EDITORIAL: Mayo grab crucial point in Armagh

IT looked grim for Mayo at half-time in their Division One National Football League clash with Armagh last Saturday evening, but a stirring second half comeback saw Kevin McStay’s side clinch a very valuable point.
Trailing by eight points at the break, Mayo looked to be in serious trouble in their quest to maintain their Division One status, but they were a side transformed in the second half, and they deservedly sealed a draw thanks to a fine attacking display that saw them score 1-12 in the second 35 minutes.
The highlight of that second half display was a superb goal by Breaffy’s Davitt Neary, who has certainly announced himself as a player to keep an eye on for Mayo this season.
Kevin McStay was understandably very happy with his side’s second half display.
“We were in trouble at half-time, but what do you think I’m going to say about my boys in the second half? They were just fantastic – a great effort. I’m not looking for a moral victory or anything like that. The game was there to be won – we didn’t win it, but to get ourselves into that position we had to play a lot of good football. We were playing with belief and momentum which is crucial, and we held onto that right to the end,” the Mayo manager said after the game.

Squad depth
McStay will be delighted too to get the likes of Jack Carney back on the field, and the Mayo squad look to have much more strength in depth now as they face into three very tough matches in March.
First up, they welcome Kerry to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park next Saturday afternoon. They then travel to Derry on March 16. Their final game in Division One will see them welcome Donegal to Castlebar on March 23.
Kerry will have a bounce in their step after a terrific victory in Tyrone, which saw star man David Clifford grab a hat-trick – and Mayo will know full well that they will have to keep tabs on Clifford on Saturday if they are to have any chance of claiming the two points on offer.
Mayo remain in sixth place in the division, but the precious point claimed in Armagh keeps them out of the relegation zone. If they don’t get any points against Kerry on Saturday, then a victory in Derry will be crucial to their hopes of staying in Division One for another season.
Their attacking display in the second half was certainly much more like the brand of football Mayo supporters will want to see from their side for the rest of the season, and hopefully the Mayo crowd will turn out in big numbers and get behind their side when Kerry come to Castlebar on Saturday afternoon.