Ryan O'Donoghue finally getting the support he and Mayo needs

by Martin Carney, Mayo's foremost GAA columnist

SINCE it began three weeks ago, it’s been hard at times to believe that championship season had taken off at all.

Of the 16 games played before last weekend, few – with the possible exception of Mayo’s trip to New York and Wicklow’s near miss against Wexford – caught the public imagination.

The carnival that clung to every moment of Mayo’s opening game with New York and the interest generated by Wicklow trying to put back-to-back championship wins together for the first time in decades caught limited public attention.

Had championship started at all? Where was the marketing and razzmatazz that ought to have launched the GAA’s premier competition? Nowhere, is the answer!

All the time, though, one got a sense that it was going to take a few special games – games where teams played and brought the best out in one another – to ignite interest in championship 2024, and these we got in abundance over the past weekend.

Derry’s mauling at the hands of Donegal few saw coming.

Not for the first time, we saw the tale of the wandering goalkeeper play a part in the final result.

Kerry had the look of a team short on sharpness when they struggled to put Cork to the sword.

Tyrone endured a marathon before denying Cavan a semi-final berth in Ulster, while our neighbours Galway committed an act of grand larceny when their last-minute goal saw off Sligo’s challenge.

So Dr. Hyde Park was a den of expectancy last Sunday when it hosted the latest instalment of the Mayo/Roscommon rivalry.

To a perfect backdrop before 14,000 spectators, Mayo did enough to swat the Rossies aside in a game that, but for a brief period in the second quarter, they always controlled.

Cushioned by an early point from Patrick Durcan and a thunderous goal from Aidan O’Shea, Mayo got the start they needed. Ryan O’Donoghue added to these scores and by the end of the opening quarter Mayo enjoyed a two-point lead.

What gave much encouragement in this period was the commanding form displayed by O’Shea and O’Donoghue inside.

Ever available, they might have enjoyed a greater scoring return had the supply been more generous.

The reason for this was down to some effective blanket defending by Roscommon where, on more than one occasion, they turned ball over in the tackle and thrived subsequently with some outstanding counter-attacking.

This brought the best out in the impressive Diarmuid Murtagh, who by the break had registered four of his side's eight points.

Crucially, at no stage of the game did Roscommon establish a lead. Twice over the course of the game they drew level.

This emboldened their supporters but the extra few scores that would have transformed the contest into something more substantial never materialised.

One of the criticisms Mayo have had to endure all year is that they have become over-reliant on Ryan O’Donoghue.

His one goal and 13 points in New York came on a day when neither of his full-forward colleagues did much to bother the scoreboard operator.

O’Donoghue was still my shining star last weekend but on this occasion, the support he got from his inside colleagues Aidan O’Shea and Tommy Conroy in the scoring stakes surpassed anything we have seen this season.

O’Shea in general play made life difficult for every Roscommon player who was tasked to mark him. He was imperious.

While winning dirty ball and bringing others into play were still his trademarks, that goal and a point should do his confidence the world of good.

With only one score to his name all season, Tommy Conroy cut a forlorn figure at times.

Aware that his natural instincts weren’t blossoming, I sometimes saw him as one who was trying too hard.

This was manifest by a compulsion to take on a man too often whenever he got possession.

Two points from play on Sunday was a giant step forward, I believe, for The Neale man.

That both were executed in the simplest manner possible – receiving a pass and firing it between the posts with the minimum of fuss – should give him his future road map for the season.

With a competent display after the break, Mayo extended their lead to six points.

Fergal Boland added a brace but what will be a source of encouragement were the displays of each and every one of the substitutes introduced.

Bob Tuohy’s athleticism and fielding prowess provided a timely outlet; Conor Loftus was tidy and embellished his work with two good scores; Enda Hession was busy; Paul Towey and Padraig O’Hora added new impetus.

Indeed, on a day when the heat took its toll, a notable feature of the game were the superior fitness levels of the Mayo team.

By retaining possession for the sake of it when they had established their lead, they wore the Roscommon resistance into the ground.

Perhaps the concluding stages might have assumed a different narrative had Eoin McCormack and Donie Smith made more of opportunities presented but in truth, Mayo were fully deserving of their win.

Scoring one goal and fifteen points is encouraging. Add to this the face that they only registered three wides over the course of the game and we see sources for encouragement.

In contrast, Roscommon were profligate in this respect; a total of 11 wides is something they will want to forget.

Mayo were the more energetic of the two sides and can be pleased with the performance of David McBrien at centre-back and Sam Callinan in the corner.

Yet on a day where many things went well, an aspect that will endure some censure is around the restart process. When forced long, too many of Colm Reape’s kick-outs didn’t find their intended targets.

Yet, all the fault can’t be laid on the Knockmore man. At times the Roscommon press wasn’t counteracted by greater movement from the Mayo players.

Had this happened, it would have increased his options considerably and possibly improved his ball-retention stats.

In a game where doubts lingered beforehand about certain aspects of play, Mayo rose to every challenge presented.

They honoured the old maxim that championship games are there for winning. How it's done is irrelevant.

There was much to admire in the victory and yet a sober acceptance that there is still room for improvement.

The Galway challenge is next up. That hurdle is within their scope to clear.