that his players "stayed at it, right to the very end" to sneak a late victory #GAA #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/wYApl5M3tl
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 3, 2024
Mayo's Coen - 'it's a work in progress'
The decisive goal came from substitute Stephen Coen as he rushed in from a Mayo shot dropping short to fist the ball into the back of the net and bring his side back into the game.
Speaking to RTÉ after the game, Coen was just delighted with the win and being able to contribute to the team.
“We are always coached to chase in every ball with every chance we can get and to never give up on any chance. I was very lucky. It’s not very often that I get one, so I'm happy to contribute,” Coen said.
“I’m happy that we worked hard and we worked as a group, and guys came in there, and it didn’t make any difference. We just kept with the flow all the time. Look, it’s a work in progress. We just have to keep at it.”
Man of the match Paddy Durcan says Mayo are happy with the win over Dublin as "any time we play them it's always a massive test and tonight was no different' #GAA #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/IM4YM68otj
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 3, 2024
As Dublin, it's a second consecutive defeat and Dessie Farrell will spend the next two weeks figuring out how to avoid a relegation battle.
