That’s nearly been the catchphrase of the summer nearly. This Mayo team is not like other Mayo teams. And despite a major wobble in the first half of their semi-final against Tyrone yesterday, that fact is slowly dawning on their own fans.
Mayo people have a reputation for losing the run of themselves when their footballers are going well. But when I talk to Mayo fans now, as I did before throw-in yesterday, what I get is this extraordinary air of fatalism. They had every right to be confident going into yesterday’s game, and yet that confidence seemed to be the very thing that had everyone sick with worry.
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‘Everyone is saying we’re going to win, so imagine how hard this is going to be when we lose’ – it’s no kind of attitude to have, when you’ve been the form team in the country. I got a text message after 24 minutes of the first half that read simply – “not our day”. Mayo were three points down! Plenty of time on the clock, plenty of good footballers on the field.
Rattled
It’s one thing watching Mayo on the telly, but it’s another thing to actually go to the games and sit among the fans, watching every fluctuating emotion. It’s a testament to the job James Horan has done that his team could ignore all of that blind panic pouring down off the terraces in the second quarter, and do their jobs.
They did look rattled in the first half, it should be said – but the three points (from Chris Barrett and Lee Keegan) just coming up to half-time were the vital scores that got them back into the game. It was obvious that Tyrone had looked at that Mayo half-back line as the key line to try and stop, and they were very successful for the first 30 minutes or so. But when Mayo needed scores, it was their defenders who still managed to dig them out of a hole.
They were blessed to go in at half-time only a point down, but the clinical way they stepped up through the gears in that third quarter, and the pace they were able to keep up right to the very last, is a reminder of the quality of this team. When things were going badly, they had plenty of lads who wanted the ball, who wanted to take the hit and drive through tackles, and take responsibility. That’s a pretty big weapon to have in your armoury.
The big story in Mayo for the next four weeks will be Cillian O’Connor’s fitness. It’s always disappointing to see a player leave the field injured, but there’s an extra dose of sympathy for a man suffering a recurrence of an old injury. When you don’t know what’s just happened, you can always hope for the best. When you know exactly what’s just happened, you steel yourself for the worst.
He’ll be a huge loss in the final, if he can’t make it back. And in his absence, do Mayo have enough up front to win an All-Ireland? Alan Freeman had a breakout game yesterday, hitting his frees, and coolly slotting home the penalty that won the game for his team. Andy Moran is still finding his way back to last year’s form, and the returning Mikey Conroy will add punch – but O’Connor was their key man.
They can’t get too fixated on that injury though. They have a really top-class midfield, with Seamus O’Shea every bit as good as his younger brother yesterday. And Mayo’s brilliant set of swashbuckling defenders are a joy to watch. There’s a lot that’s wrong with gaelic football at the moment, but the sight of Keith Higgins, Lee Keegan or Colm Boyle with ball in hand is not one of them.
The nature of the performance, and the O’Connor injury, will certainly dampen expectations. Dublin might provide the sterner footballing test, Kerry perhaps the bigger mental test – either way, winning the final won’t be easy. They wouldn’t care so damn much about it, if winning it was easy.
I was trying to tell every Mayo person I met beforehand that Galway would kill to be in an All-Ireland semi-final, and to just relax and enjoy it. But football has long since stopped being about enjoyment for Mayo. It’s about winning the effing thing now, not to put too fine a point on it. And until they do, maybe it’s unfair on the rest of us to be asking for a bit of perspective.
This Week Murph Was – sympathizing with Kevin McLoughlin and Enda Varley, the two Mayo players unfortunate enough to miss 14 yard frees in Croke Park yesterday. Having done it myself, it’s a pretty mortifying experience. It wasn’t in Croke Park mind, but it was into the town goal in Tuam Stadium, in a senior club championship game, and I was wearing white boots at the time. Not something I was allowed to forget in a hurry.
In fairness all mayo have fans have said this in previous years, got to the final and lost! I think mayo have a big point to prove and it hurt them losing last year. You can see their passion and drive. I hope we get Dublin and beat them in their own back garden. Mayo for Sam!
In fairness they have been through so much down through the years. Was getting flashbacks myself watching the first half, forwards misfiring, wrong options, all we needed was a Tyrone point to bounce over the bar! Showed great mental toughness to recover after the poor start, fair play to them!
Actually this match was probably the best thing that could happen to Mayo. So far they have just cruised through the Championship and so the outstanding question against them was could they perform if they were down or under pressure. They seem to have been able to cope with that on this occasion and that should help them if the same situation happens in the final.
