THIS WEEKEND SEES the first of two mouth-watering All Ireland Football semi-finals when Mayo take on Tyrone and Johnny Doyle and Ciaran Whelan agree that while the Connacht champions are deservedly favourites, they won’t have it all their own way on Sunday.
Kildare star Doyle, whose own All-Ireland ambitions were quashed by Mickey Harte’s Tyrone earlier this summer believes that both sides have reason for confidence ahead of the clash
“Look it’s a tough one to call. If you were judging it just on the last day out, then you would have to favour Mayo. If they can replicate that sort of performance again, there is no one that can beat them.
“Looking from a Kildare perspective we would have fancied our chances of beating Tyrone and had the chances to do so, and I know Meath and Monaghan and even Roscommon would have felt the same, yet here they are, still standing. They know how to win the tight games and know what needs to be done to get over the line.”
Former Dublin star Whelan points out that since Tyrone’s exit from the Ulster Championship back in May to Donegal, they have regrouped and have proven that they have what it takes to eke out victory when they need to.
He added that there is pressure on Mayo to deliver and he doesn’t see the men from the West having it as easy as in their quarter-final romp.
“I certainly don’t think that that will happen to Tyrone. Donegal were a side on the way this year and Tyrone are a different challenge altogether.
“Tyrone are battle-hardened having come through the qualifiers and really it’s a case of it now or never for this Mayo side. They are three years into James Horan’s plan, there is ruthlessness about them, they’ve done all the strength and conditioning work, they have the strength and depth on the subs bench, they’ve been kicking an average of 26 points a game, and everything is in place for them.
They will face a very stern test this Sunday though. Tactically Mickey Harte is one of the best managers going and if there is any weakness in a team he will find that and he will ask questions of this Mayo team.
Whelan, was on Dublin sides who fell afoul of Tyrone in 2005 and 2008, believes that the tactical battle could be crucial. Keith Higgins has been named to start at centre-forward in an unchanged Mayo starting fifteen but the Raheny legend doesn’t believe that the All Star will remain on the ‘40’.
“I think maybe Higgins will be asked to follow Sean Cavanagh because I don’t think you will see Aiden O’Shea picking him up. Mayo can’t allow themselves to get distracted by the Tyrone game, they have to believe in their own plan and dictate the game themselves.
“Mickey Harte is very good at setting up a team to stifle the opposition. If you go back to this year’s League Final he put Joe McMahon on James McCarthy to stop his influence and then in the second half they dropped into a very defensive formation. They are very good at taking good teams down a level and stopping them from playing football.
“Higgins though is a quality footballer and very versatile and can play at either end of the field. He was very effective against Donegal playing wing-forward and that allowed the Mayo half-backs to push forward and run at Donegal in the last game.”
Doyle agrees that the Tyrone game plan will be a big asset for them on Sunday.
Doyle in action against Tyrone in the Division 1 semi-final earlier this season (©INPHO/James Crombie)
They have that experience; they have a huge belief in the way they play and their style of play. Nothing ever seems to rattle them, they always maintain that belief in their game-plan. They know that it has got them over the line so many times in the past and when you see a game-plan working it makes you believe in it even more.
However despite that, the Lilywhite icon is backing the green and red to progress to another All-Ireland decider, as long as they can continue the form which brought them so close to ultimate glory in 2012.
“The good thing about Tyrone over the years has been that experience, that bit of steel that stands to them. They will never be beaten by a whole lot.
“If you put a gun to my head and asked me to pick a winner I would say Mayo but if Tyrone are in an All-Ireland final on Sunday evening I would not be one bit surprised.
“There is no doubt however James Horan has added a bit of steel to the Mayo team. Last year everyone talked about how Donegal revolutionised Gaelic football but if you go back to the All-Ireland Final but for a mistake early on in the game that Donegal got a goal from, Mayo played the best football in that game. I am not surprised at all that they are back here [in an All-Ireland semi-final].
“If you look at the fact that twice this year they have had to bring in a new goalkeeper for games but it hasn’t affected them in anyway. Nothing fazes them. They lost Andy Moran last year, but someone else came in and was able to pick up the slack and that is the sign of a good team.
If they manage to put in another performance like they did against Donegal then I can’t see them being beaten.
Whelan concurs with that assessment and expect it to go down to the wire.
“Tyrone will try and keep it tight and make sure that they are still in the game with 10 or 15 minutes to go, and then it will come down to a test of nerves and it will be a real battle to see who can get over the line.
“I think Mayo might have too much in the tank though come the final whistle on Sunday.”
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Brian Lawless / Sportsfile
