Mayo have plenty to work on ahead of their next outing in the qualifiers was the opinion of Stephen Rochford after their win in Semple Stadium on Saturday.
Speaking after the game the Mayo manager said: “That game probably flowed a bit to and from us, I think we started very well, we looked to control the game, but then sort of seemed to I don’t know is the word disrespect the ball but we didn’t respect it as much as we had in the very opening period and I think the first 1-2 that Tipperary scored they came directly from off turnover and our own errors which can always be frustrating.”
He was impressed though in the way that when the game tilted in his sides favour they went for it and even before James Durcan’s goal he could feel that the contest was moving in Mayo’s direction.
“But I thought that when we did get the bounce of the ball and we did get James’ goal that we drove on then and we probably created one or two chances.
James blazed on just over the bar before that and we were starting to get some traction through the middle and if it wasn’t that goal I still felt we were creating opportunities, but not sure if eight points is a fair reflection in the winning margin.”
The qualifiers is a learning experience and they throw up different questions that have to be answered each week and you learn all the time the Crossmolina native added: “There are some things in our tackling and there are elements especially in the first half when we weren’t getting our skill execution and our first touch as crisp and as clean as we needed it to be, but that will be the case. That is what happens in the qualifiers you are going to have games and moments that not just test your physical, but mental resolve.”
Both Michael Quinlivan and Conor Sweeney were massive threats to Mayo particularly in the first half, but Rotchford was very pleased with how Paddy Durcan and Ger Cafferkey did on the two Tipp’ danger men.
“Look, I mean I don’t know how much damage they were genuinely doing, they were maybe - Michael might have got a flick to the goal, maybe one other point.
“I thought Paddy and Ger were two of our very best performers and not in a very simple way. I thought it was quite clear that Tipperary were looking to pull 10 or 12 guys and leave a lot of space in front of them and on a fast and open pitch like Semple Stadium they are the other factors you have to deal with and I thought the boys did particularly well on them and I thought they were like two bouncers at the end and really closed out the game and shows the experience that Paddy, a guy who was put into the full back position really revealed in it and on the back of a fine defensive performance against Galway it showed his quality and you know he is really maturing into a top footballer.”
One downside for Mayo was the loss of Seamie O’Shea to a shoulder injury before half time and the Mayo manager said the prognosis was not looking great after the game: “Shoulder injury, he has gone to hospital, doesn’t particularly look good and I think minimum of a dislocation anyway.”
