Mayos valley of tears sadly runs deeper than ever now
IT’S Monday morning, 4 a.m., and I am still trying to wrestle with the emotions of the weekend.
The sheer delight I feel at the resounding Donegal victory over Dublin is tempered by the overwhelming despair that still lingers after Mayo’s defeat to Kerry on Saturday evening.
Rarely in a lifetime of following Gaelic sport have I witnessed a two-game saga to rival the intensity, the excitement and the sheer heroism of what was on evidence over the last two weekends in the games between Mayo and Kerry.
That Mayo lost this joust had little to do with inferior preparation, absence of belief or ambition. By battling for a long period with a man less in the drawn game last Sunday week, a massive price was paid in terms of energy expended.
Despite the best efforts to rest sufficiently and recover properly, the energy levels - an ever-present ingredient with the team - were there in diminished proportions and evident only fleetingly on Saturday.
We have spoken with pride about the contribution of the middle eight players on the team and how this sector has been the fulcrum and inspiration for much of the success achieved.
Last Saturday night Kerry deliberately targeted this zone and rendered it ineffective to a degree that surprised me.
David Moran had a proverbial stormer, Anthony Maher stepped up on previous performances and a half-back line, aided and abetted by Buckley and Donnchadh Walsh in the three-quarter line, kept us on the back foot.
That Mayo stayed in the contest was in no small way due to the heroics of the magnificent Keith Higgins and the unerring accuracy of Cillian O’Connor. Higgins, faced with the task of controlling the mercurial James O’Donoghue, gave an exhibition of corner back play in what was a riveting head-to head contest.
O’Connor was Mayo’s only player to bother the scoreboard operator until Jason Doherty’s point in the 34th minute and his two goals and nine points return is an eloquent testimony to this contribution.
This intrepid duo provided inspiration and direction but too often the support cast, though never lacking in heart, was betrayed by an understandable tiredness and absence of drive.
In a contest that was ultra-physical, frantic and unforgiving, the attritional nature of the exchanges exacted a heavy toll.
Aidan O’Shea attracted Kerry’s attention more than most and paid a heavy price for very hard hits. The injury that caused the most damage was, admittedly, a consequence of his collision with Cillian O’Connor. Yet, over the two games, and in particular last Saturday evening, free kicks were hard to come by and many of the refereeing decisions were downright wrong.
Frees awarded to Kieran Donaghy and Barry John Keane at critical junctures had a big bearing on the outcome and, while not wishing to diminish the merits of Kerry’s victory, were hard to understand. Players on both sides deserve the highest levels of officiating competence in games of this stature. Unfortunately, its absence was an unwelcome reality last Saturday night.
This group of players who have flown the green and red banner over the past few years deserve our thanks and appreciation.
Under the baton of James Horan they have spared nothing in terms of application and they have represented the tribe with an enduring sense of honesty and pride.
My hope is that all will regroup and begin again the ascent to capture Sam.