A WINNING COMBINATION Mayo U-21’s management team of Michéal Collins, Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes watch the drama unfold during last Saturday’s Connacht U-21 FC semi-final at McHale Park, Castlebar. Pic: Michael Donnell
Lilywhites will ask difficult questions
Sean RiceCONTRASTING frames of mind? Mayo glowing with victory over the All-Ireland champions; Kildare stunned by their heavy loss to Derry. Their clash at Newbridge on Sunday might imply a perfect setting for a Mayo victory.
We should be wary. Kildare are by no means as bad as their heavy defeat to Derry would seem to suggest. Their victory over Donegal, to whom Mayo have already lost in Castlebar, offers a more objective assessment.
Newbridge will be difficult. Kildare are big and strong and playing with greater conviction since Kieran McGeeney took charge at the beginning of the season. Dermot Earley has found a new lease of life in the middle of the field — and occasionally at fullforward — and with the likes of Padraic Mullarkey, Killian Brennan, Doyle, O’Neill, Smith, Bolton and Rainbow they present a Kerry-size problem for the visitors.
Mayo are likely to field the fifteen that started against Kerry. Some concern has been expressed about the decline in Alan Dillon’s form which hopefully is no worse than a temporary hiccup. But Pat Harte is waiting on the wings should the Ballintubber man fail to rediscover his appetite.
The return of Pat Kelly is also a possibility. The Dublin based garda has been one of the stars of St Vincents All-Ireland club success. He played a significant role in the final against Nemo Rangers on St Patrick¹s Day even though his father had just died.
The Kilmaine native has not played for Mayo for some time, but if he is available John O’Mahony is likely to have him back on the bench with a view to calling on his services at left half-back at some stage in next Sunday¹s game.
Clubmate Brian Maloney has also impressed at corner forward for St Vincent’s, but it is unlikely he would replace either Conor Mortimer or Andy Moran just now.
If Mayo surmount this challenge on Sunday they would most likely escape relegation. Win or lose, however, a repeat of the character and courage they displayed against Kerry is imperative.
Scoreline masks some U-21 flaws
MEANWHILE, the U-21 charges of the managerial trio of Connelly, Collins and Holmes got their championship into full swing with a decisive win over Leitrim at McHale Park on Saturday.
If you were not there you would be impressed by the 1-16 they amassed, and the eleven-point margin that divided them. That, however, is unlikely to be the opinion of the handful present.
Mayo laboured in the first half for long periods and their dominance after the break cannot conceal all the errors that littered that phase of the game.
The cold, contrary wind into which they played may have been a reason for much of the faulty passing, but their lack of coherence might also be explained by a lack of match practise.
It was their first game and a semi-final, and Leitrim did provide stiff opposition in the first half, racing into the lead half way through the half with a goal by Emlyn Mulligan that was too easily conceded.
There was a little more life to Mayo’s game after the break, but not until Jason Doherty availed of a defensive blunder to grab their goal did they really take command. Chris Barrett and Tom Cunniffe of the senior squad were impressive in the defence. Seamus O¹Shea and Tom Parsons did eventually gain midfield control while Aidan Campbell, Jason Doherty and Thady Gavin shaped up well in the forward line.
But the real test of their all-round quality will come in the final. Sligo have already surprised Galway, beating them by three points in the other semi-final. They now meet a Roscommon side consisting of a majority of their All-Ireland winning minor team, who walloped Leitrim in a challenge and who are clear favourites to take the title.
Incidents in Castlebar must be stamped out
STEWARDS could have prevented the incidents at MacHale Park in which objects were thrown at Kerry players last Sunday week, if they had not neglected their duties, county secretary Sean Feeney has disclosed.
Yobs among the attendance fired coins at the Kerry goalkeeper and another object at their full-forward Kieran Donaghy during their league tie at MacHale Park.
The nasty incidents led to Donaghy’s one-finger salute which was captured on national television, and for which, to his credit, he has since apologised.
Goalkeeper Diarmuid Murphy complained that coins were thrown at him in the first half, and Donaghy claimed that after his effort for an equalising point near the end went wide a piece of wood thrown from the terrace sailed inches past him.
The object was, it appears, piece of a discarded wooden spoon used as drumstick by John Durcan, (a.k.a. St Patrick) while drumming up support for Mayo during the match.
Whatever was thrown, it was offensive conduct and in no way characteristic of the vast majority of people attending what always have been sporting fixtures between Mayo and Kerry. It spoiled an otherwise enjoyable result of which Mayo have had far too few over the kingdom. It will incur the wrath of headquarters and a hefty fine will be imposed on the county board for their failure to protect the players from such incidents.
County secretary Sean Feeney, who was not at the game, has condemned the incidents and believes the culprits may have been from the same gang of youths that have broken into MacHale Park in recent times to hold beer parties. The sessions have been held in the stand and in the pay hatches of the stadium and their squalid litter left behind for others to clean up.
But the secretary is convinced the trouble would not have developed if all of the stewards carried out their duties. If stewards were posted at the goal ends, the problem would not have arisen, he said.
Unfortunately many of those who take on the task fail to do any work once they get into the match. He said it was a matter the board would have to come to grips with, and they would be taking action to ensure incidents of that nature did not recur.
Videos of the game are to be examined in a bid to identify the culprits, but it also behoves decent people who witnessed them in action to name the perpetrators so that this conduct can be stamped out before it takes root.
Pay For Play now back on the agenda
CRITICS of the Government Grant Scheme for players should not be put off by a euphemism. In a bid to placate opponents of the scheme the GAA have cleverly navigated around Rule 11 - which relates to the amateur status of the association - by altering the title of the scheme to one of ‘flat-rate expenses’.
No tampering with words, however, can fundamentally alter the salient point that the funding, announced by the government, is Pay for Play.
They can wrap it in whatever kind of tinsel suits them, but nothing can disguise the fact that players are being paid.
Hopefully, the only ‘rump’ the GAA will have succeeded in appeasing is that consisting of the Farrells and the Cusacks of the GPA. But even for that ‘rump’ it is no more than a temporary solution, a lever with which to hoke out further concessions.
To believe that the GPA will now fold up their tent and walk away is to ignore the power conferred on them by the payments scheme. The door to professionalism is now ajar and for that the GAA will pay a huge price in the years to come ... unless the general body of the association rejects this package at Congress next month.
