Mayo ladies football team lose to Kerry

Mayo ladies edged out by Kerry


Rob Murphy
Banagher

MAYO ladies football team exited the 2010 championship at the first hurdle on Monday, losing by a single point to Kerry in Banagher. It brought the curtain down on a season that will long be remembered for all the wrong reasons, but Mayo’s return to action, if short-lived, certainly didn’t lack effort.
Their last act was a brave stand against the odds in the Offaly town. Despite missing nine players who started last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, and featuring five minors making their championship debuts, Mayo were never out of contention in a rip-roaring tussle.
After a late comeback fell just a point short, the squad and management huddled together in the middle of the pitch for close to ten minutes. Goalkeeper Yvonne Byrne was immense, and spoke from the heart as she left the field.
“There was an awful injustice done to Mayo players over the last couple of months,” she told The Mayo News, referring to the County Board’s controversial decision to withdraw Mayo from the championship. “Some fine footballers have drifted away because of this. The injustice they were done in not being allowed to train, and then the display the players gave today and the effort they put in over the last three weeks trying to pull things together, was incredible.
“Usually for the championship you have done six, seven months prep. Today we had three weeks. And we’re not making excuses, but the effort was unbelievable, and cannot be faulted.”
Mayo didn’t compete in the Connacht Championship, and had a short burst of training behind them before Monday’s first round qualifier. The young Mayo players will take plenty from the game ahead of next season.
“They proved today, that they are the ones working hard and putting pride into the Mayo jersey and bringing pride to the Mayo people,” said Byrne. “Unfortunately we don’t have everyone on the same wavelength, but hopefully today they have done the Mayo people proud.”
“It’s disappointing to go out, but you have to be proud of the effort,” said Father Michael Murphy (pictured), who took on the job as manager after a solution was brokered in the dispute. “We probably lacked a bit in fitness because we haven’t had the time to train. It’s a very, very young team – there were five minors making their championship debut there, and it’s very hard in your first championship game. But fair play, they kept going to the end.”