Mayo memories not a factor, says Meath’s Kelly

EVAN KELLY had a front row view when Mayo were left traumatised by Meath in the 1996 All-Ireland SFC final.

But the Drumree attacker doesn’t expect such horrors to haunt John Maughan’s team in their latest bid for championship honours.

Kelly was a coltish young forward on that Meath team eight years ago, up against the vastly experienced Dermot Flanagan and subsequently skipper Noel Connelly.

“I don’t remember much of it,” Kelly admitted yesterday.

“Coyler [Colm Coyle] launched a massive equalising point that got us out of jail. We were lucky that day but we knew we wouldn’t let the second chance slip.”

That they certainly did not. Mayo fought like tigers after their onfield general Liam McHale saw red along with Coyle minutes into the replay, but in the end they fell short by the smallest of margins.

David Brady and James Nallen lined out for the Connacht champions that year and again for the three-point defeat by Kerry 12 months later.

It’s taken seven years for the county to get back to the biggest stage of all, but Kelly isn’t concerned by such a break.

“No, I don’t really feel ’96 or ’97 will have all that much influence. This is probably the third Mayo team since that time, even if they have a few survivors like James Nallen still there.

“Those boys won’t have forgotten those games but you can use it positively or negatively or even not at all. A lot can be made of those sorts of things before big games but once the match starts it should never enter a player’s head.”

Kerry’s appetite for redemption can’t be questioned either, as Kelly explains.

“John Maughan has been there twice and he’ll be determined not to be on the losing side again on Sunday afternoon. Mayo will be hungry, but so will Kerry after the last two or three years. It’s the old cliché but it’ll all be on the day.

“Mayo have looked the part all year, especially in Connacht. We played them in a challenge game in Ratoath before the championship and they absolutely hammered us. We were wondering were we that bad or were Mayo that good.

“It turned out Mayo were that good. They were brilliant that day and they’ve probably played the best football of any team so far this year.”

For all that, Kelly is hedging his bets.

“It’s a hard game to call. All year people have been getting their predictions wrong, especially in big games with big teams. Kerry are the fancied side and I’d go for them despite the surprises so far. Mayo have found it hard to deliver in Croke Park before.”

Maybe memories aren’t so vague after all.