GAA:Mayo and Cork will contest the National Football League final in a fortnight's time after John O'Mahony's side booked their place at a sun-drenched Páirc Uí Chaoimh this afternoon. Mayo's 0-16 to 0-11 win denied Dublin a place in the decider despite their defeat of Tyrone.
Dublin, who’s 2-14 to 1-11 win in Omagh relegated Tyrone, moved level with Cork on 10-points apiece but the Rebels were already assured of their place in the final by virtue of a superior head-to-head record against Pat Gilroy’s side.
Mayo, beaten by Dublin earlier in the campaign, required a win to guarantee a berth in the final and duly delivered on Leeside. Having gone into the break level (0-7 to 0-7), five unanswered points at the start of the second-half laid the foundations for Mayo’s success.
Tyrone’s bid for top flight survival was shot down in flames in front of their own fans with Bernard Brogan the Ulster side’s tormentor in chief. Brogan helped himself to seven of Dublin’s opening nine points, with six coming from play, as the Tyrone defence failed to get to grips with the Oliver Plunkett’s forward.
Dublin then added two goals in quick succession, Brogan feeding elder brother Alan for the first before Niall Corkery added a second to help build a commanding 2-10 to 0-7 lead.
Martin Penrose grabbed a lifeline within seconds of the restart, firing past Michael Savage in the Dublin goal while the introduction of Kevin Hughes posed the visitors a number of problems but Dublin held their nerve to send Mickey Harte’s side down.
Kerry made sure of their Division One status with a 1-15 to 1-12 win over Monaghan, a result that could have seen Pat McEnaney’s side drop through the relegation trapdoor.
But when the calculations were finally done, Monaghan were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief as they enjoyed a better scoring differential than Derry, who’s 2-13 to 1-12 win over Galway was too little too late and they will join their Ulster rivals Tyrone in Division Two.
Both Kerry and Monaghan were hit with injuries in the opening skirmishes, Kerry losing sharpshooter Colm Cooper after he received a knock to the head while the visitors lost Tommy Freeman when the forward went over on his ankle.
Paul Galvin, back in the Kerry half forward line after serving his suspension picked up at the start of the league campaign, gave Jack O’Connor a timely reminder of what he brings to the party with three first half points and the Finuge man produced a typically combative display.
Paul Sheehan grabbed Kerry’s goal in the second half while Monaghan could have been left to rue a missed penalty had results elsewhere gone against them.
In Division Two, Armagh and Down secured promotion and will contest the final Westmeath and Tipperary go down.
Antrim and Sligo, the top two in Division Three, will move in the opposite direction but Roscommon and Fermanagh drop down to Division Four.
Waterford and Limerick move out of the bottom tier while Kilkenny, hammered by Wicklow this afternoon, finish rock bottom.
Allianz National Football League results
Division One
Cork 0-16 Mayo 0-11
Galway 1-12 Derry 2-13
Kerry 1-16 Monaghan 1-12
Tyrone 1-11 Dublin 2-14
Division Two
Donegal 0-6 Armagh 2-16
Meath 1-15 Kildare 0-13
Tipperary 2-13 Westmeath 1-10
Down 2-11 Laois 1-13
Division Three
Cavan 0-11 Fermanagh 0-7
Offaly 3-10 Louth 5-9
Sligo 0-20 Roscommon 0-13
Wexford 1-11 Antrim 0-12
Division Four
Waterford 0-20 Clare 2-5
Wicklow 2-25 Kilkenny 0-7
Longford 1-16 London 0-10
Limerick 1-22 Leitrim 0-9