GAA
03 March 1999

MAYO BACK IN LEAGUE BUSINESS

John Melvin reports from Scotstown

Mayo 1-10 - - - Monaghan 0-6

A team that looked distinctly anaemic two weeks ago against Clare, took on a much healthier complection at Scotstown on Sunday where Mayo put in their best league showing this season to outclass Monaghan in all departments in this vigorously contested and entertaining Division I B National Football League tie.

This win for Mayo has killed two birds with the one stone. Their league future has been secured with virtually a guaranteed place in next years top sixteen Super League, while they have also greatly enhanced their prospects of making the play-off stages of the Church and General National football League.

A win over Meath in Crossmolina on Sunday week would send Mayo across the border to Down in search of a seat at the league quarter-final place stages, and, after the right result there would surely implant in John Maughan's mind a shot at the league title.

However, those are two big bridges further up the league road, but on this kind of performance in Scotstown, Mayo can look forwards with considerable optimism.

Collective Performance

Collectively it was as good a performance as we have seen from the team in quite some time with a very high work rate all round, while a number of individuals, who appeared to be going through a lean spell since Christmas, rediscovered their better form, with notable displays from Kevin Cahill and Kenneth Mortimer who were always in control on the full back line, Fergal Costello and the ever-impressive Alan Roche on the half back line were excellent. Gordon Morley and Aidan Higgins were under considerable pressure at times, but worked extremely hard on that left flank while James Nallen, doing his best work coming forward from defence, and Pat Fallon, who won a great deal of ball in the second half, got through a mountain of work at midfield, but it was the performance of Colm McMenamon, named at right half forward, but doing his best work picking up all the loose ball around the middle of the park, which really impressed most. The Burrishoole player was back to the kind of role he played in the first All-Ireland against Meath, and was without doubt the player in Monaghan that was most on the ball for the hour.

There was a significant improvement too up front. Michael Moyles, an honest labourer with a lot of potential, made his league debut at corner forward and will be back again. David Nestor, with his usual high work rate, finally got rid of the monkey on his shoulder, to score the goal he has been threatening to, and how well he took it, while Maurice Sheridan plucked out two wonderful points from play, to add to his three from frees, to give a well rounded performance.

James Horan put a frustrating first half behind him to win some good ball in the second half, but there is still some convincing to be done if he is to stay in the number fourteen shirt.

John Casey has had better games. He hit the crossbar with a rasper and had another scoring chance dropped just short, but he is still a dangerous half forward with the kind of pace that will threaten any defence.

Ciaran McDonald, sporting a new bleached blond look, came in for the last five minutes while Pat Holmes, now the old warrior of the defence, replaced Aiden Higgins ten minutes from the end.

But by that stage, the points were really in the bag, and indeed the game was made safe with fifteen minutes remaining, with Mayo owning the ball in the second half, as they played into a wind, which, unlike their performance, died somewhat.

Early Cushion

Inside eleven minutes Mayo had a 1-3 cushion, the goal superbly put away from fifteen yards by David Nestor.

John Casey's intended from a free to Horan bounced over all the heads, and fell nice inside the unmarked to Nestor who was quickly on his bike with a diagonal run before unleashing a powerful drive to the top corner form about fifteen yards.

Colm McMenamon had earlier registered Mayo's opening point from play after 5 minutes, and Sheridan knocked over his first free after Horan was fouled.

Sheridan made up for a bad miss with a fine point, Casey and Nestor involved in the move, before Peter McGinnity finally got Monaghan off the mark with a point in the 17th minute.

Larmer added a second point for Monaghan a minute later, and Burke was forced to make a rare save at the feet of Larmer, as Monaghan began to finally get more into the game and win some ball at midfield.

However, it was Mayo who asserted themselves with that wind to go in leading 1-5 to 0-3, Horan and Sheridan adding two further points, but it hardly seemed enough in view of the wind and a Monaghan side that hadn't really got stuck in.

However, they did get stuck in for the second half, and they were lucky to finish with fifteen men, but Mayo absorbed the pressure and, in fact, played much better into a dwindling breeze in that second half.

Nallen and McMenamon carried a lot of ball forward, while Fallon was rooting well at midfield while Costello and Roche pressed forward..

It was Mayo who scored first in that second half, Casey setting up Horan, who took his point well in the 42nd minute, and at that stage Mayo were really taking control all over.

Monaghan were making a lot of mistakes and were unable to really make any headway against Mayo's well organised defensive wall, shored up by the ever-presence of Nallen and McMenamon while Fallon was winning the midfield dogfight.

Sheridan added a free to push the gap to six points, and although Larmer provided Monaghan with their first sore after eighteen minutes into that second half, there was only one team really playing football.

One of the best moves of the match started by Nallen, and involving Nestor, finished with a good point from Moyles seven minutes from the end, and with five minutes to go, Sheridan's effort out on the wing, couldn't have been straighter between the posts had it come from a gun.

