Apparently since betting was allowed on minor inter- county championship matches no county attracted as much money as Tyrone minors last Sunday. They were 4/11 favourites to beat Mayo and the money flowed on to them. They arrived in HQ with a formidable reputation (as most northern teams do these days ) and the word circulating about the place before the match was we would be doing extremely well to be in contention. But this Mayo team obviously did not give two hoots for the reputation of their opponents and they tore into them from the get go. They got the perfect start with three quick points, but that good start was nullified in a flash with a brilliantly taken Tyrone goal.
When Tyrone kicked over another quick three points, I wondered if it was going to be another one of those days. But our young men responded brilliantly and kicked a further seven points to see them leading by four at half time. We were getting giddy with excitement in the stands. When that lead was stretched to seven points with 16 minutes left, I am certain most of those who had backed Tyrone were convinced they would not be collecting their winnings. But for some strange reason, I was not convinced that the game was safe despite the very significant lead. I was thrilled to bits with the way most of the lads were playing, but we looked a little porous in the full back line. That was evident early in the game, when Ronan O’Neill literally waltzed through the cover in the full back line to score a classy goal.
I felt that if Tyrone could get ball into their forwards they were capable of scoring goals. And so it proved, they bagged two goals in 16 minutes as well as kicking a few good points to ensure more heartbreak for a Mayo team in Croke Park. However, I would like to point out the positives from this game. The team looked well prepared and I think when the management sits to review their year’s work they will take satisfaction from the fact that there was an incremental improvement in the team’s performance from the first round of the championship. Of course they will be disappointed that the team did not make it to the final, and go on and win it. But there are a number of players from this team who will progress to play senior football.
The inside forward line of Cillian O’Connor, Darren Coen, and Jack McDonnell was magnificent. All three are capable of playing at the next level. Fergal Durcan on the half forward line reminds me of Colm McManamon, in that he gets through a Trojan amount of work. He hits hard, tackles bravely, and just puts himself about the park working non-stop for the team. He is another who should be monitored and ‘tracked’ as a potential senior inter-county player. Danny Kirby at midfield possesses a lot of the fundamentals, but needs serious strength conditioning and fitness work to be an inter county senior footballer. It was a brave performance, but ultimately we came up short again. While it is important to acknowledge the good effort, it is more important that these young lads are informed of what is required to make them better footballers.
Cork just edge over the line
The ‘big’ game last Sunday was enthralling. I have met people this week who said that the quality of football was not that good, but I enjoyed it immensely. There was a magnificent atmosphere and great colour at the game. We had practically a full house and it is on such occasions that we should appreciate that we have something unique in this country. The Dubs produced a great performance for 95 per cent of the game, but they just could not shake off the stubborn resistance of this Cork side. In fairness, Cork deserve great credit for refusing to accept defeat, despite the fact that they were not allowed to play by a Dublin side that played with enormous energy. Cork never dropped their heads and despite under performing all year, they find themselves in the All-Ireland final which I feel they are destined to win. So how did they manage to win the match last Sunday? Belief, experience, and good substitutions. That is what I think. You could also suggest that the Dubs became quite reckless in the final moments (maybe that should read Ross McConnell ), when committing a number of stupid frees and conceding a penalty. Donnacha O’Connor, in particular, stepped up to the plate when the pressure was at its greatest to convert the penalty brilliantly and to kick a couple of difficult frees. Dublin turned their season around after a couple of disastrous performances in the Leinster Championship. They are far from the finished product and will need to find a couple of new players if they are to win an All-Ireland, but it is good for the GAA to have the Dubs competing for Sam on a regular basis.
News on the home front
It is a big championship weekend here on the local front. Understandably, I am preoccupied with the Knockmore team all week. They beat us (Crossmolina ) comprehensively last year at the semi-final stage and we have an opportunity to redeem ourselves. We fully realise that we are up against a formidable side, but thankfully our lads have been playing reasonably well all year. I am getting nervous thinking about it, so I will leave it at that.
I am down the country this week on holidays so I have not heard too much on the appointment of a manager for our Mayo senior team. Apparently Micko was approached by a very senior administrator to check out his interest. Micko is too cute to say ‘No’ to any county at the moment, but I remain convinced that the new appointment will be someone from within the county boundaries. Time will tell!