Dublin and Kerry fans aside I would say the 99% of the neutrals would like to see them win the All-Ireland this year.
Was thinking that myself, but Tyrone lacked the firepower and talent to fully capitalise on that in the first half and to compete in the second, and of course with O’Neill going off early they were always going to struggle.
A Kerry or Dublin side would have made you pay dearly!
I agree that if they give Dublin or Kerry the start they gave Donegal last year as it would be a huge uphill task for them to come back as easily. Even so I think they would be in a better position to come back from such a slow start. They needed one real hard test of their mettle before the final. They rode their luck in places but I still think they will be better for this sort of a game.
But Kerry and dublin lack the midfield so tyrone have 1 of the best midfielders in the game so that’s what happen so Kerry or dublin don’t have that up nayo
Jesus lads ever other year u tell us how lucky we were to get to the final now that we have a good chance u Telling us were chokers so lad give us a break we had a lot of bad days so cum on mayo
What a condescending article. Sitting in the Cusack stand yesterday it was enough to give you goosebumps listening to every Mayo voice shout for the team when the team were up and when they were down.
Fans are more cautious certainly about being cocky or arrogant about being favourites for any match but we always attend and cheer on the lads every match, year in and year out.
Shamie you’ve been on here today in a tornado of negativity towards mayo complaining of refereeing decisions against Tyrone etc. Why do you resent Mayo’s win so much?
Am not a Tyrone fan.. Am not a mayo fan, you see at the top of the page there’s an article which you probably read then there’s a section under it were people can comment, as a neutral am allowed to comment the same way as everyone else ,as are you,to call what I’ve been saying a tornado hahaha that I had to laugh at,there has to be least two opinions on every game you have yours I have mine
How shall I put this.. Mayo have done really well to get this far again after last years disappointment,and it would be great if they won sam,but my honest opinion is that they will not win the all Ireland,If I was to say a winner it would have to be Dublin,Kerry will give them a tough game but the dubs should win semis
Try be positive more flies with honey and all that. Wouldn’t be fun if mayo actually won an all Ireland what would you talk to a mayo person about then? Can’t give them stick about football. I pity you
What are you on about spoddgy ?? Trying to make sence of your last comment? I have Notting against mayo and there very passionate fans but am just not going to jump on the bandwagon and say there going to win the all Ireland when I don’t believe they are,
Nope. Neutral with a Mayo connection though. So no connection with Donegal, not living there or anything? Bearing in mind you’ve linked your twitter account in your posts ;)
Your not familiar with the term ‘having an axe to grind’ being from mayo any where you go makes you ‘popular’ everyone want to talk about football but a lot like to give you banter about loosing finals and all that. A lot of people on here can’t deal with the fact we are enthusiastic about our county and our football, they love to see us loose! It grinds me corn!!!!
Oh sorry about that I was abit slow of the mark, it is just a bit banter at the end of the day,I would prefere it if mayo did go on and win Sam because of the loyalty the mayo fans have shown over the years,they just keep going and it showed yesterday,it’s been along time coming but this could be there year
I think they should give the winner of Kerry and dublin Sam. And u should be the winning team captain as they say when u dream dream big because u know Notting about football and keep dreaming may be u might even work for rte sports mayo all the way that not a dream
Was that towards me billy boy, jeeze you seem to think you know a lot about me, try reading my comments instead of mouthing of and making yourself look like a guy that doesn’t know how to take gaa banter! My opinion remains the same.. Yours is just wishful thinking and good luck with that
Deep down we know mayo have it in them & will always be there as fans & yes while there were plenty of cheers yesterday i think some of us are using ‘fatalism’ as a defense mechanism. We know mayo can do it & hope & pray this is our year but we’re not going to be cocky about it, we’re approaching it with a nervous optimism but that’s not ‘fatalistic’ is it???
I disagree Ciarán, Mayo’s refusal to write off any team is our best asset as fans. Mayo are always at their most dangerous when written off, Dublin and Cork can tell you that. We have high expectations as a county and always will, but the fact we never write off a county can mean we can never fall into an ambush. All this week the local media have focused on cautious optimism, and gave every respect to Tyrone before kick off. It’s that attitude which makes Mayo so likeable to the neutral I think.
I understand that Mayo won comfortably and lived up to expectations. Although Mayo are a fantastic semi final team, one of the best, but historically, their issue is the final, not the semi. It remains to be seen how they will handle the weight of history, expectation etc. Who knows, certainly Kerry would be calm going into a final and dublin are an unknown quantity with so many new players and a new style of play, so different from the gilroy era!
