Kerry 2-15 Mayo 0-18: Connacht's sons came to Croke Park yesterday to remind us that the west was still awake. They left singing a canto of loss but their voices were clear and sweet nonetheless. There have been worse days and this was one which at least held out a handful of promise.
True, Kerry proceeded to an All-Ireland semi-final for which the places at the table had apparently been set already. Mayo, though, recovered a little of what they left behind them last September and emerged as a side with some youth and some ideas. Not bad considering.
There's probably no good time to have Colm Cooper slip the stiletto blade of one of his goals between your ribs but at least with 65 minutes left to rehabilitate yourself there are consolations.
Mayo had gone a point up yesterday after four minutes of nervy foreplay. Alan Dillon was the first to have a figure in brackets after his name. Then Kerry just swept up the field, a Declan O'Sullivan pass found the Gooch. It's never too early in the afternoon for the Killarney man to have a try at goal and he thumped the ball to David Clarke's left and into the net.
Within seconds Marc Ó Sé had compounded the shock and awe routine with a scoot upfield and a casually taken point. We shook our heads and waited for the dismantling of Mayo to begin in earnest.
In the ninth minute David Heaney was forced to bring down Mike Frank Russell and a penalty was whistled up. Dara Ó Cinnéide thumped it wide but that moment of reprieve seemed fleeting.
Mayo's gambles paid off. They played four across the midfield, withdrawing Billy Joe Padden and Barry Moran (a late replacement for Trevor Mortimer whose hamstring gave out two weeks ago apparently) to the middle third of the field, leaving Ciarán McDonald and Austin O'Malley to forage for themselves above in the business sector.
John Maughan couldn't complain about the return he got from either player. O'Malley finished with five points from play, even if the rider must be added that some of those came when the game had all but expired and McDonald, as has become usual, was some kind of wonderful, scoring four points from play and a couple of frees but displaying a huge repertoire of passes, punts, shimmies and feints. It's a relief for all defenders when McDonald is removed from the championship and the risk of looking foolish is eliminated.
Surprisingly, for all those who felt that Mayo would be better off sending up a note to Croke Park excusing themselves from attendance yesterday, there was just a point in it at half-time. Barry Moran was winning a good sight of loose ball in the middle third against Darragh Ó Sé and William Kirby, both of whom were struggling to break even.
There were worrying factors for Mayo as they went into the break trailing by that point and basking in the applause of their somewhat surprised audience. Though Kerry would have the wind for the rest of the game.
All Kerry's scores had come from play. Kerry had scored more than twice as many wides as Mayo, something which they said couldn't be done but something which was unlikely to continue.
Kerry duly came out and did what they do. McDonald levelled the game from a free and a ripple of excitement went around the place. Thirty-three minutes left and all to play for. With 30 minutes left though Darragh Ó Sé had goaled and Mayo were needing something special.
From then on the Connacht side's deficiencies were more noticeable than their capabilities. It seemed to be mandatory that all moves pass through McDonald for them to proceed. On most occasions this was no bad thing as he adds imagination and unpredictability to everything he touches but sometimes it meant the direct route was spurned.
Kerry, meanwhile, tagged on a few points after the goal and suddenly they were cruising. Russell enjoyed a period of useful prominence, popping two points while Aidan O'Mahony broke down the left and scored another.
It has been a worry for Kerry this season that they haven't hit their peak form yet. For a few moments yesterday though they seemed to get a glimpse of themselves playing their A game and that was enough. Reassured that it was still in place they eased off.
As preparation for an All-Ireland semi-final the rest of the afternoon was fine. Jack O'Connor played all five of his substitutes, withdrawing such luminaries as Darragh Ó Sé and Russell and giving little gambols on Croke Park to his fringe players.
As for Mayo, they came away convinced that the glass is half full rather than half empty and John Maughan, neither confirming nor denying rumours that he was quitting, could at least reflect with satisfaction that his team had gone forward all afternoon.
"We whittled a seven-point lead down to three in the second half. I thought we had the legs. We missed a couple of easy scores and for their two goals we had our hands on the ball. You have to give credit to Kerry. Great quality in the first 15 and subs but we battled here today and played some good football."
For Kerry the slope towards September gets a little steeper now but, canny as ever, they have plenty of oxygen left in the tank.
KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé (0-1), M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, S Moynihan, A O'Mahony (0-1); D Ó Sé (1-0), W Kirby (0-1); L Hassett (0-1), D O'Sullivan (0-1, capt), E Brosnan (0-2); C Cooper (1-1), D Ó Cinnéide (0-1, free), MF Russell (0-3). Subs: P Galvin (0-3) for Hassett (52 mins), E Fitzmaurice for T O'Sullivan (52 mins), B Sheehan for Ó Cinnéide (57 mins), K Donaghy for D Ó Sé (61 mins), D Quill for Russell (62 mins). Yellow cards: Moynihan, T O'Sullivan.
MAYO: D Clarke; D Geraghty, D Heaney (0-1), G Ruane; P Kelly, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, S Fitzmaurice; M Moyles, C McDonald (0-6, two frees, capt), A Dillon (0-4, two frees); B Moran (0-1), BJ Padden, A O'Malley (0-5). Subs: A Kilcoyne for Moyles (18 mins), K Higgins for Gardiner (42 mins), J Gill for Padden (48 mins), C Mortimer for Kilcoyne (56 mins), A Moran (0-1) for B Moran (62 mins).
Referee: B Crowe (Cavan).
