National Football League Division Two - Mayo/Armagh



Connaught Telegraph GAA News 5 March 1997




Mayo 0-13----------------------------------Armagh 1-10

By John Melvin

Has John Maughan a mobile? You may ask what the blazes has this to do with matters as they unfolded in Charlestown on Sunday. My argument is - a lot. For if the Mayo manager was on the blower, he might have got the word in time to his team, that Leitrim were beating Clare, and, as a result, Mayo needed both these points from Armagh in this absorbing National league Division two clash. As it turned out, they had to settle for a point, and grudgingly at that. They had both points in the bag but were denied by a last minute free by Armagh's Diarmuid Marsden.

Having said that, I'm sure most Mayo supporters in a crowd of around 4,000 would have settled for a draw when Mayo went five points adrift, fifteen minutes into the second half. Things looked ominous. Suddenly, in a terrific ten minute spell Mayo supporters got a glimpse of the team that had pushed Meath to the edge in last year's championship final, as Mayo put their collective shoulder to the wheel. But not for the first time, it was a game Mayo could just as easily have lost as well as won. The main thing is they are still alive.

Mayo now find themselves in a play-off with Clare to decide who goes down to Division Three with Monaghan. It would be a huge psychological blow to Mayo coming into the championship if they return to a division they literally had to hack their way out of last year.

A lot of good work gone down the drain. But if the second half performance from the Connacht champions is anything to go by, then I do believe it may not come to that. Pride and passion is still very much alive. We certainly have the players to beat Clare. Picking the team seems to be the problem.

Problem

It was a problem on Sunday in Charlestown, but in fairness, the defections of flu-victims James Nallen and Dermot Flanagan, robbed them of two players who have been major influences on Mayo's division two survival battle.

With all due respect to Flanagan, and he is a much valued member of the side as he proved against Leitrim, Nallen's absence was by far the biggest blow. It led to enormous problems for Mayo in the middle of the field, an area the Crossmolina man has excelled in in recent outings, and it wasn't until Liam McHale was drafted in for the second half, that the balance was titled back in Mayo's favour.

McHale, on his own admission, has had a bad league campaign but for a man who scored 30 points to help Ballina lift the National basketball league title (Division 1) on Saturday night, this was some performance.

He was instrumental in reshaping the match, particularly at creating the openings while others around him seemed to gain in confidence and strength. None more so than Pat Fallon who was anonymous in the first half, but who was full of running in the second.

John Casey's move from full forward to the half forward line also brought the desired effect and the Charlestown man scored three marvellous points to remind us of how good he can be. Cahill, Heffernan, Costello, Connelly and Mortimer were excellent at the back while Pat Holmes, who was a late replacement for Flanagan, worked tirelessly.

Transformation

But this transformation did not take place until the second half and when Mayo looked in deep trouble.

Playing with the wind, Mayo were struggling to get any flow going in the opening half. Jarlath Burns and Justin McNulty were mopping up at midfield and Paul McGrane, Diarmuid Marsden and Cathal O'Rourke were keeping the Mayo backs extremely busy and the Armagh full backs were on top.

But after 20 minutes the sides were level at 0-3 each. John Rafferty from play inside a minute for Armagh and a lovely point from Casey on the run in the 7th minute.

Midfielder McNulty burst through for a good Armagh point, Maurice Sheridan pointed a free and on a day when no fewer than four backs scored three for Mayo, Mark McNeill had Armagh back in front before Sheridan levelled with a superbly struck free from almost fifty yards.

But Armagh went two points clear from a free by O'Rourke and point from play from Diarmuid Marsden, after McMenamon had been dispossessed. In fact, the best goal chance fell to McMenamon who elected to tap over the bar after Ronan Golding had threaded through a brilliant ball five minutes from the break. But it was Armagh who were to score the only goal of the match, Paul McGrane beating John Madden with a low angled shot just before half-time to give his side a 1-6 to 0-5, lead, Mayo's other point superbly put away by the marauding Noel Connelly.

An early fisted point from Liam McHale renewed hopes of a Mayo revival and it gathered momentum when Casey polished off Maurice Sheridan's effort which came off the post.

But just as suddenly as the gap was back to just two points, it was opened back up to five, O'Rourke, McGrane and Marsden pointing in a three minute spell as Armagh seemed to have recharged the batteries. It was then Mayo produced the best football they have played since last year's championship. And it involved virtually everyone.

Sheridan provided the spark with a well struck free and then Fallon and McHale and the tireless Nestor launched an attack which produced a good finish from Sheridan, while Noel Connelly must have been mere inches from getting a penalty, but the fourteen yard free, tapped over by Sheridan, had the gap back to two points with ten minutes remaining.

The next two points came from defenders- Kenneth Mortimer, who had a stormer of a second half, and Fergal Costello with the leveller- both players coming forward to finish moves they were involved in.

Golding, who found a new lease of life in the second half, set up Casey who put Mayo into the lead for the first time in the game, with four minutes remaining, and they should have stretched that lead to two, before Marsden rescued Armagh with that last minute forty yard free, although, the same player did have a better chance which curled wide from play for Armagh a minute earlier.

Mayo: J. Madden, K. Mortimer (0-1);, K. Cahill, P. Holmes, F. Costello (0-1); B. Heffernan, N. Connelly (0-1); P. Fallon, C. McManaman (0-1); R. Golding, J. Horan, M. Sheridan (0-5-4 frees); D. Nestor, J. Casey (0-3); P.J. Loftus. Subs; L. McHale (0-1) for Horan, D. Byrne for Loftus.

Armagh: B. Tierney, M. McNeill (0-1); C. Hanratty, A. O'Rourke, A. McCann, D. Horisk, G. Reid, J. Burns, J. McNulty (0-1); P. McGrane (1-1); C. O'Rourke (0-3); J. Rafferty (0-1); M. Toye, G. Houlihan, D. Marsden (0-3). Sub: B. Duffy for McNeill (inj).

Ref: M. Curley (Galway).



Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - March 1997