Mayo/Meath All-Ireland Replay - Match Report

GAA News 2 October 1996

MAYO MUST CARRY CROSS OF DEFEAT
BACK TO CROKE PARK

by Sports Editor
John Melvin

Meath 2-9 -- Mayo 1-11

If the good Lord was a Gaelic footballer, and so far I haven't found a set of goalposts anywhere in the Bible to back up such an assertion, I have no doubt, he would have played for Mayo.

He had to, because the Man was put on this earth to suffer, and we know all about suffering in this county. I also base the belief that our Lord might well have played for THE GREEN AND RED on the basis that he fell three times on his way to the top of Calvary. Mayo have fallen twice on the road to Croke Park. What they must do now is go back again, pick up their cross, and regardless of how matters panned out in Sunday's All Ireland Football Final against Meath, start that journey all over again. They might be surprised how many will be only too willing to give them a helping hand along the way.

Now, one of them might not be Pat McEneaney, but I'm not so sure the Monaghan man can shoulder all the blame for Mayo's one point defeat in the final. Some of his inconsistent decision making did contribute. But I think the Mayo team has to look deep into its own heart to find more plausible reasons for this defeat.

The Mayo team were not the only ones to have to bear the heavy cross of disappointment on their brow after Sunday's, sometimes enthralling, totally invigorating and spell-binding, final which once again showed up the dark side of Gaelic football at it's ugliest.

Thousands of their supporters left with that stomach churning feeling, that this was one that got away, and for the second time at that.

Bill Shankley

Bill Shankley was right. Football is not just about life and death. It's more. Much more. I think it is only now I really understand what he meant. There were a few tears shed for Mayo on Sunday. Not tears of sympathy at their plight as they battled to the very end. But tears of sadness that a dream came so close to being fulfilled.

I have dwelt on the many issues raised in the game on other offerings in this All Ireland special. Here I want to confine myself to the match itself and how close we came, and how hard this Mayo team worked to bring Sam Maguire back to Mayo. They missed by just the skin-of their teeth, or maybe more appropriately by just the flight of the ball with possession squandered at critical times and chances gone abegging.

But my own abiding memory of this game will be the passion, self-belief and sheer guts which Mayo displayed, and indeed which Meath responded to. It was not by any means art from. Tackles were clumsy, passes went astray and mistakes were made. But when the prize of an All Ireland is at stake, the textbook has to be put away sometimes.

Matters

Two very important matters have to be viewed at the end. Mayo had by far the better chances and enough possession too, but Tommy Dowd was the man who hoisted the Cup on the Hogan Stand.

In the end it is the man who has the Cup that matters. And we can scan over all the things that went wrong, all the things that might have been and all the obstacles that lay in our way. But at the end of the day, Mayo had the winning of the game themselves, and they also had the losing of it.

It had started so well for them and particularly the first half point scoring of James Horan, the work of Maurice Sheridan, the determination of Holmes and Mortimer who stood out in defence while Kevin Cahill, Dermot Flanagan, who was unfortunately injured, James Nallen and Noel Connelly never shirked their job.

And the script was going according to plan. The Meath attack being close down. But unfortunately, the problems with the Mayo full forward line soon became apparent. They weren't getting a smell from the Meath full back line of Reilly, Fay and O'Connell who once again thrived.

Then came the 'blow-up' which was to be expected, but not with such consequences, or indeed, such savagery.. At this stage the number involved in the fracas varies. Suffice to say it number at least ten from each sides as fists and boots went flying in all directions.

It was ugly stuff to watch. I'd be shirking my own responsibilities if I said Pat McEneaney did not have to take stern action. Of course he had to. More serious injuries might have been inflicted later had he not imposed his will on the game. Unfortunately Liam McHale and Colm Coyle were selected from the list of suspects, and it was a long list. Whether they were a random selection, or based on the degree of their guilt, no one one knows, or are ever likely to know.

Re-group

But it is to Mayo's credit that they were able to re-group after the loss of their big man, and, in fact, they clocked up three scores in five minutes to install them in the driving seat.

Horan, with a great opening point as he judged the strong wind to perfection, Maurice Sheridan with a free from over fifty yards and Horan again, after the hard working McManamon provided the final pass.

By the 17th minute Mayo had extend that lead to 0-4, Sheridan tapping over the free won by Finnerty, after McManamon again provided a good pass in his best passage of his game which deteriorated in the second half, although his capacity for work never waned.

Meath finally got on the scoresheet, but they can thank an indiscretion by Kenneth Mortimer which saw the ball brought in a further ten yards to make the task for Trevor Giles much easier.

But Mayo came back straight away with another beauty from Horan after John Casey had found the opening. At this stage Ray Dempsey, who was finding it difficult to stay the pace of the game, was withdrawn in favour of P.J. Loftus who made an early impact with his injection of pace up front.

Mayo were getting their chances. But not always putting them away and anytime Meath attacked they looked dangerous. Tommy Dowd provided their second point a well taken score on the run. Mayo's goal came in the 33rd minute, but they had a few chances before that to open up a bigger lead. Some rash shooting and poor foot-passing let them down.

