Substitution at yesterday's game

Here's a brief video of one of the substitutions Mayo made yesterday in Clones. The announcer says that Ger Brady is coming off but I think the individual leaving the field looks a little different . . .

Fermanagh 1-7, Mayo 0-12: rain, mud and two points

The weather forecast was right: it rained all day in Clones yesterday. The forecasts about the match were right too, but we had to fight hard enough in the rain and the muck to grind out the two-point win. The playing conditions were woeful, on a heavy, leaden pitch where the ball refused to bounce and which made an error-ridden game a certainty to happen.

In such circumstances, a good start looked vital because scores should have been hard to find. So, when Fermanagh raced into a 1-2 to 0-1 lead after only ten minutes (and they should have scored at least one other goal before then), we looked in big trouble. Midfield (shorn of Brady and McGarritty) looked a disaster zone and Fermanagh's quick, accurate passing enabled them to open up our defence at will. The fact that it was their All-Star full-back, Barry Owens, who waltzed through our backline to score the goal showed how lively and fluid they were. Our lads looked as if this was the last place in the world they wanted to be.

But, as is often the case, the goal conceded was a blessing in disguise as Mayo quickly realised their predicament and upped their workrate accordingly. Andy Moran moved out to an increasingly crowded midfield and stopped us hemorrhaging primary possession so, at last, we could start to attack ourselves. We went on to take complete control for the remainder of the half, reeling off six points without reply to reach the break two in front. The only worry by then was the number of wides - we had clocked up half a dozen at that stage - but we seemed to be scoring for fun, with Conor Mort on fire and Campbell, Dillon and Trevor Mort scoring too. Correction - that wasn't the only worry. Conor had, by then got his customary booking (for, I think, his customary bit of lip at the ref) but when he hauled down one of their backs as they tried to break out of defence soon after, it looked like an early bath was on the cards. This time, however, we got the benefit of dubious refereeing with Conor getting the black book waved at him and we could breathe again. That decision, given Conor's performance, was instrumental in our claiming the points.

The second half was really messy. Fermanagh, knowing that defeat would mean certain relegation, battled hard and they continued to snap up plenty of loose ball around the middle. They couldn't do anything with it, however, and, with far less ball, we nicked a few more points to edge further ahead. Eventually, they got a point from a free - after a 40 minute shut-out - and that signalled a more determined fight-back. They got as close as two points to us but no closer and so we ended up going home with the spoils.

On a day like yesterday, the result was everything and the win helps to keep us in the top four in the Division. We're still third, level on points with Kerry but slightly behind them on the points difference. We're not guaranteed Division 1 football next year but two more wins in our final three matches and we will be. Given the strong opposition in Division 1A (compared to 1B, where Westmeath and Louth lead the way - hello? Anyone at home?), this is good going.

Performance-wise, yesterday was hard to judge given the condition of the pitch and the incessant rain. Kenneth O'Malley did nothing wrong in goal and he's a big lad with a monster kickout so Clarke could be warming the bench from now on. After the early wobble, the backs did okay. Kilcullen is obviously growing into the full-back role and BJP is settling nicely into the centre-back position. Both put in good performances as did Liam O'Malley and Keith Higgins in the corners. I like the look of Devenney - he took off a few times yesterday and seems to have plenty of speed but he's also tenacious defensively. Gardiner was okay too. The biggest criticism of the backline as a whole was that we tried to work our way out of defence with short handpasses, not the kind of game that gets you anywhere fast on a wet, boggy pitch. When we tried to alternate it with long ball the passes often went astray but, when we found the forwards, we quickly opened the Fermanagh backline up. We should really have got at least one goal but Niall Tinney was in cracking form between the sticks for them and managed to keep the ball out of the net more than once.

Midfield was a disaster zone. Nallen is transparently past it and was completely at sea there yesterday. Ger Brady tussled and fought beside him (he swapped places with Harte) but it was only when Andy Moran came out that we began to win any ball in the sector. With DB and Ronan out, we need to find a functioning midfield, and fast. I'm more than a little surprised that Johnno didn't try out some other options in the area yesterday - was this because we haven't any? What about Barry Moran and Seamus O'Shea?

