FOOTBALL ANALYST:Hungry Mayo deserved their victory. And, in a way, it will suit the team's management that they had to fight hard to get the job done

This proved to be a step too far for Dublin in defence of their All-Ireland title for a number of reasons. The main one was that they came up against a side that was hungrier and it’s interesting that the two beaten semi-finalists of a year ago – Donegal and now Mayo – learnt whatever lessons were needed to be learned, and, 12 months down the road, showed the hunger to make amends for past failings.

I liked the fact that Mayo’s post-match celebrations were not over the top in any way. It shows that James Horan’s men are grounded and fully aware that a serious challenge lies ahead against Donegal.

There is unfinished business yet for Mayo to complete but they can take a great many positives out of how they outplayed Dublin for so much of this semi-final and, also, from the fact that the match turned out to be a close affair and that they had to dig deep to get the job done.

Mayo deserved to win but will look back and wonder at what might have been. What of Bernard Brogan’s one-on-one with Mayo goalkeeper David Clarke?

It was a great save for sure but you’d have put your house on an in-form, on-song Bernard Brogan putting that ball away at what was a crucial stage when Dublin had momentum. A goal then would have levelled the match.

And what of his brother Alan?

The decision to introduce him at half-time was a gamble that failed. It was obvious he wasn’t fit and Dublin effectively played with 14 men for something like 15 or 16 minutes before he was taken off.

Hindsight is a great thing but surely the man who should have been on earlier was Kevin McManamon because his introduction, along with Michael Darragh Macauley’s move to centrefield, swung matters and allowed Dublin to chase the game and very nearly turn it on its head.

There was another occasion in that second half when Diarmuid Connolly should have passed the ball across the goal to an unmarked Paul Flynn for an open goal. He didn’t read the opportunity, though.

Overall, though, Mayo deserved to come out on the right side of the result but they will be annoyed for allowing Dublin to get back into the match. They need to be more ruthless.

Still, nobody can argue with their right to the win.

Barry Moran and Aidan O’Shea had huge games and gained the upper-hand early on around centrefield but the way that O’Shea dropped back to also help out in the centre of defence was a ploy that worked to great effect.

Kevin McLoughlin and Alan Dillon got a lot of freedom and were able to put good ball into the inside forwards and I thought Enda Varley and Michael Conroy profited greatly from consistently getting in front of their men and either scoring or drawing fouls.

Cillian O’Connor’s free-taking and kicking of 45s was top notch.

All of the Mayo forwards registered scores in that first-half.

In contrast, Dublin struggled to get going. Mayo utilising Aidan O’Shea around the centre half back area worked brilliantly and he stopped some threatening Dublin moves. Dublin fell into the trap of too much soloing.

Macauley had an excellent game again but was still guilty of ball-carrying and getting into trouble when it would have been better to get quick ball into Bernard Brogan who, it must be said, was really terrifically marshalled by Ger Cafferkey.

You have to credit Dublin with showing fighting spirit and getting back into a match that seemed to have gone from them.

No team lets an All-Ireland title go easily and Dublin fought hard but the cutting edge – especially in the full-forward line – that was evident in last year’s march to the Sam Maguire was missing this year.

They didn’t have the same quick movement, and too many players were running into cul-de-sacs.

Dublin didn’t move on from last year. They should have realised that they only barely got over the line last year and should have kicked on.

There should have been an improvement but we didn’t see it and I think the fact they struggled through in previous games, winning but playing poorly, doesn’t do a lot for your confidence and especially when you come up against a very solid, well-organised, well-drilled and very hungry team like Mayo.

I was impressed by Ciarán Kilkenny’s contribution and there is no doubt – given the strength of their minor teams and under-21s – that football is strong in the capital and the future is bright.

But the day belonged to Mayo.

And I think, in a way, it will suit the team’s management that they had to fight hard to get the job done.

They were 10 points up and coasting in the second-half and then had to survive Dublin’s determined fightback to book that final date with Donegal.

It terms of preparing for the final, it gives Mayo a lot to work on.

When you consider Mayo had to play without Lee Keegan for the majority of the match, and how the substitutes impacted when introduced, it shows the strength of the bench. And a deep squad is very important for any team.

The manner in which Mayo dug deep, though, is something that will stand to them for what will be a tough task ahead of them.