Mayo were far from offcolour in the kingdom

Sunday morning dawned chilly and cold and as the roads did their best to mimic an ice rink, I opted instead for the comfort of the living room to watch Kerry play Mayo in the opening round of the league in Killarney.

It took some time to get used to the design and colouring on the new away jersey but the wearers on the day got the season off to a good start with a resounding win over the hosts.

As a traditionalist I would still prefer to see some variation on the green and red theme incorporated into the design but this is something I will leave to people with a sense of fashion to set right!

From the throw-in Mayo played with a sense of urgency and conviction that Kerry found hard to match. Indeed, with the exception of a 10-minute spell early in the third quarter, Mayo looked the fitter team and played with the hunger that we have become accustomed to seeing from them.

Kevin Keane gave notice that he is going to make a determined bid to make the full-back position his own with a display of keen anticipation and stout defending.

Alongside him Keith Higgins showed his customary sense of anticipation and fleetness of foot. The responsibility of captaincy, on this evidence, is resting lightly on his shoulders.

In general the defence, apart from an occasional early lapse, was never in sustained trouble from an under strength Kerry attack. They played well as a unit and their ability to tackle in numbers spoke volumes as to what the outcome of the game meant to them.

As tiredness became an issue late in the game, more frees than was acceptable were conceded but the overall impression was of a unit that has grown in strength and harmony over the last four years.

Donie Vaughan and Seamie O’Shea put in an honest shift in the middle of the park. With his non- stop running Vaughan got through a huge amount of work over the 70 minutes and probably handled more ball than anyone else. Meanwhile, though his radar occasionally betrayed him, the Breaffy man was always in the thick of the action. A number of his passes in the first half went astray but it is only early season and there is ample time to work and improve on ball delivery to the forward line.

During the third quarter, when the aerial prowess of Tommy Walsh looked like becoming a worry, both lads had the strength of character to ride out the mini storm and wrest the initiative back for their team.

Of the two goals and 11 points scored by the forward line, all but two scores came from play. Both goals were timely. Alan Freeman’s, when it came in the first half, was a thing of beauty. He showed great strength and composure in dispatching the ball with his weaker foot to the net and established a Mayo lead for the first time that was never relinquished subsequently. He had in general a quiet outing but his classy finish should boost his confidence.

Likewise with Kevin McLaughlin. The timing of his goal was perfect. Kerry had just trimmed a seven-point deficit back to three when McLaughlin struck with a peach of a finish that ultimately was the match-defining score. Let’s hope that scores of this quality will become the norm for the season.

Although he didn’t score, Mark Ronaldson can be pretty happy with his return to the county colours. That streak of inventiveness that he possesses shone through and he contributed to numerous scores.

Mickey Conroy was busy, accurate and an able replacement for the unfortunate Evan Regan. His injury early in the game robs the squad, for the next three months, of a player with the potential to develop further. We wish him well with his recovery.
Patrick Durcan went about his business in a calm and unfussy manner and should be pleased with his debut. He didn’t look out of place.

The win will please the new management team. There was ample evidence throughout of a real desire by the players to get the season off on a strong footing. The younger lads played with the freedom that you look for in aspiring inter-county players while the old guard showed little by way of staleness nor diminution of interest.

There remains a strong desire within the squad to succeed and although it is only the start of the season, the signs in Killarney were encouraging. A win over the All-Ireland champions is always welcome, irrespective of the time of year. It is crucial to the game in the county that the senior team remains in the top tier of competition.

The two points earned is the start everyone wanted to get and it leaves us in a good position when Tyrone come calling on Sunday. Another win is well within the grasp of the team but be warned as Tyrone will be primed and anxious to atone for their loss to Monaghan last weekend. To say that they were poor in that outing would be an understatement.

And, by the way, hopefully we will be back to wearing the green and red!