It wasn’t a classic, by any measure. This final was anticipated as a clash of purists, but by the end it was more defined by error than excellence. In terms of setting and conditions we couldn't have asked for any more - a Croke Park that had the feeling of the centre of the universe as it heaved at capacity and glistened in the dazzling sunshine. If there was to be an epic encounter - perhaps one to match or exceed last month's classic duel between Dublin and Kerry - then the stage was set. It was regretable then that the game ended up as a collection of mistakes and regrets, livened up by a superb performance from Bernard Brogan and an excellent start to the second half from Dublin's forwards.
Of course, despite the game being an aesthetic disappointment, and a far cry from the promised showcase of pure and excellent football we expected, Dublin won’t care. It was a 1 point win in the end and that is exactly where the need for detailed memories ends for Dublin players and fans.
While Jim Gavin’s side will have soon forgotten the mistakes and the regrets accrued in the course of an often sloppy and regularly tense game, Mayo will spend another year burdened by the agonising question of, what if? You imagine last year's loss to Donegal might prove to be easier to take, outclassed as they were early on by a clearly superior team. this time, they'll have a hard time convincing themselves they couldn't - and shouldn't - have won the game.
Mayo have now lost one third of all All-Ireland finals since 1996 – 6 of 18. What will make it worse is they should have had this game wrapped up by half-time, instead they went back to the dressing rooms just 1 point ahead.
Dublin looked like they might be swept away in the early minutes, with Mayo running up a 3 point lead despite hitting several wides. Andy Moran, Keith Higgins and Lee Keegan all scored, while Cillian O’Connor missed two early frees.
The game was looking ready to settle down and take up residence in Dublin’s half until Bernard Brogan rose above Robert Hennelly to fist the ball into the empty Mayo net on 15 minutes. Dublin clung on, just. Paul Mannion hit a wide before O’Connor added another point from a free.
For all that Mayo were wasteful in the first half Dublin somehow managed to exceed their profilgacy. James Horan’s side hit 9 wides from 17 shots on goal. Dublin struck 10 wides from 15. Mayo looked to have planned to replicate Kerry’s semi-final tactics for Dublin kick outs early on and it was having a significant effect on Stephen Cluxton’s distribution, and seriously stunted Dublin’s ability to work up any momentum.
It wasn’t until half an hour had elapsed that Dublin started to look like they were equal to Mayo. They finished the half strongly and an Eoghan O’Gara point at the end of the half sent the sides in just one point apart, with Mayo leading 0-8 to 1-04.
When the game restarted Mayo had left their vigour of the first half behind. Dublin outscored them 5 to 1 in the opening 13 minutes, with Paul Flynn, Cian O’Sullivan, Dean Rock, Bernard Brogan and Paddy Andrews all putting the ball between the Mayo uprights. It felt like a reversal of the first half, with Mayo now the side in desperate need of a foothold as they rapidly lost their grip on the game. As Dublin did then through Brogan, Mayo turned to their own totemic forward and Andy Moran responded with a goal to make it 1-09 to 1-09, slipping the ball under the advancing Stephen Cluxton to rouse the sizeable Mayo contingent staring down upon him from Hill 16.
Unfortunately for Moran and Mayo the next score was Bernard Brogan’s second goal of the afternoon. Dennis Bastick was on the pitch less than a minute as he swept forward alongside Michael Darragh MacAuley and Brogan. Bastick laid the ball off and Brogan slapped it past Hennelly. With one swift move and sharp finish Dublin were ahead and from there Mayo would never close the gap.
For the remaining 13 minutes the sides exchanged points, with Dublin repeatedly offering Cillian O’Connor the opportunity to take easy free kicks from close range and keep Mayo in the game.
It was an O’Connor free that would be the last action of the day. With a 2 point gap between the sides, and the 4 minutes of stoppage time elapsed, O’Connor bafflingly chose to take his point rather than make an attempt at a goal. The gap was down to 1, but that was it. Dublin champions for the 2nd time in 3 years and Mayo left wondering when their day will finally come.
