Five players who caught our eye during Mayo’s league final defeat to Kerry

Mayo were beaten by Kerry on Sunday in a league final that never really caught fire. We picked out five players - three from Mayo, two from Kerry - who caught our eye during the Division 1 final. 

DAVID CLIFFORD

Give him an inch, and he’ll kick eight points. That’s what you’re up against with David Clifford, a player who’s still the talk of the place even when he’s outshone by his brother Paudie.

King David got that inch only a few times against Mayo but made it count and finished as the game’s stop scorer. He did not destroy Donnacha McHugh, who, while occasionally assisted by Enda Hession, had the near-impossible task of shackling the greatest forward in the land.

This wasn’t Clifford’s best game in a Kerry jersey - by a long way. He kicked a good few wides and looked visibly agitated at times.

That did not stop him from having some really impressive moments. The most eye-catching play occurred in the second half, when the F-16 from Fossa hoodwinked two Mayo defenders to create a scoring opportunity just when it appeared as if he was being shepherded into the corner. The only thing missing was the finish.

Kevin McStay said that Clifford got ‘well looked after’ by Meath referee David Coldrick.

“I love him [Clifford] as a player and all that, but Donnacha’s jersey must be resistant to pulling all together, I don’t know,” McStay said in a saying-it-but-not-saying it sort of fashion. “I think David Coldrick is obviously a fabulous referee too, but the tackle count, I think it was thirteen-to-one at one stage.”

JOE O’CONNOR

Kerry’s failure to deliver at midfield contributed to their demise against Mayo a few weekends ago in MacHale Park. On Sunday, the Kingdom turned the tables and got the better of Matthew Ruane, Jack Carney and Jordan Flynn. This was thanks largely to Joe O’Connor, whose aerial dominance, attacking threat and endless running saw Mayo undermined at midfield. The Austin Stacks man finished with two points that crowned a fine display alongside Barry Dan O’Sullivan.

Kerry manager Jack O’Connor wasn’t exaggerating when he said O’Connor had ‘a serious first’ half. But Kerry’s foothold on the middle certainly didn’t go downhill after the hooter.

It was a far cry from the game in MacHale Park, particularly where midfield was concerned.

“We were coming off of five games on the trot and I just think we ran out of energy that day,” the Kerry manager said afterwards when asked to compare the two games. “I had a fair idea we’d have a bit more energy and breaks are all about energy and life in the legs, you know. We weren’t getting to the pitch of the breaks in the first half that day. That was the story of that game.”

DONNACHA MCHUGH

You’ve heard about Clifford; now here’s what we made of McHugh.

By our estimation, the Castlebar Mitchels defender did reasonably well on Kerry’s finest. McHugh did most of the God-marking on his own but had help from Enda Hession. Occasionally, Hession and McHugh doubled-teamed on Clifford. Sometimes, Hession took on Clifford solo, but spent most of his time attacking or watching the brilliant Paudie Clifford. McHugh never once ventured forward.

Kevin McStay admitted afterwards that their approach to poaching the Kerry tiger was multi-pronged.

“We changed it up a few times and they all did fine. Inside, the three [man rule] is nearly man-to-man. It’s very hard to get coverage in there, especially on the soloing goal, especially on the quick transitions, very hard to get any sort of coverage.”

McStay said that McHugh was ‘excellent’ marking Clifford. That’s an exaggeration, perhaps, but not a huge one considering the near-impossibility of the task.

“He’s a handful, two handfuls.”

You said it Kevin.

STEPHEN COEN

He’s been on the Mayo senior team for 12 years, but his best position is still hard to pin down.

He began his county Minor career centre-forward but Coen eventually found a natural berth in the half-back line. Since then, he but has played almost everywhere except in goal. On many occasions this year, the Hollymount/Carramore man has wandered up from the half-back line right to stand in the square with his man in tow.

He’s not playing the target man role in there, so one can only presume it’s to free up space for Mayo’s best ball carriers further out the field.

Sunday marked a new venture for Coen, who played a lot of the game at wing-forward but spent plenty of time in the square. He has some good touches, particularly the assists he gave for Aidan O’Shea’s first two points.

However, it wasn’t a particularly standout performance for the 29-year-old, who was whipped off in the 62nd minute.

AIDAN O’SHEA

Aidan O’Shea has never been and will never be a prolific scorer. So kicking three points from play like he did against his parents’ native county was quite unique to him.

What O’Shea offers Mayo has been debated since he made his senior debut in 2009 and will be debated for as long as the big man tests the seams of a green and red jersey. On Sunday, generally waited in around the final third. In previous games, he was inclined to drift out the field to provide a fourth kickout option in a middle eight that propped up by Matthew Ruane, Jack Carney and Jordan Flynn - all of whom weren’t at their best against Kerry.

Moving O’Shea out to midfield to get to grips with Joe O’Connor and Barry Dan O’Sullivan may have been some help to Mayo. But given the way McStay’s men struggled to penetrate up front, it was probably best to leave him up.

His use of the ball was very clever. The Breaffy behemoth scored two points inside the first half and held up play well when necessary, like he did to assist Jordan Flynn’s first point.

O’Shea was less influential in the second half, in which he was harshly penalised for fouling David Clifford for a free, which the latter duly converted. He was also Mayo’s designated left-footed free-taker, but he connected poorly with his only scoreable free and sent it to the left of the posts.

The 34-year-old will likely remain integral to Mayo’s work-in-progress attacking strategy.