Covid challenges and lack of real test puts pressure on Mayo ahead of Galway game

ARMCHAIR VIEW: By John Melvin

CHAOTIC was the word James Horan used in his post-match interview when he faced a battalion from the print media.

There was little point in asking about Mayo’s 24-point hammering of Leitrim as the Connaught champions booked their place in the final for the second year running to face Galway in Castlebar in two weeks’ time.

The Mayo manager clearly has a lot on his mind.

Galway’s performance against a Roscommon team who put up the barricades ahead of July 12 was less than impressive and Galway manager Padraic Joyce, while surely impressed with Mayo’s high intensity game, will feel the current champions will be the ones under pressure when they do battle at MacHale Park in the final.

Mayo dismantled Leitrim with military precision and clearly the order sent out was that no prisoners were to be taken but it should also be noted that most of these Leitrim players had run out of ammunition long before half-time.

No one was gloating. Leitrim don’t want sympathy. They need help, but we will come to that later.

Most of the questions after the game concerned the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Mayo camp which sent ripples of anxiety through a lot of GAA families over the weekend.

The Mayo manager tried in vain to bring the discussion around to his team’s excellent performance on the pitch under such challenging circumstances off the pitch but the media were hungry for information as to how this outbreak, which involved at least nine Mayo players, could impact on preparations for the Connaught final against Galway.

Horan said the medics were the men to engage with and the full extent of the fall-out from the Covid outbreak won’t be known until stock is taken at the next training session which is tonight, Tuesday.

HAMMERINGS

Meanwhile the arguments raged across the various networks about the current knockout system which sees so many teams suffering such heavy defeats, Mayo now having handed out embarrassing hammerings to both Sligo and Leitrim.

One common theme which emanated from pundits on the Sunday Game, who must be wondering why RTÉ decided to go live with The Sunday Game from MacHale Park without a health warning, was that Mayo have not been helped by two games leading up to a Connaught final in which they have not even broken into a sweat.

Opinions are divided about the provincial system, but many see it as sacrosanct, and the last bastion of respectability for many players is winning a provincial medal as so many counties are not within an asses roar of getting within sight of an All-Ireland title, never mind winning one.

Keeping track of The Sunday Game on Sunday night was not easy as I switched over and back between the happenings in Wembley and keeping up to date with the highlights from the various games that were held over a very busy weekend.

I thought if only England had Tipperary’s Conor Sweeney taking that last penalty against Italy, football just might be coming home but then, the Munster title won’t be staying in Tipperary either.

Both Tomás O’Se and Ciaran Whelan were united in their view that something seriously needs to be done with a system that seems beyond repair.

The good news for Mayo is that both men see James Horan’s team as third in the pecking order when it comes to challenging for the All-Ireland this year, Dublin at number one, followed by Kerry.

Derry must feel the most aggrieved team of the weekend as they had what looked like a legitimate penalty turned down against Donegal, while they also fluffed a golden goal chance against a county who once again looked to Michael Murphy for salvation.

Their clash with Tyrone this weekend should be fascinating, the Red Hand County putting in an impressive performance to ensure Cavan’s reign as Ulster champions was never going to be extended for a second year.

The other county who had their lease on the provincial title terminated was Tipperary who never had a chance against Kerry, the team many believe will end Dublin’s bid for seven-in-a row this year unless Cork can pull a fairly big rabbit - and it will need to be a monster - out of the hat in the Munster final.

However, the big elephant in the GAA room at the moment is the inequity between so many teams within the provinces, Ulster possibly being the only exception.

Perhaps the return to the back door - if it is possible, sooner rather than later and I don’t think it will be next year - will ensure that teams such as Sligo, Leitrim, Longford and Westmeath, to name but a few, will not be joining the GAA dole queues as early as May and June.

It has to be soul-destroying for the players involved and the GAA need to establish a serious think tank on how the sport can be salvaged before it is too late for so many of the weaker counties.

But as they say, we are where we are.

There are several suggestions about how the system should be fixed but clearly there is no agreed strategy, many in favour of a league format, others suggesting to get rid of the provincial system and go for an open draw, but the main conclusion seems to be as Cora Staunton put in on The Sunday Game - the stronger are getting stronger and the weak are getting weaker – the Carnacon and Mayo legend suggesting that perhaps the men might do worse than have a look at how the ladies competitions are structured and let teams go down to Intermediate and Junior level and qualify for promotion through that system. It has to be worth a look at for sure.

DIFFICULT

Watching Mayo, it was difficult to draw too many conclusions given the gap between the sides in so many aspects of the game, particularly in the area of the intensity which Mayo brought to their game.

The best part of being in MacHale Park was seeing the 3,000 plus fans who were allowed into the game being entertained with five goals (and there could have been another three at least). It was great fun but not for a team on the receiving end.

Mayo were streets ahead in physicality and intensity, breaking from the back where it was great to see Padraig O’Hora back to his best of two years ago.

Rory Byrne had one or two anxious moments after finally making his championship debut for Mayo between the posts but made up for one or two errors - the early mist made that ball very slippy in the first half - with a commanding performance under the high ball.

Matthew Ruane had another fine outing and was to be found covering a huge amount of ground, as did Stephen Coen who had a solid game, while Tommy Conroy, when moved to full-forward, proved a real threat, scoring a fine goal and setting up several other scoring opportunities.

Ryan O’Donoghue continues to impress in that full-forward line where Darren McHale played a wandering minstrel role to good effect, while Darren Coen indicated he still has a lot to offer when it comes to hitting the target.

But this was a day when everyone contributed, the good news being Diarmuid O’Connor is ready to return and Lee Keegan has fully recovered from a shoulder injury.