Mayo have every right to approach Dubs full of confidence
MARTIN CARNEY'S GAA VIEWPOINT
THEY are never easy.
Anything gained in Clones after a Monaghan game, you can be sure, will be hard earned and come at a price.
So it was once again when after an epic encounter, Mayo came through by the skin of their teeth in a game that warmed the heart.
I headed to Clones not expecting a lot, believing that the weather gods would render the conditions practically unplayable.
Thankfully I was proven wrong and on a dry, sunny and cold afternoon, both teams treated the healthy attendance to a game rich in skill, full of endeavour, and one that was in the melting pot right to the final whistle.
Like the rest of the Mayo faithful, I was uncertain what to expect from the game.
The inconsistent nature of the performance in the draw with Donegal prompted this; a passive opening period followed by an excellent last quarter left more questions than answers.
The previous Tuesday night’s news that Tommy Conroy had sustained the dreaded cruciate knee ligament injury in a Sigerson Cup game heightened the uncertainty and added a further layer of difficulty to the task.
I needn’t have worried.
From the opening whistle to the final nerve-wrecking schemozzle in the Mayo goalmouth as Monaghan came in search of a win, both teams gave as good as they got with bouts of high standard football, ferocious hitting and wonderful tussles throughout the field.
Monaghan started the brighter. With the excellent Gary Mohan providing an effective target man, they regularly used the long ball.
Alongside him, his corner men Jack McCarron and Andrew Woods dovetailed perfectly and between them they accounted for all bar one point of their 1-8 first-half total.
Indeed, had Monaghan made more of some early chances they could well have left St. Tiernach's Park with full points.
A combination of poor wides, underhit shots and a wonderful save from Robbie Hennelly helped Mayo’s cause considerably.
In many ways Mayo were architects of some of their own misfortunes in this early period.
A failure to win broken ball around the middle from restarts didn’t help, nor did the habit of the full-back line playing from behind do much for the cause.
And yet they never lost touch with their opponents.
Ryan O’Donoghue’s beautifully taken fifth minute goal announced a team on a mission and alongside his unerring place-kicking, some delightful scores from play from Conor O'Shea, Diarmuid O’Connor and Fionn McDonagh meant that Mayo went in at the break just the minimum in arrears.
INTELLIGENCE
Throughout the half both teams favoured the use of the long ball. Raking, accurate and diagonal punts were frequently won by the respective inside lines.
In Mayo’s case, Jason Doherty continuously showed in front.
Though he is new to this level, Aiden Orme displayed great intelligence at times and will, with further exposure to the inter-county game, become a bigger threat.
O’Donoghue’s work rate, beaverish commitment and finishing was a big feature on the day.
Never afraid to get stuck in, it was nonetheless his accuracy from placed balls and his cuteness in winning vital frees that saw Mayo over the line. A return of one goal and six points speaks of a healthy day’s work.
The refreshing willingness of both teams to attack added to the spectacle.
And though this all-out attacking intent dropped somewhat in the second half, exchanges never flagged nor lacked intensity.
Both teams had by this stage made significant changes, some tactical and others enforced.
Seeing Eoghan McLaughlin helped from the field late in the first half was a sickening moment.
Just back after a broken jaw, we all hope that this latest setback will not be as serious as it appeared.
Aidan O’Shea came into the team after 25 minutes as a replacement for Stephen Coen, who never seemed comfortable in his role as a midfielder.
O’Shea, as he did against Donegal, made an immediate impact and provided a wonderful defensive shield throughout. But collectively, the work rate, energy levels and commitment moved to another level entirely.
Diarmuid O’Connor foraged far and wide, covering gaps, linking play, executing tackles and being an all-round intelligent presence.
I had spoken recently about his apparent loss of appetite for the game; last Sunday, his display reminded everyone that he will be a vital presence again this year.
O’Hora’s first half looseness was replaced with as tenacious and tight marking a performance as one could wish for after the break.
Unsparing in his support for others, some of his tackling and willingness to commit for the ball made those of us looking on wince.
Hennelly executed some fine interceptions and showed great decisiveness in attacking high ball. His collision with Conor McCarthy will remain one of my game highlights.
Keegan was Keegan; supporting colleagues and cutting off dangerous attacks. He gets better with age.
And yet it was fitting that the crucial score should fall to Jason Doherty.
Three scores was the total return by the 17th minute of the second period. In Mayo’s case, I felt that a reluctance on the part of some to take on the responsibility of a shot when opportunities arose was the reason for this.
That extra pass, blocked attempt and wrong decision had indeed become the narrative of the half until Doherty struck.
The move was fluent, the passes timely and Doherty’s composure commendable as he slipped the ball beneath Beggan for the game's defining score.
In his two outings to date, he has reminded everyone of his quality and importance to the side. The one-point advantage gained with this strike prevailed.
From then on, through a combination of excellent defending, intelligent game management, a marvellous last minute stop by Hennelly, and judicious and timely substitutions, Mayo did enough to see the game through to a winning conclusion.
The two points gained here were fully deserved and may prove very important in the long term.
With Dublin next up in just under two weeks’ time, Mayo have every right to approach this game full of confidence and belief.