Conor Mort was clearly the pick of the forwards, with seven points, four of which were high quality ones from play when we were in real need of scores. A welcome return to form for the younger Mort. Trevor played well too, one of the few who seemed to revel in the muck. He put himself about a lot and was involved in much of the play going forward. Andy Moran was excellent as well - he didn't score (the only one of the starting six not to) but he did an enormous amount of work. Campbell, Brady and Dillon were all quieter but they all scored and that made the difference on the day.

None of the subs made any impact, apart from Heaney who got booked almost straight away, with the foul resulting in a pointed free for Fermanagh. Austie did nothing with the fair amount of ball that was pumped into him. His claims to a starting position look to be receding. Marty McNicholas came on for Harte in injury time but that was purely a tactic to run down the clock.

Positives and negatives, then. Midfield has to be sorted before the trip to Cork in two weeks time. A win there would be just great: it has to be viewed as winnable, given how crap Cork were against the Dubs but our record against Cork is poor and our returns from matches played down there is poorer still. Johnno said after yesterday's game that "the league starts now" so we should be aiming to start with a win.

Team and previews for tomorrow

Well, the team has finally been announced for tomorrow's clash with Fermanagh in Clones. Despite all the talk about expected absentees, the only three missing are DB, KoN and, of course, Ronan McG. The team is:

K O’Malley; L O’Malley, J Kilcullen, K Higgins; E Devenney, BJ Padden, P Gardiner; P Harte, J Nallen; A Campbell, T Mortimer, G Brady; C Mortimer, A Dillon, A Moran.

It would appear that Liam O'Malley, Enda Devenney and Aidan Campbell have recovered from their respective ailments and, thanks to this, changes have been kept to a minimum. The entire backline is unchanged from the Limerick game, James Nallen and Pat Harte come in for DB and Ronan at midfield, with Conor Mort filling KoN's place by returning to the full-forward line and Aidan Campbell making the consequent shift to the half-forwards.

Two talking points, I guess. First, why Nallen rather than Heaney at midfield? Does this, as a contributor to Mayofans.com suggested yesterday, mean that Heaney's days in a Mayo jersey are over? It's beginning to look as if this could be the case, though apparently he's doing exams at the minute and so he might have been excused for the trip. Second, what's the story with the forward line? Alan Dillon at full-forward again? Tomorrow, where he'll be up against Barry Owens, an All-Star full-back, should tell us all we need to know about that particular experiment.

The previews, predictably, all go our way. RTE, the Indo, the Irish Times and Gaa.ie all expect us to win. So do I and, for the first time this year, I'm actually going to see them play. The forecast for tomorrow is bad (rain, rain and more rain), it'll involve a 180-mile round trip but that's what being a supporter is all about, isn't it?

Injuries mount ahead of Fermanagh match

It looks as if we'll be forced to field a much-changed side for the NFL clash with Fermanagh up in Clones on Sunday. David Brady and Kevin O'Neill are definitely out, along with the unfortunate Ronan McGarritty, but our problems don't end there. The Mayo News reports that Enda Devenney and Aidan Campbell are both doubtful, which is an unfortunate development as the two had just broken into the side and they had both done enough against Limerick to hold their places the next day. Today, the Indo reported that flu-victim Liam O'Malley is also rated doubtful for Sunday and that David Clarke (currently no.2 in the goalkeeper pecking order) is carrying a back injury.

So, if we assume all the doubtfuls are definite absentees, we'll need a corner back (Dermot Geraghty?), a half-back (Aidan Higgins?), two midfielders (Pat Harte and David Heaney?), a half-forward (Killer? Alan Dillon to switch back out from full-forward?) and a corner forward (got to be Conor Mort, hasn't it?). Well, at least there are plenty of back-up options and it will give more players the opportunity to shine. However, in the same Mayo News article, Johnno laid it firmly on the line when talking about new players coming in, when he stated "there’s no hiding place now. When people are given an opportunity they have to perform".

He ain't wrong there. Like the Limerick game and, in view of the upcoming clashes with Cork, Dublin and Tyrone, this is a must-win game if we're to retain our Division 1 status next season. I'd say Johnno was well hacked off with the flat performance against Limerick and he'll be looking for a significantly improved outing the next day.

