Any kind of win in Tralee would send Mayo GAA fans home happy

by Martin Carney, GAA's foremost columnist

AFTER enjoying the first break in this year’s league over the weekend, action resumes this evening with Mayo’s trip to Tralee for a joust with Kerry.

More of that anon; before that, there’s no harm in indulging in a brief bout of reflection on the two games to date.

It has been an encouraging start to the league, with full points accrued.

A perfect start, with wins over Galway and Dublin, should leave Mayo in confident mood.

For many supporters the results came wrapped in a surprise package. Why that is the case, I don’t know.

With most of last year’s panel to choose from, Mayo had every right to approach the competition with confidence.

To date, as it is, nobody can fault the application shown nor the desire on the part of the team to start the season on a positive note.

In both their outings an insatiable work ethic as much as anything has been the common feature defining their displays.

Early season or not, there is a real sense of purpose about Mayo. Clear evidence of their hectic pre- season preparation is there for all to see and has provided the foundations for their wins to date.

None of us expected the one-way traffic that transpired against Galway. In some ways Mayo’s superiority was magnified by the poverty of the opposition on the day.

Galway looked ill-prepared and indifferent to the task at hand. Surprisingly, Mayo were given the freedom of Pearse Stadium for the first time in living memory. Still, the points were welcome and the successful start a bonus.

Building on the winning start and getting a home win were important against Dublin. In a packed calendar, amassing full points on home turf eases matters later in the league.

It’s fair to say that on the night Dublin looked the better team for periods.

Stubbornly defensive when required, they deployed in a manner that made a recurrence of their poor defending evident against Monaghan unlikely.

Breaking with purpose and showing admirable efficiency in front of goal (not a single wide in the opening half), they largely dictated the tempo and flow of the game.

Yet Mayo stayed in touch throughout. Equally stingy as their opponents at the back and industrious around the middle, they clung to Dublin’s coat tails.

But, by his own admission, Kevin McStay recognised that certain aspects of the performance didn’t reach the expected standards.

Too often forward play was laboured. The supply lines, I felt, positioned themselves too deep, resulting in an irregular supply to the full-forward line.

Support for this sector was patchy at best. Handling in attack at times was sloppy and in the second period in particular, some of the decisions taken on the field didn’t help.

Why, for example, was Ryan O’Donoghue relieved of his place-kicking duties when free kicks were within his range?

Nonetheless, the body language, sense of self-belief and willingness to endure to the last deserve honourable mention.

Perseverance was the key. Continuing to strive to win a game against a team of Dublin’s pedigree, even when playing below par, spoke volumes for all concerned.

Management made changes that made a difference; the culture they have created was manifest and the team, with a sizeable number of young players, oozed a real sense of ambition.

All of this will again be put on the line against Kerry later today.

So what can we expect from Kerry? Will Jack O’Connor prioritise a win here, not alone to make a statement against Mayo but to ensure that a second home defeat doesn’t become a reality? (Few foresaw their opening night loss to Derry, in fairness.)

FORETASTE

A foretaste of what’s to come became evident in their win over Monaghan with the introduction of the Clifford brothers, David and Paudie, plus Tadgh Morley, Paul Murphy and Adrian Spillane during the game. The manager had hoped, by his own admission, to delay their comebacks a little longer.

If, then, as I suspect, all of these start on Saturday, Mayo can expect a thorough examination of their credentials?

The Cliffords on their own have the footballing skills to make life a misery for the best. If one adds to that an in-form Sean O’Shea and the promising Joe O’Connor in midfield, we get a glimpse of the attacking power to expect.

For Kerry, solely on the basis as to how all the other Munster teams are performing, it’s exclusively by way of tough league games that they will experience the required levels of football needed to prepare for championship.

Cork, traditionally their only likely speedbump in Munster, look completely off the pace on the evidence of their opening league games.

Losses to Donegal and, in particular, Louth would suggest a team that is too far adrift and has too much ground to reclaim to topple the Kingdom.

Mayo, in the past few weeks, have shown a legitimacy that suggests the promise of a good performance and a repeat of their success last May against the same opponent.

Defensively they have displayed tenacity, collective understanding of each other’s play and an ability to counterattack with pace.

Without a goal conceded – indeed without any goal chances offered to date – there is an expectation that we are witnessing the beginning of what can become a defensive dynasty over the next few years.

Coyne, McBrien, Callinan, Brickenden, McLaughlin and McHugh are in their early 20s, while experienced captain, Patrick Durcan, and his predecessor Stephen Coen have long careers still ahead.

How they will cope with a fired-up Kerry attack will be an acid test and go a long way towards identifying who will form the starting championship back line.

Figuring where best to deploy Bob Tuohy, Jordan Flynn and Jack Carney remains one of the challenges management face.

Carney was solid and influential against Dublin from the central position.

Flynn has grown into a player of huge importance to the team; midfield, in my opinion, is his natural footballing habitat.

Tuohy plays his best from here as well and though likely to be selected on the wing, I believe he will be given the licence to roam with purpose. Luckily he has the engine to facilitate this.

That said, Mayo's attacking sector quickly needs to assume a reputation for ruthlessness; an identity, if you like, where good decision making and efficiency in front of goal becomes their hallmark.

This is where most attention will focus.

Yet any kind of a win, smash and grab or otherwise, would send supporters home happy from Tralee.