Not a good day for Cork management
They have travelled some road since requiring extra time to see off London in Ruislip. Their appetite yesterday for a battle and their physicality stunned Cork who possibly were looking a bit further down the road.
They found it is nigh impossible to step up a level mid-game. However, James Horan can now no longer play the beál bocht as everyone is now starting to realise just how good Mayo actually are.
What impressed me most about the Connacht champions was their excellent defence. Horan has introduced a heretofore absent pride in back play to his team. Previously they were happy to engage in a shoot out and hope they had enough up front. Not anymore. This new element was most evident in a frantic second half when, staggeringly, they kept a misfiring Cork attack scoreless and limited the Rebels to one point from John Miskella.
Paul Kerrigan and Donncha O’Connor were the only other Cork players to score from play. Mayo obviously do a lot of one on one defensive work in training as they were very comfortable facing their direct opponent.
Keith Higgins, Ger Cafferkey and Trevor Mortimer in particular defended excellently as they ushered Cork men down cul de sacs without fouling.
At the other end, they should have scored more and while in the ascendancy they ought to have put Cork away. They lacked composure and possibly confidence as they dropped ball after ball into Alan Quirke’s hands.
However the confidence they will garner from this victory and some forward coaching from Horan (who himself was an excellent point kicker) means they are unlikely to repeat the mistake next day out.
Andy Moran was outstanding at full-forward. He showed repeatedly for ball, most of which he won and used wisely. Michael Shields struggled to get a hand on him. Beside him Cillian O’Connor also excelled and kicked some wonderful frees. These duo will be a handful for any back line and will be occupying some of Jack O’Connor’s thoughts for the next week or two.
Cork, having been so impressive against Down, will be very disappointed at the tame manner of their exit. This was epitomised by having to resort to driving long frees into the square late on in the hope of snaffling a goal.
Ironically even though they did not play well, had Fintan Goold’s 55th minute shot gone the other side of the post, it could have been a different story.
I have stated on these pages in the past how essential midfield supremacy is to this Cork team. Their strong running game is based on being in possession and being on the front foot. This allows half backs to attack, Paddy Kelly to dictate and Pearse O’Neill to punch holes in the opposition rear guard. Yesterday Mayo won the midfield battle. Cork’s defensive deficiencies were exposed and Kelly was forced to operate very much on the periphery.
The O’Shea brothers were superb as they matched Alan O’Connor and Aidan Walsh in the air and trumped them on the ground. I was amazed Cork did not introduce Nicholas Murphy sooner than the 61st minute.
In general the normally sharp Cork management had a bad day at the office. I hate second guessing managements from the Hogan Stand as I have been there and know what it is like on the sideline when things are going against your team. Also the loss of three top class forwards meant that the strength of their bench was diluted, making it difficult to see where the required inspiration was going to come from.
However I would have tried different things at different times. If Murphy had anything in his legs I would have had him on five minutes into the second half. He would have caught ball which could have set the Cork machine in motion again. He would also have brought some much needed composure and leadership to the middle third. I thought it was a strange decision to take off Noel O’Leary. The fact he was on a yellow card might have come against him but he drove Cork on in the first half. Also Cork could have done with O’Leary on the field as the game became a battle and they needed their toughest men more than ever. I understand that they felt they needed to get Graham Canty in to inspire his ailing colleagues but Paudie Kissane should have made way rather than O’Leary as he was visibly struggling after badly losing Kevin McLoughlin for the Mayo goal.
Meanwhile Kerry will be delighted to have got a game under their belt again.
The main talking points from the game were Bryan Sheehan’s outstanding midfield display, the successful return of Paul Galvin plus Tomás O Sé and Darran O’Sullivan’s wonderfully improvised goal.
I have seen him do it in the past (usually overseas) and he definitely meant it. Jack and the lads will be hoping his hamstring strain is not significant as his current form makes him irreplaceable.
Mayo will provide a new and refreshing challenge for Kerry. The teams have changed considerably since the All-Ireland final of 2006 with Mayo only having half a dozen survivors. With their new defensive pride and their big men around the middle this one will not be as easy as it might at first seem for the Kingdom.
