OPINION: Mayo endure day of learning and hard truths in Donegal

Days like Sunday are the moments where you learn the most about yourself as a team, and the same could be said for Mayo on Sunday.

The wind was swirling in O’Donnell Park, the ball was slippery, and the driving rain on occasion made it a rough day for football.

When you add to that the terrier-like Donegal defence snapping at your heels, a few snatched shots and mis-kicked long balls, the 70 minutes can contain plenty of learnings.

This was one of those days.

Listening to Andy afterwards, I thought he struck exactly the right tone. There was no grandstanding, no hiding. Plain and simple, he highlighted the issues. And in many ways, that’s positive. Because when a manager is clear about what went wrong, it tells you he knows what right is supposed to look like.

FIERCE FOCUS

LET’S look at Sunday’s game in two halves.

The first is the overall picture. We always knew it was going to be difficult going to Donegal in these circumstances. Bad weather. Tough conditions. A team that, despite both sides having two wins on the board, look further down the road in their development.

There’s something about a side that has lost an All-Ireland final. History tells us that often, the following spring, that pain sharpens rather than softens. The focus is fierce. The standards are internal. And Donegal have that look about them now.

Even the personnel tells its own story. Michael Murphy is only being introduced. Meanwhile, younger leaders like Conor O'Donnell are taking responsibility.

You see the influence of players like Caolan McGonagle and Michael Langan growing. That doesn’t happen by accident. That’s preparation. That’s clarity of role. Andy hinted at that, and he was right to do so.

DELICATE AREA

From a Mayo perspective, we have to accept that days like this may come. Andy has made changes in every game.

He mightn’t admit it publicly, but I’d be fairly sure he’s still searching for the right blend.

Not just in personnel, but in the small details of how he wants this team to function in different phases of play.

Around the middle of the field, I think he’s happy enough. I’ve been impressed there. Defensively, there were signs of improvement again.

But up front? That remains the most delicate area. It’s also the area that has lagged most over the past couple of seasons in terms of consistent scoring output. The part that needs the most work will always take the most time.

Supporters need to understand that.

DECISION-MAKING

NOW to the specifics.

Andy referenced the opening 26 or 27 minutes. I remember Jordan Flynn striding onto a ball at the top of the D and clipping it over with about 26 minutes gone. It was the first moment I could honestly say I was satisfied with Mayo’s attacking decision-making and execution.

That tells its own story.

At times, Mayo were too direct, particularly with the wind. There’s a misconception that a breeze at your back means licence to go long and early.

Anyone who has played any bit of football in Belmullet knows that’s not always the case.

When you have the wind, you often need to be less direct, not more.

The Flynn score was the perfect example: carry into the right zone, and let the breeze carry the ball.

Instead, Mayo too often dropped ball into the goalkeeper’s hands, forced passes inside, or tried to manufacture something individually when two or three quick handpasses would have shifted Donegal’s shape.

There wasn’t enough support running off the shoulder either. Midfielders have to become attackers in modern football. Without that patient build-up, the full-forward line becomes isolated, and mistakes follow.

The handling errors were collective. It would be unfair to single anyone out. Conditions weren’t great, and the ball was zipping around. But there were errors - a few too many.

CHASING THE TIDE

WHEN you have played with the elements and go in six points down at half-time, the game is effectively gone. Without a flurry of goals, you’re always chasing the tide that won’t turn.

Defensively, for the opening seven or eight minutes, Mayo were tigerish. There was no score, but Donegal were moving the ball at speed.

They had runners off the shoulder, quick movement, and much more. It was a statement of intent.

Mayo shadowed well early on, but the problem was what happened when they won it back. Too often, possession was handed straight back through a handling error or a speculative delivery.

There was no spell where Mayo held the ball, settled, and allowed the defence to breathe. Eventually, even the best-organised defensive unit tires when it is asked to defend in waves.

On kick-outs, there were positives. Robbie Hennelly deserves credit. The contest in the middle was competitive, and the breaking ball was managed well at times.

The introduction of Conor Loftus changed the complexion. You could see so much of what he’s brought at underage and with Crossmolina.

With rule tweaks encouraging longer restarts, his eye for coming onto a ball in the middle and his ability to kick a great forward pass could become increasingly central to Mayo’s approach.

Further forward, Darragh Beirne continues to impress with composure. He takes what’s on. More importantly, he turns down what isn’t.

That self-awareness is rare. His handling and his understanding of percentages stand out. His second-half goal chance — that outside-of-the-boot effort — was inches from perfection. On another day, that shot goes past Gavin Mulreany.

IMPORTANT CONTEXT

Sam Callinan also deserves mention. Two fine scores in tricky conditions. His defensive qualities are well known — lungs, athleticism, and hunger for getting contact, but his shooting has certainly improved. 

There were other cameos too. You’d the likes of Seamus Howard getting minutes. He did well on a couple of balls and getting dirty ball. Such bench impact matters over the course of a season.

In the end, Mayo were well beaten. The better team won. But context is important.

There will be days when Ryan O'Donoghue’s touch sticks. Days when Paddy Durcan’s impact from the bench shifts momentum. Days when the collective click arrives with the likes of Carney and Flynn putting in better showings.

The encouraging thing is that you don’t play in those conditions too often. The other encouraging thing is that a new manager now has tangible material to work from.

It gives Andy the chance to say ‘Well, Donegal didn’t even win the All-Ireland last year and that’s the standard we’ve to aspire toY.’

Seasons are rarely shaped in February. They are shaped in response — in training fields on wet nights, in honest reviews, in incremental improvements.

On a wild afternoon in Letterkenny, Mayo learned a few hard truths.

The important thing now is what they do with them.