The Monaghan footballers pulled off another great escape as they produced a match-winning performance to preserve their top-flight league status at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar.
Veteran attacker Conor McManus was the star of the show yet again, shooting 1-7, including converting a penalty with the last kick of the game to seal another famous last-day victory to keep Monaghan up in front of 10,686 spectators.
Mayo, who had already qualified for next weekend's League Final against Galway, fielded a shadow selection but still looked like they might condemn the visitors to relegation when they drew level in the 65th minute.
But McManus (who won and converted two brilliant marks in the final minutes) and company had other ideas and they finished with a flourish to engineer invaluable scores from Conor McCarthy and Stephen O’Hanlon that edged them towards safety.
The issue was finally put beyond doubt when McManus tucked away a penalty with the last kick of the game — in the sixth minute of added time — to seal the deal.
The win was no more than Vinny Corey’s team deserved, and was the fifth time in nine seasons that Monaghan have got the result they needed to stay up in the last round of the competition.
Mayo’s much-changed XV also played their part in an enjoyable contest, with Kevin McStay making 11 changes to the side that beat Donegal a week earlier.
They were right in the hunt all through the game and looked like they might take the initiative midway through the second half when coming from three points down to draw level thanks to scores from Paul Towey (who finished with six points from frees), Darren McHale and Jordan Flynn.
But Monaghan dug deep in the last quarter to retake the initiative.They had also led at half-time by 1-6 to 0-8 thanks to Ryan O’Toole’s well-taken goal in the 14th minute, despite the fact that the homeside dominated the last ten minutes of the half.
Mayo landed five of the six points that were racked up during that period with Paul Towey (two frees), Jordan Flynn, Bob Tuohy and Mattie Ruane all on target.
The Westerners were also guilty of spurning a plethora of other chances as poor shot selection and wayward shooting spoiled some good approach work.Monaghan did their best attacking work in the first quarter as Conor McManus and Jack McCarron (who were late inclusions in the starting team) both drilled a few trademark scores to ease the Farney men ahead by 0-3 to 0-1 after only 10 minutes.
Stephen Coen curled over a lovely effort to keep Mayo’s patchwork selection in touch, before Ryan O’Toole ghosted in behind the home defence to beat Rob Hennelly with a fierce low drive to the Mayo net.
That goal gave the small band of travelling supporters something to cheer about with points from Karl O’Connell and Conor McManus (an audacious effort from the left wing) leaving the outsiders ahead by 1-5 to 0-3 after 26 minutes.
It was at that stage that Mayo started to kick into gear, with Sam Callinan, Mattie Ruane and Conor McStay all playing central roles in their comeback.
Their running game started to cause Monaghan’s defence some problems and scores duly arrived from Paul Towey (2 frees), Jordan Flynn, Bob Tuohy and Mattie Ruane to close the gap to the bare minimum by the interval.
The Oriel men’s only response during that Mayo purple patch was a neat score from Jack McCarron.
The ebb and flow of a breathless match continued throughout the second half, but Monaghan’s ace marksman, Conor McManus, ultimately proved the difference between the teams as the 35 year-old delivered the scores that won the day.
So Monaghan survive again and Mayo march into their second successive league final.
Mayo: R Hennelly; D McHugh, P O'Hora, S Callinan; M Plunkett, J Doherty, S Coen (0-01); B Tuohy (0-02), M Ruane (0-01); K McLoughlin, F Irwin, J Flynn (0-02); C McStay, A O’Shea, P Towey (0-06, 6f).
Subs used: D McBrien for McHugh (HT); D McHale (0-01) for McLoughlin (inj, 38); J Coyne for O’Hora (47); J Carney for Irwin (57); R O’Donoghue (0-01, 1f) for Towey (63).
Monaghan: R Beggan; T McPhillips, K Duffy, R Wylie; K O’Connell (0-01), S Carey, R O’Toole (1-01); D Hughes, C Lavelle; S O’Hanlon (0-02), M Bannigan, C McCarthy; J McCarron (0-02), K Gallagher, C McManus (1-07, 1-00 pen, 2m, 1f).
Subs used: G Mohan for Carey (HT); K Hughes for McCarron (48); S Jones for Gallagher (67); J Irwin for O’Hanlon (73).
Referee: D Gough (Meath)
