Mayo stormed back from 10 points down to defeat Meath by 0-22 to 2-13 in Castlebar this evening and advance to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.

The visitors had been 0-5 to 0-2 in front when Ciaran Caulfield hammered in their first goal on 16 minutes and they’d add points from veteran Bryan Menton and Jordan Morris to move eight ahead.

Mayo’s response was a Kobe McDonald ‘45’ before they’d be dealt another blow when wing back Sean Coffey got in for the Royals’ second goal 10 minutes before half-time.

Back-to-back points from ‘Man of the Match’ Enda Hession were sorely needed by Andy Moran’s men who saw Caulfield sailing over their crossbar prior to points by Jordan Flynn and McDonald leaving it at 2-8 to 0-7 when the hooter sounded for the break.

Jack O’Connor and James Conlon raised white flags that upped the Meath lead to nine early on in the resumption before the home side sent over the next four scores unanswered.

They saw Flynn’s two-point being backed by singles via Bob Tuohy, Ryan O’Donoghue (free) and substitute Tommy Conroy.

Coffey put a goal between the sides again, but Mayo’s momentum was starting to gather as points from Cian McHale and Conroy sailed over Sean Brennan’s crossbar before the Royals were reduced to 14 men with the dismissal of Ronan Jones just five minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Another Flynn effort from distance left two between the sides with 10 minutes left to play and Moran’s men would draw this knockout tie level after O’Donoghue and Conroy shot over.

Jack O’Connor steered Robbie Brennan’s men back in front, but it’s be their last score of the evening as Jack Carney’s two-pointer surged Mayo ahead and the points of O’Donoghue and McDonald down the home stretch put a seal on their team’s berth in the last eight.

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