1996/99
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LEITRIM LOOM AS MAYO DISPOSE OF CARLOW
GAA
11 February 1998
Church and General National Football Lg Division 1 Round 4
Mayo 0 - 14 . . . . . . Carlow 0 - 4
By John Melvin
As a man not unfamiliar with the household chores, I can feel reasonably safe in drawing the comparison that Mayo's performance in Charlestown on Sunday was a bit like the work that has to be done in the kitchen; The Mayo backs and midfield had the washing-up and drying done, but up front they were never quite sure whose turn it was to put away the dishes.
At the end of the day it was all about collecting points; these two now put Mayo joint top with Laois on 7 with Galway, Leitrim and Louth ominously lurking very close on six apiece. It is still a five horse race for the two places.
But if you were a betting man you would be inclined to put your money on Mayo to make it through. Of course there were deficiencies in their play; several promising moves were not finished, and there was the almost now customary high percentage of wides, sixteen to be exact.
But on a day not helped by a a swirling wind, I would not get too excited about the high number of wides, and I would still subscribe to the theory that twenty wides from a winning team any day is better than just one from a losing team. There is logic hidden there somewhere.
But it hardly escaped the 2,500 who turned up in Charlestown, that despite the old failings up front, this is a team exuding confidence and in total control, although those strong points must be viewed in the context of a Carlow team that was only a mere shadow of the side that had played before going on strike to support their now departed manager, Bobby Millar.
The confidence was never more evident in any area than the backline.
Any one of four defenders would have laid claim to a man of the match' award such was their assuredness on the ball and their support play, but if you were forced to come down in favour of an individual, Fergal Costello would be my personal preference. The Ballinrobe player's excellent form for Connaught continued to shine through in this game.
But John Casey, despite a few wayward clearances had a very solid game, as did Kenneth Mortimer, while James Nallen and Noel Connelly were always in control, while Pat Holmes, is still keeping a tidy house in the absence of Kevin Cahill and Peter Burke was tested only once when he had to commit himself to one high ball.
Mayo were well in control of matters at midfield, David Brady carrying the biggest burden of the work on this occasion, although Pat Fallon is shaping up like a player who is holding his best for more demanding tasks.
Martin Carney's hand does appear to be putting some shape on an attacking formation. There was some good ball played into space and Mayo forwards, particularly Nestor and Horan, were showing for the ball, while Colm McManamon has improved his distribution enormously. The chances were certainly being created, but not always availed of.
But Carney, a defender who found a new lease of life in attack, can only advise. He can't kick the ball between the posts.
But there has been progress. James's Horan's contribution of 0-4, and all well engineered and well taken points, was matched by his industry while Maurice Sheridan put a disappointing first half behind him to prosper in the last twenty minutes.
We got some of the best and the worst from Liam McHale. A couple of bad wides, and then he suddenly kicks a superb point, with nonchalant ease on the left peg to leave his equal divided number of admirers and detractors scratching their collective head. He was on basketball duty on Saturday night in Dublin and that does take a toll both mentally and psychically.
But it is the difficulty of filling the full-forward position that continues to trouble Mayo and until that is sorted out it is going to be very difficult to solve the other parts of the puzzle. Declan Sweeney got enough ball to make an impression but he failed to deliver.
In the absence of a natural full-forward, it may yet come down to Kieran McDonald. Rumours that the Crossmolina player had left the squad, having failed to turn up for training last week, and being marked absent for Railway Cup duty with Connaught, were quashed with his introduction for the last quarter along with Sean Carey.
At that stage Mayo were 0-9 to 0-3 clear, having turned over five points to the good at half time- 0-7 to 0-2.
They were seven hard earned points, three of them coming inside the opening twenty minutes from McHale, and two from Horan, before Benjy O'Brien got Carlow off the mark in the 20th minute with a pointed free.
SPURT
Mayo put on a spurt before the break and had their best goal chance when Nallen, McHale and Sheridan combined sweetly to set up Sweeney but he was well off target.
Horan, who was beginning to blossom, Sheridan with a superb fifty, Horan again and Costello completed Mayo's first half tally, the only interruption in a four point sequence being Qillie Quinlan's pointed free from the hands in the 27th minute for Carlow.
Although Quinlan picked off an early point for Carlow three minutes into the second half, they failed to score again until virtually the final whistle.
Sheridan with two frees pushed the lead to six and then Brady and Nestor combined with the latter finding Sheridan with a superbly judged long ball but the Balla marksman was bundled over in the square.
At that stage a point was as good as a goal, but I would safely say Sheridan intended his placed effort for the back of the net but it was always rising.
That pointed penalty pushed the gap to seven and fine individual effort from Sheridan made the game safe when the gap went to eight points going into the last quarter.
Sheridan and McHale, nonchalantly on the left foot, having missed two easier chances, and another Sheridan free completed the Mayo scoring as manager John Maughan, curtailed in his customary sideline patrolling due to back problems, ran his bench and pondered what lies ahead and the unlikelihood of picking up two easier points in the three remaining games. The story continues in Ballina on Sunday where Leitrim will provider a much sterner test for a team parading 12 of those who first took to the filed on All-Ireland Final day.
Mayo: P. Burke, K. Mortimer, P. Holmes, F. Costello (0-1); J. Casey, J. Nallen, N. Connelly, P. Fallon, D. Brady, J. Horan (0-4); L McHale (0-2); C. McManamon, D. Nestor, D. Sweeney, M. Sheridan (0-7). Subs: K. McDonald for Sweeney, S. Carey for McManamon, R. Connelly for Costello.
Carlow: J. Kearns, N. Sheedy, A. Gorden, B. Farrell, J. Hughes, B. Hannon, C. Kelly, R. Donnelly, S. Kavanagh, N. Doyle, J. Nevin (0-1); P. Nolan, D. Treacy, B. O'Brien (0-1); W. Quinlan (0-2). Subs: P. O'Dwyer for Hughes, D. O.Donoghue for Nolan, N. Bambrick for Sheedy.
Ref: J. Curran (Tyrone).
