Mayo aim to take on step nearer Platinum prize
Saoirse Reynolds kicks for the posts in Mayo's recent victory over Leinster champions Meath.
It was less than two years ago that Mayo defeated Cork to win the All-Ireland U14 Platinum Championship, a first in 29 years at this level. The same county now stands in the way of another talented group from Mayo, who must beat the Rebels this Saturday in Birr to get the opportunity to win a national title.
Months of hard work has gone on since the depths of winter when this panel was formed by Tom Carney and his management team. They will have had almost 40 training sessions by the time the semi-final arrives, coupled with the challenge and competitive games they’ve had.
Carney himself is no stranger to a Mayo inter-county setup, having served previously as part of Michael Moyles’ senior backroom team, but the goals do not differ whether in charge of players in the 12 to 14-year-old bracket or seniors.
“We had a discussion to set out what I thought any county team should strive for, particularly if it's a Mayo team. So, you are looking to win a Connacht title,” Carney told the .
“We set ourselves a goal that we wanted to be competitive first and foremost. We wanted to play good football. We wanted to get to a Connacht final and we wanted to be in the Platinum series at the festival of football. Thankfully those things transpired bar not winning the Connacht final against Galway.”
They were beaten 4-12 to 3-01 in that Connacht final back in mid-April against Galway, and were also beaten by them in the round-robin stage. The latter game was a difficult one, with Mayo leading until a late Galway surge saw the Tribeswomen win.
“We felt it was important that we were not saying the Galway defeat [in the final] was the be all and end all, but it did open a few eyes to the players themselves. We do use that as our point of reference to say ‘look, this doesn't happen again’.
That is certainly the case following their performances in the Festival of Football in the Platinum grade, formerly known as the ‘A’ Championship. They dismantled Leinster champions Meath and beat the Munster runners-up Clare before coming through a ‘character-building’ win over Ulster champions Tyrone, winning by a single point.
The three wins set up a quarter-final against Kildare, and the Green and Red came out on top in an end-to-end battle, displaying the character required after Kildare put them to the pin of their collars.
“We were six points up at half-time. They came out and blitzed us for five points on the spin after half-time. We just had to settle the girls down, reorganise, and we came away with a three-point win. The scenes at the end of it were brilliant. The team on the pitch, the girls who didn't get on the pitch, they were celebrating. You could see what it meant to them.”
The upcoming semi-final is not the only show in town for Mayo at underage level, with a Connacht title secured at U16 level as well as a Connacht minor final again Galway last Saturday, which only went the way of the Tribeswomen after a dramatic free-kick shootout. Mayo are certainly getting a lot right at underage level, and Carney credits the huge work being put in across the board, as well as an attractive style of football being implemented.
“We’ve had a spread of about eighteen different players from different clubs. Anytime we've needed a pitch or a facility or a venue, we’ve never been turned down. Everybody's been affable. They understand that you're trying to achieve a standard for Mayo football.
“I think if you look at all the teams from our own team to Francis Regan's under-16 team to Brian’s [McLoughlin's] minor team, we're playing football. We're not playing defensive counter-attack. We're actually playing football. The players enjoy that more than maybe a set-up in a defensive system, trying to match what other counties do.
“I think the benefit of that is that the players enjoy their football, they’re sticking with it. The club football at underage is huge, particularly in the girls' side.”
Carney added: “When you're getting good participation, you're getting a good base from the county boards doing player development pathways for players. There's an initiative there called the Player Development Pathway where players who haven't made a county squad get exposed to more training at an odd age level.
“It's not all focused on just the 30 or 35 that you pick. We're looking at a broader scope to be able to encompass players who develop late.” Exciting times for Mayo ladies football may lie ahead but for now, Carney and his management team’s sole focus will be on the Munster champions Cork this Saturday and he expects a tough game.
“Cork teams are notoriously talented, they’re ferocious, they play at a good intensity. We know what we have to do on the day. We have to match that and better it.
“We're focused on what we can do. If every player plays to their ability, it gives us a great platform to get a win.
“You can get a bit carried away focusing on the opposition a bit too much. If you give yourself a platform that allows the players to play the game, with the ability that they have to play the game that comes naturally to them, you've given yourself a great chance.”
