MAYO CALLING SAM
- COME HOME PLEASE

Connaught Telegraph

GAA News 11 September 1996


Bank of Ireland All Ireland Football Final Preview

By Sports Editor
John Melvin

15p a mile. You would hardly run a lawnmower on it. Yet, that was what John Maughan agreed upon on the night of September 11th of last year when he was, after a vote, appointed manager to the Mayo senior football team. Maughan promised nothing. Not even titles. But he did guarantee the Mayo jersey would be worn with respect and there would be discipline among his disciples.

Little did we think a journey that began with lots of hand- shaking and back-slapping best of luck gestures, along with a few 'God help his sense' and 'he has his work cut out' comments, would end up in Croke Park, on the third Sunday of September, and on the verge of All Ireland glory.

To take a line from the Tale of Two Cities, it was the best of times and the worst of times. Mayo were going through difficult times. Team morale was at an al time low. It was even suggested that Maughan's timing was a little off. Maughan was ready for Mayo, but the question that was being asked at the time, was whether Mayo were ready for Maughan?. We now know the answer to that.

SO, where did a journey, that has taken the nation by storm, and to many pundits by surprise, begin?

I still think we owe Dublin referee Rory Murphy a great debt of gratitude. Not wishing the poor man any malice, but if ever I was glad to see a referee become ill, it was that cold Novembers' day in Scotstown when Mayo were beginning to back-peddle and the game poised at 0-8 each.

I can still remember Maughan calling his troops to the dressing room as the officials haggled over a replacement referee when the Dublin official took ill due to an asthma attack. It was one of a number of shrewd decisions Maughan was to make. He made two others by bringing on board Tommy O'Malley and Peter Forde, two former players whom he respected and could trust. I will always maintain Mayo's journey from the ashes of division three began that day in Monaghan, and it was to put in a motion a sequence of confidence building victories, now at 20 out of 22 under Maughan, which has ultimately led to the pinnacle- a shot at the championship title. The re-played Monaghan match was eventually the secret to unlocking division three and reaching the semi-final of the National league. And that visit to Croke Park, despite losing to Derry, has stood them in good stead. And don't forget; they beat Meath on the way.

Maughan has dismissed the league win over Meath as immaterial in the context of the championship. How right he is, but it is still a win, and Meath will hardly forget that. They don't take to being beaten in anything in the Royal county.

Ticking along

In a recent interview concerning Mayo's progress, Maughan said that the team was 'ticking along nicely'. When pushed further about the daunting prospect of Meath in Sunday's final, he added, 'We still have something left in the tank'.

And it is that something that could land the big prize which Sean Boylan has had his eye on ever since Dublin handed out that ten point drubbing to Meath in last years Leinster decider.

No more than the Mayo boss, Meath worship the ground that Sean Boylan walks on. Looking at his record it is easy to see why. But both Maughan and Boylan tore up the script after their respective provincial victories. Meath knew, even after beating Dublin a typically bruising encounter, it was not going to be near good enough to Lift Sam.

Maughan also knew, that admirable enough as Mayo's win was over Galway, it was a good bit short of what was going to be required. Both men went back to work. Meath went climbing the Hill of Tara on a more regular basis; Mayo returned to the sand dunes of Enniscrone. In their respective All Ireland semi-finals the results of a summer's hard labour were there to be seen.

While Meath's performance against Tyrone was, in the words of John Maughan 'awesome', Mayo's victory over Kerry, while not as devastating, was nonetheless impressive and thorough. For once they showed the killer instinct, a lack of which had seen them die in games before. Kerry were brushed aside. But Tyrone were crushed. If there is a difference then it will emerge in Sunday's final but if it turns into a physical battle, then Maughan is more than happy to oblige.

Naturally, Mayo would prefer to see it develop into a game of football, and given the quality that both these teams produced in the semi-final, I feel we will see a good deal of football, but as sure as there's snow on Nephin in February, you can be sure there we will also see a good deal of the needle between two sides, who, ironically last met in a final back in 1951 when Mayo last won the championship, and coincidentally, the same year they beat Kerry in the semi-final.

Mayo returned home after the Kerry semi-final knowing much more improvements had to be carried out if their ultimate ambition was to be fulfilled.

Growing Maturity

It was a sign of the growing maturity among the players that many were not in the least carried away by the success over Kerry, and, in fact, several were critical of their own performances.

When John Maughan, Peter Forde and Tommy O'Malley left Croke Park after the Meath-Tyrone semi-final they knew the work was only beginning. Psychically, the semi-final performance would not be enough to stop Meath.

A lot can be achieved in five weeks, and Maughan has spared nothing since the side regrouped after the win over Kerry. As the countdown begins this week to the final, players ease off the eights and the running, Maughan will once again be trying to focus the collective minds of his players.

