Mayo must be wary of the Hyde ambush
Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship Semi-Final, Dr. Hyde Park Co. Roscommon 21/4/2024 Roscommon vs Mayo Ryan O’Donoghue of Mayo Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/James Lawlor
Cast your thoughts back to this time last year and Mayo were in a similar position to what they are currently in now, although with a much different mood within the county.
Fresh off handing then All-Ireland champions Kerry a first championship defeat in Killarney since 1995 and all in the county were on a high and dreaming over another magical journey to a final. A narrow win over Louth, however, and a defeat to Cork was more a sledgehammer to a fly than a pin in a balloon when it came to Mayo’s All-Ireland aspirations.
This time around, Mayo enjoyed a comfortable win over Cavan in their opening group game at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park and now travel to Hyde Park this Saturday, with a victory guaranteeing a home draw in the Preliminary Quarter-Final at the very least as well as setting up a showdown with Dublin for top spot and straight passage into the All-Ireland Quarter-Final, assuming they account for Cavan in Breffni Park.
Yet, there’s no real sense of anticipation or excitement for the encounter with the Rossies. Has it to do with that the two meeting for a third time in less than three months? Or that three teams from a four-team group qualify and Mayo have done so, eliminating any sense of jeopardy? Or because Mayo have not set the world alight with their performances in either the National League or the Championship and we’re either waiting for a big performance or for a Dublin or a Kerry to put us out of our misery?
Whatever the case may be, all Mayo can do right is focus on the job right now and they accomplished the first bit against Cavan professionally and with minimum fuss. Sure, it’s not the chaotic, seat-of-the-pants tension that Mayo have put supporters through over the years against so-called ‘lesser’ teams but just because it was controlled does not necessarily make it poor.
The one real negative for Mayo was the loss of captain Paddy Durcan after he suffered a season-ending cruciate ligament injury in the final seconds against Cavan. It is a cruel blow for the player and the team given how inspirational the Castlebar Mitchels man is but as Mark Ronaldson rightly points out, his position of wing-back is stacked with options and it is an opportunity for the likes of Eoghan McLaughlin to cement his spot in the team.
It is at the other end of the pitch where problems lie. That may sound strange given Mayo scored 20 points against Cavan but as much of a blow to Mayo is Durcan’s, any loss of Ryan O’Donoghue at this stage of the season would be fatal. He is the Green and Red’s most important player and the primary weapon in Kevin McStay’s attacking options.
But who starts along with him is the question? Cillian O’Connor looked sharp in the game against Cavan, scoring four points and while he has lost that half yard of pace, his intelligence and movement is still a valuable commodity in the Mayo attack. He has played himself into contention for a starting spot and it could mean either Aidan O’Shea being sprung off the bench or playing in a much deeper role.
They have both yet to start the same game this season, with the league game against Monaghan, Connacht opener in New York and the group game versus Cavan the only times both men have been on the pitch at the same time, so it appears unlikely. But if McStay decides to twist it is Tommy Conroy who may to the bench, with The Neale man looking very short on form and confidence.
Both those qualities, however, are something Roscommon have lacked all year so far. Since winning the FBD League in January, their win over Monaghan in the League back in February remains the only one this year. They have met Mayo twice this year, being well beaten in the League in Castlebar and Mayo ran out comfortable winners again in the Hyde last month.
On paper, they were well beaten by Dublin last weekend, 2-19 to 0-13, but Roscommon were never more than three behind coming into the final ten minutes and it was a late surge by the Dubs that gave the scoreline a more lopsided look.
In attack, Daire Cregg, Diarmaid Murtagh and Conor Cox were excellent, converting 13 of their 14 efforts and should they come at Mayo with that type of efficiency, Mayo could be in bother.
Beating a side three times in one year is a very difficult task and it’s hard to see Roscommon putting in another disjointed display against their neighbours. If they do so, it won’t just mean Roscommon being left in a battle with Cavan to remain in the championship but it will likely see Davy Burke’s tenure come to an end.
Mayo must be ready for the kitchen sink to be thrown at them. If they can withstand the early blows, they can see off Roscommon and prepare for a shootout with the All-Ireland Champions.
