Will the real Mayo stand up and be counted?

by Martin Carney, Mayo's foremost GAA columnist

CENTRAL to Mayo’s prospects this evening will be the extent to which the team has recovered from the shock of their round one defeat to Cavan.

Management, players and all involved have been left with a massive task of convincing themselves that what they witnessed was not the real Mayo.

Not alone that, but that the team that takes the field in Healy Park will be good enough and ready to remind themselves primarily that they are a distant relation from that lacklustre outfit that did themselves an awful injustice with their display against the Breffni men.

Believe me, the defeat was a shock on many levels. For openers, it was the last thing the Gaelic football public in general saw coming.

Mayo’s pre-match odds of 1/6 presented an accurate picture of their supposed standing: unbackable favourites!

Herein possibly lies one of the reasons why their display lacked the punch and tenacity associated with a championship game. Mayo, deep down, expected to win this irrespective how they performed.

Guilty of complacency, perhaps. Feeling deep down that at any time during the game, even with things going against them, they would somehow find the magic formula allowing them to come out tops. Pre-game, only Tyrone and Donegal were on their radar.

Alternatively – and this is the view I hold – there is a case to support the view that we all underestimated the extent of the psychological damage inflicted by the Connacht final defeat to Galway.

Winning the provincial title topped Mayo’s 2025 to-do list. No secret there. Everything was geared towards taking the crown and regaining pre-eminence in the province.

On Connacht final day, Mayo spared nothing by way of application or effort and played in a gear and to a tempo that should have yielded a win.

Better than Galway in so many facets of play, it was their own inadequacies rather than anything to do with Galway’s superiority that led to their downfall. Poor shooting, failure to shoot when opportunities arose and a reluctance to vary their attacking strategies lay at the root of their demise.

So in these areas, more than any, we sought evidence of improvement in the Cavan clash. They weren’t forthcoming. Unfortunately, it was an added absence of a will to win that was most difficult to comprehend.

The big question now is: Will the real Mayo stand up and be counted on this evening?

Will the team that many of us still believe in give a display worthy of their talents?

Can all involved find the hunger and ambition to overcome whatever shell-shock still remains from the Cavan defeat and come home with full points?

As things stand, this Tyrone challenge is their make or break moment this season.

It is a game that Mayo simply have to win if they are to advance to the next stage of the championship.

The pressure is huge but being Mayo, one never knows. They often find their best when least is expected and there is no better team to turn the tables when backed into a corner.

Playing at full capacity, Mayo are more than capable of winning this. They face familiar foes.

Fellow residents in Division 1 over the last four years, Mayo have a record of two wins and two defeats against Tyrone.

Much as we want to forget about it, the northerners defeated us in the 2021 All-Ireland final on a 2-14 to 0-15 scoreline.

Though it’s only four years ago, just four of the Mayo starting line-up that day were on the first 15 against Cavan: Stephen Coen, Aidan O’Shea, Ryan O’Donoghue and Matty Ruane. Meanwhile, six lined out in Tyrone’s recent defeat to Armagh.

To counter Tyrone’s strengths, Mayo must, for openers, prioritise tight marking in defence. A Tyrone front six that boasts the Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, and an in-form Darren McCurry have the equipment to wreak havoc if they are afforded space.

Presumably, man-marking roles will fall to Donnacha McHugh and Jack Coyne. Enda Hession, who spent much of the Cavan game in a more advanced role, may shoulder the responsibility of picking up the third mentioned above.

A glaring looseness and absence of defensive structure, in particular in the half- back line, became more pronounced as the Cavan game evolved, and prioritising a more solid and tight marking unit here is a must.

Though their form has been inconsistent and the zone less productive in winning ball, I still believe Mayo have a midfield that can more than match Tyrone.

Here, Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick have impressed but if the Coen, Carney, Ruane and Flynn quartet compete with the ferocity that at their best they are capable, Tyrone could struggle. Kennedy shipped a heavy knock in their win over Donegal.

Whether or not the big 6' 7” man is passed playable remains to be seen but he is an important piece in Malachy O’ Rourke’s plans.

With the new rules, the importance around winning primary and breaking ball has grown.

The contests in this area demand great bravery, anticipation and sense of understanding between outfield players and goalkeeper. Tyrone struggled in this department due to Donegal’s high press on their restarts. By half-time, their retention rate of less than 50% was a reflection of their struggles here.

Mayo will look to improve in this sector. Not allowing Tyrone build a lead is in their interest. Early goals against Donegal allowed Tyrone to impose their game plan, so keeping them on the back foot from the off is essential.

Mayo will meet a confident Tyrone outfit buoyed by the nature of their win over Donegal. In a game they were on the cusp of losing, they managed in the closing minutes find the necessary composure and confidence to squeeze through. Peter Harte’s two-pointer allied to their ability to retain possession was enough to get the job done.

Mayo don't have a great record against Tyrone in Omagh. Indeed, they have suffered narrow losses on both their recent visits to Healy Park.

The team has to find the missing spark that deserted them against Cavan. Playing to full capacity, they can get the desired result. With Tyrone, who knows, maybe seven days will be insufficient for them to recover the energy levels evident in Ballybofey.

Mayo’s backs are against the wall here. It’s often in circumstances like these that they produce their best.

The pressure is huge. Indeed, if proof were needed, news of manager Kevin McStay’s ill-health has come as a shock and exposed the stark reality of the pressure managers face.

Nobody deserves the vitriol they are exposed to. Here's hoping he recovers fully from his setback in the near future.

Never were the stars better aligned than now to find this missing performance. Here we have a Mayo team written off by many due to meet a cock-of- the-hoop Tyrone where losing is unthinkable for the visitors.

The moment has arrived for the team to display its real character and win. The season hinges on the outcome.