'Intense' first day on the sideline for Mayo FC manager O'Neill
“It was intense there on the sideline!” That was the immediate reaction by Mayo FC manager Anthony O'Neill following his team's 1-0 victory over St. Francis at Umbro Park, Milebush, in their first FAI National League game, writes Brian Gillespie.
It was a historic occasion as Mayo FC fielded a team in senior competitive football for the first time ever on an overcast autumnal afternoon in front of almost 800 spectators in Castlebar, Ben Edeh scoring the only goal of the game around the half-hour mark.
O'Neill stated: “Obviously this was such a huge game for the club because it's a brand new club, and you know, (during) our build-up over the first six weeks of training and pre-season, I said to the lads in the first team meeting that players get to join a club, but we've the opportunity to build a club. And throughout those six weeks, and especially this week, we focused a lot on that, about just being really, really intense with our performance.
“We wanted to be the hardest working team on the field today, and I think anybody watching the game would see that we were. We played with a real intensity, a real aggression. We pressed them high, we got after them, didn't give them any time on the ball at any stage in the game. And we created some very, very good chances.
“Ben (Edeh) scored a great goal in the first half. Unlucky not to have a second goal just before half-time, the 'keeper made a good save. And then we really opened them up, I suppose, in the second half. They went down to 10 men and, you know, we definitely left a few goals behind us.”
It was a nervy end, however, with just a one-goal lead. “It was tense towards the end,” O'Neill agreed. “You know, you're 1-0 up against 10 men (St. Francis had Zach Donohue dismissed on a second yellow on 62 minutes) and they're throwing the kitchen sink at it. Two corners in the last minute of injury time, which we did really well to defend as well.
“But yeah, all credit to the lads – they were superb. And, you know, we've actually been hit with a lot of injuries in pre-season. Aidan Coyle and Oisín O'Reilly started today, and they haven't played one pre-season friendly. So, you know, Oisín got about maybe 70-75 minutes, Aidan probably 80 minutes, and, you know, they were absolutely phenomenal considering that they've missed so much. But all the lads were brilliant, and I'm so happy for them.”
The moment the first Mayo FC goal in senior football was scored is a memory that will long remain with O'Neill and everyone associated with the fledgling club.
“The noise when we scored the goal is something I'll never forget. It was great. And hopefully we sent the fans home happy with the win and the performance. I hope for a big crowd again when we play our next home game in a few weeks' time.”
The opening game set the standard they have to reach and surpass every time, according to the manager. He concluded: “That's only the first game. We can get better. And I just said to lads, that's the benchmark now, that's the standard. We can't drop below that. Every game we have to be at it.”