But the goal was well taken by P.J. Loftus who was quick to pick up on a feed-off from Anthony Finnerty after Noel Connelly''s centre. Loftus was into the gap like a hare pursued by a greyhound and had picked out the top corner before Conor Martin could close the gap in the Meath goal. Croke Park erupted in a sea of red and green. But hold it. Did this not happen before? In the semi-final perhaps where we conceded a goal straight away after scoring one.

The ball was punted down and it looked like John Madden might collect. He didn't, and it came off the post and into the path of Dermot Flanagan. Pat McEneaney had spread his arms, adjudging either Flanagan to have handled on the ground or Mortimer to have illegally restrained Tommy Dowd, the latter being the most plausible reason. I'm still not sure, but in any event Trevor Giles stroke the penalty to the top corner. Mayo did add another point from a Sheridan free as they turned in 1-6 to 1-2 ahead.

It looked a lot bleaker when McHale went off. But this was a team with fighting spirt and while they did have to face the wind in the second half, nobody was calling it, not even the experts at this stage. If you were to call it in the second half you would have put your money on Mayo.

They fought, harried, kept their cool and shipped a lot of heavy tackles. They won a lot of ball but some of the passing was woeful. They strayed into tight corners and got into trouble. They gave away the ball, but they still looked the team to beat.

Even when Meath had three points inside five minutes of the re- start to pull the game back to just one- from Dowd, Giles and Dowd again- Mayo still look composed.

Sheridan provided them with badly needed gasp of air with a free and when Casey, now foraging deep, produced a great point to restore the gap to three, Mayo still looked in command, fifteen minutes into the second half. It was back to a point after Holmes made an untypical error to let in Giles, and Dowd landed another.

But as the game entered them final fifteen minutes it was Mayo who were on top. But four wides in a row is hard to stomach at this level. You must deliver the killer blow. Sheridan did restore the gap to two with substitute Pat Fallon now carrying the fight to Meath.

But another free was given away and Giles was unerring. It was back to the minimum but Mayo hit back once again, MacManamon, Finnerty and Horan linking up for the latter to score another superb point.

But then came that disastrous Meath goal which came directly from over-elaboration by Mayo with John Casey losing possession, with no one to be found inside the Mayo forward division, which was a barren wasteland of empty space for long periods in that second half.

Down won a free as Meath sept forward. But the Mayo defence was caught standing still as Geraghty slipped a quick free into Tommy Dowd and despite the attention of Pat Holmes and John Madden, he managed to squeeze it home.

There were still ten minutes left. But this Mayo team was not buckling at the knees. They came back to level. A fine move with Brady and Nallen sets up Horan for a magnificent leveller. 2-8 to 1-11 and the drama enters the final five minutes.

A lot happened in those five minutes. Tom Reilly came on for Anthony Finnerty but he did not have enough time to make any impact. Fallon had a great chance but lost possession and then Colm Mac lost possession as Mayo pushed forward in search of the winner, but it was Meath who countered and we all can see Brendan Reilly's point sail over the bar.

Mayo did have a chance to pull level again, but Tom Reilly had his effort smothered by a swarm of Meath players. And, as they say, that was that.

Mayo must look on a magnificent All Ireland campaign in a positive manner. We all have to live with the disappointment but it is particularly rough on a team and management that put in so much work.

However, they must accept that the repair work has to be done and a couple of more forwards will have to be found. In time this team will grow into All-Ireland champions if it can develop the strength it has in key areas, and they are many, and work on the weaknesses, and they have a few. Time is very much on their side.

But Mayo, you did us proud is the final word from this writer.

Teams and scorers:

Meath Scorers: T. Giles (1-4- 1 pen and two frees); T. Down (1- 3); B. Reilly and B. Callaghan (0-1 each).

For Mayo: J. Horan 0- 5; M. Sheridan (0-5- 4 frees); P.J. Loftus (1-0); J. Casey (0-1).

Mayo: J. Madden, K. Mortimer, K. Cahill, D. Flanagan, P. Holmes, J. Nallen, N. Connelly, L. McHale, D. Brady, M. Sheridan, C. McManamon, J. Horan, R. Dempsey, J. Casey, A. Finnerty. Subs: P.J. Loftus for Dempsey (26 mins); P. Fallon for Flanagan (47 mts); T. Reilly for Finnerty (70mts). Meath: C. Martin, M. O'Reilly, D. Fay, M. O'Connell, C. Coyle, E. McManus, P. Reynolds, J. McGuinness, J. McDermott, T. Giles, T. Dowd, G. Geraghty, C. Brady, B. Reilly, B. Callaghan. Subs: J. Devine for Callaghan (67mts); O. Murphy for Reilly (70 minutes).

Ref: P. McEneaney (Monaghan).

Attendance: 65,802.

Bookings: G. Geraghty and K. Cahill 10 mts; M. O'Connel and J. Horan 32 mts; A. Finnerty 45 mts; B. Callaghan 60 minutes.

Sent-off: L. McHale and C. Coyle 7 minutes.