A job not well done for unconvincing Mayo

Hubris won’t be an issue ahead of the Connacht Final anyway. Maybe that is a good thing. We’ll know soon enough.

For Mayo, it was job done in Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday but you couldn’t really call it a job well done or inspirational stuff.

In all fairness, the Leitrim and Sligo games were no-win situations for Mayo. Hammer them and you are just doing what everyone expected. Squeeze through like we did and the world feels underwhelmed.

While victory was inevitable, I think we were all just looking for a more comprehensive, complete performance this close to a season-defining Connacht Final, especially after a two-week break. Dismal weather always suits teams who are trying to spoil, stifle and break up play and Leitrim thrived on a messy day. Mayo, on the other hand, lacked any real spark, ingenuity or patterns of play.

Inclement weather or not, it really didn’t look like a Division 1 team versus a team who has yet to win a match in 2025 and who will compete in Division 4 next season. Underdogs or not, Leitrim showed real gallantry. They were direct, committed, and aggressive, and gave Mayo bags of it. Although I never really felt they were going to win the match, I actually enjoyed watching them go at it and give it a real lash. I derived far more satisfaction and enjoyment from their showing than from Mayo’s.

Barry McNulty’s all-action midfield display was as good as I’ve seen in yonks—he was everywhere and showcased the game’s best skills. For weeks I’d heard about his virtuoso displays in the Sigerson Cup but thought the in-form pairing of Mattie Ruane and Jack Carney would have too much for him. He was, though, the game’s outstanding midfielder. Next weekend, Galway will have big men and names around the middle too but they’ll do well to be as effective as McNulty.

I really liked Donal Casey at full back too. He was a bit of throw-back full back that was no-nonsense and attacked everything. Darren Cox at 13 is also a lovely player and was like a corner-forward from a bygone era. It’s rare nowadays that you see an intercounty player who is so slight and skinny but he played with great skill and abandon. He lost some ball in contact but was a bit of a risk-taker and was not afraid to lose the possession if it meant trying to create an opening.

We had our own risk-taker in the corner who nearly won us the game on his own. I shudder to think what would happen if Ryan O’Donoghue got injured. Thank God (and ROD) he is robust and ever-present, as our entire attacking plan revolves around his availability and brilliance. He kicked a plethora of fantastic scores again but his workrate is what truly sets him apart.

Midway through the second half, he was dispossessed close to goal, but he didn’t moan, complain, or chirp at the referee looking for a foul. Instead, he went hunting for revenge in the best way possible. Less than 20 seconds later, he stripped a Leitrim player of the ball around midfield. He is such a leader, and his battle against Johnny McGrath next week will go a long way towards deciding the outcome.

To give Mayo credit, their shooting efficiency was superb. They kicked 20 points on a woeful day and I counted only 3 wides all afternoon. That is seriously impressive finishing but it was the laboured build-up that left most supporters and punters uninspired. With less talent and physical capability, Leitrim seemed to adopt a more direct and uncomplicated approach. In an attempt to be measured, Mayo’s tendency was to take a play or handpass slowly up the field rather than get from A to B ASAP.

It doesn’t seem to affect Ryan O’Donoghue too much, but I don’t know how much fun it would be to play as an inside forward on this team. Not creating a single goal chance against such lowly opposition must also be a cause of concern for the Mayo management.

Mayo could definitely have afforded to take more risks and go a bit longer against Leitrim. Our finishing at the edge of the D was excellent but it took us a while to get there. Diarmuid O’Connor’s introduction helped get the ball moving forward a bit faster and longer. I feel some players should take on the shot a bit more often too. An extra pass or solo in the attacking third can kill momentum and allow opposing teams to scramble and get some contact. Paul Towey, a natural finisher, just saw the posts and shot during his 10-minute cameo, kicking two lovely points. Perhaps he is better coming off the bench when it loosens up but management must surely be thinking about starting him or Fergal Boland against Galway to help alleviate the scoring pressure on O’Donoghue.

While the Senior team are not serving up champagne football right now, it is encouraging to see the Minors and Under-19s being so free-scoring. They may not win a thing, but both teams seem replete with forwards who are daring and know where the posts are. I’m not going to go naming names and heaping pressure on young lads’ shoulders, but the Under-19s in particular seem rich in forward talent. While that won’t necessarily positively impact the Senior team in the short term, it gives hope for the future. Hold on Ryan, the cavalry is coming.

In the here and now, Kevin McStay will just be happy to have successfully navigated the path to another Connacht Final. Sure, he’d probably have preferred a smoother, more convincing win with moments of spellbinding football thrown in, but grab victory in 10 days and all will be forgiven and forgotten.

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One more thing … Two-pointers are becoming the great leveller in Gaelic football. Mayo (0), Kerry (1) and Donegal (2) all raised fewer red flags than their unfancied opponents Leitrim (2), Cork (7) and Monaghan (5). No matter the level of your opponent, it will be hard to beat them if they’re kicking two-pointers and you are not.

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