All leave cancelled as Mayo start to prepare for defence of National League crown

by Martin Carney, Mayo's foremost GAA columnist

ALL leave cancelled. The new inter-county season about to begin.

Training in full swing. The process of assessing players is already well under way.

Determining their suitability (auditioning, if you like) will in all likelihood take place during January’s FBD League.

Essential extras, like determining individual programmes for strength and conditioning, diet, etc, is firmly embedded.

It’s the same with every county and a little more intense with those who have just come under the baton of new management teams.

If one is to believe stories from Donegal at the moment, then preparatory standards have scaled new heights.

If one is to believe what they hear, training seven days a week while striving to complete their 60-kilometer runs are the norm there.

On top of this, I gather their re-appointed manager, Jim McGuinness, is looking for funding to build a wall around their training ground to frustrate possible prying eyes!

Meetings (those awful things) to outline aims, objectives and plans for the upcoming season are nearly done with at this stage.

The opening game of the National Football League against Galway in Pearse Stadium is just nine short weeks away.

However, pride of place must go thuis week to the newly crowned Connacht junior champions Lahardane, and this column would be remiss if it didn’t give space to their wonderful efforts in winning their second provincial crown in recent times.

That the game with the Sligo champions Owenmore Gaels went ahead at all was a miracle in itself.

A pall of the densest fog shrouded Hastings Insurance MacHale Park from mid-morning, giving the ground an eerie feel with a backdrop that looked more suited to a setting for a horror movie. In the circumstances, like many others, I was extremely sceptical if football was possible. On occasions like this, the decision to throw in or otherwise is left to the referee and if he/she is satisfied that the four corner flags are visible from the halfway line, then matters can proceed.

Viewing it from the stand and terraces was a struggle from the off; life was made somewhat more tolerable with the availability of an orange ball, which helped considerably in viewing the flight of the ball and probably made the difference in the end.

The game itself was a joy from start to finish. Both sides applied themselves with positive intent and though defences were well organised and combative, this never became an overriding feature.

In the early exchanges the Sligo champions looked threatening. Mark and Aaron Walsh worked well in tandem from the middle. With speed, purpose and variety in their attacks, they threatened on every occasion they broke forward.

A three points to two lead after the opening quarter didn’t reflect their territorial advantage.

Darragh Callaghan and Dillon Walsh broke with purpose while wing backs Ryan Quigley and Kyle Mullen got forward at every opportunity. Nonetheless, a consistent trend had begun to emerge even in those early exchanges – Lahardane’s tackling, pressure game and ability to force turnovers. Although they conceded more frees than they would have liked, their overall discipline in the tackle was top notch.

In the second quarter, just after a Darragh Corcoran pointed free had given Oranmore Gaels a one-point advantage, Lahardane struck their first really decisive blow when Adrian Leonard finished a flowing move with a well taken goal.

What was particularly noticeable with this was the delayed reaction from the Mayo supporters in the stand. Due to the fog, many wouldn’t have seen the execution and only realised what had happened when the green flag was raised.

Within five minutes they repeated the dose. This time Shane Finnerty and Jarlath Maughan did the spade work with some beautiful combined play, allowing Kyran Jordan apply the finishing touch.

From there to the break, despite facing some relentless pressure, Lahardane remained steadfast and deservedly took a three-point interval lead into the dressing room.

Owenmore Gaels will rue some of their indecision late in the half. They had their chances and in Stepen Fallon, blessed with a low-slung physique, they had a player who looked a handful, but much of his good work didn’t garner the scoring dividend it merited.

Mark Noone and Adrian Leonard added a brace to extend Lahardane’s lead after the resumption. However, with their never-say-die spirit, Owenmore Gaels added three of their own.

Then, with five points between them, the Lahardane goalie, Joe Queenan, became central to another pivotal moment when he pulled off a wonderful double save for his side. This was a real confidence builder.

Shane Finnerty bagged his side's third goal with 10 minutes to go just as the fog began to thin. This left eight between them – a welcome buffer considering that the Sligo champions put another goal and three points on the board before the final whistle. Indeed that goal by Dylan Walsh, capping a bout of exquisite skill, would have graced any occasion.

For Lahardane this was quite an achievement. Under a management team led by Eddie Conroy, they once again gave a display of positive football that was a real treat. Spirit-wise they were never found wanting; they drew inspiration from the collective honesty that was a feature throughout.

Their opponents, Owenmore Gaels, played their part in a game that never sagged in excitement. One felt that had they converted their goal chance early in the second period, the game might have taken a different course.

Deservedly, though, it was Lahardane’s day.

That proud race from the butt of the Nephin mountains showed that with proper application, work-rate and attitude, anything is possible.