Moore breaks Mayo hearts to seal thrilling win for Donegal

BBC News

15-06-2025

Ciaran Moore popped up with a dramatic last-gasp winner to secure a 0-19 to 1-15 victory for Donegal in Dr Hyde Park and send Mayo crashing out of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.Mayo substitute Fergal Boland thought he had rescued a point with a late score, which would have been enough for the Connacht side to move into third spot in the Group One standings and eliminate Cavan.However, Moore's winner meant Mayo came up empty-handed and finish bottom on head-to-head with the Breffnimen, who beat them in Castlebar on the opening weekend.Given how delicately the group was poised prior to the game, there was a guarantee of drama and the 18,731 in attendance certainly got bang for their buck.
Donegal edge ahead
It was tense at times, brilliant at others as this game hung in the balance right until the final kick, which was enough for a Donegal win, but not enough to finish top of the pile due to their own opening day defeat to the Red Hands, who had the head-to-head advantage.The game began with a bang as Peadar Mogan and Darren McHale swapped early points, but Mayo were fortunate not to be punished with a goal as an Aidan O'Shea slip saw a lightning Donegal counter with Mogan put in, but he thumped high.After Caolan McColgan added another, Mogan was black carded for a trip in the ninth minute and while he was away, Mayo hit three points as Ryan O'Donoghue's frees sandwiched McHale's second of the day.It was a tense opening period with both sides defending well and giving little away cheaply, but the advantage swung back to Donegal following a two-point free converted by Michael Murphy.While the Ulster champions outscored Mayo by four to two heading into the break to lead 0-9 to 0-6, it seemed the game was now beginning to open up a little.
Mayo fight back
Mayo upped their game early in the second period with points from Jack Carney and O'Donoghue, but Donegal always seemed to have an answer when Mayo got to within one as the point-for-point run ended as Conor O'Donnell and Moore hit back-to-back points.Mayo got it back to one again and it seemed they had taken a huge step towards victory when O'Shea laid off a delicate pass to Jack Carney, who played in David McBrien to swivel and find the net via the post.But the Donegal reply was excellent as substitute Daire O Baoill kicked an outrageous two-pointer to level, whilst points from Murphy and O'Donnell would follow.After Flynn pulled one back, Donegal had their chance to put it away as Mayo goalkeeper Colm Reape was caught outfield from a restart and Patrick McBrearty was through and seemingly certain to bury with two minutes to play, but Reape somehow recovered to get a block out for a 45 that Murphy converted.Mayo were then denied a goal of their own with Carney snuffed out, but after an O'Donoghue free, Mayo got on the attack in the final minute and Boland kicked over the leveller.However, there were still about five seconds until the hooter when Moore got on the ball and found the reserves to gallop forward and sling over the winner which sent the Donegal support into raptures and broke Mayo hearts.