Mayo’s three-in-a-row dream dies

Holders crash out


SEMI-FINAL
Carlow 1-11
Mayo 1-9

Daniel Carey
Ferbane

WHEN he was Carlow senior football manager, Liam Hayes caused controversy by suggesting that the county colours be changed. It wasn’t like Carlow had enjoyed much success wearing the unique triple combination, he reasoned.
Hayes was, unsurprisingly, unsuccessful – people are quite attached to their county colours – but maybe after last Saturday, it’s time to reopen the debate. When the referee ordered them to change shirts due to a colour clash, Carlow re-emerged in Eire Óg’s white. Just over an hour later, they were in the All-Ireland Masters final, and Mayo’s dreams of three in a row had evaporated.
The game – switched from Athlone to Ferbane in Co Offaly – attracted a family crowd, but was delayed by 25 minutes amid talk that a referee was being sought. When the action eventually got under way, Carlow – or more specifically Willie Quinlan – made most of the running, with three successful frees in the first 18 minutes. It was full-blooded stuff, with hard hits and hamstring twinges visible all over the field.
Mayo, missing Ger Butler due to injury, got their opening score from wing forward Tom Morrin, although even some green and red supporters reckoned the ball was wide of the target. Carlow substitute John Brennan extended his side’s lead after good work by Brendan Hayden and John Smithers, but Mayo, who shot seven wides in the first half, finally got into their stride in its closing stages.
The superb Kieran Carey, who was a huge loss when he had to go off injured in the second half, linked up with Martin McLoughlin before John Horan got on the scoresheet. Noel Stagg ended a nice move with a well-taken point, and while Carlow’s Johnny Nevin (fresh from playing both club hurling and football during the week) countered with a score on the burst, Mayo captain Pat Fallon profited from a poor clearance to reduce the deficit to a single point, 0-5 to 0-4.
That was still the score at half-time, but not before Carlow’s Joe Murphy and Mayo’s Gerard Sheridan had been shown straight red cards after off-the-ball incidents had been spotted by an umpire. Six yellow cards were also shown over the course of the hour.
Within two minutes of the restart, Kieran Carey and Paul Jordan had played their part before Noel Stagg landed a beautiful point. The sides were level, but that, unfortunately, was as good as things got for Mayo. Two points apiece from Joe Brennan (the second a long-range free) and Peter Byrne gave Carlow some breathing space, and it was time for Mikes Jennings and Morris to ring the changes. Tom Grealis, Pat Ruane, Liam Niland and Declan Conway joined the sockless Pádraig Flannery on the field of play, and Johnny Leonard hit back with a fine point from out on the right.
But the opening goal of the game left Mayo with a mountain to climb. It came after 42 minutes, as Willie Quinlan found the net after Peter Byrne had knocked the ball down. Mayo kept battling, and with John Pat Sheridan defending superbly, Leonard converted a free. Then, after a great run by Seán Grealis, Niland played his part before Stagg’s shot was turned over by the bar by Carlow netminder John Kearns. At the other end, Mayo goalkeeper Declan O’Boyle did superbly to deny Muiris Brick, but Brendan Hayden was on hand to tap over the rebound.
Another Johnny Leonard free (won by Pat Fallon) left four between the sides, but Carlow sub Ken Renwick pointed moments after being introduced, and there was a brief cameo appearance for Carlow’s Hughie Brennan (a Swinford native and former Mayo minor). Pat Fallon managed to find the net with the second last kick of the game after his shot was deflected in off Carlow defender Pat Molloy, but time ran out on Mayo’s comeback.

CARLOW
J Kearns; J Dooley, J O’Brien, P Molloy; J Murphy, J Smithers, J Kelly; J Nolan, C Walsh; P Byrne (0-2), J Nevin (0-1), B Hayden (0-1); P Reid, P Doran, W Quinlan (1-3, 0-3f). Subs used: J Brennan (0-3) for Nolan (11 mins); M Brick for Reid (41 mins); K Renwick (0-1) for Walsh (59 mins); J Donoghue for Kelly (59 mins); H Brennan for O’Brien (60 mins).

MAYO
D O’Boyle; G Hession, JP Sheridan, G Sheridan; A McGarry, K Carey, S Grealis; J Horan (0-1), P Fallon (0-1); T Carolan, P Jordan, T Morrin (0-1); N Stagg (0-3), M McLoughlin, J Leonard (0-3, 2f). Subs used: P Flannery for Hession (15 mins); T Grealis for Carey (35 mins, inj); P Ruane for Horan (37 mins); L Niland for Morrin (41 mins); D Conway for Jordan (41 mins).

Referee: M O’Brien (Longford)