Meehan: Mayo 'never recovered' from goal blitz

It was a fourth weekend out for the Mayo hurlers in a row and trying to claw back a ten-point deficit in sweltering heat with 20 minutes to rescue your season proved a step too far in the end.

The damage was done in a devastating spell by New York in the first half thanks to three goals in seven minutes by AJ Willis and, in the words of Mayo selector Shane Meehan, they ‘never recovered’ from there.

“It's very disappointing. The lads are gutted inside. As I say, I suppose, goals win games. New York got them at such a critical time, and we never recovered,” Meehan said.

“We thought we kind of regrouped again, maybe the last five minutes of the first half. We were pretty confident at half-time that we'd be able to pull it back. Just kind of never got going really then.

“I suppose things just didn't fire for us. The ball wasn't sticking, few disappointing wides, you know. The boys worked hard, but it's just very disappointing.” Mayo were playing somewhat against the unknown also. New York’s last game was 51 weeks ago when they won the Lory Meagher Cup, although eleven of the starters for that victory also started against Mayo last Sunday, while substitutes Adam Loughlin Stones and Gerard McPartland also featured.

Meanwhile, Mayo had to battle against Fermanagh, Sligo and Louth over the past three week and the relentless schedule caught up with Ray Larkin’s men.

“It's very difficult to manage the load on the boys. You know, you're packing five games into seven weeks or six weeks, I think.

“It's very hard on bodies, boys picking up knocks and you pick up a knock in this championship, you're pretty much gone.

“We lost Eoghan Collins there a few weeks back and if we'd one more week, we would have had him probably in the 26 next week but that wasn't the way it panned out.

It's tough. It's very, very condensed and it's very hard on the players.

“I won't say it's unfair or anything but it's a very, very tough schedule playing championship hurling like week on week.” Overall, it has been a tough year for Mayo. They were relegated from Division 2, but had come against Joe McDonagh sides Laois, London and Westmeath and this year’s Christy Ring finalists Kerry and Derry.

The belief was coming against faster and more physical hurling opponents would help Mayo for their championship aspirations, so the overall feeling is one of disappointment as the Mayo senior hurlers see their inter-county season come to an end.

“It’s challenging alright but at the same time, it's very enjoyable. It’s a great bunch of lads, great characters in there. The Division 2 league, a huge learning curve, the physicality of it, the pace of the hurling. It’s a real, real step up,” offered Meehan.

“We probably tried to take positives from it week on week. You know, we took a fair few clippings along the way, but you're playing your Kerrys and your Meaths and your Westmeaths and Laois. They're serious outfits.

“You would have imagined that faster pace of hurling would have stood to us. We knew we were going to get it Division 2. The full focus was on the Nicky Rackard and it's very, very disappointing to be where we are now today,” Meehan concluded.