REACTION
Mike Finnerty
Sports editor
mikefinnerty@mayonews.ie
GOOD news travels fast. The final whistle had scarcely sounded at McHale Park last Sunday when word of Mayo’s win spread like wildfire across the country. The Connacht champions had retained their title with fifteen points to spare and Cora shot the lights out. Same as it ever was really.
Claire O’Hara allowed herself a wry smile when it was all over. A torn hamstring meant the Mayo captain could only watch and admire last weekend as the likes of Staunton, Marcella Heffernan, Claire Egan and Helena Lohan guided the newcomers through their first championship test.
O’Hara could hardly have imagined such a prospect six months ago. Mayo had no manager, were losing players and, truth be told, had very little hope for the immediate future. And yet here she was, along with Marcella Heffernan, accepting the CBE Cup. So, what had caused the dramatic change of events?
“We were surprised that we won it so easy in the end,” she admitted afterwards. “We thought it would be much harder. Our experience was crucial in hindsight and we got out of the blocks very quickly. That was our plan and the girls played really well in the first half. They took the game to Sligo and really put doubt in their minds. The second half was just a matter of keeping our concentration and finishing the game out.
“I was very nervous of the consequences of us losing the game,” she added. “I was wondering how it would affect the team in terms of our self-belief if things had gone wrong. But I was confident going into the match that we were ready for it. We were behind in terms of fitness and preparation from earlier in the year but the last month had gone well and we got a lot of work done.”
That was obvious from the way the likes of Noelle Tierney and Nicola Hurst settled into the Mayo full-back line, and Natasha Beegan and Denise McDonagh took to life in the wing-back positions. Helena Lohan and Caroline McGing were surrounded by newcomers but the defensive sextet coughed up only five points.
At the other end, the peerless Cora and Lisa Cafferky were imperious and their captain was pleasantly surprised to see everyone slipping back into the groove so quickly after a disappointing league campaign.
“I think once the championship comes you can either dwell in the past or knuckle down and get on with it. Nobody wants to be training three times a week and losing championship games.
“Every management teams is going to take time to settle in too. Martin [Connolly] and Paul [Jordan] bring great experience and they’re working well with Michael [Ryder]. Everything has really fallen into place and it’s important that we go on from here now.”
So a new manager and a new-look team pass the first test. Next up is an All-Ireland quarter-final in late August against the beaten finalists from Ulster, Leinster or Munster. It’s knock-out football from here on in but surely, with the provincial title retained, Mayo are in bonus territory. After what happened during the off-season, doesn’t everybody deserve a break?
“I would be saying that anything less than an All-Ireland is a disappointment,” is Claire O’Hara’s prompt response. “It was great to win a Connacht title, a wonderful achievement considering what had happened earlier in the year, but we won’t be sitting back on our laurels now.
“There were times during the winter when I doubted if everything would come right. I knew it was possible if everybody came back training and we all worked together but, yeah, there were times when I couldn’t see it happening. Now we’ll put our heads down and work hard.”
