Church and General National League Semi-final



Connaught Telegraph April 24 1996


Derry 1-12---------------------------Mayo 0-7

John Melvin reports from Croke Park

We can convince ourselves that we might have done better, and I have no doubt we would have if four key players were not missing, but the inescapable fact to emerge from Croke Park from Sundays's National League semi-final is that Mayo are still a second rate team playing second rate football.

No amount of excuses will alter that fact. The only thing that is going to change that is a lot of hard work. As the saying goes, 'no pain, no gain'.

Winning division three was in itself a major achievement and beating Meath was a huge bonus. But the gap in class and strength in the vital areas was crystal clear on a grey and dark afternoon in Dublin where a heavy pitch always tilted the balance in favour of the much stronger and sturdier Derry men.

But what tilted it even more was the absence of Liam McHale at midfield. Without him, and despite the best efforts of David Brady and Colm McMenamon, Mayo lacked leadership in this key area. McHale's ability to bring other players into the game was a missing vital ingredient with the forwards playing mostly as individuals and unable to get through a teak-tough Derry defence.

No Cave-in

But thankfully, and despite a frustrating afternoon for most of the forwards, we did not witness another Croke Park cave-in and if there is a modicum of compensation for manager John Maughan and his team, and I do believe there is, it is in the fact that the team did not wilt and battled as hard as they could to the end under difficult circumstances and trying conditions.

However, when the the clockometer reached- 0-6 after twenty five minutes without Mayo opening a score, a few of the Mayo journalists, including this one, began to move uneasily in their seats and sneak a glance over their shoulders for the nearest exit.

It would not be the first time we have had to leave the press box rather sheepishly. The resurgence was started by the hard grafting and longest serving forward, Tom Reilly, who at 34 can still show some of the younger guns how it should be done.

He knocked a good point from play from over thirty yards, Dempsey tapped over a close-in free, having failed with two previous attempts, one a particularly poor one, and McMenamon swerved through to score a delightful point. In four minutes they had returned more than they had for the entire game, Joe Brolly interrutped May's domiance with a point, before a sweet point from David Nestor gave Mayo supporters in a crowd of over 20,000 plenty of reason to look forward enthusiastically to the second half.

Dampened

However, that enthusiasm was dampened three minutes into the second half when Dermot Flanagan appeared to have Anthony Tohill's high ball covered, and horror of horrors, and always a defenders worst nightmare, the wet ball slipped from his hands.

Joe Brolly, who had been tormenting Flanagan all day, swooped like a vulture on the opportunity leaving Flanagan in his tracks before firing a volley into the back of the net. Flanagan already had his hands on his head, in horror at the consequence of his error, before the ball at hit the back of the net.

It was an unfortunate error, but it's timing was even more unfortunate as Mayo might well have made a better fist of things for the second half as they contemplated on how to stay alive and at the same time try and reduce a six point deficit.

From there on it was always going to be s struggle. Tom Reilly prevented panic from settling in with a good point in the 44th minute but Brian McGil responded but Mayo refused to wilt and Noel Connelly, who and an excellent game at the back, made a profitable incursion to score a very good point and bring the game back to life with twenty minutes remaining.

However, Mayo's only reward was a point form the hands by Tom Reilly two minutes form the end but by that stage Derry had matters very much in hand with Gormley, McNicholl and Tohill had Mayo concentrated more on trying to keep their shape rather than offering any serious threat to a Derry team who revelled in the heavy conditions.

John Maughan will be hoping that the harder ground of summer will bring back a pep into the step of the forward line, which was really pushed aside with only Tom Reilly and James Horan able to look after themselves in this kind of company.

Young David Brady pushed hard at midfield and will have gained valuable experience from this lesson while Colm McMenamon never capitalised fully on his strength and running ability.

Flanagan's fatal error aside, I felt the backs did very well in general. Fergal Costello, who stood-in for the injured McGarry is a good prospect while Noel Connelly was the pick of the bunch, never flinching, never tiring and always carrying the fight.

Pat Holmes too did well at full back and James Nallen kept a tight rein on Dermot McNicholl while Kenneth Mortimer can feel pleased with his performance on Enda Gormley and also on Brolly when he switched for a while with Flanagan.

Kevin Beirne too did his bit and John Madden kicked out well and had a his job made even more difficult by a fastidious referee who held up the play by calling Madden back several times when he attempted the quick short kick-out.

But Derry won this game from the back where all of the defenders were dominant. It wasn't by any means a flawless display and manager Brian Mullins will certainly be wondering about a lot of ball given away by his charges, but he has big men in key areas, particularly midfield and in the full back line, and, of course, he has a few good forwards, and one of real class in Joe Brolly.

Mayo: John Madden, Kenneth Mortimer,Pat Holmes, Dermot Flanagan, Ferrgal Costello, James Nallen, Noel Connelly (0-1); Colm McMenamon (0-1); David Brady, James Horan, Ray Demspey (0-1); Ronan Golding, David Nestor (0-1); Tom Reilly (0-3); Anthony Finnerty.

Subs: Liam McHale for Demspey, K. Beirne for Flanagan.

Derry: J. Kelly, K. McKeever, D. O;Neill, T. Scullion, K. Diamond, H. Downey, F. McCusker, A. Tohill (0-4); B. McGilligan, Gary McGill (0-1); McNicholl 0-1; D. Cassidy, J. Brolly (1-3); S. Downey (0-1); E. Gormley (0-2).

Subs. S. Lochart for McGill, J. McGurk for McCusker, C. McEldowny for Gormley.

Ref: P. Russell (Tipperary).

Connaught Telegraph - Sport - April 1996