After that flailing we took in the wind and rain against Galway at the beginning of February, I recall looking at our remaining five fixtures, wondering from where the points we’d need for Division One survival would come. Four matches on, we’ve a healthy seven points on the board and, while we’re not mathematically safe yet, others – including Kerry and Armagh – are in greater peril heading into next weekend’s final round of matches.
Today’s win was, much like the Kerry one two weeks ago, good in parts and not hectic in others. None of that matters, however – in this dog-eat-dog top tier campaign, winning is what ultimately counts and we did that today, relegating Derry in the process.
We made two changes to the starting team ahead of throw-in. Darren McHale dropped out of the match day panel altogether, with Jack Carney taking his place in the first fifteen. Conor Reid also lined out, replacing Davitt Neary.
We opened the scoring inside 30 seconds, Ryan O’Donoghue clipping over from play, but the opening exchanges were defined by Derry’s more direct approach, which paid rich dividends on eight minutes when McGurk blasted to the net after the swift one-two left him with just Colm Reape to beat.
We responded well to that setback and we soon drew level. Matthew Ruane notched the first from just inside the arc and then, after McGuigan pointed for them, the Breaffy club man thundered a second over from out on the right wing. Ryan O’Donoghue shot smartly over after a Jordan Flynn lay-off before Mattie slipped through a gap in a central position and poked the equaliser over off his left.
We then butchered a good goal chance, when David McBrien wasn’t alert to Aidan O’Shea’s lay-off and connected poorly with the ball. Soon after that Frank Irwin went for goal after winning a long ball in but the shot wasn’t really on and was duly blocked down.
Aidan’s appetite for hard work was in evidence soon after as he chased Cassidy half the way down the pitch before forcing the Derry player into touch.
The momentum then shifted in favour of the home team. Points in short order from McGuigan, Doherty, Loughlin and McGrogan (the latter score meaning that Derry’s whole half-back line were now on the scoresheet) put them four clear.
But, like a pendulum, the game then swung back in our favour. Ryan hoisted over a two-point free from outside the arc and then Jordan Flynn’s two-point effort which didn’t quite have the legs was doubled on by Aidan and flew over. Seconds later the indefatigable Breaffy man was feeding Ryan for the leveller.
Glass – who was once again excellent today for the Oak Leafers – put them back in front. Then we got pinged, once again, for breaching the 3 v 3 rule and they duly pointed the tap-over free. Have breaches of this rule now cost us at least a point in each of the six League games we’ve played? I think this may be the case and, to be honest, if that stat is correct it’s a damning one.
That irksome score put us two in arrears and we seemed destined to reach the halfway point trailing the home team. Then, all of a shot, we turned the game on its head.
Fenton Kelly started this change in the prevailing narrative when he cut the gap to the minimum. Then Mattie let fly again, his fourth score of the half hauling us level.
We ended the half in the best possible way, taking advantage of the recent rule tweak that play would only stop after the hooter went once the ball had gone dead.
The sonorous sound duly droned out and an attack by us broke down but, as Derry went forward, Ryan O’Donoghue tigerishly turned the ball over and hit for goal. It looked like he was going to go all the way himself but then he offloaded to Jordan Flynn who shot low and hard to the net to send the lads into the dressing room a goal to the good.
We now had the platform to win this game and on the resumption we quickly pushed further clear.
Ryan almost had the ball in the net when he connected with his fist to an incoming ball but the ‘keeper was equal to it. Ryan gathered the rebound, however, and shot over.
After they’d missed a straightforward free, Glass, dummying to create space in a central position, cut one over off the outside of his boot. Then Toner came on the loop to cut the gap to two.
That’s when our second goal came. Ryan, once again, was in the thick of the action, winning the ball and protecting possession long enough for Enda Hession to arrive at top speed and he fed Frank Irwin who beat the ‘keeper with ease.
Mattie, for the second time in this game, stroked it over off his left. Six up now and we were starting to hum properly.
