IT WASN’T MAYO’S most commanding performance of all-time, but semi-finals are for winning and nothing else.
Reflecting on Mayo’s five-point win over Tipperary in this last four clash, Stephen Rochford said he had a “mix” of emotions.
There was plenty for the former Corofin boss to be happy about, but it was another patchy 70 minutes of football from Mayo. It’s something which we’ve become all too used to this year.
Still, Mayo are one game away from ending that dreadful record in All-Ireland finals.
“The group is quite ambitious and so is the management,” said Rochford. “So when we set up last December around what we wanted to achieve this year it was about getting to an All-Ireland final.
“It was about not necessarily taking the long route to get there but All-Ireland semi-finals are there to be won. We all have enough experience of playing epic finals and one thing or another so we are just content with getting to the final at this moment.”
“We just have to be more consistent, better in front of goal with some of the opportunities that we created.”
A key move by Rochford today was employing Barry Moran as a sweeper, when Kevin McLoughlin was expected to continue in that role. He wisely recognised the danger of Tipperary’s twin-towers and they dealt with them fairly well.
“They have quite an obvious aerial threat in Michael Quinlivan and Conor Sweeney. It was an aspect that if we could not concede a goal it would place us in a really good position not to concede a goal. That is the way it played out.
“Tipperary was a tough, tough game. They had scored a goal in every game this year, that included two against Kerry. So there was no case of us saying we were going to come in to win this game at 80 per cent to save ourselves for a final. Absolutely no way.
“We had huge respect for Tipperary and the manner in which they had beaten Galway had our alterness up. That quarter at the end of the first half when we scored 1-7 to one point from them and showed a ruthlessness we want in the group.
Goals from Jason Doherty and Conor O’Shea proved to be the decisive scores for Mayo, who will face the winners of Dublin and Kerry on September 18. Rochford is well aware they’ve plenty to improve on in the next four weeks.
“We put the ball in the goalie’s hand three times in the first-half and twice in the second-half and with all due respect to Tipperary I don’t think it was down to the pressure.
“It was poor execution. We still got 15 scores there today and our own levels of standards would dictate that we want more and we know that there is more within us to get that.”
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