Luckless Mayo men left to rue more final misfortune

ONLY those with a heart of stone couldn’t but feel for the Mayo footballers this week. The county’s All-Ireland final torment is unparalleled in the modern era and their suffering is going to extend for at least another year after their latest heartbreaking near miss at Croke Park last Saturday evening.

Even the law of averages continues to be undermined by the fortunes of luckless Mayo who have now contested nine All-Ireland finals, including replays, since 1989 without making the coveted breakthrough. Once more their heroic players coped admirably with on-field adversity, but still couldn’t get over the line against a quality Dublin outfit which was capturing its fourth Sam Maguire Cup in six seasons.

Even the hearts of neutrals must bleed for Mayo who continue to find the breaks elusive on Gaelic football’s biggest day. Unfortunately, the post mortems will almost entirely focus in the extraordinary decision of manager Stephen Rochford and his mentors to drop goalkeeper David Clarke in favour of Robbie Hennelly for the replay.

Depending on your perspective, it was either a courageous move based on forensic examination of the drawn game or a reckless gamble which was playing with fire. As it transpired, Hennelly’s recall proved catastrophic as changing the man between the posts probably cost Mayo the All-Ireland title. Apart from some inaccuracy with his kick-outs, his fumble of what should have been a routine catch from Paul Flynn’s delivery in the 41st minute had disastrous consequences.

As Hennelly tried to atone for his error, all he succeeded in doing was hauling down Paddy Andrews in the square, leaving Laois referee Maurice Deegan with no option but to award a penalty. The Mayo goalkeeper was also black-carded, ensuring Clarke’s first involvement was the unenviable task of preventing Diarmuid Connolly’s spot kick. He guessed right, but the Dublin attacker’s low strike was almost inch-perfect inside the left hand post.

Just before the break, Hennelly was also culpable for the ultimate black-carding of Lee Keegan – arguably the Footballers of the Year – when another misdirected kick out put immediate pressure on his own defence. No wonder the Breaffy man was distraught afterwards. Hennelly already knew the dire consequences of his errors and its difficult not to feel compassion for him, but this is just the latest example of Mayo’s big-day misfortune.

Dublin didn’t leave their team from the drawn game alone either. Jim Gavin made three changes, including axing Bernard Brogan and Michael Darragh Macauley, two former players of the year. These were brave calls but they worked for the champions as both Brogan and, especially Macauley, made big impacts on their introductions as did another replacement Cormac Costello, who expertly landed his team’s final three points of another absorbing struggle for supremacy.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.