Last Saturday can only be described as a Super Saturday within Mayo GAA circles with three big games on — However none of the results matched the excitement within the county. The All-Ireland champions Dublin travelled to Elvery’s MacHale Park for what was meant to be a walk in the park for them, given Mayo’s performance the previous week in Cork. What ensued was everything but as a very different Mayo made them fight to the bitter end, only for Dublin to scrape home by two points.
Conditions in Castlebar can only be described as Baltic yet over ten thousand hardy souls turned out to support their teams. The swirling hail stone shower as the teams warmed up brought back horrible memories as to how difficult it was to play in such conditions. I wasn’t built to play football in the Arctic and wasn’t envious of the players on the field. I don’t recall a Mayo team playing in the last 15 years in any competition where the bookmakers were offering 4/1 for them to win, even at home. A bookmakers odds normally very indicative of what might occur and they were expecting the Dubs to run riot as were most of the supporters in the large crowd, including yours truly.
The game was played at a very high tempo and Mayo set the stall out early letting the Dubs’ know they were simply not going to roll over, the duel between Colm Boyle and Diarmuid Connolly a perfect example as both players literally took slices out of each other, Boyle taking over that man marking job from Lee Keegan who missed his first league or Championship game for Mayo in five years. Mayo, to their credit put in a powerful defensive display holding the much feared Dublin forward line to nine points which I don’t imagine will happen for the rest of 2016. Kerry’s tormentors the previous week Paddy Andrews and Paul Mannion completely nullified by the very impressive Ger Cafferky and Brendan Harrison.
You need to take your chances
Mayo decided to put as much pressure on Dublin high up the field before they retreated to a mass defence just outside the scoring zone with Shane Nally sweeping across the full back line to cull the threat of any penetrating runs or long foot passes from the Dubs. Tom Parsons, Aidan O’Shea and Diarmuid O’Connor getting their bodies back to assist a very effective defensive unit. The problem of course was up the other end where scoring only 0-7 will not win you any game in division one. The low scoring encounter testament to the atrocious conditions. When chances are at a premium they must be taken and that was to ultimately lose Mayo the game. Three spring to mind — Jason Doherty missed a sitter in the first half after some great ground work by Diarmuid O’Connor to get fouled near the Dublin goal then Robbie Hennelly and Evan Regan missed two more difficult chances in the second half from placed balls. Hennelly did score two 45’s. However, his first half effort against the gale is nlikely to be bettered in 2016 by a Mayo player, I personally thought he hadn’t a chance of getting near the target. It’s after these missed chances the importance of one Cillian O’Connor cannot be stressed enough.
I don’t think Jason Doherty wants to take the frees but finds himself having to do so in O’Connors absence. Over all it was a much improved performance from the previous week. The free taking issue has to be rectified along with players taking the ball into tackles in their own defence and getting turned over. Mayo find themselves rooted at the bottom of division one and under a little pressure after Roscommon’s fine win in Killarney against Kerry. I hope last Saturday wasn’t a point thrown away.
Heartbreak in Croker again
It was heartbreaking stuff for Ardnaree and Hollymount-Carramore last weekend in Croke Park with both teams succumbing to Kerry opposition. I know it’s easy to say this but this time last year if you asked either club of their hopes and expectations for 2015 they’d have gladly accepted two county titles at their respective levels. Two Connacht titles was an additional bonus and for both clubs to have a day out at HQ must have been beyond their wildest dreams, unfortunately the results didn’t go their way but both can be very proud of what they achieved.
Mitchels ready to make their mark
Now it’s over to Castlebar where their much anticipated All-Ireland Semi Final against Crossmaglen Rangers is upon us. Bookmakers are struggling to separate them. I just hope conditions are favourable in Breffni Park on Saturday because we should be in for a cracking tie. I expect Castlebar to have another game on Paddy’s day.
