Offaly hard men take no prisoners
NO stars twinkled for Mayo as they head for Ruislip. Two weeks before his championship opener, James Horan must have wished for more of what Offaly provided last Saturday as training stints, and less of the Antrims two weeks earlier.
Mayo’s three-point defeat by the midlanders at Ballintubber’s magnificent new Community Grounds wasn’t the ringing endorsement fans would have liked to offer this new Mayo as they set out on their summer journey.
But Mayo will have learned more from it than from a score of workouts on the training pitch.
As a challenge it was an eye-opener, a bruising bone-shaker with which Mayo coped poorly. Third division Offaly, tough as they come, dished it out, and it was not the intensity of their tackling alone that surprised Mayo, it was also their speed, their work-rate, and their overall physical power.
Their big men were surprisingly mobile, but it was the manner in which their smaller players ran through the Mayo defence that will have most worried James Horan. Their second goal, and winning score, minutes before the end was a case in point … substitute John Reynolds fizzing through a strainer of gaps before lashing the ball past David Clarke.
Mayo had the help of the strong wind in the first half, but used it unwisely. It was not effort or spirit they lacked, but imagination. The ball should have done the work… first time. There was too much hand-passing. That inherent flaw still haunts their play… a reluctance to take on the responsibility for ‘having a go’.
If they watched how Offaly used the direct ball when they had the wind advantage they might have learned something.
Most of Horan’s squad was put into action. They were without Andy Moran, Jason Doherty, Ronan McGarrity, Keith Higgins and Richie Feeney of their league outfit.
Barely had the luckless Seamus O’Shea come on in the second half when he was forced again to retire with a shoulder injury. But former captain Trevor Mortimer returned to the fold in the second half, and showed few ill effects of his long lay-off.
James Kilcullen and Jason Gibbons started at midfield, and Trevor Howley, named at corner forward, was designated once again to prowl the midfield area for breaking ball. He did so with limited success, but might have been of greater benefit in that role against the wind if he had not been replaced at the interval.
Kilcullen did reasonably well at midfield against a pair of Offaly giants, but was occasionally spoiled by Aidan O’Shea when both jumped for the same ball. O’Shea was then on the ‘40’ but moved to midfield after the break where he countered Offaly’s provocative devices with greater success than any other. While the front line may suffer from his absence, the Breaffy man is still the choice of this observer for a midfield role.
The defence as a unit was less than convincing, although Ger Cafferkey, understated as ever, did a reasonably good job at full-back. Nor did Chris Barrett back from any challenge. And sub Peadar Gardiner skilfully worked his way out of defence on occasions.
In fairness Mayo did not lie down. But there were too few imaginative moments in their general contribution. They were slow to react, slow to come to terms with the aggressive tactics employed by Offaly.
One jewel of a move cut a lane in Offaly’s defence, only for Alan Dillon’s screaming strike to whistle across the face of the goal. But in general it was a plodding performance with no real conviction.
Aidan Campbell worked hard in the forward line, and sub Kevin McLoughlin led a late surge on the Offaly goal. But just when it seemed they had reined in the midlanders’ challenge, Reynolds spoiled the party with his late goal.
They should have tasted this type of challenge earlier where hard men take no prisoners. It is not football for the purist, but it makes clean teams shudder. Mayo can learn from it.
Where an electricity pole stood…
HOW times have changed! Where once opposing teams played round an electricity pole in the middle of their pitch, a splendid new resource centre now stands.
It was Ballintubber’s great old servant Jackie Heneghan who pointed it out, and sent the memory spinning back to the less privileged conditions of former times when the rivalry was no less passionate and players no less committed.
Ballintubber, like most junior clubs, were struggling for access to decent venues. Dressing rooms and stands were unheard of in rural clubs. You togged out on the sideline or at the boot of a car.
Today the Abbey men are the proud holders of the Moclair Cup, the highest county accolade that can be conferred on their footballers.
And on Saturday, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny was on hand to perform the opening ceremony on the million euro development that is a credit to their officers, committee and community.
The club will continue to use the Clogher complex as their main playing ground, and the new facilities will be open to other community activities. Youth, Sport, Disability, Childcare Education, Women and Men’s groups are all catered for.
The project has been developed over a ten-year period and is a tribute to the selfless work of volunteers from all sections of the community. It is the bond that ties them together and an example of the pride they have for their parish.
It is a rare GAA club that can boast of two highly developed grounds a mile or two apart. May they go from strength to strength.
Charlestown not dead yet
THEY are not dead yet. That warning was writ large in Charlestown’s win over Crossmolina on Sunday. It was a bottom of the table clash, but Charlestown’s was a top of the table performance.
Physical strength was their key. They had big performers in Seán Morris and Richie Haran at midfield, and while Crossmolina’s Paul Duffy and James Cafferkey were not snuffed out completely, the sheer strength of the Charlestown duo was the font of most of their scores.
Crossmolina are now alone hugging the bottom of the table. It is a position to which they are complete strangers, and they are finding chances to lift themselves off that floor slipping by.
No team has been harder hit by injury. And they miss most of all the promptings of Ciaran McDonald, who has missed a couple of matches because of cracked ribs. Without him their young side lacks direction.
Paradoxically, one of their best performances was achieved without the maestro – away against high fliers Ballaghaderreen with whom they drew. It was a boost for their young players and valuable experience gained for the championship.
On Sunday they did not have sufficient muscle, and although a league title is out of sight, the manner in which Charlestown won suggests that you write off their championship chances at your peril.
Just a thought …
LEITRIM and Sligo meet in the championship on Sunday at Markievicz Park. Following last year’s final defeat Sligo have been keeping a low profile, but they should surmount the first hurdle.
