GAA: Mayo beat Cork 0-27 to 2-20 in extra-time thriller

Mayo beat Cork 0-27 to 2-20 after extra-time in their Round 4A qualifier to book a quarter-final place in the All Ireland SFC championship after an epic encounter.

Mayo led by seven points at one stage in the second half but Cork fought back as goals from Sean Powter and Luke Connolly saw the game go to extra-time in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick.

But Mayo did just enough to win their third qualifier game in a row and keep their All Ireland hopes alive. Cork started the game well as Donncha O'Connor opened the scoring from a free after two minutes and the 2010 All Ireland winner doubled his team's account five minutes later with another free.

Mayo got off the mark on eight minutes as Cillian O'Connor slotted a free after his brother Diarmuid was fouled by Sean Powter.

Barry O'Driscoll became the first Cork player other than O'Connor to score as his left-footed effort put Cork 0-5 to 0-4 ahead with 11 first-half minutes remaining.

Aidan O'Shea brought the teams level with a right-footed effort on his 100th appearance for Mayo, before Cillian O'Connor gave Mayo the lead for the first time a minute later after a surging break from Colm Boyle.

Moran doubled the Connacht's side lead before Paul Kerrigan and Donncha O'Connor notched points to tie the game for the third time.

But Stephen Rochord's men finished the half strongly as Mayo knocked over three unanswered points to take a good lead into the break with Cillian O'Connor (2) and Jason Doherty providing the scores.

Mayo stormed out of the blocks as they scored four unanswered points after the interval. Moran, Cillian O'Connor (2) and substitute Paddy Durcan raised white flags as they stretched their lead to seven points. It looked like Mayo would saunter home but Cork had other ideas.

Donncha O'Connor knocked over his sixth point of the evening before two brilliant scores from John O'Rourke. And substitute Colm O'Neill brought Cork back to within three points in the 51st minute.

Mayo responded with three points in a row through Cillian O'Connor, Aidan O'Shea and Andy Moran to lead by six.
But Sean Powter popped up with a superb goal for Cork in the 55th minute as he held off Keith Higgins to slot the ball to David Clarke's right.

Points from Tomas Clancy and the excellent O'Rourke brought Cork to within a point of Mayo before Cillian O'Connor stretched the Connacht side's lead again.

Colm O'Neill and Conor Loftus exchanged points and substitute Luke Connolly set up an exciting finish as the Nemo Rangers man notched Cork's second goal a minute into injury time to level the match.

Paddy Durcan looked to have won it for Cork but Connolly kicked a long-range free seven minutes into injury-time to send the game to extra-time.

Cork outscored Mayo four points to three in the first period of extra time to lead 2-19 to 0-24 with ten minutes to go.

But Mayo kicked three points in succession after the interval through Keith Higgins, Diarmuid O'Connor and the excellent Cillian O'Connor to take control. Cork only managed a further point through Michael Hurley as Mayo held on for a one point victory.

Cork: R Price; J Loughrey, M Shields, J O'Sullivan; T Clancy (0-1), E Cadogan, C O'Driscoll; A Walsh, I Maguire; M Collins, S Powter (1-0), J O'Rourke (0-3); B O'Driscoll (0-1), P Kerrigan (0-3), Donncha O'Connor (0-6, 4f).

Subs: K Crowley for Loughrey (19), S Cronin for O'Sullivan (35, black card), R Deane for Walsh (37), C O'Neill (0-3, 1f) for Shields (46), L Connolly (1-1, 1f) for B O'Driscoll (53), M Hurley (0-2) for Donnacha O'Connor (62), S White for C O'Driscoll (71), A O'Connor for Maguire (71), K O'Driscoll for O'Rourke (71), C Dorman for Crowley (75), C O'Driscoll for Powter (80).

Mayo: D Clarke; G Cafferkey, B Harrison, C Barrett; L Keegan (0-1), K Higgins (0-1), C Boyle; S O'Shea, T Parsons (0-1); K McLoughlin, A O'Shea (0-3), Diarmuid O'Connor (0-1); J Doherty (0-1), C O'Connor (0-11, 4f, 1 '45), A Moran (0-4).

Subs: P Durcan (0-2) for Barrett (44), S Coen for S O'Shea (49), D Vaughan for Boyle (53), D Drake for Keegan (58, black card), C Loftus (0-2) for Moran (63), C Crowe for Cafferkey (80), E Regan for McLoughlin (81), A Dillon for Diarmuid O'Connor (87).

Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down)