Mayo disappointed again but this time there’s no return
AFTER the huge build up over the last number of months, Mayogalway was quite the anti-climax.
It may have been, by a distance, the most high profile football match of the weekend but it’s all relative and the game was only as important to those two counties as Carlow, Louth, Offaly and Wicklow’s games were to them. What was alarming when I watched the game back was the distinct lack of quality on offer in Castlebar, particularly given that I had come from a scorefest in Ballybofey, of all places. I wouldn’t question the cut and thrust or the passion, but you expect more from two Division One teams in fine conditions. The basics were executed very poorly at times. The opposite was the case in Ballybofey. Donegal hit 2-20, all but 0-3 from play. They had nine different scorers.
Cavan contributed to a very decent spectacle, posting 1-15 and fighting to the end. Donegal were a breath of fresh air and there’s been a significant change of approach from them. They played much more offensively and generally tended to keep four or five players in the opposition half. It was some of the best football we’ve seen from them since 2012 and the scores from Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan, Paddy Mcbrearty and Caolan Ward from distance were magnificent.
Michael Murphy (below) underlined why he’s one of the great performers in Championship football, a marauding monster who plays that role down the middle so well. He made several powerful runs and chipped in with 0-6.
Ryan Mchugh played as an out and out forward for most of the game and eliminated two or three Cavan players in doing so, while Frank Mcglynn dropped back to sweep. They’ll have a say in this Championship yet. It was amid this backdrop that I sat down to watch Mayo-galway on Sunday evening. I felt Mayo should have been out of sight after 10 minutes but they kicked some really bad wides, some of the schoolboy variety. To have 11 wides in such a tight and intense game was always likely to be costly.
Four points from play from the starting forwards just isn’t enough. There’s also a serious issue with discipline, which cost them twice last year. Diarmuid O’connor got a rush of blood to the head and that, along with their shooting, did for Mayo.
I was perplexed by the decision to replace Andy Moran late on. He looked fresh and hungry, even allowing for the couple of wides he kicked in the second half.
Donal Vaughan is a good player but why would you replace your main forward in injury time with the match in the balance?
Similarly, David Drake coming on for Conor Loftus prior to that didn’t add up for me.
Kevin Mcloughlin was immense and, along with Keith Higgins, took the fight to Galway. So too did Tom Parsons before his horror injury and I wish him all the best in his recovery.
Moran did his bit with a couple of points but too many others were found wanting.
Galway were poor for much of the game and have their bench to thank for getting over the line. Three of the subs were involved for Johnny Heaney’s winning goal, a brilliant move.
How much more is in Galway? They certainly need to tweak a few things if they are to make an impact against top opposition in this Championship as they were certainly there for the taking on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Mayo’s confidence looks shot. You can’t write them off in terms of getting on a run, but the All-ireland? Not a hope.