Major setback for minors as Mayo play second fiddle

Electric Ireland Connacht GAA Football Championship - Round 3 

Roscommon 2-17 

Mayo 0-13 

Edwin McGreal at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park 

Twelve months ago, Mayo minors were given a lesson by Roscommon in the group stages, losing by nine points. They learned from it and should have won the Connacht final against the same opposition before progressing to the All-Ireland semi-final.

So this ten-point dismissal need not be fatal but there was a widespread feeling in MacHale Park on Good Friday that there exists a considerable gulf between the two teams.

Roscommon were physically so much stronger all over the field. They were also much more assured and confident with possession compared to Mayo, who stuck at it for the hour but were all too often second best.

For the second game in three days, Mayo looked inferior around the middle compared to Roscommon. Whereas the under 20s managed to turn things around ten minutes into the second-half, the minors were unable to get on top for any considerable period of time against a Roscommon side who were not just stronger in the air but quicker and more committed to the breaking ball.

Playing with the wind, Mayo trailed at the break by a goal and were still in the game. However, seven unanswered points in the third quarter (including two impressive two-pointers) pushed Roscommon into an unassailable lead.

They led 1-14 to 0-8 and it could easily have become a rout from that point. Mayo persevered to the end but it was damage limitation.

“The overriding sense is disappointment,” said Mayo manager Diarmuid Byrne afterwards. “The way the format of this championship is, you’ve game on game so there is an opportunity next week to go out and see can we learn the lessons. Definitely, there, for the most part, we were second in a lot of facets of the game.

“Ultimately, we need to compete for longer periods. The game is gone to where if you can get a platform around the middle of the pitch… we didn’t do that for large parts. Breaking ball is a huge element of that part of the game and we have to work on that.

“To be honest I thought the game was still there for us (at half-time) because I think we were playing below par and the players more or less said the same thing. In essence, we were trying to get a better performance out of ourselves in the second-half but it didn’t materialise and that’s the frustrating part,” he added.

Just 60 seconds had passed when Roscommon got the first score of the game – a goal. Séamie Carthy appeared to be going for a two-pointer but his effort bounced just outside the small square. Under pressure from Joshua Coyne, Mayo goalkeeper Rowan McLoughlin failed to catch cleanly and Cathal Nerney nipped in to palm home from close range.

Mayo’s best spell followed the goal.

Charlie Fallon set up Fiachra Ó Cinnseala for Mayo’s opening point and then Fallon, who started with real intent, kicked over two points of his own to level the game.

But Roscommon sat in very well defensively from that point. Fallon was denied one on one space and, overall, Mayo found it hard to penetrate. One slow build-up where Mayo held possession for nearly three minutes only to cough up possession summed it up – Mayo were struggling to make offensive inroads.

An impressive two-pointer from towering midfielder Jayden Jennings helped Roscommon ease 1-4 to 0-3 in front. Midfielder Conor Hoban kicked a tasty two-pointer of his own for Mayo’s first point in 15 minutes while his Ballintubber clubmate Adam Burton and Ó Cinnseala added singles before the break.

But Roscommon, who won 60 percent of kickouts at both ends of the field in the first-half, took a 1-7 to 0-7 lead in at the break. Centre-half forward Séamie Carthy was proving a handful while raiding runs from wing-back Enda Browne were causing a lot of bother for Mayo too.

Ó Cinnseala, who was a constant lively threat when Mayo were in possession and scored four points from play, opened the second-half with a fine point off his left but Roscommon struck the next seven points to put the game beyond doubt. The exceptional Carthy (four, one two pointer), Jennings (a two-pointer) and Browne were all on the mark.

In too many areas Mayo were being bested. Despite the valiant efforts of Alexander Smyth at wing-back, midfield duo Conor Hoban and Darragh Connor and the likes of Ó Cinnseala and Fallon up top, the reality is Mayo were not winning enough ball and not threatening enough with the ball they had.

Points in the final ten minutes from Smyth, Hoban (2), Ó Cinnseala and Aidan Brogan kept the scoreboard ticking over but Roscommon struck for their second goal with five minutes to go.

Rowan McLoughlin did well to save from Séamie Carthy but Cathal Nerney was on hand to kick home the rebound. It meant two poacher goals from a combined total of no more than five yards for the Roscommon Gaels forward.

It’s another impressive Roscommon minor team this year, again managed by Charlestown native Shane Moran.

Mayo have to go to Tubbercurry on Friday next for a potential do or die game, needing a win to secure a semi-final spot.

“Last year was the exact same. We were in the exact same boat above in the Hyde. Ultimately, our destiny is in our own hands. We’ve to go to Tubbercurry next and we can’t look any further than that,” added Diarmuid Byrne.

How they respond to this setup will tell us plenty about this group.

Scorers – Roscommon: Séamie Carthy 0-1-4, Cathal Nerney 2-0-0, Jayden Jennings 0-2-1, Enda Browne, Joshua Coyne (fs) 0-0-2 each, Jack Brooks, Jayden Concannon 0-0-1 each.

Mayo: Fiachra Ó Cinnseala 0-0-4, Conor Hoban 0-1-2 (1f), Charlie Fallon 0-0-2, Adam Burton, Alexander Smyth, Aidan Brogan 0-0-1 each.

Mayo: Rowan McLoughlin; Brian Joyce, Eanna O’Boyle, Harry Dooney; Tadhg Kearney, Adam Jennings, Alexander Smyth; Conor Hoban, Darragh Connor; John Jennings, Evan Heneghan, Adam Burton; Charlie Fallon, Fiachra Ó Cinnseala, Aidan Brogan. Subs: Noah Donnelly (for Jennings 36), Nathan Dooley (for Fallon 42), Aaron O’Dea (for Burton 43), Eoin Golden (for Heneghan 55), Liam Nolan (for Connor 59).

Roscommon: Zac Mullally; Conor Tighe, Tadgh Fallon, Colm Fitzgerald; Dara Kelleher, Jack Brooks, Enda Browne; Jack Lally, Jayden Jennings; Ronan Carr, Séamie Carthy, Bobby Lenehan; Cathal Nerney, Jayden Concannon, Joshua Coyne. Subs: James O’Brien (for Carr 45), Daniel Nerney (for Fitzgerald 47, inj), Aaron Martin (for Kelleher 52), Dylan Goode and Seán Duggan (for C Nerney and Concannon 58).

REF: Chris Ryan (Galway) 

////PREVIEW BOX////// 

Connacht U17 Football Championship – Round 4 

Friday, April 10 

6.30pm in Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry 

Sligo v Mayo