A brace of Cillian O'Connor goals at the start of the second half handed Mayo a 2-9 to 0-9 victory over Down in a bizarre All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park. Down looked the most likely winners for a long time but the Mayo full forward decided the issue with two excellent finishes after the restart. The Mourne County had the better of the first half and a trio of points from the busy Caolan Mooney helped them to a 0-7 to 0-5 interval lead, with Aidan Walsh frees representing Mayo's sole scoring threat before the break. Walsh hit four first-half frees to keep his mis-firing team in the game. Ross McGarry opened the scoring from a free inside the first minute after a foul on midfielder Niall McParland and Down were also off target with a couple of early chances to stretch their lead. Mayo's first attack culminated in a fourth-minute free, which captain Aidan Walsh stroked over the bar to level the scores. Walsh had a wide from play into the Hill before drilling a nice free between the posts in the seventh minute. Keith Quinn almost got through for a Down goal but the No.8 had his low shot blocked by Mayo full back Keith Rogers before McGarry calmly sent the resultant 45 straight and true to level the scores for the second time: 0-2 each. McParland kicked wide off his left peg after being placed by Matthew Bagnell, but Caolan Mooney restored the Mourne County's advantage with a nice finish on ten minutes. Mooney was on hand to double Down's lead at the start of the second quarter but Darren Coen immediately pulled back a Mayo point after being set up by Cillian O'Connor. McGarry's rasping shot deflected over the bar for a fifth Down point after good work from Mooney. Another Walsh free from distance kept Mayo in touch but the impressive Mooney carved open the Connacht county's defence before deftly tapping his third point over the bar in the 27th minute. A couple of decent saves from goalkeeper Michael Schlingermann ensured that Ray Dempsey's young charges were still in touch at the short whistle. McGarry struck a lovely point from play off his left boot and a soft Walsh free from in front of the posts on the stroke of the short whistle determined that there would be just two points between the teams at the turnaround. Down had bossed the first half-hour and should have been further ahead. Mayo made one change at the break, bringing in Ian Costello, and they made a fine start to the second half as Walsh floated over yet another free in the 32nd minute. Four minutes after the restart, O'Connor turned the game on its head with a fabulous goal. A speculative ball over the top sent the Mayo No.14 through in a one-on-one with James Deeny and the full forward placed a delightful shot around the 'keeper into the bottom corner of the net off the outside of his right foot. At the other end, Down immediately missed a brilliant goal chance: McParland's original shot was saved by Schlingermann before Bagnall sent the rebounder into the sidenetting when a three-pointer looked inevitable. In the 37th minute, O'Connor struck for his second goal inside three minutes after substitute Jack McDonnell's initial effort had been saved by Deeny. Suddenly, Mayo led by five points, 2-6 to 0-7. Down were stunned. Corner forward Alex Corduff stretched Mayo's lead with a good point after O'Connor again proved a nuisance to the Down defence. Andrew Farrell pulled a goal attempt wide of the post before Mayo goalie Schlingermann made another important save to block substitute Ryan O'Hare's stinging shot. Seventeen minutes after the resumption, Down finally got their first score of the second half - a Mooney point - but it was a goal they needed. Sub John Carney pointed for Mayo within moments of entering the fray. A mix-up in the Mayo defence let Mooney through for a Down goal opportunity but - not for the first time - Schlingermann stood firm to make a vital save. The game was over as a contest long before Walsh stroked over a 55th-minute free to put the Connacht side seven points clear, 2-9 to 0-8. Corner back Darragh O'Hanlon got forward to win a late free, which McGarry thumped over the bar. That point was only Down's second of a disappointing second half and it was too little, too late as Mayo held on to take their place in the All-Ireland final against Armagh. Mayo: Michael Schlingermann; David Gavin, Keith Rogers, Michael Walsh; Ciaran Charlton, Shane McDermott, Caolan Crowe; Danny Kirby, Aidan Walsh (0-6); Andrew Farrell, Darren Coen (0-1), Fergal Durkan; Daryl Herbert, Cillian O'Connor (2-0), Alex Corduff (0-1). Subs: Ian Costello, Jack McDonnell, John Carney (0-1), Michael McCormack Down: James Deeny; Ryan Doran, Shane McNamee, Darragh O'Hanlon; Kevin McClorey, Ciaran McClean, Fergal McEvoy; Keith Quinn, Niall McParland; Chris Clarke, Robbie White, Caolan Mooney (0-4); David McKibben, Ross McGarry (0-5), Matthew Bagnall. Subs: Ryan O'Hare, Mark Haughey, Patrick Quinn, Kieran Maguire Tweet

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