GAA Leagues: James Durcan hits a last-gasp goal to earn Mayo a dramatic draw in Donegal

James Durcan hit a sensational goal in the eighth minute of injury-time to earn Mayo a 2-13 to 0-19 Division One draw against Donegal in Ballybofey.

Michael Murphy's eight points seemed to have helped Donegal to victory but Mayo's famed resilience was on show again amid sub Durcan's late heroics.

James Carr's goal kept Mayo in the game in the first half as Donegal led 0-9 to 1-4 after missing a host of chances.

Mayo upped their intensity but Donegal seemed to have weathered the storm.

The visitors brought on heavy artillery in the shape of Aidan O'Shea, Kevin McLoughlin and Keith Higgins and it resulted in them picking up their level of performance considerably as they reduced Donegal's lead to one on four occasions in the second half.

The final of these was in the third minute of injury-time after substitute Durcan had pointed two frees in a minute.

Donegal seemed to have finally broken Mayo's resistance as a long-range Ciaran Thompson free bounced over the bar before Murphy slotted his eighth and final point from another placed ball.

At that stage the game was in the seventh minute of added time - after six had been allotted - but referee David Coldrick allowed play to go on and Durcan drove his way through the heart of the Donegal defence before firing a fierce shot which appeared to take a slight deflection on the way to flying past Shaun Patton into the roof of the net.

Donegal will wonder how they failed to take victory inspite of Mayo's massive improvement in the second half as the Tir Chonaill men's recent woes against them continued.

Two years ago at McCumhaill Park, Kevin McLoughlin's last-gasp point earned Mayo a draw which kept them in Division One - relegating Donegal in the process.

Last summer, Donegal's Super 8s defeat on a damp night in Castlebar ended their All-Ireland hopes as James Horan's side progressed to the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Early on, three Murphy points helped Donegal lead 0-4 to 0-2 with their other score coming from wing-back Paul Brennan as his goal attempt whizzed over the crossbar.

Against the run of play, Mayo took the lead as Carr's looping shot over his shoulder flew over Patton in what looked to be an attempt for a point after a skied effort from Paddy Durcan.

Donegal responded with five unanswered scores and it should have been more as they dropped six chances into David Clarke's hands and also fired several bad wides with Murphy among the guilty parties.

Fergal Boland's score in first-half injury-time was Mayo's first score in 20 minutes as they trailed 0-9 to 1-4 at the break.

The arrival of Mayo's heavy artillery, led by O'Shea, saw the game's energy raise several levels after the break.

Another Mayo sub, Tommy Conroy got the first score after the break but the visitors needed Clarke to make a pointblank save to deny Donegal league debutant Peadar Mogan, although Murphy pointed the resultant 45.

A trio of answered points started by Diarmuid O'Connor's score cut Donegal's lead to one by the 55th minute but Mayo were unable to get on terms in what became the pattern before the dramatic finale.

Amid the ebb and blow, Donegal led by three in the final minute of normal time as late substitute and debutant Andrew McClean fired over.

The margin was one again by the 73rd minute after two quickfire Durcan frees only for Donegal to seemingly put the game to bed with the Thompson and Murphy frees.

But we should know by now never to discount this indomitable group of Mayo players.

Donegal manager Declan Bonner: "Very disappointed. When Michael Murphy stepped over the free to put us three ahead, there was seven and a half minutes gone.

"The referee allowed the next play to continue and it took us into eight and a half minutes. Listening it's disappointing but we didn't see the game out. You have to play to the referee's final whistle.

"I thought the lads put in a huge shift out there this evening. There was high intensity and no little quality.

"In the first half, we were disappointed we weren't more ahead. We kicked eight wides and put six into the keeper's hands which was disappointing."

Allianz Football League Results/Fixtures

Saturday

Sunday - 14:00 unless stated