Opportunity knocks for Mayo footballers next Sunday in Croker. A victory over Cork in the National League final would be an enormous achievement for this present group of players. On the basis of the compelling evidence of Mayo’s victory over the same opposition two weeks ago, I really do think a National League title is imminently achievable. Granted, next Sunday’s opposition have been making all the right soundings in their impressive league campaign with a number of good victories to their credit, but Mayo have also enjoyed a terrific league campaign, with six out of seven victories in the campaign. The question is being asked in these quarters, however, were Cork really trying in that last league game in Pairc Uí Chaoimh two weeks ago? As we know, Cork had already qualified for the league final before the last game and, to a certain extent, they had an influence on who they played in the final. To step off the gas and allow Mayo win without too much exertion might just present a handier opportunity to win a league title in Croker. A final against the Dubs in front of a large Dublin crowd just might not have been as easy, they might have been thinking. A few people have suggested to me that once Cork discovered that the Dubs were trouncing Tyrone in the first half in Omagh that same Sunday, their intensity dropped quite noticeably and they ambled through the remainder of the match unconcerned about the result. Nonetheless that was not the situation in the other games played in Division 1 when Mayo ground out impressive results against formidable opposition.
In fact, it’s been a terrific league campaign for Mayo with four wonderful away victories against top class opposition. I will be honest here when I suggest that I thought at the start of the campaign Mayo might struggle to retain its division 1 status. But the matches where I thought we would struggle versus Derry, Tyrone, Kerry and Cork were dealt with in a manner that has left most supporters giddy with anticipation. Don’t forget Mayo left us with a couple of good days here in Castlebar, too, with impressive victories against the auld enemy up the road and a good win over Monaghan. Any team is capable of having a really bad day and those who were at the Dublin match here in Castlebar will admit that particular match could be categorised as poisonous. In fact both teams were dreadful that day.
So, just how good are Mayo? This league final will benchmark the progress made and it will provide us with a good indication of what we can expect later on this summer. The rebuilding job is now up and running and, for the first time in years, the options are now greater. Over the last couple of years we looked short in the critical games, but that is no longer the situation. This current squad has a plethora of young cubs who have taken to the task of playing at this level as if they were at it for years. The team has youth, pace, buckets of confidence, mighty resilience, and a never say die attitude that just might cause problems for Cork on Sunday.
I have been mightily impressed throughout the league with the positive contributions from some of the younger players. In particular, Donal Vaughan, Kevin McLoughlin, Chris Barrett, Seamus O’Shea, Mark Ronaldson, Enda Varley, and Alan Freeman have all embellished their reputations throughout the league. When you consider that we have lined out in some of our big games without the experienced Peadar Gardiner, Pat Harte, Ronan McGarrity, Alan Dillon and Conor Mortimer, it gives you some indication of the transformation taking place. OK, OK, delivering on the big occasion is not a trait that we have become familiar with yet, but a win on Sunday just might force the pendulum in our direction for once and take us out of purgatory.
Cork are not quite the finished article just yet. Mayo teams in recent years have never feared playing them and, unlike Cork teams of times past, this current squad had its reputation tarnished by its All-Ireland defeat last year. Granted they can look really impressive at times, particularly when given room to express themselves. But, they have conceded nine goals in this year’s league and we have proven goal scorers in this Mayo team. The jury is out, but the feeling is good!
