NFL Division One A/ Mayo 0-12 Cork 0-7: Mayo added the scalp of Cork to their growing lists of conquests at McHale Park, Castlebar, yesterday where the home side made it five wins in a row to keep their unbeaten record intact.
It was a record that was never under any real threat, a poor Cork performance sees the Munster side remain second last in the table with only scoring difference keeping them ahead of Offaly with just one victory to show from four outings.
Mayo manager Mickey Moran would have left Castlebar content enough yet it was not a flawless display from his charges. They were in control from when Alan Dillon put them a point up after 13 minutes, the sides having traded scores in the early exchanges.
Dillon ended with a tally of seven points, including two from play, as Mayo established a 0-7 to 0-5 half-time lead. Kevin O'Sullivan kept Cork in touch with two points from frees and an excellent point from David Niblock cut the gap to the minimum before Dillon finished the first half with an injury-time pointto put Mayo two clear.
Cork managed just two points during the second half and it took them all of 16 minutes for half forward Seán Ó Briain to find the target.
By that stage Mayo had pulled five clear - Dillon, James Gill and Ger Brady scoring three unanswered points as Moran's side began to take control.
Brady was causing all sorts of problems for Cork while Keith Higgins and Liam O'Malley were superb in the home team's back line.
Cork manager Billy Morgan was prompted into a triple substitution which turned the tide for a period after the introduction of Alan O'Connor, John Hayes and Michael Shields. Fintan Gould followed Ó Briain's point with one of his own.
John Healy was also called on to make a fine save from Niblock, but for the final 10 minutes it was normal service resumed as Dillon scored points from a free and from play to seal a good result for Mayo as they plan for next weekend's trip to Dublin, where a victory would ensure a place in the play-offs.
MAYO: J Healy; L O'Malley, D Heaney, K Higgins; P Kelly, J Nallen, P Gardiner (0-1); J Gill (0-1), R McGarrity; A Costello, G Brady (0-1), BJ Padden; A Moran (0-1), A O'Malley (0-1), A Dillon (0-7, five frees). Subs: L O'Malley or A Costello (50 mins), L Brady for G Brady (55 mins), P Casey for J O'Malley (64 mins) T Howley for Heaney (66 mins).
CORK: A Ó Cuirc; M Prout, G Canty, K O'Connor; G Murphy, G Spillane, A Lynch; D Hurley, F Gould (0-2); C McCarthy, D Niblock (0-1), S Ó Briain (0-1); J Masters, K O'Sullivan (0-2), D O'Connor (0-1). Subs: Alan O'Connor for Spillane (48 mins) J Hayes for Masters (48 mins), M Shields for O'Sullivan (48 mins), D Goulding for D O'Connor (56 mins).
Referee: B Crowe (Cavan).
