GAELIC GAMES NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE:ANY FEARS that Mayo might somehow be more concerned about suntans this week than training quickly disappeared with their progress to the Allianz Football League final. If anything the intensity will be turned up, the burning matter of starting places for the final showdown against Cork among the issues up for decision during their six-day stay in Portugal.
In the meantime whatever about the merits in bringing last Sunday’s semi-finals to Croke Park – and the “official” attendance of 11,342 defied any justification – there was no reconsidering the final venue, with Croke Park confirmed for the Mayo-Cork Division One showdown on Sunday week (4pm), with the Kildare-Tyrone Division Two final providing the curtain-raiser (2pm).
Also confirmed is Croke Park playing host to the Division Three and Division Four finals on Saturday week: first up is the Division Four final between Fermanagh and Wicklow (5pm), followed by Longford against Wexford (7pm).
Mayo thus timed their warm-weather training camp to perfection – not just on the temperature front: within an hour of their extra-time win over Kerry on Sunday they were on their way to the airport, their confidence and enthusiasm already bubbling.
“Get the body right for a hard week of training, then go on and win the league final,” is what manager James Horan told his players in the dressingroom, at least according to defender Colm Boyle. One of the newcomers to the Mayo panel this year, Boyle scored the quite stunning goal that ultimately pushed Mayo over the winning line in extra-time, and has quickly established himself as one of their first-choice defenders.
Mayo only scored four goals in the seven games on route to Sunday’s semi-final (one each against Laois, Armagh, Donegal and Kerry) so hitting 2-15 against Kerry effectively marked a 50 per cent improvement. Pat Harte claimed their first goal from the penalty spot, and was one of three substitutes to make a decisive impact, along with Cillian O’Connor (who hit the equalising free at the end of normal time), and Richie Feeney (who hit the match winner at the end of the extra-time).
Horan admitted his panel is now effectively at full strength, the main exception being the back injury sustained by midfielder Aidan Ó Sé.
New players like Boyle have underlined their strength in depth, affording Horan the option of keeping players like Harte, O’Connor and Feeney in reserve.
Boyle, from the Davitts club, was a contender for man-of-the-match even before he scored his cunning goal – and represents the new-found confidence and enthusiasm of this Mayo team.
“The second half of normal time we didn’t play that well, but we dug it out in the finish,” he explained. “Maybe Kerry tired a little in the last 10 minutes, but we’re delighted to get the win. My goal, I suppose, was one of those hit-in-hope. Thank God it went in, and I don’t know if the keeper was expecting it.
“It’s always nice to win in Croke Park, to beat Kerry, but we’re not going to get over-excited about it either. It’s only a league semi-final, but we’re delighted to have won it, and hopefully can build on it again for the final, and go on and win it.
“It will make for some extra tough training in Portugal this week. It won’t be any holiday, anyway.”
Just a month ago Mayo looked in real danger of relegation: despite opening their 2012 league campaign with good wins over Laois and Armagh, they then lost three is succession – to Down (1-13 to 0-11), then Donegal (0-17 to 1-7), before the narrow defeat to Cork (0-14 to 0-13).
Boyle, not surprisingly, points to the 0-20 to 0-8 win over Dublin as a sort of turning point, not that they ever lost hope.
“There were a few weeks during the league when we weren’t all together, with under-21s away and things like that. I think the performance against Dublin gave us confidence and we’ve tried to build on that.
“But there was no panic, no. We had to take a good look ourselves after the Donegal match, but we’ve worked hard all along, and now that is starting to pay off.”
Another substitute in Sunday’s win, Danny Geraghty, summed up the attitude of new players such as Boyle by saying they have “no fear”: “Colm came up trumps again, with that goal from nowhere, really. He’s come onto the squad this year, burst on, because he has no fear. He puts his body on the line, and is a brilliant player to have in the squad. Creating goal chances is always the first thing, but it’s equally important to put them away.
“We’ve had a lot of goal chances in previous league matches, but we’re happy to have two against Kerry. So everything is positive, going well. Training over the next two months really is aimed at the championship, hopefully a Connacht final, and we can push on from there.”
REMAINING ALLIANZ LEAGUE FIXTURES
FOOTBALL
Saturday, April 28th:Division Four final: Fermanagh v Wicklow, Croke Park, 5.0; Division Three final: Longford v Wexford, Croke Park, 7.0
Sunday, April 29th:Division Two final: Tyrone v Kildare, Croke Park, 2.0; Division One final: Mayo v Cork, Croke Park, 4.0
HURLING
Saturday:Division One A relegation play-off replay: Dublin v Galway, Portlaoise, 4.0.
Sunday:Division One semi-finals: Kilkenny v Clare, Semple Stadium, 2.0; Cork v Tipperary, Semple Stadium, 4.0.
Division Two A Relegation Play-Off:Wicklow v Down, Páirc Tailteann, 2.0