Derry’s hopes weren’t helped by increasingly wayward shooting and, with players beginning to tire, gaps were opening up for us in places that weren’t there earlier. Conor Reid popped up in one of those spots, fisting over with the minimum of fuss.
Aidan O’Shea – whose workrate today was off the charts – battled forward, offloading to Frank Irwin who pointed. A few minutes later it was Mattie again, bagging the last of a round half-dozen scores from play for him.
We were running the changes by now, with Seán Morahan on for Donnacha McHugh and Fergal Boland replacing Conor Reid. The scores kept coming, with Ryan pointing a close-in free after Glass had fouled David McBrien.
At that stage, with fifteen minutes to the hooter, we were ten up and cruising. From there to the end should have been a facile procession for us but that, of course, isn’t in our DNA. Instead we yanked the handbrake up and gave them a sliver of daylight coming down the stretch.
They had Glass to thank for this late (too late as it turned out) revival. He smashed over two monstrous two-pointers in as many minutes and, when McGurk then added a point from play, our handsome lead had been halved to five, with the best part of ten minutes left to play.
That, ultimately, was the margin between the teams at the finish. We added two further points, another free from Ryan and a fisted score from sub Eoghan McLaughlin (tell me – why didn’t he just fist over the similar chance he’d had five minutes earlier as well instead of blasting it heedlessly wide?), while Glass landed a third two-pointer for them.
The win relegates the Oak Leaf County and, while we’re still not in theory safe, no team has ever been relegated from Division One on seven points. That’s not going to happen next Sunday either, though if Tyrone go on and beat Donegal (as I write they’re five points up midway through the second half) then the second relegation place will be decided next weekend.
The aim has to be to keep this winning run going against Donegal in Round 7 this day week. A win there and not only are we safe we might even sneak unexpectedly into the Division One final.
I’m not sure that’s something we’d want but it’s nice to be thinking idly about such potential First World problems once again. It’s the upward curve in our form over the past four rounds, which we maintained at Celtic Park today, that has given us this unanticipated luxury and very welcome it is too.
Mayo: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Enda Hession; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Fenton Kelly (0-1); Stephen Coen, Matthew Ruane (0-6); Conor Reid (0-1), Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn (1-0); Aidan O’Shea (0-1), Frank Irwin (1-1), Ryan O’Donoghue (0-8, one 2pt free, two frees). Subs: Seán Morahan for McHugh, Fergal Boland for Reid, Davitt Neary for Kelly, Eoghan McLaughlin (0-1) for McBrien, Paul Towey for O’Shea.
Who was our Player of the Match against Derry? Pick your top three performers
- Matthew Ruane (40%, 975 Votes)
- Ryan O'Donoghue (19%, 476 Votes)
- Aidan O'Shea (12%, 298 Votes)
- Jordan Flynn (9%, 220 Votes)
- Enda Hession (6%, 136 Votes)
- Frank Irwin (3%, 67 Votes)
- Fenton Kelly (3%, 65 Votes)
- Stephen Coen (2%, 39 Votes)
- Donnacha McHugh (1%, 35 Votes)
- Conor Reid (1%, 21 Votes)
- David McBrien (1%, 18 Votes)
- Paul Towey (1%, 17 Votes)
- Jack Coyne (1%, 16 Votes)
- Jack Carney (0%, 12 Votes)
- Colm Reape (0%, 12 Votes)
- Davitt Neary (0%, 11 Votes)
- Sam Callinan (0%, 10 Votes)
- Eoghan McLaughlin (0%, 10 Votes)
- Fergal Boland (0%, 8 Votes)
- Seán Morahan (0%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,178
InExile says:
March 16, 2025 at 4:59 pm
Mayo still moving in the right direction after today's game.
– Dublin game: good overall performance, bad result
– Galway game: poor overall performance, bad result
– Tyrone game: mixed performance, good result
– Armagh game: good overall performance, good/mixed result
– Kerry game: excellent overall performance, good result
- Derry game: excellent performance, good result
Other positives:
- Trying new things
- Building the squad
- more consistent performance across all 4 quarters
Tuamstar says:
March 16, 2025 at 5:05 pm
Great display from Mayo today, hitting form at just the right time, looking fit, and Ruane in midfield was outstanding. They will take some beating in the weeks ahead..
