Under-21 Football All-Ireland FinalMayo 1-13 Cork 1-11: The Mayo folk travelled down the west coast in hope that the terrible hoodoo of under-performing in All-Ireland finals would be banished.
At half-time, a 15th consecutive defeat in a national final seemed imminent. Then something changed. For starters, they began winning every break around the middle.
But let's start at the beginning.
Cork unleashed hell in this Cadbury's All-Ireland under-21 football final from the throw-in with John Hayes and Daniel Goulding rattling off quick points. Hayes then skinned Trevor Holwey only to smash a shot off the crossbar. From the rebound Paul Kerrigan hit a weak effort into the stomach of Mayo goalkeeper Kenneth O'Malley. They were looking for an early knockout blow.
There were some positives signs for Mayo such as nippy corner forward Mark Ronaldson showing for every ball. His performance proved crucial in the eventual dismissal of his marker Stephen O'Donoghue. Aidan Kilcoyne also kicked three points, including a sideline, but Cork replied every time with Fintan Gould, in particular, powering through the defence almost at will.
Cork finished the half the stronger with points from Daniel Goulding and Carthach Keane. But that's not the real story of the opening skirmishes.
Referees usually have a good game when they are anonymous. Cavan's Joe McQuillan flashed five yellow cards in this period and seemed to tick a player after every foul. It was unnecessary letter-of- the-law adjudication that would inevitably lead to somebody paying the ultimate price.
O'Donoghue, already on a tick, received his first yellow for what, initially at least, seemed a perfectly-timed hit on Ronaldson just seconds after the break.
Kilcoyne miscued the simple free as Hayes capitalised down the other end with his second free to push the margin out to four. Mayo needed a break. They got several.
"I think in the first half we seemed to get everything that was going," said Cork manager Tony Leahy. "In the second half he (the referee) seemed to change tack - they seemed to get everything that was going - maybe he thought we were looking like we were winning the game and was trying to make a game of it. I dunno."
Mayo midfielders Seamus O'Shea and Barry Moran began to dominate, with the former bursting through the middle on 35 minutes only to be tackled by O'Donoghue as he shot wide. Penalty.
Kilcoyne's strike was well blocked by Ken O'Halloran but the Knockmore man followed up to drive the rebound low to the net.
Michael Conroy added a point seconds later to tie up the contest and give the Mayo faction of the 6,000-strong crowd a voice. Game most definitely on.
A swing of decisive proportions followed. The Mayo think-tank of Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly - players during the 1996 and 1997 All- Ireland final defeats - introduced forwards Kevin Costello and Enda Varley.
O'Donoghue was soon sent to the line for a clumsy challenge on Varley. Kilcoyne then kicked two frees and the inspired Varley claimed a great score.
Mayo captain Keith Higgins proved an effective free man although he was unable to stop Goulding levelling the contest with a fine goal. After gathering a Paul O'Flynn centre he held off the dual star before sliding the ball past O'Malley.
Mayo replied with three points from Costello, wing back Chris Barrett and a Kilcoyne free. Gould landed two from distance, but Mayo came yet again.
In injury-time, Conroy struck his third from play. O'Shea gathered the kick-out and the ball was fed up to Ronaldson who ended an industrious afternoon with a point.
Cork fought to the death and somehow got the ball up to Goulding who wriggled free, but his shot from a tight angle only yielded a point.
That was it.
Mayo had learned to win again.
"You can't buy the winning feeling," said Connelly outside a euphoric dressingroom. "You can't teach that to fellas. You have to learn how to win and today 28 fellas have learned how to win. They can go on and in three or four years time they will be in the same situation in Croke Park, or wherever, and they will know how to win. You can't explain it, but it becomes a lot harder to lose that feeling."
MAYO: K O'Malley; T Howley, G Cafferkey, K Higgins; C Barrett (0-1), T Cunniffe, C Boyle; S O'Shea, B Moran; A Campbell, J Dillon, A Kilcoyne (1-6, four frees and one side line); M Ronaldson (0-1), M Hannick, M Conroy (0-3). Substitutes: S Ryder for C Boyle (half-time), K Costello (0-1) for J Dillon, E Varley (0-1) for M Hannick (both half-time).
CORK: K O'Halloran; R Carey, C Murphy, S O'Donoghue; D Limerick, M Shields, E Cadogan; A O'Connor, P Kelly; F Gould (0-3, one 45), C Keane (0-1), P Kerrigan (0-1); D Goulding (1-4, two frees), P O'Flynn, J Hayes (0-2, two frees). Substitutes: G O'Shea for J Hayes (43 mins), F Lynch for P Kelly (51 mins).
Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
