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GAA News 13 November 1996


Vital Point Keeps Mayo Hopes Alive
by Sports Editor John Melvin

Mayo 0 - 10 ------ Dublin 0 - 10

A half a loaf is always better than no bread, especially when your starving, and when the final points tally is being made, this point, and a point gained rather than one lost is how I would view it, could be critical when decisions have to be made about who goes where and who stays put in the league next season.

Maurice Sheridan, who missed an easy free moments earlier more then compensated for such an untypical miss when he kicked the most difficult of frees from the hands from all of fifty yards to snatch a deserved draw for Mayo and send the large Mayo contingent among a crowd of around 6,000 at Castlebar on Sunday, home in reasonably good fettle.

Sitting mid-table with three points from three games is better than languishing at the bottom. Given the disruption to the team following the seven suspensions, things could be a lot worse and the Connacht champions are still in with a chance of getting back into division one football next season.

However, as John Maughan admitted "We could have won this one", and that is the most annoying part about losing, knowing you could have won. But Maughan also accepted Mayo could just as easily have lost it but for Sheridan's point with Dublin pressing hard in a tense final ten minutes.

Dublin manager Mickey Whelan also went away reasonably happy having salvaged something from this trip to McHale Park. The Dubs are finding points hard to come by and are still searching for a win.

Erratic

That search looks destined to continue given the erratic nature of this performance and Whelan faces an uncertain future with a team that is only a very pale shadow of what we have come to expect. Their championship could be a short one. But they still have the basic frame to build on and the performances of Ciaran Walsh, Paddy Moran, Dermot Harrington, Brian Stynes, Paul Clarke, Des Farrell, Charlie Redmond and Ciaran Whelan were encouraging. In fairness, and similar to Mayo, Dublin were not at full strength, but of the two managers, John Maughan found much more to comfort him facing into a long winter than his Dublin opponent.

Maughan knows he has seven of his first team still in the sin-bin; he knows he will have Liam McHale back in time to give his side a fighting chance of picking up two points in their final game before Christmas against Louth; He knows his backs are literally his best line of defence as once again all six, along with substitute Ray Connelly, played some quality football.

However, what he also knows is that the attack once again came up short while midfield is surviving with a struggle, despite Pat Fallon's work rate which was nothing short of impressive. On this occasion Mayo's wastefulness wasn't as costly as in Portlaoise where two very valuable points were spurned, but there were enough chances on Sunday for Mayo to have won this game. Dublins' problems were compounded when they were reduced to fourteen men three minutes into the second half.

Eamon Heery seemed determined to test the resolve of referee Pat Casserly, who had a very good game. The Dublin half back had been warned in the first half for a kick. When he gave Maurice Sheridan a deliberate shot into the midriff right in front of the linesman, and the press box, the Westmeath official did not shirk his responsibility in dispatching the Dublin player.

It gave Sheridan a free rein which he fully exploited but Dublins defence must be give credit for overtime as they worked very hard to compensate for Heery's loss while the introduction of heavyweight Joe McNally, was a significant move in salvaging a pint for the visitors.

Bat out of Hell

In many ways it was a strange game on a cold, dry and heavy McHale Park. It took Mayo ten minutes to get into their stride and they were fortunate that Dublin had only chalked up 0-3 at that stage. Dublin shot out of the blocks like a bat out of hell and were three points clear Dessie Farrell inside thirty seconds and two frees form Charlie Redmond suggested Dublin were going to coast to their first league win.

By the 20 minute Mayo had turned the game around and were a pint ahead 0-5 to 0-4. Good work from Pat Fallon at midfield and some foraging by James Horan posted at full forward and grafting by Paul Cunny along with the Mayo back applying the pressure, turned the game around for Mayo.

Michael Gardiner took a snap point after Nestor had created the opening in the 7th minute and a magnificent sideline kick from Maurice Sheridan produced Mayo's second point before the same player knocked over a close range free to tie the game at 0-3 each.

