No happy homecoming for O’Hora after ‘superb’ Mayo see off Kildare in Ballina

DIANE O’Hora travels back home to Ballina from the East coast roughly every week or ten days.

This latest trip at the front of the Kildare ladies team bus was always going to be unique. But it didn’t end the way she wanted.

“It’s great to come home obviously but I’d have liked if we had a better show of ourselves today,” O’Hora explained to Midwest Radio after her Kildare side were defeated 2-15 to 0-5 by Mayo in their recent All-Ireland championship meeting in Ballina. 

The former All-Ireland winning Mayo player-turned-manager was about the only thing familiar to the current Mayo ladies team - many of whom weren’t born when O’Hora, Staunton, Stagg and Co were winning all before them.

“We knew they’d be gunning for us again today because they weren’t familiar with us at all,” Mayo captain Saoirse Lally told The Mayo News.

“We knew they’d go full at us today, so we kind of had to play defensively but smartly as well and push forward when we got a chance.”

In any case, the six-day turnaround from their defeat to Dublin meant there was never going to be much time to over-analyse Kildare.

While the 16-point win has them back on course, Lally admitted that they’ll need to up their game again to make the last four of the senior championship.

“We got over the line today, but there was a lot of sloppy plays, a lot of shots missed, a lot of goal chances given away, frees given away,” the Westport woman said.

“I’d say there are a lot of positives but also a lot of negatives that we need to work on, and also the impact today from the bench was class - a lot of fighting for positions which is brilliant.”

ADMIRATION

THE admiration and mutual respect between the Mayo ladies and O’Hora was still very apparent, even in the aftermath of a defeat.

Even after back-to-back league titles and an All-Ireland win, O’Hora all but admitted that competing at senior level remains a bridge too far for even for the reigning intermediate champions.

“We thought we put in enough work, but I have to give credit to Mayo today. They were absolutely superb,” the Ballina woman said.

They are a highly organised attack, and it’s an absolute credit, what they pulled off here today, because we felt we were in a position that we could at least make it difficult for them or hamper them.

“It just shows the benefit of having a Division 1 league. It shows the value that it has been for Mayo. Look at us. We’re coming in here having played Division 2, and I know it’s great that we won it but there’s a huge difference in the top teams and what’s in Division 2.”

Saoirse Lally had nothing but praise for the former Mayo footballer, who is now arguably the most high-profile intercounty manager in the country.

“I have had hardly any female managers before but I know that they can see a different side of things and bring a different style of play because they played it themselves, she’s played for years,” said Lally.