A swashbuckling Mayo side yesterday gave one of the best displays in living memory by a minor football team in Croke Park. The Connacht champions showed extraordinary levels of skill, co-ordination and drive - indeed John Maughan's senior team must have envied them.
Mayo's exhibition of football came after they were rocked by a first-minute Cork goal, beautifully taken by tall and gifted full forward Bernard Collins.
Mayo's response and the mature way they shrugged off the setback had to be admired. Showing an ability to fire over points against the wind they were back level by the seventh minute and ahead by the eighth.
They pummelled the Cork defence, amassing a goal and nine points before a dizzy Cork responded with two pointed frees by Paudi Hurley late in the first half.
Full of attacking ideas, Mayo full of attacking ideas, led by built up a 1-10 to 1-2 half-time lead.
At midfield, their duo of under-18 rugby internationals, James Gill and Gavin Duffy, had established a firm grip, even though Cork's Damien Delaney had got away for that early goal.
Cork began the second half by adding to their six first-half wides. Mayo resumed by adding to their interval lead with an Alan Dillon point.
After five minutes of the half Damien Delaney's second goal revitalised Corks chances to a degree and points by Hurley, substitute Conrad Murphy and Collins enabled Cork to narrow the deficit to three points.
But Mayo's Billy Joe Padden then placed Robert Moran for the sixth of his seven points with a deft pass and the Mayo engine was firing again.
Cork had chances of a goal in the closing minutes but Hurley was off the mark.
Mayo's joint manager JP Kane explained the secret of his teams superb resilience: "We have leaders in every line on the team. I never had any doubts about their potential."
To name a man of the match in the winners' line-up would be impossible. At least a half a dozen Mayo players would be in the front line for a nomination. It was that sort of performance, a star in every line, starting with goalkeeper John O'Hara.
Right back MJ Meeneghan was a bundle of energy, with an uncanny sense of positioning and anticipation. The three half backs, Rory Keane, Paul Coady and Conor Moran, not only got forward for points but mastered the strength of the experienced Cork half-forward line of John Flavin, Conor McCarthy and Paudie Hurley - who had only two of his five points from play.
James Gill was inspirational in Mayo's midfield and in front of him was an attack which were outstanding in their sniping qualities - with Robert Moran, Gary and Alan Dillon, and Eoin Gallagher superb.
Billie Joe Padden, too, joined in the scoring before been replaced by John Moran in the second half.
Mayo: J O'Hara; MJ Meeneghan, P Kelly, J Brogan; R Keane (0-1), P Coady (0-1), C Moran (0-1); J Gill, G Duffy; R Moran (0-7 six frees), BJ Padden (0-1), B Loftus (1-1); G Dillon (0-2), A Dillon (0-2), E Gallagher (0-3). Sub: John Moran for Billy Joe Padden (46 minutes).
Cork: P O'Shea; N O'Leary, N Furlong, F Crowley; D O'Sullivan, R Curran, T Kenny; D Delaney (2-0), D Niblock; J Flavin (0-1), C McCarthy, P Hurley (0-5 two frees); R O'Mahoney, B Collins (0-1), C Brosnan. Subs: R Cahalane for Crowley (21 mins); C Murphy (0-2) for O'Mahony (half-time); J O'Brien for O'Sullivan (40 mins).
Referee: M Convery (Derry).
