Mayo make the breakthrough against Cork to blow the championship wide open

TYNAN'S TAKE

IF you were to describe the quarterfinals of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies senior football championship in one word, you wouldn't go far wrong with ‘carnage’.

The four provincial champions - Galway, Dublin, Armagh and Cork - were all sent packing on what was simply an incredible day of football, with arguably the latter’s exit the biggest surprise of the lot.

Cork were 1/6 favourites - with Mayo a nice 9/2 if you fancied the punt – but the popular consensus was that while Mayo would put it up to them, Cork would romp away in the end.

Any team that could use the 'we're in transition' line was Mayo. The Kelly sisters, Grace and Niamh, Sarah Rowe, Aileen Gilroy and Rachel Kearns were off playing football in Australia. Clodagh and Ciara McManamon were injured, Dayna Finn was involved with the Irish basketball team and Fiona Doherty was committed to soccer with Sligo Rovers.

Moyles has effectively had to build a new team, with only six of the team who started against Cork having started last year's All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin. But anyone who has watched Michael Moyles' team since the league knew there was something about them.

Despite the loss of such key players, Mayo's league campaign went very well and it took a strong performance from All-Ireland champions Meath to topple them at the semi-final stage.

Championship can be a different matter all together and although the margin of defeat to Galway in the Connaught final was four points, it could, in truth, have been much more following a disappointing display.

A convincing win over Tipperary and late dramatics against Cavan secured their place in the All-Ireland quarterfinals, with a loss in the final group game against Dublin proving irrelevant.

Cork awaited and while on my way to Ennis, I'll hold my hands up and admit that despite their progress, I felt this match might prove one hurdle too high for this team this year.

What followed was a performance to remember. From the get-go Mayo's workrate and pressing were a joy to behold, as well as their style of play. Even though Cork went in ahead at half-time in spite of Mayo's excellent performance, there was no doubts in this Mayo team and once Lisa Cafferky sent in Mayo's second goal of the afternoon, you could start thinking about Croke Park.

Kerry now await this Saturday. If Mayo produce anything to the level of the performance against Cork, we may have a big day out in Croke Park in July after all.