Monday, August 10, 2009
ALL WEEK we heard "this is a different Mayo team". Indeed, many conversations even stretched to how Mayo would cope with another clash with Kerry after being mangled by them in the 2004 and 2006 All-Ireland finals.
However there was a few lone, foreboding voices hoping for a "mercy killing" by Meath on the basis they could not stomach another potential hiding by the men from the south-west.
If that is what they wanted, they got their wish, as Meath rightly took out Mayo with a high tempo and free scoring last 20 minutes that left Mayo high, dry and in dock for another season.
At the critical stage of the game, when championship games are won and lost, the Royals went through for 1-7, conceding a mere point at the other end before allowing Conor Mortimer to pop over two meaningless scores in rubbish time.
Mayo were leading by four points before they were blitzed, and once Meath got the scent of Mayo fear in their nostrils, there was only going to be one winner.
How did that happen?
Mainly because Mayo lacked intensity at the back, they defended poorly, and they were always under massive pressure in their full-back line from the power and height of Joe Sheridan and the scoring prowess of David Bray who shot 1-3. Brian Farrell also got three points, and Jamie Queeney who shot two fine scores on his introduction.
Tactically it was surprising that Mayo did not try and drop an extra defender back to try and plug a few gaps, but John O’Mahony was conscious of the threat of bringing the likes of Chris O’Connor into an offensive role.
Mayo’s Donal Vaughan was withdrawn and full-back Ger Cafferky was in trouble from flagfall with Meath scoring 1-14 from play and looking threatening throughout in the inside line.
Any high ball that went in caused consternation in front of Kenneth O’Malley as evidenced by the soft penalty they coughed up and O’Malley too was badly at fault for fisting an "easy take" which led directly to a Meath score.
The reality is, and it gives me no pleasure to type this sentence; there is no team in Connacht within an ass’s roar of contesting an All-Ireland final. Mayo have created an illusion of being one of the top teams by reaching the finals of 2004 and 2006, but like Galway, they’re miles off the pace as regards matching the top few teams in the country.
Last year they did run Tyrone close in the qualifiers, only going down by a point (0-13 to 1-9); however had they won that game, where would they have gotten to?
This year their hat-trick of championship victories were collected over New York, Roscommon and Galway, and facing a team gelled and hardened by four wins in the qualifiers was always going to be a tough task. Mayo should have made more hay when they were in the ascendancy in the first quarter and their four-point lead after the amount of possession they had was a poor return. No more than last year against Tyrone, Conor Mortimer had a great goal opportunity at a critical stage and instead of keeping the ball low and slipping it under Paddy O’Rourke, he blasted it over the bar. He did make a difference on his introduction but he is a point taker more than an out and out goal-getter.
Yesterday was the last time we will see James Nallen togged out with a Mayo senior jersey on his back and he may be joined by David Heaney who also owes his county nothing. Both men have been superb servants, but the Celtic Cross they strived for seems as far away today as it has at any stage in the past twenty years. For Nallen who played in the finals of 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006, yesterday was a sad way to end a gallant career. However if anyone stays around long enough, they will end up with a high number on their backs.
Eamonn O’Brien and his Meath team will take great confidence from their fifth successive win, but they face an enormous step up in three weeks. They are in a great place though; they’ll be written off by most. Stephen Bray should be back and that will provide even more options up front for an attack that was effective yesterday.
It is at the other end of the park they need to improve – Eoghan Harrington, Anthony Moyles, and Caoimhín King will all have to pick up their game to keep the fluid Kerry attack on a tight leash.
Every year is different, but this is still the same team – albeit with different management – that bowed out of the Leinster championship to Wexford and conceded 4-12 to Limerick in the qualifiers in 2008.
To believe they can turn that around in 12 months and overcome Kerry to reach a final is too much of a leap of faith for me.
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