Updated at 12.00
WELL NOW, YOU’D have to say the football leagues are looking tremendously well on it, wouldn’t you?
Positively glowing, you’d concede. Great complexion, strong constitution. Very nourishing.
High scoring and entertaining. Weather – by and large – holding up.
Pitches and stadiums looking smart. We’ll just mention in passing that set of goal horsed into the unoccupied triangle corner of seats in Castlebar. Perhaps it wasn’t just done in a blind panic with the television cameras coming. Maybe it was an art installation in itself.
RTÉ are doing well for themselves, notwithstanding the twin issues of TV Licence Fee payment reluctance and the publication of presenter salaries.
But to have Kerry hosting Derry, an evening of surprises, thrills and spills with that eerie spectre from Tyrone, Harte, coming back to haunt Kerry once more with a fresh batch of Ulstermen, wasn’t a bad start.
On then, to Castlebar. And a game that changed and swung and hung there waiting for a team to win it, before it was settled.
It took a while for Mayo to wake up, but in an age where teams are gaming various strategies and philosophies for further down the line, you find yourself reaching for that ancient truism that they are at nothing, until they are going at it hammer and tongs.
Are they the streakiest team ever? Was this game another case of Heavy Metal football against the Blue Orchestra?
After the opening exchanges, it looked like Dublin were going to settle into one of those composed, controlled businesslike performances. Having jumped into an early lead, opponents Mayo were trying to thread balls inside only to find the Dublin backs jumping on the balls of their feet.
Dublin were loving it. Greg McEnaney, last year’s U20 captain was making blocks at one end and kicking points at the other.
Jack McCaffrey did the exact same. Why, even Ger Canning was moved to point out that the veteran Doctor was, “Running around like a two-year-old.”
McCaffrey needs a big season. He wouldn’t have returned to county football to bathe with his socks on as happened last year.
They also had Theo Clancy in from the start in place of Eoin Murchan. That last switch had been signposted in social media as there had been a public sighting of Murchan earlier that day in Dublin, treating himself – or indeed someone else – to a packet of muffins.
And that’s how it went until Paddy Durcan decided to put his head down and charge at their defence. Maybe, Kevin McStay plotted it this way.
Up to then, they had produced a very measured, calculated performance of shadowing the Dublin attackers and closing off space.
But once Mayo made the switch for the second quarter to bring their running game, then it was a contest. Dublin weren’t contesting the Mayo kickouts but the home side didn’t return the favour.
Mayo hit four consecutive points, with the movement crowned by the glorious line Paul Towey took into the ‘D’ to score, followed by Bob Tuohy’s glorious catch above Con O’Callaghan’s head to swing over and level the game.
Cormac Costello spurning a free meant the teams went in at the break level.
But given the meek third quarter, you wonder if Mayo need their blood up and heartrate racing before they can produce their football.
After slipping three behind, they needed Ryan O’Donoghue and Fergal Boland to draw frees. Boland’s foul was taken by Aidan O’Shea who put it wide.
Then, the game’s only goal.
Jordan Flynn’s shot was dropping short. David O’Hanlon in the Dublin goal was expected to field comfortably but the incoming Stephen Coen made serious ground up to get a fist to it and charge everything into the back of the net.
Coming as it did on 51 minutes, and having gifted Mayo the lead, it made for a great early season test for both Kevin McStay and Dessie Farrell’s teams.
Strong men were called upon for the final charge.
John Small came on. Niall Scully came on. Dublin had gone 15 minutes since their last score until Cormac Costello’s free on 55 minutes that left it all square once again.
Two challenges on Aidan O’Shea then that demonstrated that big men don’t always get the first decision, but a short period of refereeing reflection can mean they get the one straight after, just because.
Ryan O’Donoghue converted. Cillian O’Connor then replaced O’Shea. 58 minutes gone.
Dublin weren’t beat. Peader O’Cofaigh-Byrne produced a strong run at the end of which, Cian Murphy levelled up the scores. Then Con O’Callaghan grabbed the lead with a left-footed effort.
An O’Donoghue free levelled it again. Paddy Small then took a mark, on the right side for a left-footer, but sent it wide on the near post.
Both teams got a bit jumpy about the prospect of winning.
O’Connor sent a wide. McEnaney also, was wide of the mark.
To win required bravery. From a Colm Reape kickout, Coen got the break and kicked it long towards O’Donoghue, challenging him to win his duel against Cian Murphy.
The Belmullet man went to dip to pick up. He had a hand on his back. Enough to tempt referee Fergal Kelly into the free on the right hand side, tight enough.
A quick free to the floating Fergal Boland later and he nailed the chance.
Fans invaded the pitch on the hunt for selfies.
Mayo scarcely deserved it. Their goal came against the run of play and all that, but they got it.
It leaves Dublin without a point after two games. Concerning for sure. And Mayo feeling good about themselves.
A great start to the leagues. For sure.