They should beat Donegal next week, and I'd imagine head for Croker in flying form..
John+McHale says:
March 16, 2025 at 5:06 pm
Has this ever happened before, where with one game to go and depending on other result, we could go on to win the League or be relegated.
Who said our game v Donegal would be a dead rubber...don't think so!
Sean Burke says:
March 16, 2025 at 5:18 pm
John mchale , pretty sure it happened one year we were down in cork last game and ended up in semi .
Tuamstar , you’ve a great imagination, bless .
Tuamstar says:
March 16, 2025 at 5:27 pm
Sean....you backed Mayo to get to the league final!
Enter The West says:
March 16, 2025 at 5:29 pm
Yes that’s right Sean. Lost in the semi to Dublin but this is even more marked as we have to get in the top 2.
opt2misteek says:
March 16, 2025 at 5:45 pm
John+McHale-April 2013 Pairc Ui Caoimh (Cillians two monster Side line kicks,1 from either side!)
Willie Joe says:
March 16, 2025 at 5:45 pm
Final Whistle pod is up on Patreon now.
Joeyo says:
March 16, 2025 at 6:13 pm
David Rhead only 2 of that trio that haven't played this year should be recalled to panel as we're breaking with pace now so don't change it by bringing back an older player who doesn't have pace
Sean Burke says:
March 16, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Newcastle United the mayo of English football kinda have just won their first major trophy in decades . Fanatical support .
It’s our year lol
michaelincork says:
March 16, 2025 at 6:40 pm
Sean. good luck with your little wager. Ililethewayyouwerethimkimg!!!!
Shuffly Deck says:
March 16, 2025 at 6:43 pm
InExile I’d say the performance against Tyrone was cat but they were even worse. They’ve improved since and so have we.
Today was fairly good but we didn’t look world beaters despite leading by 10 at one point. I hope DOC gets back. Reid improving but I’d say a fit Doc or even 90% would be huge. None of us knows what Tommy C’’s injury is and Paddy should just be used as an impact sub on return as ACL returnees are only maybe 70-80% first year back but Paddy’s experience is huge in a tight finish. Of the 3 I really hope Tommy gets back as he has the X factor.
Willie Joe says:
March 16, 2025 at 6:57 pm
That day down in the old Páirc Uí Chaoimh back in 2013 we were in the bottom two as the match went into extra-time but Cillian's two boomers put us into a League semi-final. That's nothing on Monaghan, though, who I think were in the jump seat three years in a row as their final match went into extra-time but wriggled clear of relegation each time.
opt2misteek says:
March 16, 2025 at 7:37 pm
Joeyo, just wondering which of the three lads mentioned By David Rhead,do you think has no pace,as Paddy,Tommy and DOC are extremely quick-or am I misreading your post?
JoeG says:
March 16, 2025 at 7:50 pm
Was worried before the start of the season about our panel depth but seeing Neary, Kelly, Irwin, Morahan, Reid and Cian McHale step up I'm kinda relaxed now. Getting Paddy, Diarmuid and Tommy back will give us a massive boost. Even one or two of them would help.............We're not that far away!
Our day will come says:
March 16, 2025 at 7:50 pm
Sean burke. That carabao win for Newcastle is only like the league in gaa. A waste of time. It'll be forgotten in a few weeks. Looking back in History people only remembers the biggest prize. The Premier league or in our interest Sam Maguire. We won the league twice in last few years but it ment fuck all!!
JoeT1480 says:
March 16, 2025 at 8:08 pm
Didn't something similar happen a few years back when we won on the last day of the league in Castlebar (Kerry , maybe?) and Galway lost on the road to Tyrone. On the day we could have ended up in Croker or in Div 2 and Galway the same. Maybe 2019?
I've had a few tins so I'm not sure.
