Connacht SFC Sligo 0-15 Mayo 1-8 A CRUCIAL stage in the development of any team comes with learning how to cope with the fear of winning. For weeks, the perception had been this was an absolute golden chance for a resurgent Sligo team to ambush a Mayo side in a fragile state.
The stage was perfect: Markievicz Park is the most wonderful county ground in the country on a summer evening and the patrons came through the turnstiles more vocally confident than any Sligo crowd for years.
The pressure on Sligo to deliver was intense. But in the hottest minutes of this contest, the men in black were flooded with confidence and belief which made the steady ebbing of Mayo’s purpose and will even more pronounced.
This Sligo coup felt calmer and more deliberate than the slightly unreal air that accompanied their historic Connacht championship victory three years ago. Kevin Walsh watched as his team conceded 1-1 in six minutes when the height and athleticism of Mayo’s Adrian Freeman seemed set to be the dominant story of the game.
They couldn’t buy a score in the first 10 minutes and managed just two from play in the first half. But their composure remained absolute and once they edged in front thanks to an inspirationally thumped point from midfielder Tony Taylor, it was their evening.
“Hard work won it for us in the end. Mayo man or not, I was there in a Sligo jersey today giving it 100 percent,” said Alan Costello, the former Mayo player who lines out for the Yeats County now.
“And I think it showed. We will take this in now and go back and prepare for the Galway game. Mayo are still a top-class side so it is a huge victory for us, for me.”
It won’t be lost on the bleeding hearts of Mayo the Balla man landed two wonderful scores from play in the last 10 minutes which helped to buckle the visiting team.
As days of suffering go for the green and red, this was tough penance. Cursed with the great start, they struggled for most of the match. Andy Moran was conspicuous in his effort and availability and engaged in a terrific duel with flying wing back Johnny Davey.
But overall, it was an insipid performance. None of the league finds made an impression. Absent were the rampaging runs from the defence which were the engine of Mayo’s league form. Three scorers in 70 minutes won’t cut it at championship level. They found it hard to break down the Sligo cover once Eamon O’Hara dropped back to hoover up long passes but the reasons for this loss were deeper than strategy.
John O’Mahony was as gracious as ever in defeat, paying tribute to the Sligo performance, but he must have been mystified by the lack of spark among his players. Sligo fed off the doubt Mayo betrayed. Captain Charlie Harrison, a neat and light corner back, had a brilliant match and shook off a crunching tackle from Trevor Mortimer to complete a fine evening.
All of the Sligo men played well, with Brendan Phillips putting out fires all over the field, David Kelly producing three exquisite points from play and O’Hara making those end-to-end Escape to Victory charges that evoked memories of his super-heroic hour against Tyrone almost a decade ago. And Sligo have a gem in Davey.
Have Mayo the sand to give the qualifiers – lethal as that field now is – a real go? This game leaves them in a bleak place but it would be a surprise if they exit without making any noise. Sligo must now go and try and beat the other big county in the west when they visit Galway.
Planning a win against his native county will be the toughest task Kevin Walsh has faced. But Sligo fear nothing ahead of them now.
SLIGO:P Greene; C Harrison, N McGuire, R Donovan; K Cawley, B Phillips, J Davey (0-1); T Taylor(0-1), S Gilmartin (0-1); A Costello (0-2), M Breheny (0-3 frees), K Sweeney; C McGee (0-4, three frees), E O'Hara, D Kelly (0-3). Subs:S Coen for McGee (67 mins).
MAYO:D Clarke; D Vaughan, G Cafferkey, K Higgins; P Gardiner, T Cunniffe, K McLoughlin; T Parsons, R McGarrity, A Moran (0-1), S O'Shea, T Mortimer, C Mortimer (0-3, one free). A Freeman (1-4, pen, one free), E Varley. Subs:PJ Padden for S O'Shea (46 mins), A O'Shea for Varley (54 mins), M Ronaldson for T Mortimer (61 mins, inj), B Moran for Parsons (63 mins), K Conroy for McGarrity (66 mins).
Referee:J White (Donegal).
