DECISION TIME
Mayo need to get smart when it comes to making the right calls when the pressure is on
IN HIS long-time role as an RTÉ analyst, Kevin McStay was well used to putting together a highlights package of a particular match. Picking out the key moments or match trends that tilted a contest a particular way. Circling the areas of concern and suggesting a better way forward.
If he hadn’t swapped a Montrose studio for the sideline with his native Mayo, he would no doubt have been slicing and dicing the last 10 minutes or so of the second-round Football League fixture away to Armagh.
Chances are, the most salient points for his players have been talked through and worked through on the training field ahead of tonight’s home game against All-Ireland champions Kerry at Castlebar. Because if they haven’t, then Mayo are destined to repeat the same failings in terms of game-management and a lack of composure at big moments.
“Mayo’s heart and guts are not in question”
The heart and guts and character of this group has never been at issue – or the former groups who have pushed that All-Ireland rock uphill, only to be eternally stuck within sight of the summit.
Want an example of a team coughing up a match-winning position, and another having the clinical edge to snatch a draw, and you just have to rewind to round one when it was Galway who kicked the ball away under pressure right at the death for Ryan O’Donoghue to curl over a thrilling equaliser. Nothing wrong with the team’s nerve in that moment.
But, even by Mayo standards – and this is a team that somehow found a way to concede two own goals in an All-Ireland final while for the most part going toe to toe with a Dublin team at the peak of their powers – the endgame against Armagh was through-the-fingers viewing for fans.
Five points up with less than five minutes of regulation time remaining. Leading 0-17 to 0-12, having turned a two-point halftime deficit into what looked like a match-winning lead in McStay’s first away game in charge in the National League.
And so, to the anatomy of a Mayo disaster. Because the nuts and bolts of this one are worth going over if Mayo are going to gain the self-awareness to fix things.
Heading for the 67th minute then when goalkeeper Colm Reape comes up to arrow a free-kick over, Armagh work the ball upfield from the kick-out where a tug of a jersey is called by the referee on substitute Ross McQuillan. A soft free that Rory Grugan converts.
Mayo’s unravelling from there points to so many scrambled heads and such poor game-management. Reape goes long with a kick-out in light of a high press where it’s won by Armagh’s Callum Cumiskey cleanly.
Even when Mayo win a turnover, Aidan O’Shea is then caught in possession back in his own halfback line, leading on to a high ball into the square where Andrew Murnin very nearly beats Reape to the punch only for the ball to slide just wide – Armagh clearly going for goal.
Reape goes long again – O’Shea is a sensible target. Ethan Rafferty rises sky-high though and makes a brilliant catch. Leads on to another ball into the square and another goalmouth scramble.
Another ball out of defence is aimed at O’Shea but – clearly gassed at this point after a big shift – he is too slow again in gaining possession. Turnover. Jack Coyne picks up a yellow for a nudge in the back on Jarly Óg Burns, whose father Jarlath is on the live TG4 commentary, and Conor Turbett points. 0-17 to 0-14.
We’re now into the first of the six allotted extra minutes that go up on the board.
Finally, Mayo win possession by going short on their kick-out before a loose, sloppy handpass from Reape sees David McBrien foul Armagh No 3 Aidan Forker, who had the gumption to push that far forward.
A Mayo substitution – O’Shea off – as Rían O’Neill converts the 13-metre free. One way of running down the clock.
Another old trick – a second ball appearing on the field – as Reape takes his time. Finds his man down the middle. Again another turnover. Jack Coyne goes backwards, loses the ball in the tackle when a head up would have seen space out wide on the right.
Rory Grugan spots Murnin unmarked – incredibly – inside, only for the latter’s goal attempt to skim off the back of the diving Enda Hession. Deflects out for a 45.
So that’s three goal chances already coughed up in that short space of time.
Rían O’Neill – ice in his veins – converts the 45, reminiscent of his ballsy kick to equalise the All-Ireland quarter-final against Galway.
It’s the 74th minute now. Just one in it, 0-17 to 0-16.
Mayo win the kick-out, Matthew Ruane’s big play undercut somewhat when he hits the ground with that head/face injury that seems to occur when an inter-county player takes any sort of contact from his chest up. Even with the medic on the field, the referee isn’t falling for it. Allows play to continue.
When Stephen Coen goes short and the ball comes backwards, suddenly Ruane is back on his feet and links the play with a handpass.
Once more – unforgivably – the otherwise impressive Jordan Flynn aims a floaty handpass at Cillian O’Connor that fails to take into account McQuillan, who intercepts.
On we go again, the crowd by this stage in a state of high excitement.
Rafferty is out of goal and on the move. Burns goes storming down the left wing. Passes to O’Neill on
“Fans were in a state of high excitement”
the loop. Plays Rafferty through the middle, who gives a handpass away at the crucial moment – O’Neill puts his hands in his head as he slides to ground out of picture. He thinks it’s over. It should be. Rory Brickenden intercepts – Mayo go storming down the field with Armagh’s goalkeeper stranded and a four-on-four inside the opposition 65. Cillian O’Connor slows his run, gives it on to Eoghan McLoughlin. The former’s expression says it all – putting his own hands to his head in exasperation as he watches McLaughlin try an ambitious point attempt with the outside of his left boot from well left about 30 yards out – with Rafferty still not in shot.
Kicking it dead means that Armagh have exactly 30 seconds of the six allotted minutes of added time left to mount one last attack.
The TG4 camera pans to McStay who, to his credit, isn’t losing his mind when he could so easily have been having his own meltdown watching.
One final play, one final time for O’Neill to earn a free under a tackle from Conor McStay – it’s a loose arm in, minimal contact, but just enough to earn the whistle. Nails the free from outside the 20 metre line out on the left. Fergal Kelly blows it up. All that’s left is for the crowds to run on and gather in pockets around the box-office names like Aidan O’Shea and Rian O’Neill.
‘Definitely a point lost,’ said Ryan O’Donoghue, who did point out how they had stolen it against Galway the previous week. ‘We had umpteen amount of chances. We had three or four there near the end, just gave the ball away. Pretty silly. Lot to learn… That’s not going to cut it in Division 1.’ He’s right about that. They will need to show so much better game management tonight against the All-Ireland champions if they are going to earn the points.