NFL Division 1: Mayo 1-18 Dublin 2-9
Ger Brennan has hinted some All-Ireland winners could be cut from the Dublin panel after watching his side slip to a second successive National Football League defeat.
Mayo led this Division One contest by two points at half-time at a sunny MacHale Park and the home side assumed control of proceedings in front of 15,197 spectators when Dublin defender Seán MacMahon was sent off on a straight red card in the 40th minute.
It appeared to be harsh on MacMahon, who was sent to the line following an off-the-ball tussle with Ryan O’Donoghue.
Darragh Beirne netted Mayo’s goal five minutes after the red card to give Andy Moran’s side a 1-11 to 1-5 lead. Despite a brief Dublin revival during which they scored 1-1 in a two-minute spell, the outcome never looked in doubt.
Mayo have now won their opening two games of the campaign under new manager Moran, while Brennan is still waiting for his first victory at the helm in the capital.
The Dublin boss says some difficult decision will have to be made when he culls his squad before their third-round game against Monaghan on February 14th.
“We’ve a panel of about 50 there now, with guys coming back from Sigerson duty, guys coming back from Ballyboden, and we need to cut the panel down next weekend,” said Brennan.
“I would suggest, probably, some of our fellas who’ve been around the block, that there will be a few tough decisions to be made.
Dublin manager Ger Brennan before the game. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
“You make those decisions through looking at the data, looking at the contributions fellas are making on the pitch and off the pitch, and then your eyes don’t lie.
“If a guy has done what he’s done over the last couple of years, it’s probably decision time for a couple of guys in terms of what they want to do.”
When pushed on whether it was an issue of raw hunger for some of the more experienced Dublin players, Brennan replied: “If Mayo had snuck their two or three All-Irelands over the last couple of years, is Aidan O’Shea playing this year? I don’t know, probably unlikely.”
Brennan showed a degree of ruthlessness early on in Castlebar on Sunday by making three substitutions in the first 31 minutes – taking off Killian McGinnis and his midfield pairing of Ethan Dunne and Brian Howard.
The Dublin manager, who also made three changes at half-time last time out against Donegal, said none of the switches against Mayo were because of knocks to players.
“No injuries involved,” said Brennan. “We’re just being as fair and transparent with the players as possible.
“I’m fairly black and white, I will show the lads what it is they need to improve on. In the engine room last week, the middle eight, probably bar Seán MacMahon, we were very poor against Donegal in the first half.
“And we would have gone through those learnings with the players during the week. We were getting outdone again in the engine room so we said we had to make changes a lot quicker.
Mayo’s Paddy Durcan is blocked by Dublin’s Jack Lundy. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
“Your analysis team are feeding you live information, I don’t make decisions on GPS data or any of that stuff but you certainly make decisions on influencing the game, on kickouts, breaking balls, tackles, possessions in the right part of the pitch.
“And Mayo were outworking us in all of those areas. So, three good lads, to be fair to them, they just didn’t get up to the pitch of the game quick enough and we couldn’t afford to leave it go until the half.”
If Brennan has some tough decisions to make over the next fortnight, Moran will be pleased by his side’s winning start to 2026. Not that Mayo’s performance was flawless by any means in a game that lacked real bite for large parts and certainly won’t make any list of top 20 Mayo-Dublin battles.
O’Donoghue’s positioning at centre forward continues to look like a worthwhile project though, providing the Belmullet man with more involvement in the game and allowing him to neatly link the play.
Eoin Murchan was handed the task of tagging O’Donoghue for much of the contest but the opening goal came at the other end where Luke Breathnach finished in the third minute, 1-0 to 0-2.
Cormac Costello, a late addition for Con O’Callaghan who missed out because of a hamstring strain, pointed a 45 moments later but wonderful two-pointers followed from O’Donoghue and David McBrien to push Mayo ahead and Dublin never restored parity thereafter.
Mayo, wearing 1951 commemorative jerseys, led 0-10 to 1-5 at the interval but the game swung decisively in the opening five minutes of the restart.
Costello had a goal chance in the early stages of the second half but his effort smashed off the underside of the crossbar. McBrien then blazed over a point for Mayo before MacMahon was sent off.
Mayo’s Darragh Beirne comes up against Dublin’s David Byrne. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Brennan said Dublin will review the video footage of the incident before deciding whether to appeal.
The Dubs only managed four scores over the course of the second half, while 1-16 of Mayo’s total tally came from open play. However, with 13 wides registered, Moran still sees plenty of room for improvement.
“A bit like last week in terms of there was the good and the bad in it,” he said of his team’s performance.
“We’d like to control the game when they’re down to 14, but I don’t think we played really particularly well in the second half.
“We haven’t really went after being down a man or up a man yet in training so I can’t really be too critical of the boys but I thought we could have been a lot better in that period. Our shooting efficiency still has to go up.”
MAYO: R Hennelly; J Coyne, R Brickenden, E Hession; S Callinan (0-0-2), P Durcan, S Coen (0-0-1); B Touhy, D McBrien (0-1-1); J Carney (0-0-1), R O’Donoghue (0-1-3, 1f), J Flynn (0-0-1); D Beirne (1-0-1), J Carr, F Boland (0-0-2). Subs: A O’Shea for Durcan (45 mins); D O’Connor (0-0-1) for Carr (47); C McHale (0-0-1f) for Beirne (54); P Towey for Boland (62); D McHugh for Coen (64).
DUBLIN: E Comerford; C Tyrrell, S MacMahon, D Byrne; N Doran, E Murchan, C O’Connor; E Dunne, B Howard; K McGinnis (0-0-1), N Scully, C Costello (0-1-3, 1f, 1′45); P Small (1-0-1), L Breathnach (1-0-0), J Lundy (0-0-1). Subs: C Kilkenny for Dunne (21 mins); K Stephenson for McGinnis (24); S Bugler (0-0-1) for Howard (31); L O’Dell for Lundy (51); G McEneaney for Breathnach (59).
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).