Fallon and Redmond traded points from play before the impressive Cunny edged Mayo in front when he finished one of the best moves of the game which began with Dermot Flanagan and involved Horan and Nestor.

Ciaran Whelan levelled in the 22nd minute for Dublin but a fine foray by Fergal Costello saw him run onto a pass from Fallon to give Mayo a one point interval lead 0-0-6 to 0-5. Dublins best chance of a goal fell to Des Farrell who failed to hold Paul Clarke's pin-point pass.

The game was tied again inside a minute thanks to the industrious Farrell who was having some tussle with Kevin Cahill but Mayo went two points clear for the first time, Fallon and Cunny finding space and more importantly, finding the target. An excellent point from Martin Doran pulled one back for the Dubs but Sheridan (free) restored the two point lead. With eight minutes remaining Des Farrell had hauled Dublin back by the scruff of the neck with two nice points to tie the game.

A bad free from Sheridan suggested Mayo were losing their grip on the game and that was confirmed when Gardiner was set up by Horan and Loftus for a great goal chance but the Ballycastle man could only hold his head in horror when he blasted wide as he looked into the eyes of John O'Leary.

Joe McNally, carrying a lot of bulk, was the man who put Dublin back in front with a good point but Mayo kept pressing with the backs working the ball downfield. Paul Clarke was unlucky to hit the post with what would have been the insurance pint but it was Sheridan who grabbed a share of the spoils in injury with that magnificent free from the hands.

Significant

Sheridan's contribution was significant up front while David Nestor worked very hard as did James Horan while Paul Cunny had a good game as a forward and later as a defender when he moved back to cover for the injured Ray Conneely who came on at halftime for the injured Pat Holmes.

Tom Reilly who started in the corner did not have the best of afternoons and had to make way for P.J. Loftus, who returned after a short stint in the States while Michael Gardiner, despite an appalling miss, showed an improvement in form from his last outing while substitutes Tony Morley and P.J. Loftus did quite well. Fallon carried the brunt of the work load at midfield and completed a good days labour with two well taken points. Shane Fitzmaurice struggled in the first half but got through some vital work in the second half.

Mortimer and Flanagan were the two strongest pillars at the back where Cahill, Holmes, Nallen and the ever improving Costello did their work well and John Madden looked more at ease than he has for sometime and always ensured a good service from his lengthy kick-out.

Mayo: J. Madden, D. Flanagan, K. Cahill, K.Mortimer, P. Holmes, J. Nallen, F. Costello (0-1); P. Fallon (0-2); S. Fitzmaurice, M. Sheridan (0-4); M. Gardiner (0-1) P. Cunny (0-2); D. Nestor, J. Horan, T. Reilly. Subs; R. Connolly for Holmes (inj); P.J. Loftus for Reilly, T. Morley for Connelly (inj)

Dublin: J. O'Leary, P. Moran, C. Walsh, W. Daly, D. Harrington, K. Barr, E. Heery, P. Bealin, B. Stynes, R. Cosgrove, C. Whelan (0-2); P. Clarke, C. Redmond (0-3); D. Farrell (0-3). M. Doran (0-1). Subs. P Christie for Daly, J. McNally (0-1) for Bealin, I. Robertson for Doran.

Ref: P. Casserley (Westmeath).

Division Two Points Table

             P   W   D   L  Pts
Leitrim      3   2   0   1   4
Laois        3   2   0   1   4 
louth        3   2   0   1   4
Armagh       3   1   1   1   3
Mayo         3   1   1   1   3
Clare        3   1   0   2   2
Dublin       3   0   2   1   2
Monaghan     3   1   0   2   2
* Mayo are away to Louth in their final game before Christmas and after Christmas they play Clare (away) Feb 2nd; Leitrrm (home) Feb 16th and Armagh (away) March 2nd



Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - November 1996