“I'll never forget the noise when we scored”
Mayo manager Anthony O'Neill and his daughter Ayla, aged 2, after Saturday's FAI National League match at Umbro Park. Picture: Paul Phelan/Sportsfile
It was no surprise to see the positive vibes in everybody involved with Mayo FC after their win over St Francis in the very first game of the FAI National League.
There were some early nerves but once Mayo settled, there only looked like one winner and head coach Anthony O’Neill was delighted with his side’s display.
“A really, really intense game. We had to work so hard for the result,” O’Neill told the Western People. “But I just thought we grew into the game so much as it progressed.
“They were very good in the first 15 minutes but once we weathered that storm and weathered their high press, we started to get more joy, we started to play a bit more direct and get in behind them, get in on top of them.
“Obviously Ben got the goal at a very, very good time. I think once we went one-nil up, we were the better team then for the rest of the game.”
The noise around the ground when Ben Edeh found the net was a special moment.
“I've said this to a few people since I've come off the pitch, I'll never forget the noise when we scored. It just felt so good, I suppose, for all the work we've put in over the last number of months.
“To see that many people here today getting behind the team and hopefully enjoying the performance, enjoying the three points. We want every single one of those people to come back to our next home game and hopefully they'll tell their family, their friends about the occasion and we'll get an even bigger crowd next time out because we need the fans.”
The result was all the more impressive given that O’Neill has had to deal with a number of injuries that has impacted pre-season preparations. Michael Clifford, Conor Gorman and Jason Devenney missed the game due to injury while Connor McCarthy went off on 25 minutes after he rolled his ankle, and he is a serious doubt for the trip to Letterkenny next weekend.
O’Neill did welcome back Oisin O’Reilly and Aidan Coyle, the latter an integral member of the Galway League’s Oscar Traynor-winning side last season, and both impressed while Darragh Forde from The Neale, who came on for the injured McCarthy, was a game-changer for Mayo upon his introduction.
“I suppose it showed the strength and depth we have in the squad. We haven't made a big thing of this, but we've had a lot of injuries in pre-season.
“Thankfully with Aidan Coyle and Oisin O'Reilly, we got back into the team two players with a lot of experience.
“Darragh coming off the bench, his pace, running in behind, getting at their defence, he was a real handful for them in the second-half, especially when they went down to ten men.
“In the first-half we had to change things up. Ben went up centre-forward, got the goal, so it shows the versatility we have and flexibility in the attacking third, and it's great to have it.”
O’Neill added: “Everybody was super. There isn't one player on that pitch that didn't perform well today, didn't give one hundred percent. It was great to see it. Guga [Kokaia] has had a tough season with the U20s, but we have some very, very good players in the U20 squad despite the difficult results this year. Kuga is one of the lads who's been fortunate to step up. He deserves this opportunity. With injuries, he's got his chance. He's a midfielder playing left-back. He was up against a very, very good opponent today and yeah, he was excellent.
“Noe Baba and Oisin O’Reilly at the back, lots of experience between the two of them. And they just kept things calm for us, defended well.
“Matthew (Fox) didn't have a whole lot to do, but the few saves he had to make, they weren't easy ones. Sometimes those ones that skid across the ground and some of the crosses he had to deal with, he just dealt with everything superbly well, and his kicking was excellent as well. He was finding Ben Edeh really, really well with those direct kicks from the back.”
Up next is Letterkenny Rovers, who suffered a 4-1 defeat on the road against Salthill Devon. With the Donegal side having their first home game of the league, O’Neill is expecting a tough encounter.
“In my career as a player and as a coach, I've never had an easy game against a team from Donegal. They're always very physical, they can play football as well. Donegal is a strong football county.
“With Cockhill, Bonagee [United] and Letterkenny, I think all those clubs will be really competitive in the game so we're expecting a really difficult game next week.”
