Mayo’s Keith Higgins is tackled by Down’s Simon Wilson during last Saturday’s Christy Ring Cup semi-final at Pairc Esler, Newry.
Brennan steps aside after hurlers fail to knock Down SEMI-FINAL
Down 4-21
Mayo 0-14 Martin Crummy
Newry AS MAYO were knocked out of the Christy Ring Cup last weekend, hurling in the county took another body blow with the news that manager Martin Brennan was stepping down.
There were emotional scenes in the away dressing of Pairc Esler in Newry last Saturday, as the Westport native held court for ten minutes telling the players of his decision.
Brennan was in his third year of management with the team, having also served a year previous in 2006 as a selector under Frank Browne.
Mayo were outscored by 4-11 to 0-5 during the second half of this Christy Ring last four clash after turning in an impressive first half display.
“We are gutted after that second half performance,” he began. “We are going to have to grieve for a couple of weeks and we are going to have to come back. But when I say ‘we’, it won’t be me.
“I told the lads I am finishing up,” he added. “I have given them four years and I think it is time to give it a new lease of life.
“They are a super bunch of lads and we have made good progress the last four years but there are a few of the lads who are 30 or 31 who could be thinking how many years are left.”
When asked what lies ahead for Mayo hurling now, the straight-talking businessman was keen to emphasise the role the county board have to play.
“What is needed is for the County Board to back us at every level from U-10’s right up to the senior team,” he explained.
“They need to give us the same time, the same coaching and same money – if it is needed – as the football gets in our county.
“They have worked with us – but they could have been a lot better. I got everything I was looking for. But they have to work more with the hurling committees than what they are doing at the moment.”
In the game in Newry, the Mourne men held a slender one point half time lead, 0-10 to 0-9, after Mayo gave them their fill of it.
Adrian Freeman was Mayo’s main threat, while towards the 35 minute mark Keith Higgins got a point from play and a free to reel in the favourites.
Down had five wides in the first half, as although they dominated, they couldn’t shake off the attentions of the visitors.
Two Mayo wides at the start of the second half and then the 1-1 brace by Down’s full forward Paul Braniff within a minute gave Down a major foothold in the game.
The men from the West never recovered as the homeside held them scoreless for 21 minutes, as they rattled the back of the net twice.
“When we won the toss we decided to play against the breeze,” said Martin Brennan. “The team has proven that we are a very good second half team – the way we finished out Westmeath in the second half and Kildare.
“At half-time, only being a point down, we were in great form. It was wrong to say we were complacent, because we knew they hadn’t hit the throttle at all.
“The way they hit us in the second half, we truthfully couldn’t handle them. We couldn’t answer them. Their first touch, general play and score taking was electric.
“We haven’t played a team as good as that in the Christy Ring Cup.”
Before leaving the venue, Brennan paid special praise to Mayo coach Pete Finnerty, who also made an emotional speech to the subdued Mayo players.
“I promised Pete that he wouldn’t come across another bunch of lads like this and I asked him just to give me six months,” he said. “He did two years and he was in the dressing room there with tears in his eyes, saying how much he loved it.”
Down G Clarke; A Dynes, S Murray, S Ennis; F Conway, R McGrattan, M Ennis (0-1); A Savage, C Woods (0-2); K Courtney, P Braniff (1-2, 1f), S Wilson (0-7, ‘65, 3fs, 1pen); J Coyle (1-3), G Johnson (1-5, 1f), E Clarke (1-1). Subs used: C O’Prey for Dynes; G Clarke for Ennis;, P Duffy for Walsh; M Coulter for Wilson; P Flynn for S Ennis; D Ennis for G Clarke.
Mayo M Walsh; K McGrath, A Connolly, P Hunt; B Higgins, P Barrett, C Ryan; K Higgins (0-6, 3fs, 1pen), P Higgins; E Madigan (0-1), D McDonnell, D Dowling; A Freeman (0-6, 4fs), D McConn (0-1), C Freeman. Subs used: S Broderick for McDonnell; M Devaney for C Freeman; C Hynes for Dowling; S Hoban for A Freeman.
Referee: A Stapleton (Laois)
HURLING As Mayo were knocked out of the Christy Ring Cup, hurling in the county took another body blow with the news that manager Martin Brennan was stepping down.
