GAA London/Mayo 5 June 1996
Connaught Football Championship
MAYO STUMBLE INTO SEMI-FINAL
By John Melvin
Mayo 1-11 . . . . . . . . . . . London 1-5
What should have been a fairly routine job turned out to be a life threatening operation for Mayo, who took the first faltering step in the championship road with about the same confidence as a blind man crossing a London motorway at rush hour.
Those who may have been considering placing their money on Mayo winning this year's Connaught championship will have put their few pounds back in their pockets having witnessed this dismal first round performance over London in Ruislip on Sunday. Over 3000, mostly exiles, turned out in glorious weather to view what Mayo might have on offer this year by way of a threat to the big championship guns, but many left disappointed, and indeed bewildered by what was on view.
The general view was, on this level of performance, Mayo's championship interest will not extend beyond their meeting with Roscommon in Hyde Park on June 23rd.
That may in the and work to Mayo's advantage, and perhaps the fact that the Mayo dressing room was more like a tomb than a place of post-match celebration, does at least suggest that the depression was not just confined to the bars around Ruislip where, as ever, the main topic of conversation was the enigma that is Mayo football.
John Maughan, who decided to alter his hand before the game having delayed the team selection as late as Saturday night, is reported to have made known his displeasure with the teams display in no uncertain terms.
And a strange selection it was. Kevin Connelly slotted to left half forward, Pat Fallon on the forty, Declan Sweeney posted to the corner and Antony Finnerty at full forward.
We waited, and waited, and waited to see what would happen. But nothing really did. There was no spark, no bite, no heart for the fray.
If John Maughan had a pattern in that selection it did not manifest itself on the field where teamwork was rare, and outstanding individual display were even rarer. There was a lot of sloppy play, and one wonders had Maurice Sheridan missed his flight would Mayo have got themselves out of the difficulties that London posed.
The Balla student knocked over 0-9- eight frees. The only other contributors to the scoreboard were Declan Sweeney, who took his goal well, earned a penalty and generally did well on his championship debut, while Liam McHale and Noel Conneely contributed the two remaining points.
The question begs what were the other forwards doing. Some are likely to be made redundant when the likes of Tom Reilly and John Casey recover from injury, while the end of James Horan's suspension will provide the forward line with badly needed muscle for the tough challenge ahead in Hyde Park.
London will be happy that they were not, as many expected, annihilated, and, in fact, they could well have been a lot closer in the end had they a decent free taker on board and a little luckier with the bounce with a second goal chance.
Their backs played a very hard-hitting and tight marking game with Sean Doherty, Barry McDonagh, Sean Hehir and Michael Doolin giving no quarter. However, they did get away with some borderline challenges from referee Bob McCormack whose over use of the whistle and under use of the pencil, particularly for persistent intentional pulling and dragging, did not help the flow of a game which had far too many stoppages.
London hit hard and Mayo knew they were in a game when Keith Hennessey, London's most industrious forward, provided a perfect pass to Michael Doolan who was unattended on the edge of the square. He smacked home superb goal past John Madden and London, by far the more enterprising in the opening twenty minutes, were leading 1-1 to 0-2 with fifteen minutes gone.
Maurice Sheridan, from a free and from play, had provided Mayo's two opening points and it was McHale with a good point from play and another Sheridan free which tied the game after twenty minutes.
Had Mayo profited from their dominance in the last five minutes of the half we might have come out with a different perspective on the game. However, Anthony Finnerty missed an open goal chance while the same player saw his penalty effort, after it came off the butt of the upright and you sensed it was going to be one of those days.
However, they did finally make the breakthrough when Dermot Flanagan made the interception to set the move in train and Finnerty, McHale and Connelly were involved before Sweeney took up a good position before drilling the ball low past the advancing keeper.
It was a badly needed lift in a game that was dying on it's feet and it kept Mayo in front at the break, but only by two points, 1-4 to 1-2, Aiden Creamer pulling back a very good point for London.
Creamer added an early second half point to ignite some bite in the game but another Sheridan free kept Mayo three points ahead.
Over fifteen minutes elapsed before the next score arrived, another free from Sheridan and it came as relief to the Mayo's supported as it pushed the gap to four points while an excellent point from Noel Connelly and another free from Sheridan secured the game with a six point lead and ten minutes remaining.
Mayo did have a lot of possession for the past ten minutes, but their only return was two further pointed frees from Sheridan.
London were always pressing for that goal and it was a vital interception from Kenneth Mortimer, one of the more impressive backs along with Kevin Beirne, to deny them.
Overall a performance lacking in conviction with Mayo struggling in most areas and never dominating midfield, despite the occasional burst from Liam McHale and Colm McMenamon. It was a performance without heart or conviction. You'll get away with it in London, but not in Hyde Park.
Mayo: Barry Heffernan, Kevin Beirne, Kevin Cahill, Dermot Flanagan, Pat Holmes, James Nallen, Fergal Costello, Colm McManamon, Liam McHale (0-1); Michael Gardiner, Pat Fallon, Noel Conneely (0-1); Declan Sweeney (1-0); Anthony Finnerty, Maurice Sheridan (0-9- eight frees). Subs: Ray Dempsey for Gardiner, David Brady for Fallon, David Nestor for Finnerty.
London: John Collins (Tyrone), Sean Doherty (Dublin), Joe Dolan (Roscommon), Barry McDonagh (Fermanagh), Sean Hehir (London), Michael Doolin (1-0); James Haran (Sligo), Michael Tucker (0-1); Mick Hesnan, Sean McGrellis (Derry 0-1); Keith Hennessey (Tipperary), Aiden Creamer (Leitrim 0-2); Eamon Blaney (Down), Neil McGee, Ciaran Kelly (Laois). Subs: M. Dolan for Tucker, P. O'Reilly (0-1).
Ref: B. McCormack (Roscommon).
Connaught Telegraph - News - June 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sport - June 1996
