EARLY IN THE second half in Croke Park on Saturday, as the first blast of quarter-final weekend took place, Mayo won a free on a patch of the pitch near the Hogan Stand side.
Ryan O’Donoghue is now cast into the role of the seasoned figure in their attack, trusted to provide guidance to the precocious talents around him in the Mayo forward line.
On the cusp of half-time O’Donoghue had nailed a two-point free into Hill 16, and now he wondered whether he should take on the responsibility of this shot into the Davin End.
Darragh Beirne, the Claremorris half of Mayo’s emerging attacking wave, disagreed.
“I was thinking, will I take this, it’s kind of Darragh’s side and Darragh said, ‘I’m taking this’,” recalled O’Donoghue afterwards.
“And I said, fine, you take it and he puts it over the black spot and that’s exactly what we need, and the team needs.”
Darragh Beirne celebrates scoring a point for Mayo. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
That kick from Beirne pushed Mayo one clear. A minute later Kobe McDonald, the Crossmolina wing of this offensive duo, accelerated clear and clipped over a tidy point.
Beirne stepped forward again in the next passage of play, belting a shot with confidence and power as the ball soared over the bar.
It felt a significant scoring burst, Mayo surging four clear and Cork, for all the ball they had got their hands on in the opening period, now left struggling in arrears. The platform was created for Mayo to win, and they availed of it. By full-time they enjoyed a healthy five-point buffer on the scoreboard.
And there was little doubt as to who was central towards shaping that outcome. Beirne and McDonald, the tyros that have lit up Mayo’s season, were both instrumental, but so too was O’Donoghue. As a trio they knocked over 19 points across the course of the game, a shade better than the 18 that Cork managed in total.
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Top Scored
O’Donoghue top-scored with 0-8, dividing his tally equally between shots from dead balls and open play in a performance of supreme leadership. Beirne weighed in with 0-7, illustrating his excellence as he announced himself on the Croke Park stage. McDonald supplied 0-4 and different moments of magic.
At one stage in the first half, he handpassed the ball into space for himself on the Cusack Stand side, taking a Cork opponent out of the game, and collecting the ball on the other side after it dropped, paving the way for a Mayo move that was crowned by a Beirne point.
Then there was the swift give and go of passes before banging over a two-pointer before the break. Every time Kobe gained possession, it generated a frisson of excitement amongst the Mayo crew around the stadium. They savoured watching him live in action as the countdown continues to his move to St Kilda in the AFL.
Humble
“He’s just the most humble young fella,” stated Mayo boss Andy Moran.
“You wouldn’t even know he’s around the place when he’s there. I think Jordan has him under in a headlock half the time. He’s just a really, really good kid.
“If Kobe Macdonald is out kicking in Crossmolina tomorrow and someone sees him, I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s the sort of fella he is. He’ll keep trying it on. He doesn’t back away.
“You see him for the goal chance, the last minute. As a manager you’re thinking, this fella’s 18, he’s not going to fist this over the bar. He wanted the goal. He’s 18 years of age, but he’s just a great kid. Coming from a great family.”
Kobe McDonald and Jordan Flynn celebrate at the final whistle. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Mayo’s attacking triumvirate combined brilliantly and served up a level of scoring power that Cork couldn’t handle, as it proved an essential difference in settling this contest.
O’Donoghue was the only Mayo starting forward from the 2021 All-Ireland decider against Tyrone to line up when yesterday’s game commenced. He was joined later by Tommy Conroy, energetic and influential during his cameo, but it is Mayo’s largely fresh attacking dimension that the Belmullet man is now working with.
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“So I’d look at the two lads [Kobe and Beirne] and they’re only 18 and 19, but they demand so much of me, I demand so much of them, and we just bounce off each other.
“They’re old enough, they’re good enough and there’s a breath of fresh air and they’re here to win.”
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It continues a remarkable transformation in Mayo’s fortunes. In late April they were floored by Roscommon, the 10-point end margin reflective of the gulf on the day.
They were edged out by Tyrone in Omagh, but either side of that game they managed to survive a Monaghan fightback and revive themselves last week against Meath.
On the main stage, Mayo thrived as the second half unfolded.
“I was saying to people during the week, I always thought this team was suited to Croke Park and the way it plays because it’s a completely different game,” remarked Moran.
“I just think the boys put in a really good workman-like shift and we’d a bit of brilliance up front that won us the game as well.”
Since that epic semi-final success over Dublin in 2021, Croke Park has not been a happy setting for Mayo. Their last attempt to land Sam Maguire ended in failure at the hands of Tyrone, they were nudged out of the championship picture by Kerry in 2022 and Dublin in 2023, with a 2022 success over Kildare standing in isolation.
The past couple of seasons have concluded in provincial venues. As Moran noted, when Diarmuid Duffy came on as an early substitute, it brought to eight the number of Mayo players making their GAA HQ debut.
As a collective they appreciated a return to the main show and fed off the emotional investment made by their supporters.
“To be honest, it’s a bit emotional after that result there because our team now, the mid-20s, late-20s, we haven’t been in Croke Park or given the Mayo fans something to shout about,” summed up O’Donoghue.
“In the second half against Meath, that was the first time that we’ve heard the Mayo faithful and we’d given the Mayo faithful something to shout about, for quite a while. We repaid them.”
