RINGSIDE SEATS Pictured at the Bernard Dunne fight in Breaffy House on Saturday night were John Maughan, Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, and Richard and John Gavin from Carrabaun, Westport. Pic: Michael McLaughln
Mayo’s old habits die hard
Sean RiceNOT exactly the most auspicious of conclusions. Mayo’s final game of the league was scarcely marked by any distinguished performance.
Having already achieved their primary objective of survival in Division 1, maybe they were not too bothered about the outcome of their clash with Tyrone.
Maybe, maybe not.
Whatever their state of mind, the football they produced was the least impressive of their seven games. It resembled the old, toothless Mayo rather than the spirited ‘let-me-at-them’ style so redolent of their vigorous battles with the likes of Kerry, Donegal, and Kildare which we had come to appreciate.
They started reasonably well but lost the plot halfway through the half when Tyrone, growing in confidence, made headway through the defence and took a lead they never lost.
Tyrone prospered on similar resolve to that shown by Mayo in other games. They tackled furiously as if everyone was fighting for his place, and they won most of the breaks.
Only at midfield were Mayo really purposeful. Ronan McGarrity enjoyed perhaps his best of the league while Tom Parsons continues to copperfasten a place beside the Ballina man. He will, of course, come under pressure from Seamus O’Shea — if the present form of the Breaffy man holds up.
Because of the prominence of the Mayo duo in the first half, Mickey Harte had Tyrone crowding midfield afterwards and forcing breaks. They succeeded on occasions, but other times McGarrity fielded majestically.
Tyrone relied to a great degree on their old key tactic of crowding every Mayo player in possession, pressurising them into mistakes, harrying them so aggressively that accurate distribution was difficult to complete. Most of the time Mayo fell foul of the referee’s decisions in these tussles.
Mickey Harte, for the first time, also experimented with Sean Cavanagh at full-forward . It was a further acid test for Mayo¹s new full-back Kieran Conroy. Cavanagh has been one of Tyrone’s enduring versatile stars, moving between midfield and the half-forward line. All of his qualities were on show at full-forward and Conroy, who coped reasonably well, will have benefited from the experience.
The defence was under constant pressure in the second half and neither Howley nor Keith Higgins got a chance to break loose on the incisive runs which have been so effective in other games. They were forced to concentrate entirely on defending, and they got good support from Colm Boyle.
Tom Cunniffe and David Heaney retired through injury and they were replaced by Pat Kelly and Aidan Higgins. But deserving of the highest praise is David Clarke for putting that Galway experience behind him with two magnificent saves which restored his reputation as a top goalkeeper.
If Andy Moran had scored the penalty in the dying seconds of the first half it might have been the tonic Mayo needed. Andy was a bit too casual with the kick and instead of being on level terms Mayo were three points in arrears at the break.
After a relatively quiet performance against Galway, Conor Mortimer was Mayo¹s best forward on Sunday. That old fighting quality helped him to a couple of inspiring scores in the second half when Tyrone threatened a rout against the wind.
For the first time the response from his colleagues was positive and the adrenalin began to flow. Suddenly it looked as if unlike other results which had undeservedly gone against them Mayo were about to have a reversal of fortune, a draw at least.
They did manage to cut the Tyrone lead from six to two points, but the rally came too late to undo the damage done just after the interval. It would have been more encouraging if they ended on a brighter note. John O¹Mahony will be well aware of the work to be done. Sunday’s performance proved that old habits die hard.
U-21s end up with what they deserve
WHEN Cathal Cregg embarked on a solo rescue mission hearts fluttered in Kiltoom as the bullet he delivered cracked back off the crossbar. An inch lower and Roscommon would have earned an unlikely draw. Seconds later the game was over.
A draw would not have done justice to Mayo’s control of the U-21 Connacht final, no more than Galway’s win in the league was in any way a true indication of Mayo’s second half performance. Yet you felt that Cregg’s single-minded effort deserved better.
Mayo controlled the first half and were it not for some faulty shooting would have led by ten points rather than six at the interval. A lead of six looked barely enough to beat off an expected resurgence by Roscommon with the help of the wind.
Mayo were fully prepared for that revival, however, and worked tirelessly to protect their lead. By the 51st minute they were still five ahead, and set it seemed for an easy win.
But Roscommon, inspired by a huge crowd of supporters, turned up the pressure, and were awarded a penalty eight minutes from the end. It should have been the catalyst for their march to glory. But their ace marksman Donal Shine blazed the ball over the bar.
In fairness to them, they refused to quit. But Mayo were equal to the challenge, and in resisting the heat of Roscommon’s onslaughts reputations were enhanced, a development with which John O¹Mahony will surely be pleased.
We have grumbled a long time in this county about the dearth of big players. While we must guard against over-exposing our starlets — lest we attract the attention of Aussie scouts brandishing their cheque books and promising a new heady lifestyle — tall, strong young men were prominent among those who inspired Mayo’s victory in Kiltoom.
Donal Vaughan, Seamus O’Shea, Tom Parsons and Aidan Campbell were a vigorous force. All of them have the physical credentials to eventually fill some vital positions on the county’s senior side.
Vaughan at right corner back left a deep impression. Tom Parsons was the more prominent midfielder early on. In the second half, and in particular the final ten minutes when Mayo were under pressure, Seamus O’Shea emerged as the linchpin. His safe hands and his physical strength carried him through countless tackles in a hard-hitting second half.
Aidan Campbell was named man of the match. The Swinford man more than compensated for his lack-lustre performance against Leitrim with a powerful display throughout the thirty minutes. He and O¹Shea contributed in pretty much equal measure to Mayo¹s win.
Smaller men also played big parts. None more so than Mikey Sweeney at corner forward whose overhead flick of a bullet delivered from a free by Campbell went all the way to the net. James Burke had a fine game a left half-back. Tom Cunniffe and Chris Barrett defended more than adequately. And although he was never spectacular, Ger Cafferkey at full-back did the job for which he was chosen . . . outplaying Enda Kenny so comprehensively that the full-forward had to be replaced.
Kerry are their opponents in the semi-final next weekend at Nenagh, and no test of a team’s ability can exceed what Kerry provide. It should tell us more about the qualities of our new big men on whom the future depends.
