MARTIN CARNEY: Rest periods earned in this congested year are invaluable
EVERYONE involved, I’m sure, was glad of the break from competitive action over the weekend. Rest periods earned this year are invaluable such is the congested nature of the playing season.
As I’ve pointed out in an earlier column, there are probably only two further breaks from competition between now and the commencement of the championship on April 9 – and were we to reach the Division 1 final, just one!
Stepping back from the pressures of competition and allowing all to recharge their batteries is vital in the greater scheme of things. Injuries and knocks need time to settle and heal, players and management get an opportunity to review the progress made over the opening rounds, while at the same time meetings are set aside to address any errors and flaws that have been apparent.
For some the demands have been particularly stressful over the last four weeks. The group I’m referring to are those involved with Sigerson Cup duties. Anyone who has competed in this wonderful competition is well aware of its sacred place on the calendar for college students. Players value the competition highly but due to the academic realities of college, life it appears that the only slot for the competition – late January and early February – overlaps with the early rounds of the league, resulting in players serving two masters on a weekly basis over a four-week time span.
As far as I gather, Mayo had fewer involved this year than in the recent past. Jack Coyne, Frank Irwin and Eoghan McLaughlin are exceptions. Starring for UL, they have helped steer their Alma Mater to the final of the competition against UCC and create the possibility of being part of the first ever Sigerson Cup-winning team from the college.
I was particularly impressed with McLaughlin’s semi-final display against DCU where aside from his improved use of the ball, he scored a goal to do justice to any game. Thankfully their limited recovery time between games hasn’t yet become an issue.
MUCH TO ADMIRE
When they gathered over the weekend to review the season so far there was much to admire while at the same time I’m sure management will have addressed some of the flaws that have slightly diminished performances.
If spirit, effort and a willingness to give all for the cause were the accepted benchmarks, then Mayo have scored highly in each category. The joy apparent in approach, their willingness to back one another and the growth in understanding of their responsibilities to themselves and their team-mates has shone through.
Ryan O’Donoghue's point on the final whistle in the Galway game, for example, was a positive moment worth savouring; laying down a ‘Yiz aren’t going to beat us’ moment in the particular circumstances was a real rouser.
The after-glow of this carried us to Armagh where again Mayo showed, despite much of the pre-season gloom, that they are still a force to be reckoned with. In a seething cauldron that had at times a championship edge, a myriad of players responded positively to the challenges in different ways.
Aidan O’Shea was masterful in his in-out role between full-forward and midfield; David McBrien, strong and intelligent, has begun to cultivate a reputation as a top-class defender; and Enda Hession, comfortable on the ball and equally polished as a crisp tackling defender, is another who has moved from fringe to mainstream.
What has impressed more than anything is the dynamism and fluency of the central players. In an era that prizes raw athleticism very highly, Mayo fortunately can draw from any of six to drive the engine room. On any given day any combination of Jordan Flynn, Diarmuid O’Connor, Bob Tuohy, Matthew Ruane, Aidan O’Shea and Patrick Durcan can be relied on for game-winning performances. From the lot, Flynn is the most improved, Ruane is moving into his prime, Tuohy is a revelation for one so raw and the remaining trio, rich in experience, are threatening big seasons.
Though it’s early days in the McStay reign, he has already given us all some glimpses of what we can expect and hope for during his inaugural season.
Already, though in a limited form, the use of the long ball to the inside forward is getting more traction than in the past. That this coincides with Aidan O’Shea’s more forward role I’ll leave to your own judgement but already signs are emerging that three from the Breaffy man, Cillian O’Connor , Ryan O’Donoghue and Tommy Conroy will occupy our most advanced positions. Where that will leave James Carr, for example, is anyone’s guess; no doubt his strike against Galway has lit up the league but there are times when inconsistency does him no favours.
Sorting the goalkeeping position is a must. It’s early days but the 2022 championship occupant, Rory Byrne, has fallen out of favour, though he did little wrong. With Robbie Hennelly due back and Colm Reape impressing, competition for the place will be keen.
In a more general sense, hard-wiring an understanding between everyone as to their roles hasn’t an overnight solution. Much of this season, I’d predict, will involve harnessing the most from everyone, improving game awareness, allowing players to familiarise themselves with one another and cultivate a degree of unshakeable self-belief.
After such promising displays of character in the opening two games, it’s tempting and often habit- forming to think beyond the rainbow on thoughts of Sam. Be assured, though, it’s the present and all that it has to offer, good and bad, which McStay will keep centre-stage. Leaving the rest to others is their business. In short, finding ways to consolidate and improve what is positive while at the same time eradicating any errors that are disfiguring will dominate thinking.
What better way to measure present worth than to welcome the All-Ireland champions Kerry to town. A convincing win over Monaghan following an insipid opener against Donegal has primed the Kingdom for the fixture.
Anxious to win on the road and put down a marker against one of their bigger challengers, I expect Jack O’Connor will field more of last year’s championship-winning team.
Whether or not both Clifford brothers start up front remains to be seen but the prospect of David pitting his wits against David McBrien would provide interesting moments. O’Connor will, I’d imagine, give further game time to an impressive Darragh Roche and Donal O’Sullivan, who starred against Monaghan.
A first win for the season would fit the Mayo menu nicely and backed by a big display, would further increase confidence thresholds. One way or the other, the team will have a greater awareness of its worth after Saturday’s clash.