Up The Dubs

Dublin Defeat Mayo To Retain All-Ireland Title

The boys in blue managed a dramatic victory over Mayo at Croke Park this weekend, retaining the All Ireland SFC title for a second year running.

Following the tied first encounter last month, fans on Saturday night were treated to an explosive rematch which saw the home team capitalise on an early four-point lead, barely staying abreast of Mayo’s tenacious counter attack.

Cormac Costello proved himself the man of the hour, coming off the bench in the 56th minute to kick three outstanding points, while the blue defensive line held strong to secure a 1-15, 1-14 win against the spirited opposition, much to the delight of the 82,249 strong crowd.

The 22-year-old was modest in his assessment of the game, and paid tribute to the determination of Mayo team, saying: “You have to give credit to Mayo. They got the better of us, especially in our forward line.”

The Dubs have surged back to dominance in recent years, having now won the Sam Maguire Cup four times in the last six years, this their 26th win overall.

Mayo come away once again disappointed, and despite brave performances from the west men, in particular captain Cillian O’Connor, the team are still yet to win a title for over sixty years.

Jim Gavin, manager of the triumphant Dublin side, stated that both he and his team were “obviously delighted” with the result.

The Dubs’ boss said the win “Epitomised… the spirit and the character in this Dublin team; they showed that to me in the drawn game and they showed it to me today when Mayo threw everything and anything at them.”

The full game can be viewed below-

[wpdevart_youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKMaSklf95o[/wpdevart_youtube]