Telling them, as he has always told them in the past, that they are good enough to win and if they want it badly enough on the day it is there for the taking.

But, he also knows that it is asking something special from a team to emerge from division three to take the All Ireland title. It can be done, But it won't be without the supreme effort of everyone on the pitch.

So where and how is this All Ireland going to be won? The semi- finals were two different games, and while Meath will be justified favourites given the strength of their performance over Tyrone, Mayo will be more than capable of matching them in the psychical one-to-one confrontations. It is a long time since we could say that about any Mayo team.

One area Mayo will not concede, and where I believe many of the Tyrone problems emanated from, was midfield. I expect Liam McHale and David Brady will be re-united as they are the best midfield partnership and will not allow the same space to John McDermott and Jimmy McGuinness. McDermott is in the T.J. Kilgallon mould, patrolling up and down, helping out his defence and working himself into the ground. Stamina is going to be vital in deciding who will hold sway in the end, but the role of Colm McMenamon could yet be crucial in tilting matters in Mayo's favour.

Big 'Mac' or the 'Blond Bomber from Burrishoole' if you prefer, has been nothing short of a revelation. From an inauspicious start in London the Burrishoole man has improved his game out of all recognition. He works, and works and works and works. He has taken stick in the past for his problems in front of the posts, but those are far outweighed by the amount of good ball and scores he set up in the semi-final.

He has been the ace in the managers pack, and how Sean Boylan is going to deal with him, will have a crucial bearing on matters. 2-15 is a great score in any game. That is what Meath put past Tyrone and if they can chalk up those high figures again on Sunday Mayo will be leaving Croke Park empty-handed.

But they are unlikely to be given the space afforded by the Tyrone backs; Graham Geraghty will hardly be given the tourists guide to Croke Park and be allowed travel around unaccompanied. I can see Pat Holmes, or perhaps James Nallen, fallowing him everywhere, even to the dressing-room at half time. The man I'd be more concerned about is Tommy Dowd. He had a subdued semi-final, but the team captain has a habit of pulling out an inspirational performance when most needed.

Nallen is well capable of taking Dowd while Brendan Reilly will not get as much possession from Cahill as he did against Tyrone. Dangerous

It is not over-stating it to say all the Meath forwards are dangerous. Graham Geraghty, Brendan Reilly and Barry Callaghan inflicted the most damage against Tyrone. Those three in particular cannot be let loose. Barry Callaghan and Kenneth Mortimer should be an interesting confrontation, while Trevor Giles is not just an exceptional free-taker, he contributes enormously from play and they also have an astute full-forward in Brendan Reilly, the scorer of 0-5 in the semi-final. Whether it is Dermot Flanagan, Anthony McGarry, or an appearance by Peter Butler at some stage, Maughan has good pick in deciding on his final defensive formation.

They closed down Kerry in that semi-final. Meath will be stronger tougher and faster but a few Kerry forwards came with big reputations and were sent packing.

Of course, to win games you don't just have to stop the opposition scoring, but you must also score more than your opponents. It might be exaggerating it a little to say Mayo have a scoring machine, but they do have a few scoring forwards, something that was very rare in the league and in the early stages of the championship.

But the attack is taking shape and the man who proved the pivotal figure is John Casey who hit Croke Park in the semi-final like a flash of lightening. If he can get a step, and has the pace, on Meath full back Des Fay, things could happen for Mayo up front. The Charlestown man is currently playing at his est with his confidence and self-belief are at an all time high and those are the traits Maughan will be encouraging before he lets them out onto the pitch.

However, it must be said in overall scoring capabilities, Mayo are going to find it difficult to match Meath.

Raymond Dempsey has worked hard but he has not been the scoring forward that he once was, although he is always capable of striking for a goal. The ploy of David Nestor making the space for Casey to exploit worked well in the semi-final, but the Kerry defence at times stood off their men, and Mayo can not expect any such luxuries against Meath where the decision of Boy to retain Martin O'Connell and Colm Coyle from the old brigade has long since been vindicated.

But Boylan, no more than Maughan, has found fresh legs from the under 21 grade, and Mark O'Reilly is a maturing player as is Paddy Reynolds and Trevor Giles, while Darren Fay is a quality full back. James Horan and Maurice Sheridan will have to be at their very best in all aspects of their play if Mayo are going to exploit any weaknesses in that Meath defence.

It can so often be down to what happens on the day. Meath have looked the part; Mayo will be outsiders, and they like it that way, but a lot can happen in seventy minutes and with a bit of luck anything can happen on the day. Meanwhile, John Maughan is likely to be given 20p a mile next year. That's a 25% increase, and exactly what will be required for Mayo to beat Meath. Mayo to win by two points.



Connaught Telegraph - News - September 1996

Connaught Telegraph - Sport - September 1996