O'Mahony defiant as Mayo go AWOL
Sligo 0-15 Mayo 1-8
Sligo's Ross Donavan gives Mayo's Alan Freeman the slip at Markievicz Park. Photo: Oliver McVeigh / Sportsfile
IT had been well signposted. Sligo were the team most likely to pull off the weekend's shock result and, the first seven minutes of this quarter-final aside, Mayo did nothing to prevent it.
Initially, Mayo played like a team scalded by their league final capitulation. Championship debutant Alan Freeman was the fulcrum. He hit 1-1 in the opening exchanges, with the goal coming from the penalty spot after full-back Noel McGuire had fouled the Aughamore man.
Sligo manager Kevin Walsh reacted quickly, pulling Eamon O'Hara back in front of Freeman. It was 'tactics 101' but it seemed to baffle Mayo, as they could only manage three points in the remainder of the half. From there, Mayo drowned slowly in a sea of fervent work-rate, application and desire and were blessed to go in at half-time leading by two points (1-4 to 0-5).
flames
As ever, O'Hara was the beating heart of Sligo. He was everywhere. The Tourlestrane man started the game at full-forward after being listed on the wing, before he was switched back to help McGuire out. Once those flames had been quelled, he started the second half in the No 11 position.
Others soon followed his example. The diminutive Johnny Davey snarled and snapped into tackles like he was the biggest man on the field and kicked a memorable first-half point.
Charlie Harrison and Ross Donovan gradually got the better of Conor Mortimer and Enda Varley. After kicking two excellent first-half points, Mortimer was reduced to wild attempts on goal by the game's end. Alan Costello, playing against his native county, landed two excellent points in a second half that saw Mayo cleaned out totally in the middle third.
Indeed, Mayo boss John O'Mahony removed midfielders Tom Parsons and Ronan McGarrity before the final whistle as Tony Taylor and Stephen Gilmartin lorded centre field.
And yet despite Sligo's dominance, Mayo were still in touch with 15 minutes to go. Freeman, the only Mayo player to emerge with his reputation embellished, cut the gap to just a point in the 54th minute.
Markievicz Park braced itself, wondering would the heat sap the life out of their team before the end. But there was to be no rousing fightback.
Just as they did against Meath in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final and against Cork in the league decider, Mayo went AWOL with the game on the line. They stood back and watched as Sligo pinned the ears back and went for home like they were being chased by the ghost of last year's near misses against both Galway and Kerry.
At this stage, absolutely everything was going right for Sligo. David Kelly kicked the three points his performance deserved, while Colm McGee, on his championship debut, was coolness personified when knocking over two crucial second-half frees.
Mayo, on the other hand, were shipping water and their day was summed up when Trevor Mortimer teed up Harrison for a massive hit and, after the shuddering collision, it was the Mayo captain who was forced to leave the game.
"We have been building ourselves to become a serious team and it was great last year to nearly beat Kerry and nearly beat Galway but, at the end of the day, you were left with the same feeling that Mayo have this time," said Costello, who was part of the Mayo squad that reached the 2004 All-Ireland final.
"We're not looking for moral victories anymore. We are a good team and we had a good league this year and last year. But championship football is championship football and we are looking forward to the next game now."
understated
Walsh was typically understated afterwards but was pleased with how his side saw the game out, a clear sign they have learned from last year.
"We still controlled the game, we covered up well at the back in the end. They put a lot of high ball in as well hoping to get something from it. Our lads dealt with it well and having Eamon there was a plus, but it meant that the lads up front had to work harder, too, and they did that."
O'Mahony cut a disconsolate figure but referenced his All-Ireland success with Galway in 2001 as a measure of how the qualifiers can be benefit a team.
"Kerry were in exactly this situation last year and went on to win an All-Ireland. I was in a similar situation in 2001 with Galway -- after getting to a league final as well -- and went on to win the All-Ireland, so you never know. There are a few twists and turns left in this championship season yet."
O'Mahony also moved to defend his players and insisted that he has no intention of walking away from the job.
"All I can see for the last five weeks is the huge amount of work that has been put in by the lads and the commitment they have given since the league final," he said. "I have a job to do. The championship season isn't over for Mayo yet. I presume you know that. I have never run away from anything and I am not going to run away from that.
"The natural thing for anyone when they lose a championship game is that they don't want to know about it. But sometimes true character is shown in that. We will be back training on Tuesday week.
"How Mayo do in the qualifiers will be down to how we react to this. It is as simple as that. We have a talented and young squad of players and I don't think people should jump to conclusions on how we have done in qualifiers in the past."
Scorers -- Sligo: C McGee 0-4 (3f), D Kelly, M Breheny (3f) 0-3 each, A Costello 0-2, J Davey, T Taylor, S Gilmartin 0-1 each. Mayo: A Freeman 1-4 (1-0 pen, 1f), C Mortimer 0-3 (1f), A Moran 0-1.
Sligo -- P Greene 7; C Harrison 9, N McGuire 7, R Donavan 8; K Cawley 7, B Phillips 7, J Davey 9; T Taylor 8, S Gilmartin 8; A Costello 8, M Breheny 8, K Sweeney 7; C McGee 8, E O'Hara 9, D Kelly 8. Sub: S Coen for McGee (67).
Mayo -- D Clarke 7; D Vaughan 6, G Cafferkey 6, K Higgins 6; P Gardiner 6, T Cunniffe 6, K McLoughlin 6; T Parsons 6, R McGarrity 5; A Moran 6, S O'Shea 5, T Mortimer 6; C Mortimer 6, A Freeman 8, E Varley 5. Subs: BJ Padden 5 for S O'Shea (46); A O'Shea 5 for Varley (54); M Ronaldson for T Mortimer (61); B Moran for Parsons (63); K Conroy for McGarrity (66).
Ref -- J White (Donegal).
- Donnchadh Boyle
Irish Independent
