Derry aiming to rain on Mayo's parade

Allianz Football League Division 1 – Round 6 

Sunday, March 17 

3.45pm at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar 

Mayo v Derry 

REF: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary) 

A lot of the discussion around Mayo’s performance to date in this year’s Allianz Football League has centered around the attack. To say it’s been no more than average seems fair enough, particularly when the team is the fourth highest (or lowest, if you’re a glass-half-empty sort) scorer in an eight-team division. It doesn’t get any more average than that. And there’s no doubt a significant improvement up front will be required in the coming weeks and months if Mayo are to contend for the major prizes; in their five rounds of league action goalkeeper Colm Reape has scored as much from play (one point) as Tommy Conroy and Aidan O’Shea combined, who have made nine appearances in the full-forward line between them.

But what has perhaps been overlooked slightly as a consequence, is just how well, particularly as a unit, Mayo have played defensively, something that is borne out by the raw statistic that with 67 points conceded, they are currently the meanest team in the division – and that’s having already gone up against the big two of Dublin and Kerry, who are the division’s highest and second-highest scorers respectively, Kerry jointly with Derry.

Furthermore, Mayo’s success in this area has been despite playing recent rounds without a leader of Paddy Durcan’s calibre, and David McBrien, who has looked a solution to Mayo’s full-back conundrum, both of whom have been injured. Jack Coyne, Sam Callinan, Rory Brickenden and Eoghan McLaughlin have become permanent fixtures in a defence that was further bolstered when Donnacha McHugh, in only his second start of the season, was named on the GAA’s Team of the Week for his two points contribution – and solid marking of Enda Smyth – in Mayo’s six points victory over Roscommon last time out. Enda Hession’s return to fitness has also been timely.

A far sterner examination of Mayo’s all-round credentials than the Rossies were able to offer will be certain however, when Derry roll into town next Sunday. Mickey Harte’s side themselves have the second best defensive record in the division, conceding two points more than Mayo, but they have also scored a dozen points more. Sitting two points clear of a pack that includes Mayo, Dublin and Kerry at the top of the division, a victory in Castlebar would see the Oak Leafers plant one foot firmly in the Division 1 final, with a home game against Roscommon still to come.

And there’s no question that Harte would love to see his side reach – and win – a national final so early into his tenure, not least because the game would help to fill some of the gap between league and championship for unlike Mayo, who if involved in this year’s league final would commence their Connacht campaign in New York the following weekend, Derry’s Ulster SFC quarter-final tie with Donegal is not until Saturday, April 20 – a full three weeks after any possible appearance in the Division 1 decider. That break would extend to a month should they find themselves overtaken in the league standings in the meantime.

It's the not knowing just how gung-ho Mayo will be to try and win this St Patrick’s Day contest that makes predicting an outcome difficult, but when Kevin McStay took the reigns as manager he instantly expressed a desire that his team would turn MacHale Park into something of a fortress. The championship reversal to Roscommon twelve months ago was a bitter pill to swallow, but with six home games so far played across two league seasons, the only one Mayo have lost was when McStay rang the changes against Monaghan knowing his side’s place in the 2023 Division 1 final was already assured.

Dublin, Kerry and Tyrone have all come unstuck in Castlebar over the past year so there’s no reason why Mayo couldn’t unearth another big performance – and a result – on Sunday. The return to fitness of Durcan or McBrien, or both, as has been hinted by McStay, would be a significant boost to their chances, but there are other players too, like Darren McHale, who are itching for starts having only had limited time off the bench.