Expect nothing less than a comprehensive Mayo win against Louth

by MARTIN CARNEY, GAA'S FOREMOST COLUMNIST

IT has taken time for the euphoria to subside, remembering the wonderful performance less than two weeks ago against Kerry in that citadel of football, Fitzgerald Stadium.

Recalling repeated powerplays, wonderful scores, crisp tackling, imaginative moves and a display of athleticism that many teams can only dream of.

And what makes it all the more remarkable is that it happened against a backdrop where Mayo started with a completely new defensive seven from that which lost to Kerry in last year’s All-Ireland quarterfinal.

It's tempting to continue in the lyrical mode; lauding a performance that was as good and comprehensive as fans have seen for some time.

The reality – and this is something we cannot forget – is that there are still two further steps to negotiate before the team qualifies for the knock out phase in the race for Sam.

The first of these is with the visit of Louth to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Before I look forward to the game, a little housekeeping might serve the cause in explaining what to expect in the coming weeks from the protracted play-off system.

Those who finish top of their respective groups go straight to Croke Park and compete in scheduled quarterfinals.

Teams who finish in the runner-up spot get a home preliminary quarterfinal tie against those who finish in third place.

An open draw will determine the pairings but it is my understanding that one cannot be drawn against a team that they have already played in the group stages.

Teams who finish bottom of the pile in fourth place are out of inter-county football until January 2024.

I didn’t get the opportunity to view the Louth v Cork game last Saturday evening.

Instead, I had to do with an excellent commentary on radio; Cora Staunton take a bow.

Judging by the sound of things, Louth made Cork fight all the way to the final whistle before the Rebels secured their narrow victory.

If the pictures painted were accurate, it seemed that the Louth men tired noticeably in then dying moments just at a time when they had put themselves in sight of the winning post.

I’m sure, as it was their home fixture, Mickey Harte had targeted this as a must-win game.

Having been comprehensively beaten by Dublin in the provincial final, this was an occasion where the result was important not alone in restoring their confidence but in defining the remainder of their season.

STEADILY

Under Harte Louth have improved steadily.

Since their last brush with the top flight in 2010, when they controversially lost a Leinster final to Meath, the Wee County had operated below footballing’s higher levels.

Alternating primarily between Divisions 2 and 3 in the National League, they even dropped into Division 4 for the 2016 season.

By managing to secure the services of Harte and appoint him as manager in November 2020 after his 18-year stint at the helm in Tyrone, Louth clearly signalled their ambition.

Harte must have been convinced of the raw material on offer; otherwise, I’d imagine, he wouldn’t have risked compromising his reputation by taking the post.

Even though, as mentioned earlier, the nature of the defeat to Dublin in this year’s Leinster final was a setback, progress was earlier flagged in getting his team to third place in Division 2 before guiding them to the Leinster final with wins over Westmeath and Offaly.

Last Saturday against Cork they competed manfully throughout and in doing so showed that the disappointment of the Dublin defeat was in the past.

Yes, there will be a sense of deflation within the group that they didn’t close out what was a good opportunity for victory but at the same time confidence will have grown in the knowledge that they showed they were more than capable of holding their own in a tightly run contest.

This, indeed, was the recurring theme in all of the other weekend games. Underdogs Westmeath lost narrowly in an away game against their fancied opponents, Armagh, when throughout the course of the contest they looked the better outfit.

Likewise, the lesser fancied Monaghan deservedly drew with Derry in Celtic Park to keep their chances of reaching the knockout stages alive.

And what of Roscommon? A well-earned draw was the least they deserved against Dublin after a display where the favourites found it hard to cope with the tactics and approach of the westerners.

FAVOURITES

Anyhow, the circumstances and conditions that Mayo have to deal with are simple: they will face a visiting team pointless and fighting to stay in this year’s championship.

They themselves, due to their win against Kerry, will be hot favourites and, whisper it, look already assured of progress to the next stage.

For, right now, Mayo look the real deal. If they play with the sense of confidence and togetherness evident in Killarney, I fully expect them to make light of the Louth challenge.

Their power, energy and efficiency in front of goals is something few will match or live with.

That extra week’s rest will benefit and they should have no difficulty in finding the required calibration to get the job done.

Louth will place a heavy emphasis on mass defending.

Drawing Mayo into a dour and attritional battle is possibly their best way forward. Expect them to make every effort to frustrate Mayo and slow the tempo at every opportunity.

Up front, though they had 10 different scorers against Cork last weekend, Sam Mulroy in the full-forward line remains their main threat.

Any one of the Mayo defenders are more than capable of negating his influence and shorn of his attacking threat, Louth are much diminished.

Athletically, Mayo are superior to all other teams at the moment. Experience-wise they are operating at a different level.

In terms of depth, the squad has grown in quality over the last five months.

Expect nothing less than a comprehensive win.