Colm Basquel leads from the front as Dublin kick into gear to rout Mayo

All-Ireland SFC quarter-final: Dublin 2-17 Mayo 0-11

Dublin exploded out of the traps in the second half to administer a chastening defeat to Mayo, the biggest margin since the rivalry began in earnest 11 years ago. In doing so, they refuted the widespread suspicion that their best days were now irretrievably behind them.

On a weekend when Kerry gave their best display under Jack O’Connor’s latest management term, this was a timely reminder of Dublin’s ceiling, rarely seen close-up since the 2019 five-in-a-row season.

The charge was led by Colm Basquel, the Ballyboden corner forward who finished with a ticker tape of accomplishment: 2-2 from four shots and the Player of the Match award.

He was aided and abetted by the other forwards. Cormac Costello took up the early challenge and kept the score board moving. Paul Mannion, one of the returned prodigals, played his first 70-minute match for the county since the Leinster final four years ago.

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He was a constant source of energy and swung over two points for good measure.

His companion in getting the old band back together, Jack McCaffrey, came on in the 46th minute to a great reception of rapturous expectancy and obliged with a couple of surging runs, one of which could have ended in a goal had he gone for it instead of offloading to Con O’Callaghan who was covered.

James McCarthy played a captain’s role. His movement was top class, covering ground and involving himself both in defence and attack where he kicked two good points.

An edgy, formless first half saw Dublin narrowly leading but far from firing on all cylinders. The big score was Basquel’s 18th-minute goal. David Byrne hoisted a great ball into the corner forward and he gathered, held off Pádraig O’Hora and buried the goal to regain the lead, 1-3 to 0-4.

The defensive match-ups weren’t working out brilliantly on either side. Byrne struggled on Aidan O’Shea who roamed around, winning possession and holding it up. He also kicked a free.

Ryan O’Donoghue had the edge on Eoin Murchan, kicking three from play and converting a couple of frees, one for a foul on him even if the latter’s pace created problems on the counter.

At the other end O’Hora was in terrible trouble on Basquel, a reality recognised by the sideline whipping him off before half-time and sending in Enda Hession.

David McBrien was doing well on Con O’Callaghan who after an early wide didn’t feature much. A pass to him by Costello was disrupted by a flick and the goal chance disappeared. James McCarthy tidied up with the point that put Dublin 1-6 to 0-8 ahead at the break.

Mayo were unhappy that Jordan Flynn’s goal was disallowed by referee David Gough but the call that the ball had been lifted off the ground with the player’s knees looked good on replay.

The start of the second half was reminiscent of the 2019 semi-final when an unanswered 2-6 in 12 minutes killed the match stone dead. This was a less radical 1-4 in nine minutes but it had the same effect.

Basquel, Mannion and Brian Fenton clipped points before the tipping point hit. Mannion disrupted Sam Callinan, who was trying to usher a ball wide, and Costello snapped it up to play across goal for Basquel to turn into an empty net – 2-9 to 0-8 in the 40th minute.

The rigours of Mayo’s rocky road to the quarter-final showed. They should have beaten Cork to top their group and wouldn’t have had to eke out an attritional win in Galway last week. It all caught up with them and they looked exhausted with nothing in the tank.

Little went right for them. A goal attack ended with Eoghan McLaughlin attempting to tap into a yawning goal but he hit the post and the ball rebounded to safety.

Diarmuid O’Connor worked his way in on goal after an assist by O’Donoghue but his shot was saved for a 45 by the third prodigal, Stephen Cluxton, who has yet to concede a goal since his championship comeback two months ago. His kickouts remain reliable and unleashed his centrefield and defenders with all the composure of old.

O’Callaghan came into it in the second half, kicking a first point in the 55th minute to the throaty approval of the Hill as he bent it over. The advantage of the prodigals’ return could be seen in the higher quality of the bench at the end with as well as McCaffrey, Ciarán Kilkenny, Paddy Small and Dean Rock all coming on and kicking points.

They move on to a semi-final date with Monaghan, their 2-17 total including all of 2-14 from play.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne; Brian Howard, John Small, Lee Gannon; Brian Fenton (0-1), James McCarthy (0-2); Paul Mannion (0-2), Seán Bugler, Niall Scully; Cormac Costello (0-5, 3f), Con O’Callaghan (0-2), Colm Basquel (2-2). Subs: Jack McCaffrey for Murchan (46 mins), Ciarán Kilkenny (0-1) for Bugler (48 mins), Paddy Small (0-1) for Scully (54), Tom Lahiff for Costello (67 mins), Dean Rock (0-1) for Basquel (71 mins).

Mayo: Colm Reape (0-1, 45); Pádraig O’Hora, David McBrien, Jack Coyne; Paddy Durcan (capt; 0-1), Stephen Coen (capt), Sam Callinan; Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O’Connor; Eoghan McLaughlin, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn (0-1); Aidan O’Shea (0-1, free), Tommy Conroy (0-2), Ryan O’Donoghue (0-5, 0-2f). Subs: Enda Hession for O’Hora (32 mins), Cillian O’Connor for O’Shea (47 mins), Kevin McLoughlin for McLaughlin (53 mins), James Carr for Ruane (58 mins), Jason Doherty for Callinan (70 mins). Temporary sub: Donnacha McHugh for Coen (59 mins – not reversed)

Referee: David Gough (Meath).