Mayo held off Cork's late rally

LIKE Kerry in the first part of last Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals’ double-bill at Croke Park, Mayo were victorious ... and unconvincing.
From what we saw of Cork in the Munster final against Kerry and in their “back door” win over Sligo at Tullamore, it’s really hard to credit that they ran such a physically and mentally strong, experienced Mayo team to one point as the game finished in a welter of excitement, with the winners having their backs to the wall and hugely relieved to hear the final whistle.
No doubt about it, Mayo were the better team on the day, showing a lot of class, composure and their usual desire and marvellous team spirit, but before they can think of winning an All-Ireland semi-final or final they must explain — to themselves — how Cork came back from a seven-point deficit with just under twenty minutes to play.