​Mayo surged through the second half with a dominant performance to defeat Louth 3-23 to 0-15, securing their spot in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final for the first time in five years. Andy Moran’s Mayo team intensified matters after a highly competitive and entertaining opening half, gradually tightening their grip and never loosening it as the game progressed.
In the first half, Mayo struck with goals from their top scorer Ryan O’Donoghue, who finished with 1-11 to his name, and from Darragh Beirne. Those strikes helped Mayo lead at the break, and when Conor Loftus found the net in the second period, the cushion looked nearly insurmountable. Louth had delivered a solid opening stanza and had posed problems, but after the interval they found it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the Connacht side, managing only four points in the second half as their memorable run came to an end in front of a packed house, marking a special occasion for the occasion’s cauldron-like atmosphere.
With Mayo into the final, they now await the winner of Sunday’s second semi-final between Dublin and defending champions Kerry at Croke Park. The setting was electric, with both sets of supporters creating a near-deafening din as they paraded around the field before throw-in.
Mayo began the contest quicker, and though Darragh McDonald briefly gave Louth the lead, early warning signs were evident as Mayo created chances that the finishing touch eluded them. Beirne was released early by Kobe McDonald, only to shoot at Niall McDonnell, but the move underscored Mayo’s threat when they found space. The opening goal soon arrived: Paul Towey intercepted a crossfield pass from Louth, delivered a long ball to McDonald, who laid it on for O’Donoghue to finish emphatically.
O’Donoghue would shoulder much of Mayo’s scoring burden as the first half wore on, with Beirne chipping in with scores of his own. Louth rallied, pressing Mayo’s restart and forcing a turnover when Jack Livingstone went short, then winning back possession when a long kick-out sailed astray. Grimes added a Conor Grimes point for Louth, followed by two points from Grimes and a free from Sam Mulroy, as Louth intensified their challenge and began to turn the screw.
O’Donoghue’s influence grew as Mayo began to open gaps in Louth’s kick-out, and the trend accelerated as Mayo gained traction. The pair of McDonald and Beirne extended Mayo’s advantage, though Grimes answered with two quick kicks—the first from a two-pointer after Dara McDonnell had won possession at midfield—showing that Louth were still capable of answering the challenge.
The half continued as a high-stakes, end-to-end affair, with Mayo landing a late haymaker before the interval. Towey edged Mayo ahead, and Beirne attempted a shot that hit a block and spun back into play; Beirne followed in to finish from close range, ensuring Mayo led 2-9 to 0-11 at the break. The early second half almost produced another goal for Mayo when substitute Tommy Conroy saw his shot blocked, with the rebound spinning wide of the target, but the mood within Mayo’s camp was one of growing confidence as the deficit for Louth continued to widen.
In the aftermath, Mayo’s clinical edge and greater potency in attack kept them on top, extending their advantage as the half progressed. The combination of O’Donoghue’s prolific tally and Beirne’s contributions proved decisive, while Louth found their chances increasingly stymied by Mayo’s discipline and defensive work. As the clock ticked on, Mayo’s advantage widened, and their control of the match solidified, signaling a return to the final for Mayo and the end of Louth’s memorable journey in this campaign.