Unconvincing Mayo face a daunting Croke Park mission

by Martin Carney, Mayo's firemost GAA columnist

IT was billed by many as the game that didn’t matter. A game that carried little importance.

A fixture that got in the way of preparation for the real thing - championship 2025.

Rumour had it that Donegal didn’t even submit a team for the programme, a further sign of the apparent disrespect they had for the occasion.

That patrons were charged €4 for said programme only added further insult.

As for the competition itself, was there ever a time when so many expressed as little interest in claiming the honour of being named league champions?

Those with sufficient points beforehand to guarantee top flight status seemed content to leave it at that.

Mayo, as is their right, held their cards close. Few pre-match murmurings about the game or its significance caught traction.

Kevin McStay appears to follow a simple philosophy: take what comes.

Winning, he knew, could bring them an extra fixture by way of a league final.

Aside, extending their unbeaten run would be a useful tool going into championship. Losing, on the other hand, wasn’t going to cause much hand-wringing provided it didn’t open the trap door to Division 2. Being briefed and primed for championship was all that mattered really.

As things turned out, this was a pretty bizarre occasion. With access to the other games as they happened, we were all aware of Mayo’s plight as it lurched from one extreme to the other.

With five minutes to play, relegation seemed our lot as fixtures elsewhere had Galway and Kerry primed for next Sunday’s decider.

Then late scores from Mattie Ruane and Ryan O’ Donoghue coupled to Colm Reape’s penalty save earned the team their ticket to Croke Park.

There are a number of ways to look at the outcome. If someone had told me after the round two defeat to Galway that Mayo would contest the decider, you would have questioned their judgement to say the least.

Then when we see a return of four wins and a draw over the past five games, why should we be surprised with this achievement?

Yet, truth is, this was an unconvincing display by Mayo against a second-string Donegal outfit where every one of their fringe members played as if their lives depended on it.

No doubt Jim McGuinness headed to the hills pleased that he hasn’t the hassle of playing a league final today and instead can use next weekend to prepare for the Derry clash. Added to this, he knows his squad has a greater depth to it than he imagined.

Kevin McStay, on the other hand, will have conflicting emotions. Whereas the continuation of the winning run is welcome, he must wonder what benefit the final with Kerry will provide.

When all’s said and done, it’s the championship game with Sligo that has now assumed prime importance.

Throughout the Donegal tie, he saw a team that played with so much promise a week earlier against Derry struggle. Restarts were erratic and didn’t provide the team with the source of possession needed.

It would be wrong to single out Colm Reape for this shortcoming. Midfield play was in general sub-standard. For a team with higher aspirations, they were second best in the air and in scraps for possession.

The half-back line looked porous. David McBrien was too often caught out of position in the second period in particular, when waves of Donegal attacks poured through the central channel. Sam Callinan seems short of energy at the moment.

Much of those expected inspirational thrusts from the half-back line aren’t there just now.

It looks to me that the never-ceasing demands of club, county and college football have taken their toll and a rest rather than game time might be in his short-term best interests.

Jordan Flynn, likewise, has dropped back a few notches from the wonderful standards we have come to expect. The reason? Same as Sam’s.

Still, there were sufficient players in tune with the demands of the game to steer the boat ashore. Jack Carney and Ryan O’ Donoghue between them accounted for one goal and nine points of the team’s total of 1-18.

Carney, in particular during the opening half, carried the game to Donegal.

Fetching some wonderful balls, he drove forward repeatedly and crowned this early dominance with a well taken goal on 16 minutes.

His provider? Yes – Ryan O’Donoghue. O'Donoghue was hounded and badgered in the opening period but to his credit made little of the attention and maintained his focus throughout.

Aside from the assist to Carney, he also provided the final pass to Frank Irwin for the first of his three points for the afternoon. His maturity and importance to the team was ever-present during the second half. That self confidence flowing from him right now is vital to the team’s welfare.

At half-time, with the cushion of a two-point lead after facing the elements, I thought it was simply a matter by how much Mayo would eventually win the game.

My optimism went unrewarded. Donegal dug in, denied Mayo space and, tellingly, broke repeatedly at speed.

Their return of one goal and 10 points was a fair return for their possession. Were it not for some heroic defending, by Donnacha McHugh in particular, relegation could have been Mayo's lot. His tackling, tracking and willingness to get forward relieved some very difficult moments.

That said, Donegal still had chances. A penalty save by Colm Reape denied them, while a thunderous drive rattled the Mayo crossbar.

In the end, without playing well, Mayo took the points.

However, a daunting task lies ahead against Kerry in Sunday’s league final.

All involved know that a repeat of this performance won’t do.