ROCHFORD MUST RECONSIDER NOW

OWEN MULLIGAN reckons Mayo took a punt on an old Tyrone tactic against Kerry in Sunday’s semi-final draw – and it backfired.

Mulligan believes Stephen Rochford got it wrong by gambling on putting Aidan O’shea at full-back to nullify Kieran Donaghy.

The Tralee giant was involved in 2-6 of Kerry’s 2-14 scoreline and former Tyrone ace Mulligan can’t envisage Rochford taking a similar punt in Saturday’s replay.

“I wouldn’t be playing him at full-back,” said Mulligan. “Donaghy can play getting the ball on his chest or high.

“The last couple of games, he’s so good at laying off and I think it was a big mistake. I’d rather see O’shea up and down the field.

“I definitely do think he’ll change it. It seems that he didn’t trust any of his other backs to go on to Donaghy.

“He’s a top-class player but I would have played the sweeper – or maybe two sweepers. Kerry don’t just bomb the ball into him, he wins the ball out in front all the time as well.

“It will be interesting to see the next day but I think that he got it wrong.”

Mulligan remembers when Mickey Harte threw a tactical googly and put the Mcmahons – Justin and Joe – into the full-back line against the Kingdom in 2008 and they kept Donaghy and Tommy Walsh quiet.

He added: “Maybe that is what the Mayo management and backroom team thought with O’shea, that they could emulate Tyrone. But it didn’t work, unfortunately.”

However, Mulligan was also surprised with how brittle Kerry’s backline was against Mayo.

“The Mayo boys were getting the ball out in front no problem,” he said. “You have to get out in front if you are a defender.

“I just thought they were very loose and you only have to look at what they scored. They have a lot of work to do.”