Monaghan had dropped the heads at this stage, unable to win enough possession to keep them in this game, although McGinnity tried to rallied his side with a good point, Mayo replied with Fallon, and Nallen on the burst with McMenamon taking the final pass to score point number ten with two minutes to go. But it was long since over for Monaghan before then.

Match Stats

Mayo Scorers: Maurice Sheridan (0-5-3f); David Nestor 1-0; James Horan 0-2; Colm McMenamon 0-2; Michael Moyles 0-1. For Monaghan: S. McGinnity 0-3; I.. Larmer and P. Duffy 0-1 each.

Mayo: Peter Burke, Kenneth Mortimer, Kevin Cahill, Gordon Morley, Fergal Costello, Alan Roche, Aidan Higgins, Pat Fallon, James Nallen Colm MacMenamon, Maurice Sheridan, John Casey, Michale Moyles, James Horan, David Nestor. Subs: P. Holmes for A. Higgins (51mts), C. McDonald for J. Casey (55mts).

Wides (8) Yellow Cards: Mortimer- Roche

Monaghan: Glen Murphy, Padraic McKenna, Dermot McDermott, Noel Marron, Edwin Murphy, Damien McKenna, John Conlon, Joe Coyle, Cyril Ronaghan, Darren Swift, Damien Freeman, Peter Duffy, Paul O'Connor, Declan Smyth, Stephen McGinnity, Ian Larmer. Subs: J Coyle for D. McKenna, P.McCaul for P. McKenna, C. Flanagan for McDermott

Yellow Cards: Swift and Coyle

Ref: E. Murray (Longford). Attendance 1,800 est.

I on the ball...

By John Melvin

MAYO CAN HAVE A POT AT THE LEAGUE TITLE

A National League title is not now beyond the reach of Mayo. It may well prove a valuable consolation prize for losing two All Irelands' but following Mayo's win over Monaghan on Sunday, they are now in with a very real chance of making the play-off's.

The team head for Manchester this weekend to play against Kerry in the annual invitation. Last year Kerry were in Manchester but Mayo failed to get off the ground due to weather conditions.

I'm sure John Maughan will be thinking over the weekend of the next match against Meath where a win would virtually assure them of a place in the knockout stages of the National League.

Mayo's place in next year's Super League seems virtually assured ,and is a fair achievement in itself given the lean period that team has gone through.

The perplexing thing about Mayo at the moment is their ability to go out last Sunday and really outplay outclass the opposition to win comfortably ad in some.

It was a team performance with a lot of individual flair and no shortage of commitment in any department.. Yet only two weeks previously they were at their worst against Clare.

It is difficult to explain, but practically the fifteen players on Sunday in Monaghan lifted their game to the kind of level we have come to expect from them.

Mayo players are beginning to realise no place is guaranteed and that some players will be under pressure to hold their places for the championship. That can only be a good thing. A few players have every reason to be looking over their shoulders.

When you consider that Maughan will have a pick from a handful of Ballina players in a few weeks time, the summer ahead may not be all that bad, but if the team played with the same passion as they did on Sunday, the Ballina players will have to fight hard and prove themselves again to win their places back. Again, a great position for a manager to be in.

However, one good league performance does not indicate a bright championship, and those who have followed Mayo football over the years know that just as we hit a high, they were well capable of hitting the lows.

But credit must be given where it is due, and they put in a creditable performance in Scotstown, albeit against a Monaghan team limited in ability and ideas, but Monaghan div have five points garnered.

The individual performances are well covered in my match report on the back page, and I will not cover old ground. Suffice to say to say, it was an encouraging performance which sets up two great final games against Meath (Crossmolina) and Down (away).

Mayo's league future looks very secure and they have every chance of making the play-off's, and if that happens, then surely a league title is on the agenda. A bit of silverware would not go astray and this team tam deserves some reward for four years of hard labour

Kildare look the strongest contenders for league honours at the moment, but Dublin will also be looking for a good run and Armagh too must be in with a clear shout.

If Mayo beat Meath in Crossmolina, and that could well be on the cards, then they will be heading for their final game against Down on eight points and in very strong position.

Derry, who are putting in a late charge, have to play Down on Sunday week, while Kildare will be expected to beat Monaghan at home. Meath and Kildare then meet in the final game, so other results could help Mayo. I can see Kildare and Mayo coming out of the division.

Points Table: Kildare 9;Meath 7; Mayo 6; Down 5; Monaghan 5; Derry 4; Clare 3; Laois 1

The final two rounds are as follows:

March 14th Laois v Clare; Kildare v Monaghan; Derry v Down; Mayo v Meath.

March 28th: :Laois v Derry; Monaghan v Clare; Meath v Kildare; Down v Mayo.

Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - March 1999