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'We’d a bit of brilliance up front' - Mayo's new attack changes their Croke Park story
EARLY IN THE second half in Croke Park on Saturday, as the first blast of quarter-final weekend took place, Mayo won a free on a patch of the pitch near the Hogan Stand side.
Ryan O’Donoghue is now cast into the role of the seasoned figure in their attack, trusted to provide guidance to the precocious talents around him in the Mayo forward line.
On the cusp of half-time O’Donoghue had nailed a two-point free into Hill 16, and now he wondered whether he should take on the responsibility of this shot into the Davin End.
Darragh Beirne, the Claremorris half of Mayo’s emerging attacking wave, disagreed.
“I was thinking, will I take this, it’s kind of Darragh’s side and Darragh said, ‘I’m taking this’,” recalled O’Donoghue afterwards.
“And I said, fine, you take it and he puts it over the black spot and that’s exactly what we need, and the team needs.”
That kick from Beirne pushed Mayo one clear. A minute later Kobe McDonald, the Crossmolina wing of this offensive duo, accelerated clear and clipped over a tidy point.
Beirne stepped forward again in the next passage of play, belting a shot with confidence and power as the ball soared over the bar.
It felt a significant scoring burst, Mayo surging four clear and Cork, for all the ball they had got their hands on in the opening period, now left struggling in arrears. The platform was created for Mayo to win, and they availed of it. By full-time they enjoyed a healthy five-point buffer on the scoreboard.
And there was little doubt as to who was central towards shaping that outcome. Beirne and McDonald, the tyros that have lit up Mayo’s season, were both instrumental, but so too was O’Donoghue. As a trio they knocked over 19 points across the course of the game, a shade better than the 18 that Cork managed in total.
Top Scored
O’Donoghue top-scored with 0-8, dividing his tally equally between shots from dead balls and open play in a performance of supreme leadership. Beirne weighed in with 0-7, illustrating his excellence as he announced himself on the Croke Park stage. McDonald supplied 0-4 and different moments of magic.
At one stage in the first half, he handpassed the ball into space for himself on the Cusack Stand side, taking a Cork opponent out of the game, and collecting the ball on the other side after it dropped, paving the way for a Mayo move that was crowned by a Beirne point.
Then there was the swift give and go of passes before banging over a two-pointer before the break. Every time Kobe gained possession, it generated a frisson of excitement amongst the Mayo crew around the stadium. They savoured watching him live in action as the countdown continues to his move to St Kilda in the AFL.
Humble
“He’s just the most humble young fella,” stated Mayo boss Andy Moran.
“You wouldn’t even know he’s around the place when he’s there. I think Jordan has him under in a headlock half the time. He’s just a really, really good kid.
“If Kobe Macdonald is out kicking in Crossmolina tomorrow and someone sees him, I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s the sort of fella he is. He’ll keep trying it on. He doesn’t back away.
“You see him for the goal chance, the last minute. As a manager you’re thinking, this fella’s 18, he’s not going to fist this over the bar. He wanted the goal. He’s 18 years of age, but he’s just a great kid. Coming from a great family.”
Mayo’s attacking triumvirate combined brilliantly and served up a level of scoring power that Cork couldn’t handle, as it proved an essential difference in settling this contest.
O’Donoghue was the only Mayo starting forward from the 2021 All-Ireland decider against Tyrone to line up when yesterday’s game commenced. He was joined later by Tommy Conroy, energetic and influential during his cameo, but it is Mayo’s largely fresh attacking dimension that the Belmullet man is now working with.
“So I’d look at the two lads [Kobe and Beirne] and they’re only 18 and 19, but they demand so much of me, I demand so much of them, and we just bounce off each other.
“They’re old enough, they’re good enough and there’s a breath of fresh air and they’re here to win.”
It continues a remarkable transformation in Mayo’s fortunes. In late April they were floored by Roscommon, the 10-point end margin reflective of the gulf on the day.
They were edged out by Tyrone in Omagh, but either side of that game they managed to survive a Monaghan fightback and revive themselves last week against Meath.
On the main stage, Mayo thrived as the second half unfolded.
“I was saying to people during the week, I always thought this team was suited to Croke Park and the way it plays because it’s a completely different game,” remarked Moran.
“I just think the boys put in a really good workman-like shift and we’d a bit of brilliance up front that won us the game as well.”
Since that epic semi-final success over Dublin in 2021, Croke Park has not been a happy setting for Mayo. Their last attempt to land Sam Maguire ended in failure at the hands of Tyrone, they were nudged out of the championship picture by Kerry in 2022 and Dublin in 2023, with a 2022 success over Kildare standing in isolation.
The past couple of seasons have concluded in provincial venues. As Moran noted, when Diarmuid Duffy came on as an early substitute, it brought to eight the number of Mayo players making their GAA HQ debut.
As a collective they appreciated a return to the main show and fed off the emotional investment made by their supporters.
“To be honest, it’s a bit emotional after that result there because our team now, the mid-20s, late-20s, we haven’t been in Croke Park or given the Mayo fans something to shout about,” summed up O’Donoghue.
“In the second half against Meath, that was the first time that we’ve heard the Mayo faithful and we’d given the Mayo faithful something to shout about, for quite a while. We repaid them.”
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