Rowe to the fore as Dublin get the better of Mayo

Team captain Carla Rowe struck 1-02 at Parnell Park as defending champions Dublin kick-started their TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Group 4 campaign with victory over Mayo.

Following their recent success in the TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship, Mick Bohan’s side had eight points to spare over their Connacht counterparts. Despite Lisa Cafferky chipping in with three points, Mayo ultimately came up short in the capital and will now face into a crunch group stage encounter at home to Kildare next weekend.

Playing with the aid of a breeze in the first half, Dublin edged in front when full-forward Hannah Tyrrell knocked over a free less than two minutes into the action. Yet Mayo levelled matters with a score on the run from midfielder Erin Murray and Liam McHale’s westerners subsequently squeezed ahead after Cafferky split the uprights on 10 minutes.

While Rowe restored parity moments later, a strong defensive effort from their opponents ensured attacking opportunities weren’t easy to come by for Dublin. Nevertheless, the Jackies regained their slender advantage with a Lauren Magee point that shook the woodwork before floating over the bar.

Having found the range earlier on in the contest off her trusty left boot, Tyrrell registered a point from play with her right foot and Rowe was also on hand to convert a close-range free that propelled Dublin into a 0-05 to 0-02 cushion at the end of a low-scoring and cagey opening period.

Whereas Mayo enjoyed the majority of possession prior to the interval, Dublin established a foothold in the early stages of the second half. The Mayo defence did initially hold firm, but Dublin eventually opened them up and Rowe palmed to the net on 40 minutes via a pass from industrious half-forward Caoimhe O’Connor.

Despite now dealing with a tricky wind, Dublin added points through Tyrrell and Olwen Carey to open up an eight-point buffer inside the final-quarter.

A successful Maria Cannon free ended a 38-minute scoring drought for Mayo, but Dublin immediately responded with a Sinead Goldrick point following a superb team move by the hosts. The experienced Cafferky did add a brace of scores for the visitors as the final whistle approached, but with Magee and Carey contributing their second points of the game, Dublin eased towards a convincing triumph.

Dublin: A Shiels; O Carey (0-02), L Caffrey, N Donlon; L Magee (0-02), M Byrne, S Goldrick (0-01); J Dunne, G Kós; C O’Connor, C Rowe (1-02, 1f), O Nolan; N Hetherton, H Tyrrell (0-03, 2f), K Sullivan. Subs: N Crowley for Donlon, N Owens for Kós (both 40), E Gribben for Nolan (50), C Darby for Rowe (51), A Kane for Goldrick (54).

Mayo: L Brennan; S Lally, N O’Malley, K Sullivan; É Ronayne, C Durkan, D Caldwell; A Geraghty, E Murray (0-01); A Gough, C Needham, F McHale; A Staunton, M Cannon (0-01, 1f), L Cafferky (0-03). Subs: S Walsh for Needham (19), F McLaughlin for Murray (h-t), S Delaney for Staunton (46), M Reilly for McHale (51), A Fitzpatrick for Sullivan (54).

Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).