The people sayin mayo can’t win are the jealous people who wish there team were there they have every chance of winning IMO they are as definitely as good as Kerry and Dublin if not better in certain areas of the pitch if they can calm themselves and get a good start I think itl be….13-mo-Sam
Mayo should cruise the final regardless of who it’s against as long as they get the same benign refereeing they got yesterday. They were gifted 1:5, would have been 1:6 if the miss of the century had gone over. The ref kept them in touch during Tyrone’s methodical dominance of the first half. How ineffectual Aidan O’Shea stayed on the pitchin the first half after his bizarre choke/punch challenge and what followed is flummoxing. Once the “penalty” gave them a 3 point cushion Tyrone’s gameplan was redundant – an open, cavalier game was one which Tyrone couldn’t hope to win.
Mayo have great players and a great bench. But a ref with a narrative for the match in his head is an invaluable ally.
And don’t start about the “disallowed goal” — ref had already given a free for absolutely nothing once again, Joe McMahon stopped defending ’cause he’d heard the whistle, allowing freeman to continue play. Freeman should arguably have been booked for playing on.
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In fairness all mayo have fans have said this in previous years, got to the final and lost! I think mayo have a big point to prove and it hurt them losing last year. You can see their passion and drive. I hope we get Dublin and beat them in their own back garden. Mayo for Sam!
In fairness they have been through so much down through the years. Was getting flashbacks myself watching the first half, forwards misfiring, wrong options, all we needed was a Tyrone point to bounce over the bar! Showed great mental toughness to recover after the poor start, fair play to them!
Actually this match was probably the best thing that could happen to Mayo. So far they have just cruised through the Championship and so the outstanding question against them was could they perform if they were down or under pressure. They seem to have been able to cope with that on this occasion and that should help them if the same situation happens in the final.
Dublin and Kerry fans aside I would say the 99% of the neutrals would like to see them win the All-Ireland this year.
Was thinking that myself, but Tyrone lacked the firepower and talent to fully capitalise on that in the first half and to compete in the second, and of course with O’Neill going off early they were always going to struggle.
A Kerry or Dublin side would have made you pay dearly!
I agree that if they give Dublin or Kerry the start they gave Donegal last year as it would be a huge uphill task for them to come back as easily. Even so I think they would be in a better position to come back from such a slow start. They needed one real hard test of their mettle before the final. They rode their luck in places but I still think they will be better for this sort of a game.
But Kerry and dublin lack the midfield so tyrone have 1 of the best midfielders in the game so that’s what happen so Kerry or dublin don’t have that up nayo
Jesus lads ever other year u tell us how lucky we were to get to the final now that we have a good chance u Telling us were chokers so lad give us a break we had a lot of bad days so cum on mayo
What a condescending article. Sitting in the Cusack stand yesterday it was enough to give you goosebumps listening to every Mayo voice shout for the team when the team were up and when they were down.
Fans are more cautious certainly about being cocky or arrogant about being favourites for any match but we always attend and cheer on the lads every match, year in and year out.
Of course we will win. Keep the faith, one more game and we can banish this 62 year wait once and for all.
exactly!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym6Tnz5dYxs
Winner of Kerry v Dublin match will go on to win Sam!
Thanks Shamie
That saves us all a few hours on the 22nd
If you don’t mind I’ll watch the actual game and see what happens
No bother larry that’s what I think,just can’t see mayo beating Dublin or Kerry
True, winner of Dubs Kerry game will be the victor!
Shamie you’ve been on here today in a tornado of negativity towards mayo complaining of refereeing decisions against Tyrone etc. Why do you resent Mayo’s win so much?
Am not a Tyrone fan.. Am not a mayo fan, you see at the top of the page there’s an article which you probably read then there’s a section under it were people can comment, as a neutral am allowed to comment the same way as everyone else ,as are you,to call what I’ve been saying a tornado hahaha that I had to laugh at,there has to be least two opinions on every game you have yours I have mine
Donegal fan perhaps? :)
How shall I put this.. Mayo have done really well to get this far again after last years disappointment,and it would be great if they won sam,but my honest opinion is that they will not win the all Ireland,If I was to say a winner it would have to be Dublin,Kerry will give them a tough game but the dubs should win semis
Try be positive more flies with honey and all that. Wouldn’t be fun if mayo actually won an all Ireland what would you talk to a mayo person about then? Can’t give them stick about football. I pity you
What are you on about spoddgy ?? Trying to make sence of your last comment? I have Notting against mayo and there very passionate fans but am just not going to jump on the bandwagon and say there going to win the all Ireland when I don’t believe they are,
Hmmm you’ve ignored my question maybe I’m on to something… Are you sure you’ve no Donegal connection ah Sheamisin?
