Mayo booked a spot in Round 2A of the All-Ireland SFC but only after they held off a storming second-half rally from Monaghan in Clones.
Mayo looked to be cruising when they led by 12 points early in the second half, but they had to cling on in the end after a typically resilient effort by Monaghan, inspired in no small part by the impact of Bobby McCaul, who saw his display cruelly cut short by a serious-looking injury.
Kobe McDonald with his second goal at Clones this season and Mayo are in a great position against Monaghan.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 31, 2026
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Monaghan had a dozen scorers in all, but they were left to rue several missed goal chances with Jack Livingstone making some vital saves on his championship debut for Mayo.
Ryan O'Donoghue hit 0-08 for Mayo, while Kobe McDonald’s 1-04 - at the scene of his league debut earlier this year - also proved crucial.
Jack Carney’s first-minute two-pointer set the tone for Mayo, who pressed Monaghan relentlessly in the early stages, with O’Donoghue, Jordan Flynn and McDonald adding scores.
Bobby McCaul's Monaghan cameo sadly came to a premature end due to injury, but this goal in the one-point loss to Mayo summed up the impact he has had on championship 2026. pic.twitter.com/qt8EEow8ao
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 31, 2026
Monaghan took nine minutes to open their account through Jack McCarron and while Andrew Woods and David Garland had goal chances, they couldn’t force them home. Two-pointers by Darragh Beirne, Carney, O’Donoghue and McDonald stretched Mayo’s lead, with McDonald also palming to the net from close range from Beirne’s pass across the square.
O’Donoghue landed a huge score from distance just before the half-time whistle to send Mayo in with a commanding advantage at 1-17 to 0-09.
Jordan Flynn moved Andy Moran’s side 12 clear within a minute of the restart, but Monaghan slowly started to close the gap via a pair of Rory Beggan '45s and a trademark long-range effort from Dessie Ward.
O’Donoghue replied with a brace, but McCaul was proving to be a real handful for the Mayo defence after his introduction and despite a series of near-misses, the youngster’s persistence paid off with 1-01 in quick succession as the Monaghan crowd found their voice.
McCarron landed scores from either side of the arc to fuel Monaghan’s comeback, before a brilliant solo goal by Stephen Mooney made it a two-point game.
An O’Donoghue free settled Mayo’s nerves and while Max Maguire raised one last orange flag with time almost up, McDonald’s superb catch from the resulting kick-out ended a rip-roaring contest.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan (0-02, 0-02 ‘45s); Dylan Byrne, Ryan O’Toole, Killian Lavelle; Aaron Carey (0-01), Dessie Ward (0-02, 1tp), Conor McCarthy (0-02); Mícheál McCarville (0-01), Karl Gallagher; Ryan McAnespie, Mícheál Bannigan (0-01, 0-01f), Oisín McGorman (0-01); David Garland, Andrew Woods (0-02, 1tp), Jack McCarron (0-05, 1tp, 0-01f).
Subs: Max Maguire (0-02, 1tp) for McAnespie (24), Robbie Hanratty for Gallagher (blood sub, 27-ht), Bobby McCaul (1-01) for Garland (ht), Ryan Wylie for Carey (ht), Stephen Mooney (1-00) for McGorman (53), Fionán Carolan for McCaul (58).
Mayo: Jack Livingstone; Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Enda Hession; Sam Callinan, Donnacha McHugh, Diarmuid Duffy; Stephen Coen, Jack Carney (0-04, 2tp); Jordan Flynn (0-02), Conor Loftus (0-01), Hugh O’Loughlin; Darragh Beirne (0-04, 1tpf), Ryan O’Donoghue (0-08, 1tp, 1tpf, 0-02fs), Kobe McDonald (1-04, 1tp).
Subs: Paul Towey for Loftus (48), Paddy Durcan (0-01) for Coen (48), Fenton Kelly for Duffy (56), Aidan O’Shea for O’Loughlin (58), Diarmuid O’Connor for Beirne (62).
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).
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