Why Mayo hate being liked

A COLLEAGUE of mine who has graduated in such matters has often been heard to utter the phrase “ní hionainn dul go dtí tigh an rí agus teacht as” — going to the king’s house and coming out of it is not the same thing.

So it is with the National League football finals and finalists in recent years. Donegal in 2007, Derry in 2008 and even Kerry in 2009 found that getting to a league final and winning it can become the catalyst for a cycle of poor form which is very hard to arrest for the start of championship. Whether consciously or otherwise, teams that have won the last three league titles have emerged lethargic and leaden-footed on the other side.

Little wonder then, that John O’Mahony might have been reluctant during the week to oblige the sponsors and talk up tomorrow’s wrap to what has been an annual diminuendo at the end of each recent spring campaign.