And it’s Kingdom next for Tribe
Everyone in the stadium knows the game is over, but there are no white -towels in GAA.
That was the luxury afforded to James Horan yesterday as he withdrew the likes of corner-back Tom Cunniffe, who was outstanding all through, wing-forward Kevin McLoughlin, 0-3 in an accomplished display from wing-forward, and James Burke.
Mayo only led by 1-7 to 0-7 at half-time, however they came out and battered Galway in the third quarter, and roared into a 12 points lead at their ease.
At 2-13 to 0-7, even the most partisan Mayo supporters were growing troubled about how easy things were going in their favour.
Mayo won every line on the field with comfort for those 25 minutes and they were never going to be caught after that. They won pulling up.
Alan Dillon at centre-forward set up most attacking plays against a clearly out of position Finian Hanley, and NUIG Sigerson player Jason Doherty took his two goals superbly. How he was allowed solo 30 yards down the middle of the Galway defence for his first one, is a question that must be addressed.
Ger Cafferkey was busy and solid at centre-back, and Richie Feeney also impressed at number five. Andy Moran won a world of ball on the edge of the square and always put himself in a good position to receive a pass.
As usual, Galway were living on scraps at midfield where Ronan McGarrity was the dominant force. Eventually, Tomás Ó Flatharta had to act and he replaced Paul Conroy with Diarmuid Blake. It changed little. Galway are no nearer to a solution to their midfield woes than they were the day Kevin Walsh retired from football.
Galway travel to Kerry next day out, and follow that up in round five with a visit from Cork’s team of footballing giants. They have Dublin in Pearse Stadium in the final round. Those fixtures do not bode well for the Tribesmen, and anyone with a betting slip that reads Galway 5/2 to be relegated from the first day of the season looks certain to cash in.
Assuming that is what happens; it will take some major transformation, rejuvenation and improvement on the training field to see how there will be a change of result when Galway and mayo clash in the championship in Castlebar on the last Sunday in June.
Mayo were full of running, committed to the cause and worked exceedingly hard as a unit. Similar to Fine Gael in that county last Friday, they were a team with a plan and the know-how to carry it out. They have the personnel to be genuinely ambitious about going somewhere in the next season or two. A little bit more steel in some spots and they would rattle most teams.
COMPETITION for placeswill be intense over the nextfew months and when you consider that the likes of powerful newcomer Alan Freeman, Keith Higgins, Trevor Howley, Trevor Mortimer, Seamus O’Shea and David Clarke are all still unavailable, they will be a strong outfit with lots of options when they have a full hand to play with.
Mayo have been far more successful than Galway at minor level and U21 over the past four years and that is starting to show itself in the senior ranks. Some of the disillusioned Galway fans walking out of Tuam yesterday muttered how things would be better when (and if) Michael Meehan, Padraic and Nicky Joyce are back in the forward division.
Being realistic, there is no guarantee that Meehan will return to his brilliant best in June and July after almost 12 months out of the game through injury. Padraic Joyce will be 34 this April and as the weeks go by, the chance of Nicky Joyce reappearing decrease. Regardless of the holy trinity reappearing or not, unless Galway can compete at midfield, it will be irrelevant, because they won’t get any supply.
Based on the evidence on view yesterday, Mayo are in a far better place at senior level than their near neighbours and have a more realistic chance of staying in Division One and going on to contest a Connacht championship this summer.
Galway will be relegated. And whether they can turn things around a bit for the championship remains to be seen.
I for one, doubt it.
