Rochford’s know-how should concern Donegal

Mayo’s victory over Tyrone last time out was some way to end two weeks that was. The old county had convulsed itself in recriminations and division, with names from the last – Captain Boycott and the great Michael Davitt – dragged into modernity to buttress or rebuff arguments across our political and sporting spectrum. I myself was caught in the crosshairs of the Captain Boycott narrative for having the audacity to have worked flat out for forty years and purchased a property in my native area. On the sporting front, Croke Park suits had come to town and it’s up to yourself to take from that assembly what you want.

Time marches on. Firstly nothing but continued best wishes for good health to Kevin McStay – a good man caught in a vortex of Mayo desire with all the attendant baggage that comes with that. Get well soon, your contribution to Mayo since the early 1980s as a player and later U21 manager will stand the test of time. The right man in the wrong place and time, a phenomenon many of us have experienced. That should never diminish his contribution or CV.

The recent final day Allianz Football League Division One triangle between Mayo, Donegal and Tyrone has transferred into Group One of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. On Super League Sunday, Tyrone could have survived had Mayo lost, with the possibility that a victory could even have propelled them to a league final. Donegal, had they beaten Mayo, too could have contested the final.

The width of the crossbar and the nonchalance of a Daire Ó Baoill missed penalty saw us through. Such tight margins. Tyrone also won yet dropped down and Donegal lost and went back to Jim McGuinness’ masterplan, neither side looking all that devastated. But neither did we portray an image of over delight and glee at the prospect of facing Jack’s Kerry in the final. We just shrugged the shoulders. What’s another final?

Strangely, the stock of McGuinness and also Malachy O’Rourke’s Tyrone rose despite those setbacks. Jim was/is touted along the ‘winning matches’ meme and Tyrone, in the eyes of the experts across the media, were installed with Kerry, Donegal, Armagh and Galway as ‘real’ contenders for Sam. We, Mayo, were, ‘Ah, you don’t know which Mayo will turn up lads’ kinda vibe. And sure enough, we didn’t disappoint. A surprising loss in dead heat to Cavan in front of a small MacHale Park attendance unbuttoned plenty of anger and fire. We looked listless and forlorn but truth be told, we have charted that route for a long while now.

The unfortunate illness to manager McStay had to have a galvanising effect on the team and managerial panel. Nobody can doubt his commitment. The donning of the manager’s title upon Rochford clarified and simplified the goal ahead. Mayo went to Omagh and did a Tyrone on Tyrone. Who would have thought that? Probably most of us, the truth be told. In a recent article in the Western People I posited that Mayo could well beat both Tyrone and Donegal but what long term would that tell us? On the other hand, who cares about long term? Keep it simple, don’t over analyse, live in the moment in this Trumpian dystopia.

Squaring that Division One league triangle are Cavan who, on paper, should be the get out of jail ticket for the other three, except Mayo squandered that docket already and now face Donegal with serious pressure upon them.

It seems like years ago since Mayo put on a masterclass to end Paddy Carr’s reign as Donegal boss but it was only the spring of 2023, and we now face each other in the final championship group match. Cavan, who play Tyrone next, are on two points with a minus sixteen difference. Donegal are on two points with a positive sixteen points scoring difference while we are level on two points in the table but with a smaller scoring difference of plus four.

One can say with confidence that Cavan will remain on two points; Tyrone will be too wounded by the manner of their Mayo loss. That leaves us having to take something off Donegal to avoid exiting on the head-to-head rule against Cavan. A docket squandered, remember.

Donegal are revitalised under Jimmy and Stephen Rochford is Mayo manager again. Throw in Rochford’s Donegal connection as their former coach and we have spice and maybe not the disadvantage we think it could be. Rochford, in 2016 and 2017, charted Mayo runs from poor beginnings. Muscle memory quickly returns. Mayo have been here before, the win over Tyrone should have blown out lots of lactic acid in the system. Mayo, apart from the 2012 All-Ireland SFC final, have had the measure of Donegal… occasionally more comfortable than imagined.

What amazes me is how quick we go from nought to a hundred, the abject loss to Cavan, the solid nourishing win in Omagh. A win over Donegal would copper-fasten a return of sorts. Does it mean everything is hunky dory? No. But it means a season of apparent wreckage has been salvaged, assuming we act with intent be that a quarter- or preliminary quarter-final. Sometimes we fail to look across the spectrum but if we do, we note that both provincial winners, Louth and Galway, are on a single point between them with a game each left. Whether the new rules have levelled the playing field metaphorically or not, the gaps have narrowed.

Mayo now have something to realistically aim at. Often derided, often welcoming and making themselves willing butts of joke, there are no teams out there, none of the so called ‘Big Four’, who would fancy meeting a Mayo side given an unexpected reprieve. And the maligned Rochford, now that he’s officially the ship’s skipper, has previously driven the SS Mayo to high tides and big days. The Donegal match will be the temperature gauge of where we stand.