Connacht SFC Semi-final Sligo 0-14 Mayo 0-11: Connacht's old school is back in session: Mayo and Galway, Maughan and O'Mahony, a July carnival along the N17 and possibly even an appearance by the Saw Doctors.
Mayo beat Sligo on a picture perfect day in Markievicz Park, with the sun high over Ben Bulben. It was not a spectacular victory, nor was it accomplished without its flaws, but it will be nonetheless heartening for that.
For long periods of this match, Sligo looked the way Mayo used to in the last days of the old Maughan administration. The travails of last summer and the subsequent winter appeared to have taken their toll and there was a heaviness about Sligo, a predictability that they are going to have to erase if they are to embark on another of their famous qualifying adventures.
The weekend rumour that Eamonn O'Hara had accumulated a groin strain proved true. The All Star participated in this game but was obviously labouring and unable to raise his team with his trademark bursts forward. On the two occasions that he did break across the Mayo plains, Sligo were rewarded with frees. Last year, the Tourlestrane man was Sligo's chief source of inspiration and it appears not much has changed. For Sligo to thrive O'Hara needs to excel and in this unfortunate hour they looked blunted.
Mayo, in contrast, enjoyed a number of critical performances. John Maughan designed an elaborate series of switches before the throw-in that had the Mayo faithful leafing frantically through their programmes. But they worked.
David Heaney presided over Mayo's home square and along with Aidan Higgins and Gary Ruane mopped up the long and hopeful punts Sligo repeatedly opted for.
Replacement Fergal Kelly stepped into midfield and, O'Hara's difficulties notwithstanding, justified his presence.
Young James Gill had a fine day at midfield too. The duel between himself and Paul Durcan typified the difference between the counties. Although Durcan did nothing wrong and was as smart and honest as ever, he looked like a man with many seasons of football behind him. Gill was bursting with energy and compensated for his lightness with athleticism. Crucially, he never tried to do too much, breaking the ball smartly, keeping it moving and getting his tackles in.
After a shaky start, Conor Mortimer emerged as the key threat in Mayo's attack. His solid free-kicking kept the ghost of Kieran McDonald at bay and in the 60th minute he popped up on the opposite wing to fire a score that left Mayo 0-12 to 0-9 to the good.
Sligo were in deep trouble by this stage. For most of the afternoon, they matched scores with the visitors but that was all. After a bright opening few minutes, with Paul Taylor showing flashes of his old form, their options began to dry up. Dessie Sloyan kept them in touch with his frees, but gradually the half-forward line was cancelled out and Taylor succumbed to tiredness.
Gerry McGowan made an immediate impression when called from the bench after 42 minutes but was carefully shadowed after that. Worryingly for Sligo, wing back Padraig Doohan was their highest scorer from play.
Mayo also had two points from a defender - Fergal Costello floated two gorgeous first-half points - but their six starting forwards all found the target from play, a novel enough statistic for the county. Also, substitute Ger Brady hit two crucial points over the last half hour.
It was his first, after 57 minutes, that spelled the beginning of the end for Sligo. Conor Mortimer gave Mayo the lead with a free and then Brady burst on to Alan Dillon's fine pass, firing a low shot that James Curran parried over the bar. Another Mortimer free and suddenly Sligo were three points down in a tight and low-scoring game.
The home crowd raised a cheer but it was half-hearted. The signs were that Ford's team would not raise a gallop on this occasion.
How nice for Mayo to be able to call upon Maurice Sheridan to come in and take down a couple of crucial balls at the close. In contrast, Sligo were forced to withdraw the hobbling O'Hara after 67 minutes. It was a lacklustre close given that the match balanced on a free.
Sligo did not quit but the announcer had already demanded that the exit gates be drawn back by the time Sloyan flashed a 73rd-minute shot just over the bar.
That was as close as they came to breaching the Mayo goal - rarely can Peter Burke have enjoyed such a pleasant championship Sunday.
Disconsolate as they will be to depart the provincial scene, Sligo can still wring something out of the season. They have travelled well enough under Ford to deserve the benefit of the doubt. Defensively, they were solid, with Doohan, Patrick Naughton and Neil Carew always on top, but there is a sameness about their forwards. They had too many tricky guys on the field at once and cried out for the awkwardness Dara McGarty provided.
Mayo are a mystery, perhaps even to themselves. Here they mixed the good with the bad. They fired one or two chronic wides and saw plenty of passes go astray.
Youth and boldness are their key assets. They will have to improve radically in the Connacht showpiece but who is to say they won't? The old school was always good for a touch of drama.
MAYO: 1. P Burke; 5. A Higgins, 8. D Heaney, 4. G Ruane; 6. G Mullins, 3. J Nallen, 7. F Costello (0-2); 27. F Kelly, 9. J Gill (0-1); 10. T Mortimer (0-1), 11. D Sweeney (0-2, 1f), 12. A Dillon (0-1); 13. C Mortimer (0-4, 3f), 14. B Maloney, 15. S Carolan (0-1). Subs: G Brady (0-2) for S Carolan (44 mins), L Moffett for F Kelly ( 65 mins), M Sheridan for B Maloney (67 mins).
SLIGO: 1. J Curran; 2. P Gallagher, 3. N Carew, 4. P Naughton; 5. P Doohan (0-2), 6. N Clancy, 7. N McGuire; 8. P Durcan , 9. E O'Hara; 11. M McNamara (0-1), 13. M Brehony (0-1), 12. J McPartland; 10. S Davey, 15. P Taylor (0-1). 14. D Sloyan (0-5, 4f). Subs: G McGowan (0-1) for P Taylor (42 mins), D Durkin for N McGuire (48 mins), B Philips for P Gallagher ( 60 mins), M Langan for E O'Hara ( 67 mins).
Referee: A Mangan (Kerry)
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