Christy O'Connor: Mayo got so much right but same key issues remain

Mayo are so close. But still looking for that cigar.

NEVER FAILS TO DELIVER: A section of the 16,870 attendance at Dublin v Mayo at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon. Pic: Ray McManus, Sportsfile

Mayo go close but still no cigar 

When Colm Basquel pushed Dublin three points in front early in the second half in Hyde Park, the fear was that another third-quarter surge from Dublin would leave Mayo with too much to do. Again. 

Memories of Dublin’s third-quarter blitz in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final were still fresh in everybody’s memory, but Mayo made sure that trend wasn’t extended.

The excellent Tommy Conroy responded with a point straight off the Mayo kickout before Matthew Ruane reduced the margin to one off a turnover from the next phase of play. When Conor Loftus levelled up the match in the 44th minute, that score also stemmed from a turnover, of a Dublin shot dropped short. By the end of the third quarter, Mayo had outscored the Dubs by 0-6 to 0-5.

Mayo’s bravery was exemplary in how they consistently pressed Dublin, going man-for-man all over the field. Mayo sourced 0-8 off turnovers, but they were also controlled off their own kickout, mining 0-9 from Colm Reape’s restarts.

Most of Dublin’s damage, though, was created off kickouts, sourcing 0-2 off Reape’s kickouts and 0-10 off Stephen Cluxton’s kickouts, including the decisive equalising score from the outstanding Cormac Costello, who nailed 0-4 from five shots from play, along with having two assists.

Mayo had pressed high and hard on Cluxton for that last kickout but Ciarán Kilkenny, who was massively influential in the second half, superbly fetched the long restart. 

From the moment Kilkenny caught the ball and fed Jack McCaffrey – who also had a huge impact when introduced – until Costello fisted the ball over the bar, it had taken Dublin just 13 seconds to save the match and ensure an All-Ireland quarter-final.

Mayo were devastated not to have won but this was their best performance of the season, and their best championship display against a big gun since the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin. 

Mayo got so much right but when they analyse the match again they’ll realise how those same key areas are still costing them; Mayo’s conversion rate was 60% compared to Dublin’s 68%; Dublin nailed all of their placed balls; Mayo scored seven of their nine.

Close. But still looking for that cigar.

Tyrone finally go back-to-back 

In the aftermath of Saturday’s Cork-Tyrone match, Brian Dooher spoke about Tyrone’s desire to win successive championship matches for the first time in an age. Tyrone hadn’t managed that feat since 2021 but they were also desperate to find the consistency which had been seriously missing since that All-Ireland winning season. Prior to Saturday, Tyrone’s win-rate in the championship in the past three seasons was just 38%

It was set up for Tyrone to finally arrest that trend, especially when this was the first time in an age that Cork went into such a big match with the kind of hype and expectancy that this group haven’t been used to.

OFFLOAD: Tyrone's Darragh Canavan gets his pass away despite the attentions of Cork's Daniel O' Mahony Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Dealing with that pressure was a whole new challenge but Tyrone posed different challenges all afternoon. Tyrone were just more clinical throughout, ending with a 78% conversion rate. 

Tyrone were also devastating off their own kickout, mining a colossal 1-13 from that source. After Cork had done so much damage off turnovers in the first half, Tyrone protected the ball much better after the break, limiting Cork to just one point from turnovers in that period.

Tyrone eventually just wore Cork down, which was neatly encapsulated in the epic battle between Daniel O’Mahony and Darragh Canavan. O’Mahony won four turnovers from ball played into Canavan in the first half but Canavan gradually got on top, ending the match with 0-4 from play and one assist.

Job done, for the second game in a row. Sweet.

Offaly earn their respect – from inside and out 

When Tommy Rooney from ‘Off the Ball’ interviewed Offaly’s Brian Duignan after Saturday’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final, Duignan began by speaking about the 32-point hiding Offaly suffered at this stage of the competition last year against Tipperary, and how motivated they were to make sure that didn’t happen again.

“A lot of it was to do with getting a bit of respect around the country, that we’re not going to be a team that gets walked over,” said Duignan. “We finally put in a performance against a big team that we can be proud off.” 

They did but Duignan also spoke about how that thirst for respect was as much an internal quest as an external one. “With the crowds that the U20s pulled, we were playing Division 1 league earlier in the year in front of a couple of hundred people and were going, ‘What do people think of us?” he said.

“We said, if we really give them something now, they’ll follow us next year. When the (chant) ‘Ooh-fall-yah’ started coming, we felt like the U20s. We were the big dogs for once. It was unbelievable.” 

Offaly will be thrilled with the performance in the circumstances, especially when they assess some of the key metrics. They could have had six goals. They had 39 shots. Offaly only turned the ball over just once less than Cork. 

Just as importantly, Offaly mined 2-12 from turnovers, which was just one less point than Cork mined from the same source. 

Given the dominance Cork had exerted on their own puckout throughout stages of the Munster championship, Offaly limited Pat Ryan’s side to just 1-6 off their own restart.

Ahead of next year’s Leinster championship, Offaly proved to themselves that they will be more than competitive if they can maintain those levels. And they also showed it to their own supporters.

Derry finally able to breathe in easily – for now 

With ten minutes remaining in Newry on Saturday evening, Westmeath appeared to have all the momentum at just the right time after hitting three unanswered points to reduce the margin to one. Derry were desperately lunging for the line, aching for the final whistle, but they finally found some respite and a way out of the misery with a goal from Emmett Bradley.

Westmeath threw everything at Derry but they just don’t have the scoring power to trouble the teams above their level. Derry’s conversion rate was only 39% but it was still enough to win by four points.

Derry still haven’t arrested their chronic collapse in form but this was never about the performance and all about the result. Nobody illustrated their search for that missing something more than Shane McGuigan. 

After looking like the best forward in the country last year and earlier this season, McGuigan failed to convert any of his four shots from play. In the second half, McGuigan just about managed to nudge a close-in free over the crossbar.

This was always going to be a struggle and an ordeal for Derry. For the second game in a row, Mickey Harte didn’t even have their full quota of 26 players to pick from after injuries had decimated the squad. 

Confidence has still clearly been contaminated but it was all about the result for Derry to stay alive. For how long more in this championship, who knows? 

They can worry about that later. For now at least, Derry can breathe in the sweet air of a first championship victory in 2024. Finally.