Heaney hails smartness and confidence of minor marvels

Mayo minor joint-manager David Heaney was understandably hoarse, not only for roaring on his side in the closing stages of this All-Ireland quarter-final but having ensured that his players could hear any instructions coming from the sideline throughout Sunday’s clash in Roscommon.

The Offaly support that made its way to Hyde Park was considerably larger than the small travelling crowd that arrived from Mayo – and they made themselves heard too! Speaking after his Mayo side’s dramatic win, joint manager Heaney admitted that quieting the crowd from the Midlands was a factor in how they had set up in the second-half, which nearly backfired as Offaly wiped out Mayo’s nine points half-time lead.

“It kind of got a little bit chaotic there in the second-half and we were trying to slow it down. To everyone, we said get the ball, settle down and move it laterally, and forward if you can, and if you get a one-on-one go for it,” said Heaney.

“But we just got into a little bit of a panic. [The subs] just settled the rest of the team when they came on. They won the ball, were smarter to try to avoid tackles because the three goals that they got in the second-half, they were all our turnovers.

“The second [goal] was a save, and the third one was a turnover on the sideline. It's so hard at this age level on turnovers, they're killers. We always hunt for turnovers because we know the other team are not set. It happened to us today; all attacking turnovers and miles of space in the defence.” 

Heaney said he felt his team should have been even further ahead than nine points at half-time but they had hit three wides in the closing moments of the half. The roles were reversed in the second-half as Offaly hit the post with an effort to draw level before Oran Murphy and Ben Joyce sealed the win for Mayo.

“We knew with this Offaly team, any game they've played, every game they've won, they've come strong in the second-half, especially down the stretch,” said David Heaney. “They've been losing in the last five minutes in every game, and they've come out the right end of them, so we’re delighted. When it was tight at the end it was us who showed up and we put the finishing scores on the scoreboard.” 

Mayo’s ability to mix up their game, whether kicking the ball directly into the likes of Conor Hession and Ben Holmes, or the running game involving the likes of Adam Kelly and Dara Flanagan, proved crucial in the end and it’s that sort of variety which pleases the Mayo management.

“Ben won an awful lot of ball and he was so unlucky, he hit the post once twice. The goalie saved another one so another day Ben would have had three goals. But then if we slow down, the likes of Conor Hession and Fiachra [Ó Cinnseala] can come outside and pop over two pointers.

“We always want to play with pace. We want to get into the inside lads as quick as we can. But if it's slowed down, if it's 11 v 11, then we can bring the likes of Hess and Fiachra out and we can play through the hands and just move the defence around and try and find gaps. For a young team, they're very smart, they're very settled.” 

The second of those two-pointers by Conor Hession on Sunday put Mayo back in front. It would have been easy for the Kiltimagh man to pop over a short free to level the match, after the referee brought the ball forward for an infringement, but the confident full-forward took matters into his own hands.

“We got the free and the ref actually moved it inside and Conor, on his own back, took it outside for the two-pointer, so that's the confidence he had. But ten minutes earlier he hit a stinger from the sideline over the bar as well.

“We always tell them to be brave and take your chance so we're not going to give up someone for being brave and taking a chance. We're just delighted that it went over that time.” 

Heaney confirmed that Tony Carey will be back for the All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry in two weeks’ time after missing the Offaly game due to injury. It is hoped Cian May can also recover from a wrist injury picked up in the Connacht final while Rhys Neary, brother of Mayo senior star Davitt, went off with a reoccurrence of a calf injury in the second-half last Sunday but it is hoped the injury is not too serious.

As well as a full deck on the pitch, Heaney hopes a bigger Mayo crowd turns up for the showdown with the Kingdom.

“We’d love it. They deserve it. I know what Offaly have done and I'd appeal to the clubs. Every club in Offaly organised a bus. They did it for the Leinster final, they did it for today as well and you could see it in the crowd. Whatever about lifting the team, it influences the referees and in the second-half the fifty-fifties were going against us.

“I’d appeal to all the clubs try to organise a bus full of kids, full of colour, and full of noise and it would be great to see them in probably Ennis or Limerick, wherever we may be in two weeks’ time.”