Why Andy and Mayo must steal from the Kerry playbook

It’s hard to beat good breeding. After all the talk, this was my first time getting a proper look at this much-vaunted Crossmolina team, and boy, did they deliver. A person I was watching the match alongside christened them “the offspring team”, and I thought it was a wonderful way to describe a squad filled with young players who possess all the swagger, style and flair of their decorated fathers, who trod this path a generation before them.

For such a young team, Cross’s ball retention, option-taking and maturity were hugely impressive. After a blinding group campaign, I thought this quarter-final would be trickier. Belmullet are a physical, dogged side with a superstar forward. Pitches have also gotten much softer and heavier over the past ten days and would not lend themselves to fluid football. It had “banana skin” written all over it.

Deel Rovers poo-pooed all over my fears, though, and from the get-go were utterly dominant. Belmullet flooded the defence, but Crossmolina moved the ball from side to side with sharp clean passes, punching holes through the Erris men’s rearguard whenever they spied a gap. Their finishing was outstanding too, with a range of different types of scores bamboozling Belmullet’s defence.

Kobe McDonald, Oisín Deane and Dylan Flynn were exceptionally slick during this period. Andy Moran appeared for Ballagh’ at the weekend at a ripe age of 41, yet if you added up this trio’s ages you’d barely hit fifty! All three are seriously smooth operators – a fact that won’t be lost on the aforementioned Andy.

A friend of mine described Kobe’s performance against Ballina Stephenites in the group stages as “different gravy”. I was reluctant to subscribe to that level of hype for one so young, but after watching his display at the weekend, I’m now a fully signed-up member of the fan club. Apart from his obvious technical proficiency, he is such a lovely mover, gliding about the pitch.

He also showed serious mental fortitude and steel to perform so well on Sunday. Belmullet were in his ear and ruffling his hair, but he just got on with it and let his football do the talking.

When I saw that Colm Parkinson had a feature on his ‘Smaller Fish’ GAA podcast this week urging people nationwide to tune in to TG4 on Sunday to “watch Kobe play”, I felt for the lad and thought it was woeful pressure for a 17-year-old to shoulder. Not only did he handle it though, he grew in the white-hot heat of championship in front of a national audience and seemed made for the stage. “To the manor born,” as Shakespeare might say.

Let’s hope the rampant rumours of Kobe’s impending move to the AFL prove unfounded. Andy and Mayo need to steal from the Kerry playbook when it comes to handling ridiculously talented prodigies. With Aussie clubs sniffing around, Éamonn Fitzmaurice gave Clifford his senior debut right out of minor. Heaven and earth were moved in Kerry to show this freakish talent that this was where his future lay and that his future in Ireland could be paved with gold and sunlit uplands. And it sure has paid off.

I wouldn’t like Andy to make the same mistake Martin O’Neill did when dealing with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish a few years back. O’Neill gave the players time and space to map out the future. During that period of introspection, the English vultures swooped and the rest is history. Get Kobe in now, let him feel the buzz of playing for Mayo and enjoy the love and adulation of the fans.

Of course, we don’t want to heap pressure on one so young, but if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Darragh McCarthy, at 19, scored 1-13 in the All-Ireland Hurling Final for Tipperary this year. Shane O’Donnell, at 19, scored a hat-trick in the 2013 Final for Clare. Some players are just destined for stardom.

Mayo have paid a heavy price for losing Oisín Mullin and Pearse Hanley Down Under. Those moves worked out brilliantly for the two lads, but have left Mayo fans saying “If only”. The two dirtiest words in sport. Let’s move mountains to keep Kobe here.

It wasn’t just the Young Turks who won the day for Deel Rovers, however. They have great experience and power in central positions too. Conor Loftus at 6, Jordan Flynn at 8 and Patrick Leddy at 14 have the smarts and strength to control games and allow the young fliers on the wings to strut their stuff.

Jordan Flynn is a very fine intercounty player, but he is an exceptional club player. Against tricky opponents in Seamus Howard and Evan Ivers, he absolutely dominated proceedings in the opening period – catching kickouts, kicking scores, linking play and forcing turnovers.

It is amazing how Crossmolina won an All-Ireland Intermediate title only six months ago, yet have already seriously rejuvenated the squad. You can imagine that some of those elder statesmen who tasted All-Ireland glory in the spring are driving the standards, pushing the young lads and probably a little annoyed that these whippersnappers have taken some of their starting spots. That is a healthy, competitive situation for a squad to be in.

To have Fionán Duffy and Cathal Carolan, two lads who have donned the Mayo jersey quite recently, only coming on speaks to their strength and depth.

As a club, you can really tell that they have got the bit between their teeth again. Allied to that All-Ireland success, the county minor ‘A’ victory a few weeks ago – for the first time in 32 years – shows that this maroon tide is rising rapidly. Dotted around St Tiernan’s Park, you could see former greats keeping a watchful eye on the new breed. John Maughan was patrolling the sideline in his coach’s role, Peadar Gardiner was wearing a Maor Foirne bib, Liam Moffatt was operating as medic and Enda Lavelle was everywhere as club chairman. Elsewhere, Ciaran Mc looked effortlessly cool in the terraces as his boy lit it up. Cross’ are on the move and they will take stopping.

Ballina Stephenites will fancy another cut at them though. The Stephenites probably haven’t gotten the credit they deserve for being Mayo’s club team of this decade but you cannot question their consistency. Maybe they’re underappreciated because they have been dominant in a time that hasn’t been a golden period for Mayo club football. In spite of their two-in-a-row, they wouldn’t be considered one of the greats. Win three-in-a-row though and they can take their place in the pantheon of top Mayo club sides. It’s a big incentive.

Despite making a massive breakthrough in 2022, Westport will feel like they have underachieved since then. One county title was not considered a good enough return for a team with such underage talent and stellar quality. It would be ironic if they were to go on and win it this year, the year in which they have been least fancied for a while. Facing Crossmolina in a semi-final as rank outsiders is a nice place for them to be.

In true club championship style, there were many incredible stories from around the country last weekend. It wasn’t just the wonderful victories that caught my attention, but the crushing losses and the changing of the guard in many counties. Carnacon Ladies, Portumna hurlers and St Vincent’s footballers all bit the dust and were relegated to intermediate at the weekend. Between them they have won thirteen All-Ireland senior club titles.

The lesson? Sport is cyclical. Nothing lasts forever. Make hay when the sun is shining and you have a golden crop. Crossmolina are seemingly intent on doing just that.