Mayo's proud 23-year League record ends with relegation
Mayo's Fionn McDonagh and Hugh Pat McGeary of Tyrone tussle. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
All good things must come to an end and Mayo’s proud record of being the longest-staying residents in the top-flight of the National Football League finally concluded on a wet and windy Sunday in Castlebar.
The Westerners haven’t been out of the top division since 1997, but they were unable to get the better of a well-drilled Tyrone side and crashed to their fourth defeat of this campaign.
The Red Hands’ deserved victory guaranteed their place at the top table again in 2021, and Mickey Harte’s men will have a pep in their step heading into next Sunday’s Ulster championship showdown against Donegal.
Mayo, however, will have to regroup ahead of their Connacht quarter-final clash with Leitrim next weekend.
“It was disappointing to lose the game,” admitted Horan afterwards. “Mayo have been on the edge for a number of years and fell the right side of it. It didn’t fall for us today but we put ourselves under pressure after the first number of games in the league.
“We didn’t play well, we didn't play well at all. If you look at the last two games, there’s a lot of good stuff there,” he continued. “So we’ll build on that, but whatever league it is next, it is not the end of the world whatsoever.
“It doesn’t impact on the 2020 championship, that’s for sure. We’ll be looking forward to Tuesday night and getting back on the road.”
Former Aussie Rules star Conor McKenna produced a man of the match display for Tyrone and finished with 2-2 while 20-year-old Darragh Canavan (who is a son of Tyrone legend, Peter) hit 1-1 on his league debut.
A goal from each of the aforementioned duo set the visitors on their way to victory and they led by 2-9 to 0-7 at the break after playing with a gale-force breeze.
The marauding McKenna also hit the net nine minutes into the second half to leave Mayo with a mountain to climb.
Last year’s league winners were behind from the 15th minute onwards but they finished strongly and Tommy Conroy’s goal in the 58th minute threw them a lifeline.
However, they were unable to draw level in the closing stages despite a string of late scores from substitutes James Durcan (3 frees) and Ryan O’Donoghue (2, one free) as Tyrone managed to just keep them at bay.
“We deserved the two points today,” said Mickey Harte afterwards. “We made great use of the breeze in the first half and that left us in a comfortable position, but knowing the strength of the breeze we knew it was going to be a different story in the second half.
“We knew that it was going to be a fight to the end which it was and that is what it turned out to be,” continued the Tyrone manager. “We are happy that we survived because Division 1 is the place to be.”
The sides had been level four times in the first quarter but Darragh Canavan, who wasn’t named in Tyrone’s original match-day squad, edged his side ahead by the first water break.
The first goal of the match arrived minutes after the restart as Tyrone’s Conor McKenna cracked a left-footed shot past David Clarke.
The visitors struck for their second goal in first-half stoppage time when Mattie Donnelly delivered an inch-perfect long-range delivery to Canavan and he finished with aplomb.
Tyrone deservedly led by eight points at the short whistle.
Mayo did cut the deficit with three rapid points after the restart from Darren Coen (2) and Mattie Ruane, but Conor McKenna’s second goal in the 44th minute, after he pounced on David Clarke’s mis-hit kick-out, was a watershed moment.
Mayo did battle to the bitter end but late Tyrone points from Darren McCurry and Conor McKenna proved decisive.
D Clarke; O Mullin, S Coen, L Keegan; P Durcan (0-1), K McLoughlin, E McLaughlin (0-1); M Ruane (0-1), C Loftus (0-1); D O'Connor (0-2, 1f), M Moran, B Walsh; T Conroy (1-3), A O'Shea, D Coen (0-5, 3fs).
: R O’Donoghue (0-2, 1f) for Moran (HT); F McDonagh for Walsh (HT); J Durcan (0-3, 3fs) for D Coen (55); P O’Hora for McLaughlin (55); P Towey for E McLaughlin (70+5).
N Morgan; L Rafferty, R McNamee, HP McGeary; T McCann, K McGeary (0-1), M McKernan (0-1); B Kennedy, M Donnelly (0-2); P Harte (0-3), C McKenna (2-2,1f), D McCurry (0-4, 3fs); M O’Neill, D Canavan (1-1), C Meyler.
F Burns for O’Neill (31); K Coney for Kennedy (49); N Sludden for Canavan (63); N Kelly for HP McGeary (67); R O’Neill for McCurry (70+1).
: N Cullen (Fermanagh)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
