Dublin powered to an impressive 2-18 to 0-10 victory over Mayo at MacHale Park tonight.

With 13,548 spectators in attendance at Castlebar, the league holders and Leinster champions proved far too strong for their Connacht counterparts, who went into the fifth round as Division One table toppers but were completely overwhelmed on their own patch by the well-drilled visitors.

The hosts started as per match programme but their opponents made two late changes with star attackers Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Flynn drafted into the starting XV at the expense of Emmet O'Conghaile and Paddy Andrews respectively.

The victors bossed the first half to roar into a 2-10 to 0-6 interval advantage, with Denis Bastick and Bernard Brogan supplying the goals. Bastick found the net in the fifth minute in between a couple of Tomas Brady points after Mayo had opened brightly with scores from Jason Doherty and Kevin McLoughlin.

Jim Gavin's men went on to register 1-5 without reply with Ciaran Kilkenny, Jack McCaffrey and Dean Rock (free) all on target before McLoughlin bagged the westerners' third point from a free. Connolly then announced his return to action with a confident strike to leave six between them after 15 minutes, 1-6 to 0-3.

A Rock free was cancelled out by McLoughlin before Brogan had the simplest of tasks in palming the ball to an empty net in the 21st minute after Kevin McManamon had done all the spadework.

Rock and Doherty traded frees and the Dubs kicked on with scores from Kilkenny and Brogan before Mark Ronaldson closed the first-half scoring for the hosts, who had been completely outplayed and were lucky to be within ten at the short whistle. Dublin would also 'win' the second half by double scores...

McCaffrey, via the fingertips of Robbie Hennelly, and Flynn registered the first two points after the resumption for the winners before Rock followed up with a converted free. Doherty (free) and Danny Kirby steadied the home side but Jonny Cooper and Brady added firther Dublin points before Alan Dillon pulled another one back.

Rock slotted two more frees before being black-carded and Philly Ryan and McLoughlin (free) traded the last two scores as the game petered out and Dublin won all too easily.

Dublin - S Cluxton; P McMahon, E Culligan, R O'Carroll; J Cooper (0-1), C O'Sullivan, J McCaffrey (0-2); D Bastick (1-0), T Brady (0-3); P Flynn (0-1), D Connolly (0-1), C Kilkenny (0-2); B Brogan (1-1), D Rock (0-6f), K McManamon. Subs: M Fitzsimons for R O'Carroll, J Small for E Culligan, B Fenton for D Bastick, E O'Gara for B Brogan, J McCarthy for T Brady, P Ryan (0-1) for K McManamon, D Rock (BC).

Mayo - R Hennelly; K Keane, T Cunniffe, K Higgins; P Durcan, L Keegan, C Boyle; S O'Shea, D Vaughan; D O'Connor, K McLoughlin (0-3, 1f), J Doherty (0-4, 3f); M Ronaldson (0-1), A O'Shea, A Freeman. Subs: D Kirby (0-1) for A Freeman, S Coen for P Durcan, A Dillon (0-1) for D O'Connor, M Sweeney for M Ronaldson, B Moran for S O'Shea, G Cafferkey for D Vaughan.

Referee - P O'Sullivan.

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