Carney: Tony McEntee can provide missing link for Mayo

By Daragh Small

Former Mayo footballer Martin Carney believes the influence of coach Tony McEntee could shore up Mayo’s defence and be the difference in the big matches.

The former Armagh star has been drafted in an effort by new manager Stephen Rochford to end Mayo’s All-Ireland famine.

Mayo have not won an All-Ireland since 1951 and last season crashed out of their second successive replay in a semi-final.

Dublin hit them for 3-15 as the reigning five-time Connacht champions slumped to another disappointing exit at the latter stages of the championship.

Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly were later ousted after a player revolt and All-Ireland winning manager with Corofin, Rochford takes charge for the coming season.

The Crossmolina native has brought in an impressive backroom team and Tony McEntee will act as a selector and coach.

McEntee won two All-Irelands as a manager with Crossmaglen and also claimed five Andy Merrigan Cups as a player with the Armagh club.

He was part of the 2002 All-Ireland winning Armagh side that beat Kerry in the final, and he will be entrusted with creating a water-tight Mayo rearguard.

Armagh were the first Ulster side to impose the ultra-defensive gameplan on the championship, and former Mayo and Donegal star Carney believes McEntee’s knowledge of that system is key to Mayo’s hopes.

“The thing you know about Tony is he is coming from a county that has a great tradition in defensive football. And that is one of the issues that has let Mayo down in the recent years,” said the RTE pundit.

“They haven’t been clever enough in how they defend in the big games. And as a consequence they come out on the wrong side of the big results, but he can make a difference.

“You don’t know how it is going to go with the new management team, but it is encouraging to see a manager of Stephen Rochford’s calibre being appointed.

“He has great success with Corofin, and hopefully that bit of experience he has had winning All-Irelands with Corofin can transcend itself now into inter-county football.”

Mayo begin their 2016 campaign against NUI Galway at MacHale Park on Sunday.

Carney, a former captain of the Sigerson Cup side in the Galway university, was speaking at a fundraiser for their 2016 football team.