I discovered last Sunday that football does occasionally work to Hollywood endings and rose-red sunsets. Last Sunday’s game was a big occasion for Mayo football. Our reputation as a team of being able to compete with the big boys was under threat. However we should not have worried ourselves as Mayo delivered a fearless determined display which ranks up there with the very best we have witnessed heretofore and in doing so ensured that the integrity of Mayo football is back where it belongs after a disappointing couple of years.
I came home last Sunday evening with a huge sense of pride after what I had observed. The performance was a real beacon of hope for the future of Mayo football. Rarely have we witnessed such a passionate and wholehearted performance from the men in green and red. Mayo simply bullied Cork into submission.
Let’s be honest now, no one saw this one coming. Our form had been very patchy before this game, so much so that I did not meet a single person who genuinely thought Mayo had a chance of beating Cork last weekend. I was one of those doubters too as I travelled to Croke Park more in hope than confidence. My concern, and that of many who mingled in and around Jurys Croke Park before the game, was that Mayo would eventually be out gunned by the All-Ireland champions. The pre-match script suggested an easy victory for Cork with them eventually taking the steam out of the Mayo challenge with their powerful midfield, their intricate movement and classy forward play.
Fear of being embarrassed
The main talking point on Sunday morning was “could Mayo hold the champions to a five point defeat”. We were genuinely conscious of being embarrassed by Cork. Remember we had not beaten them in senior championship football since 1916, so the odds of victory were heavily stacked against us. But isn’t it remarkable what a Mayo side can achieve when their credibility is questioned? There was no hype or expectation coming into Sunday’s game and from my time in charge I know that means a lot when it comes to Mayo performing in Croker. All we have to do is look back at the record of recent times. It is very clear that Mayo are more than capable of beating any team in the country particularly when least expected.
Cork this year, like Kerry in 1996, Tyrone in 2004, and Dublin in 2006 were teams who took Mayo for granted. A low profile for some reason ain’t no bad thing for Mayo. But Cork took their eye off the ball big time last weekend. They came to Croke Park with both eyes firmly on Kerry and an All-Ireland semi-final berth. They would have watched Mayo’s performances in the Connacht Championship which were, by and large, poor and, as a consequence, probably did not spent too many hours analysing videos of Mayo’s contests in this year’s championship.
The weather was foul for the two home games Mayo played and so conditions were just not conducive to open flowing football. Mayo as it transpired were just waiting for the right conditions and circumstances to unleash a performance of real quality.
Last Sunday was different in many ways. For one, the conditions for football in Croke Park were perfect. The big pitch suited the younger pacier players on this current Mayo team. I know too from experience that a team cannot switch on a quality performance midway through a match when they sniff danger if they have not been prepared properly. So once Mayo came roaring back into the game there was little Cork could do. I had suggested in this column last week how important it was not to allow Cork a good start. Those around me were scratching their heads and fearing the worst when Cork got a dream start and raced into an early six point lead. Apparently those who like a flutter could have backed Cork at 18/1 15 minutes into the match. Those odds were reduced significantly to 11/2 by half time.
Cameos
The Mayo manager James Horan and his back room team deserve enormous credit for having their charges primed to perfection for the challenge. It is remarkable how fresh and hungry the team looked. Their performance was one of enormous heart and courage. There were several cameos throughout the match that caught the eye. Keith Higgins once again continues to shine like a beacon with his agility and sharpness. There is a beautiful simplicity about how he performs but he does it so well that, at his best, he is unbeatable. I recall him diving full length to block a Cork forward’s shot in the first half that was almost certainly goal bound. Another goal at that stage of the game for Cork would surely have dented the confidence in executing a Mayo revival. It is these little things that count.
Martin McHugh in his RTÉ radio co-commentary alluded to Donal Vaughan diving head first into a tackle midway through the second half as being typical of the Mayo spirit that epitomised Mayo’s desire to win the match. He suggested that if Mayo went on to win the match they could possibly look back at this incident as a turning point. Another key to Mayo’s success was the maverick non stop running of Andy Moran when switched into the full forward line. He was quite brilliant and never stopped presenting himself for ball once moved to the inside line. It was a smart move by management as he had spent the first 15 minutes of the game with the choke out chasing Noel O’Leary up the field as the Cork man appeared to be mad for action! Once O’Leary picked up his yellow card after a foul on Andy he was given the curly finger by Conor Counihan in an apparent move to ensure he would be OK for bigger tests ahead. Last Sunday Moran took his game to a level that made the senses flutter. In doing so he has sold new possibilities to this team as he has indicated that he is a top class forward.
Midfield foothold
After a quiet opening 15 minutes Alan Dillon stamped his class all over proceedings once again. He has been around a while but seems to revel in the space of Croke Park with his elusive movements that on occasions such as last Sunday make him almost unmarkable. It is fascinating to see how this guy takes himself to the point of play so effortlessly. This is only part of his repertoire as his mere presence is almost worth as much again because quite simply there is something about him that sends defenders into a spin.
Seamus O’Shea’s capacity to muscle into every piece of action, combined with his ball-winning and sheer dominance of opponents in this years’ championship, has caught the eye. He and his brother Aidan gave us a foothold at midfield against two opponents with huge reputations. Having done so spectacularly last Sunday, one would imagine that the brothers will not be spooked by Anthony Maher and Bryan Sheehan of Kerry in two weeks time.
And what do you make of the re-invented Trevor Mortimer? I have not seen this guy play as well since 2004. He was brilliant too, with his movement and ability to be in the right place at the right time to snuff out danger. I do not want to exert too much pressure onto young shoulders, but Kevin McLoughlin, Cillian O’Connor, and Jason Doherty when introduced suggest a bright future for Mayo football.
It was a joyous occasion that shortened the journey home. On so many occasions in the past supporters have waited outside Croke Park to chat to players as they trudged away from the scene of their latest defeat with vacant stares, as their manager was left to explain the mess that had unfolded. There was no need to hang around on Jones’s road last Sunday.
