Mayo to make second chance count

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

And we are off again. It has been a long and winding road this year for Mayo on the field and when we thought we had reached the final destination two weeks ago, the car was pointed for home, neither full of joy nor regret, but full of more questions and possible answers. The steering wheel will be turned out on to the road and thousands of cars pointed east to the capital once more, thousands of Mayo fans will make the trek from Blacksod to the bridge in Shrule, full of hope, expectation, and delight tomorrow morning. For this Mayo team have another shot at glory, not redemption. It may be 65 long years since Sam Maguire came here festooned in green and red ribbons, but over the years in between hundreds of Mayo men have donned the green and red and given us some glorious days. Days that other counties could only dream of being involved in, we have been there, we have stood among the greats of the game and we have never done anything but seen our warriors give their all for their families, clubs, towns, schools, communities, themselves, and for us, those cheering them on from the sidelines.

There have been thousands of words in print, online, spoken on radio and television dedicated to where the winning and losing of this game will be over the past number of weeks. But come 5pm, those words will mean little or nothing as it all comes down to two squads of players and their management teams, pitting their wits against each other in another battle for the ages. This group of Mayo players have left no stone unturned in looking to achieve their ultimate goal, they have taken hard decisions, unpopular ones with some at times, but they have put in the hard yards, looked after their bodies right, given up things you and I take for granted, like a night out, a few pints, or even just staying up late at night, as they give themsleves the best opportunity to be the best in their chosen field of combat. We have all suffered through the heartache over the years, but it is the men who have put their lives on hold in their twenties and early thirties who have suffered most and they are the ones who will either head home victorious or in defeat, with no shame and hopefully no regrets as they have done all they can to reach the summit of this particular mountain they are trying to climb.

Little things will edge this one way or the other

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

It is the smallest things that matter at this level of the game, the marginal gains we are told will swing things one way or the other. Everything will not go right for you on the day, just look at Mayo putting the ball into their own net twice the last day, but it is making sure as much goes right for you as possible. That is the key to getting over the line tomorrow evening.

Time for Mayo to smash and grab

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

One of the best lines I have read all week about the massively anticipated All-Ireland football final replay this Saturday was by one of my favourite wordsmiths, Keith Duggan, from The Irish Times stable.

Defending from the front foot

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

Twenty years ago he was in the Nally Stand with a bus load of team-mates from Ballyhaunis when Colm Coyle's shot hopped over the bar and Meath pulled level at the death. Last Sunday week, he was on the field watching Diarmuid Connolly's effort from a sideline sail wide and drop over his head deep in injury time giving Mayo one last chance at drawing level. And thanks to Cillian O'Connor's effort seconds later, he will be back in Croke Park tomorrow evening again with it all to gain.

Controlling the controllable is what matters for Mayo

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

It was a dark, damp, and typical Mayo winter's night last December when the newly appointed Mayo manager Stephen Rochford sat down to speak with the press for the first time since he was appointed, after the Mayo players had signalled their intent by looking for a change of direction, just one year into the management term of the previous incumbents' of the role. When asked what would constitute a good year for Mayo, his response was simple and practical, saying: "I think we need to get back to a situation where we're ultra competitive in all games," before adding, "we'll be looking for a performance every day that we go out, and we can be honest in ourselves and we do ourselves and the county proud, and that we're going in the right direction towards what our goals will be." Rochford's comments were very similar to those echoed by James Horan when he took a side, that was on the floor after 2010, to four Connacht titles and two All Ireland finals over the next four years. Tomorrow Rochford has a chance to go one better when Mayo and Dublin renew a rivalry that has lit up the football world for the past half decade.

Sheridan believes that Mayo will have their day

Fri, Sep 30, 2016

He was the man Mayo could count on to keep the scoreboard ticking over back in the mid nineties and into the early part of the noughties, he won three Connacht senior titles with Mayo, picked up a league winners medal with the county in 2001 and finally got to lift an All Ireland title with Salthill Knocknacarra in 2005 in the club final on St Patrick's Day. Maurice Sheridan was the man Mayo could rely on for the big day, showing cool nerves to slot over free after free in their run to the All Ireland final 20 years ago. In that campaign, Sheridan registered 1-33 over the six games, kicking an average of 5.5 points per outing, no bad return for one player in any side. His fingertips, or more exactly kicking tips, have had a role in this Mayo side's march over the past number of years, with the former Balla man acting as free taking coach with the Mayo minor side back in 2009 that contained a certain Cillian O'Connor.

Lots to work on say Higgins and Keegan

Fri, Sep 23, 2016

There is plenty of room for improvement for Mayo ahead of Saturday week's All Ireland senior final replay, is the word from the camp this week. Speaking on Tuesday evening Mayo's Keith Higgins said: "Maybe, you'd be looking sometimes at it a bit more critical, ourselves more than anything. But I still don't think we played well on Sunday to be honest with you. We kind of played alright in some patches [but] the performance wasn't as good as we expected it to be. It hasn't hit the heights we think it can hit, and so again it's probably even the Tipp game we played well for 20 minutes. It's about improving on the areas we let ourselves down on Sunday. There are a lot of areas to improve there, so that's the big focus to step up again for the next level of performance for me."

Has your heart got back to normal yet?

Fri, Sep 23, 2016

And breathe. There is no word in the English dictionary to describe what went on last Sunday. Mayo produced their gutsiest performance ever to snatch a draw against raging hot favourites and current champions Dublin in Croke Park in the All-Ireland final. The tone was set long before throw-in as the teams entered the field. I happened to be on the sideline doing a piece with Radio 1 as I watched Stephen Cluxton lead his team out to a deafening roar. I was left stunned to see Cillian O'Connor burst out the tunnel through the Dublin players, followed closely by Aidan O'Shea and the rest of his team mates. Misinformed initially, I was told Mayo lay in wait for Dublin to ruffle their feathers. The reason for this coming together was the fact that Dublin were meant to enter the field at 2.56 and Mayo at 2.58. This clash occurred at 3.02.

O'Connor showed immense bravery to score the equaliser for Mayo

Fri, Sep 23, 2016

Anytime over the past few years that I have met, or spoken to Cillian O'Connor, I have found him to be in the vernacular of my home place, Belclare, which is a half-parish of Corofin, 100 per cent "spot-on". Or alternatively he might be described as “sound as a bell” or "sound as a pound" by a few of the older generation.

O'Connor holds his nerve to save the day

Sun, Sep 18, 2016

When Mayo needed a man to show the leadership in a clutch situation, their star man came good right at the death. Cillian O’Connor showed why he was picked by Stephen Rochford as his captain, when he created the space he needed to shimmy inside and drill the ball through the drizzle over the bar and electrify the Mayo faithful in Croke Park to haul his side level at the death.

Coppers and the GAA coffers the only winners from today

Sun, Sep 18, 2016

Sometimes when we are so focused on how to deal with the emotions of victory and loss, we are thrown aside by the void that appears when whatever we are watching denies us any of those options.

Rochford is looking for a big improvement in 13 days

Sun, Sep 18, 2016

“See yah in 13 days” Stephen Rochford said straight up after the full time whistle in Croke Park. While many a manager would be thrilled to see his side come from five behind at half time after conceding two first half own-goals, and then come from three behind with normal time up and live to fight another day, Rochford wanted more. The Crossmolina man wants and expects more from his team.

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