No news yet on the team but that's normal. It'll probably be in the papers tomorrow but, given all the injuries, we mightn't see it till Saturday.

In other news, Kevin McStay has an interesting article in the Mayo News about Johnno's first hundred days. The activity might not have been as frenetic as what one would expect to see at the start of a new US Presidency but, as Kevin shows, Johnno will have had a busy time putting in place plans and programmes for the year on both the playing and the (often-forgotten but increasingly important) non-playing side.

That's it. Back tomorrow, assuming the team is announced.

Ronan's cancer scare confirmed

The bad news about Ronan is covered in the national media today, where it's been confirmed that he's suffering from testicular cancer. As the Indo reports, Ronan isn't the first high-profile GAA player to contract this problem, with Kildare's Dermot Earley and Cork's Joe Deane both having successfully recovered from it in the recent past. In Deane's case, he was operated on after last September's hurling final and is already back training and playing with the Cork hurlers. Let's hope Ronan's recovery is as swift.

Ronan McGarritty withdraws from panel due to illness

It was announced by John O'Mahony on Mid-West Radio this evening that Ronan McGarritty has withdrawn from the Mayo senior panel due to a serious illness. Rumours had been circulating earlier in the day to this effect, although with no names being mentioned. The condition is understood to be serious, though not life-threatening, and there is every hope and expectation that Ronan will make a full recovery.

We can all become very passionate about football and we can, in the immortal words of Bill Shankly, take the view that it's more than just life and death. Then, along comes news like this to prove that such a viewpoint is, at best, more than a little glib. Sport can seem so central to what many of us think and do but this kind of development shows that what happens on the playing field - including how the beloved teams we follow with such devotion perform - is less important than we often let on.

Get well soon, Ronan - I'm sure all of Mayo is rooting for you at this difficult time.

We have been warned!

There was an article by Ian O’Riordan in yesterday's Irish Times (I've linked it but it's premium content so you'll only be able to see it if you subscribe to ireland.com) which was ostensibly about this weekend's Sigerson finals but was, in reality, an interview with current Kerry captain, Bryan Sheehan, about the Kingdom's prospects for 2007. In it, Sheehan lets the world know (as if we need reminding) that those scheming hoors in the South-West are hatching plans for back-to-back All-Irelands this year.

Sheehan says "the two in a row is the major driving force behind us this year. We do feel we have the players to go on and do it". For good measure, he thinks they'll challenge for the league as well, stating "we're not just trying to stay safe in the division. We're determined to reach the knock-outs." This is the confidence that winning 34 All-Irelands gives you, I suppose (just as it was when Paul Galvin, that little runt, proclaimed his delight at winning "his first" All-Ireland medal in 2004).

The main problem for Kerry is, in a word, Tyrone. This is also a problem for Mayo, as we shall see. It all began when Kerry got clobbered and clattered by Tyrone in 2003, following which they decided to get stronger and meaner and to get their revenge. Tyrone, however, didn't play ball: in 2004 their heads were, understandably, all over the shop following Cormac McAnallan's shock death and so, instead of a rematch with the Northerners, Kerry had to be content with poor, soft Mayo as All-Ireland final opponents. Result: 1-20 to 2-9, as I painfully recall.

At the start of 2005, there was plenty of loose talk from Kerry about the two-in-a-row and how it hadn't been achieved since 1990 and wasn't it Cork that did it then and wouldn't only be right, nay proper, for the Kingdom to claim the mantle of back-to-back champions, yada, yada, yada . . . But back came Tyrone (in the process even recovering from being robbed of the Ulster title by a refereeing performance that made Graham Poll look competent) and, boy, they took considerable glee in giving the Kerrymen an almighty root up the hole in that year's final. Cue mad as hell Kerrymen looking for revenge in 2006 but, once again, those pesky Tyrone boys just refused to come out to play. This time Armagh got to take some of the brunt of Kerry's righteous indignation but, once again, we have to take our more than generous helping of it in the full glare of the All-Ireland final.

If there's a pattern here, then we can expect Tyrone to re-emerge from the bushes this year, poised and ready to deliver another knockout punch to the would-be two-in-a-row champions. If they manage to do this - and they could - then we'd be well advised to steer clear of the All-Ireland final in 2008, especially if Kerry are in it . . .