Ha ha it’s Shamíe ha nah your a wee bit out truth patrol I take it your mayo ??
Grinding my axe man!
Ah you’ve lost me completely now? Wat u on abou?
Nope. Neutral with a Mayo connection though. So no connection with Donegal, not living there or anything? Bearing in mind you’ve linked your twitter account in your posts ;)
Yeah living in Donegal lad,long time now,who is it your following then?
The comment above was for spoddgy by the way
Your un-nervingly creepy @Truth Patrol, checking peoples accounts?
Your not familiar with the term ‘having an axe to grind’ being from mayo any where you go makes you ‘popular’ everyone want to talk about football but a lot like to give you banter about loosing finals and all that. A lot of people on here can’t deal with the fact we are enthusiastic about our county and our football, they love to see us loose! It grinds me corn!!!!
Oh sorry about that I was abit slow of the mark, it is just a bit banter at the end of the day,I would prefere it if mayo did go on and win Sam because of the loyalty the mayo fans have shown over the years,they just keep going and it showed yesterday,it’s been along time coming but this could be there year
Ah relax Richard… or can I call you Dick?
I think they should give the winner of Kerry and dublin Sam. And u should be the winning team captain as they say when u dream dream big because u know Notting about football and keep dreaming may be u might even work for rte sports mayo all the way that not a dream
Was that towards me billy boy, jeeze you seem to think you know a lot about me, try reading my comments instead of mouthing of and making yourself look like a guy that doesn’t know how to take gaa banter! My opinion remains the same.. Yours is just wishful thinking and good luck with that
they can have sam this year if they take Enda kenny home also
Deep down we know mayo have it in them & will always be there as fans & yes while there were plenty of cheers yesterday i think some of us are using ‘fatalism’ as a defense mechanism. We know mayo can do it & hope & pray this is our year but we’re not going to be cocky about it, we’re approaching it with a nervous optimism but that’s not ‘fatalistic’ is it???
I disagree Ciarán, Mayo’s refusal to write off any team is our best asset as fans. Mayo are always at their most dangerous when written off, Dublin and Cork can tell you that. We have high expectations as a county and always will, but the fact we never write off a county can mean we can never fall into an ambush. All this week the local media have focused on cautious optimism, and gave every respect to Tyrone before kick off. It’s that attitude which makes Mayo so likeable to the neutral I think.
If you expect to loose or don’t mind loosing then you will certainly loose.
*If you expect to LOSE or don’t mind LOSING, then you will certainly LOSE.
You looser…
I blame our decrepit education system!
I understand that Mayo won comfortably and lived up to expectations. Although Mayo are a fantastic semi final team, one of the best, but historically, their issue is the final, not the semi. It remains to be seen how they will handle the weight of history, expectation etc. Who knows, certainly Kerry would be calm going into a final and dublin are an unknown quantity with so many new players and a new style of play, so different from the gilroy era!
Lads it’s time to cop on Dublin are pure class and have a far better team than mayo !!
Dublin are the unstoppable machine at the moment
Sam is coming home to Dublin ;-)
The people sayin mayo can’t win are the jealous people who wish there team were there they have every chance of winning IMO they are as definitely as good as Kerry and Dublin if not better in certain areas of the pitch if they can calm themselves and get a good start I think itl be….13-mo-Sam
Mayo should cruise the final regardless of who it’s against as long as they get the same benign refereeing they got yesterday. They were gifted 1:5, would have been 1:6 if the miss of the century had gone over. The ref kept them in touch during Tyrone’s methodical dominance of the first half. How ineffectual Aidan O’Shea stayed on the pitchin the first half after his bizarre choke/punch challenge and what followed is flummoxing. Once the “penalty” gave them a 3 point cushion Tyrone’s gameplan was redundant – an open, cavalier game was one which Tyrone couldn’t hope to win.
Mayo have great players and a great bench. But a ref with a narrative for the match in his head is an invaluable ally.
And don’t start about the “disallowed goal” — ref had already given a free for absolutely nothing once again, Joe McMahon stopped defending ’cause he’d heard the whistle, allowing freeman to continue play. Freeman should arguably have been booked for playing on.