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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wide woe for Mayo
By Anthony Hennigan
DUBLIN 1-09 MAYO 1-08
We predicted a draw and in the end, after such wastefulness in front of the posts, Mayo would have settled for just that.
But like the last occasion this fixture spat out a winner (Mayo’s 0-10 to 0-9 league victory in 2007), a single point was the difference between the teams this time too. And counting wides alone, ie, forgetting about scoring efforts that dropped short, were blocked or just failed miserably, there were 18 occasions when Mayo might have manufactured the one or two points that could have turned undeserved defeat into a merited draw or win.
Twice Dublin equalised during the opening quarter as Alan Hubbard and Kevin McManamon negated points by Seamus O’Shea and Alan Freeman (a free), and the Blues might even have hit the front had Ross McConnell not instead hit Mayo full-back Ger Cafferkey with his fifth minute shot for goal.
Peadar Gardiner, whose day was already cut short due to a dislocation of the elbow, was followed to the bench on 20 minutes by Mayo team-mate, midfielder Ronan McGarrity, due to a leg injury. But replacements, Chris Barrett and Neil Douglas, slotted in quite effectively, and with Seamus O’Shea switched to centre-field alongside Tom Parsons, Mayo’s ability to generate possession hardly seemed hampered – just that their first half wide total of 10 forced them into a game of catch up.
Kevin Bonner, Eamon Fennell and Paul Flynn all pointed from play for Dublin with two Enda Varley frees keeping Mayo within a point at the halfway mark.
Hopes that accuracy might infect Mayo’s attackers after the restart were quickly dashed by early wides from Douglas, Parsons, Trevor Mortimer and Andy Moran, however, a third converted Varley free and then a goal from the same player – his wonderful finish rewarding the creativity of Tom Parsons, Keith Higgins and Aidan O’Shea – had Mayo 1-5 to 0-5 in front after 47 minutes. You sensed this spurt might be significant in such a low scoring affair.
However, Dublin would score more between the 51st and 58th minutes than they did in all the time that went before it.
Where at one end Neil Douglas, Alan Freeman and Andy Moran would kick yet more wides and Donal Vaughan have a goal-bound flick scooped off the line by Michael Fitzsimons, substitute Bernard Brogan was firing a goal past David Clarke at the other. It was Dublin’s seventh score, each from a different player, and one for which Conal Keaney, introduced along with Brogan just two minutes earlier, had provided the telling pass.
Andy Moran shot a point in response for Mayo but two Ross McConnell singles and a fisted effort by Michael McAuley had helped the Leinster men into a 1-8 to 1-6 lead entering the final 12 minutes.
When Trevor Mortimer was called ashore, it left Mayo minus their captain, vice-captain (Gardiner) and former captain (McGarrity), however, Conor Mortimer’s first appearance of the season threatened big things – except he too had caught the kicking blight and minutes after his introduction failed to reach the target from a self-won 30 metre free.
Conal Keaney added to Dublin’s tally from long range leaving late Mayo frees from Alan Freeman and Andy Moran, a 13 metre thunderbolt that was helped over the crossbar, sufficient only to reduce the home side’s arrears.
To lose by the minimum score was perhaps the most agonising result of all given the sorrowful state of Mayo’s shooting.
SCORERS – Dublin: Bernard Brogan 1-0, Ross McConnell 0-2, Kevin McManamon, Kevin Bonner, Paul Flynn, Alan Hubbard, Eamon Fennell, Michael McAuley and Conal Keaney 0-1 each.
Mayo: Enda Varley 1-3 (0-3f), Alan Freeman (2f) and Andy Moran 0-2 each, Seamus O’Shea 0-1.
MAYO: David Clarke; Donal Vaughan, Ger Cafferkey, Keith Higgins; Peadar Gardiner, Trevor Howley, Kevin McLoughlin; Tom Parsons, Ronan McGarrity; Andy Moran, Seamus O’Shea, Trevor Mortimer; Enda Varley, Aidan O’Shea, Alan Freeman. Subs: Chris Barrett (for Gardiner 6-inj), Neil Douglas (for McGarrity 20-inj), Barry Kelly (for Mortimer 58), Conor Mortimer (for Freeman 64), Mikey Sweeney (for A O’Shea 70).
DUBLIN: Stephen Cluxton; Paul Conlon, Michael Fitzsimons, Phillip McMahon; Hugh Gill, Cian O’Sullivan, Ger Brennan; Eamon Fennell, Ross McConnell; Alan Hubbard, Paul Flynn, Michael McAuley; David Henry, Kevin Bonner, Kevin McManamon. Subs: Kevin Nolan (for Conlon 34-inj), Bernard Brogan (for McManamon 47), Darren McGee (for Fennell 50), Conal Keaney (for Henry 50), Brendan McManamon (for Hubbard 56).
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