Self-belief Fermanagh’s strength
The key to its approach will be a continuing belief in its own capabilities and the conviction the Connacht champions are not a better team.
“I know that they were a bit down after the draw on Sunday from talking to Charlie Mulgrew afterwards,” said Canavan, an analyst with BBC Radio Ulster.
“When they look at the video, they will realise what they could have done. I think that’s the way forward for them, the realisation that they can beat Mayo. They have no fear of them.
“They beat them in the qualifiers last year. Possibly it would be a different story if they were meeting a ‘bigger’ team, like Kerry.”
Contrary to the general feeling, Canavan said he expected Fermanagh to win, after beating traditional strongholds Meath, Cork, Donegal and last year’s All-Ireland finalists Armagh.
“I thought they should have won on Sunday. Towards the end of the game, they looked the only team capable of doing so. Only for some bad shooting and shooting from some crazy places they probably would have won the match.”
He praised Fermanagh management for the tactical approach it took, and that by putting ‘a marker’ on Kieran McDonald it prevented him from exerting the type of influence he had against Tyrone in the quarter-final.
Likewise, while brothers Conor and Trevor Mortimer looked dangerous in possession, they had been well marked.
“Fermanagh certainly had their homework done,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mayo selector Liam McHale said the experience of Sunday’s game would do the team “the world of good.”
Overall, he said the team was very tense - which he attributed to its inexperience at that stage of the championship. The big redeeming feature was the character it showed when the game reached its most competitive phase in the last quarter.
“We were disappointed with our display. We were very lucky to survive. We were just hanging on, praying from the sideline that the referee would blow the whistle,” he said.
“I thought our backs were fantastic for the last 10 minutes. They were getting in a lot of vital tackles, getting in ‘nudges’ - when fellows were shooting - and putting them off. The likes of Gary Ruane, David Heaney and James Nallen were superb. The reason why we are still in the championship is because of these fellows.
“Other than the fact that we showed such great character late in the game, it was a very poor performance by Mayo.”
While agreeing that the dismissal of wing-forward James Gill eight minutes into the second half had been a blow, McHale conceded the team had been experiencing difficulties before then.
“James is a huge part of our game-plan, he has a phenomenal work-rate,” he said.
“When he went off we knew we were in a bit of bother then. Some of the younger fellows put their heads down. But, we knew we were in a bit of bother before he was dismissed. We did lose the initiative a bit.
“Conor Mortimer was not his fluent self inside. We were trying a few different combinations (in the full-forward line). We had to get fellows out who were not doing well. It was just a struggle for us all day.
“We did not play well. I would put it down to tension. You could say that we were a bit overly worried because of what was at stake.”
Acknowledging that Mayo had been strong favourites to win the game, McHale wondered if that kind of expectation had been warranted.
“People say we are more experienced. We have four or five players that have played at this stage before, but the bulk of the team is from the U21 team, which lost to Mayo in the All-Ireland final three years ago. A lot of our players have not played at this level before.
“The word complacency would not be in it. It was just that we were so tense. We played like a team that was afraid to win. The public expectations were there. People felt we had a great chance of winning, like we felt ourselves. Obviously you don’t win semifinals easily.
“That was evident on Sunday.”
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