Mayo Exile says:
March 16, 2025 at 8:15 pm
Workrate today was topclass. Had some awful wides. Will someone insist that all our defenders (not just 3) stay in their own half' - have no composure, just hit-and-miss and in the process deplete their energy.
Good workmanlike performance, and the cop-on to try and retain possession when 10 points up, although nowadays is difficult to know what is an adequate lead, as opposition(s) usually have purple patches too.
Cp says:
March 16, 2025 at 8:51 pm
Thought coyne looked exposed in the corner.would like to see eod back there next week. He got 2 games,had excellent first game and decent second and then dropped and no minutes since?
Sean Burke says:
March 16, 2025 at 9:01 pm
Corner backs are going to be exposed under new rules , I think it’s unavoidable . Even the best of the best will lose out with the more space afforded to forwards on occasion . EOD was caught on his heels a couple of times too as was coyne today .
Mike K says:
March 16, 2025 at 9:04 pm
Mayo to beat Donegal, Tyrone to beat Dublin, Armagh to beat Derry and Kerry to beat Galway. Mayo to end up top in final against Dublin. Would be some turnaround from the first half against Armagh (when I was calling for management heads!) and the Galway game!
Considering we've Sligo and Leitrim on our side of the Connaught draw, a final wouldn't be the worst place to end up
2 hops says:
March 16, 2025 at 9:32 pm
A start for Morohan at no.5 the next day too and give him a full game, let himself and Sam battle for that jersey.
John+McHale says:
March 16, 2025 at 9:42 pm
It's slightly different this year because there's no semi-final...just straight into final.
Either way it is remarkable that after our great run over the last few games, could be all in vain were to go down!
GBXI says:
March 16, 2025 at 9:51 pm
Eoin O'D is way better than Coyne in my opinion.
Craggy boglands says:
March 16, 2025 at 10:53 pm
A good win against the worst performance ever I've seen from Derry. They were shocking apart from conor glass and yet with 5 minutes left they were 4 adrift. That worries me. We do not kill team s off like kerry and Dublin do. Not interested in league finals. It's all about championship from here on in but relegation still a remote possibility I think
Mary Mullen says:
March 16, 2025 at 11:06 pm
Well done, MAYO! A great game, & a great result!
Culmore says:
March 16, 2025 at 11:07 pm
Next Sunday choice of league final or relegation. Could be either, Donegal won't wont to loose two in a row.
Km79 says:
March 16, 2025 at 11:30 pm
Donegal have already lost two in a row. Their manager said on live tv after their 4th game they would be writing off the last 3 games !
Craggy boglands says:
March 16, 2025 at 11:43 pm
Jimmy mean s business. He's not going to get caught like we did before and who could blame him
to win just once says:
March 16, 2025 at 11:47 pm
Good result Won’t get carried away and just happy to survive in Div 1. Don’t really want to get to League final but definitely don’t want to be relegated, Beat Tyrone ;drew with AI champs Armagh, beat Kerry and then beat Derry away is fantastic. I genuinely thought we wee in danger of relegation this year but was not calling for managers head or not saying this year was a write off as some others were, I know it’s all about championship but let’s be honest this has been a good league for us. As I said it’s all about championship so losses for the best team in the country v Dublin and the second best v Cavan are not all that relevant. I still expect Galway to win league as no one else seems bothered and Roscommon to get promoted but my eyes have been on our Connacht opponents Sligo who seemed to have turned the corner with some good results of late. Mind you we haven’t been too badly of lard ourselves either
Mayonaze says:
March 17, 2025 at 6:06 am
@Craggy Boglands…. That was my own initial post-match feeling too…Derry were miles off it, first quarter aside they hit some amount of terrible shots and yet we, who played at championship pace and intensity, were clinging on at the end. Ruane was fairly disgusted at the end and rightly so. That score difference count haunt us yet.
A draw would be ideal next week. Suits both teams …personally I don’t want to see us near Croke Park until later in Championship.
Mayonaze says:
March 17, 2025 at 6:14 am
Not to be overly critical because I thought overall we did well yesterday, and one particularly pleasing thing was the press our forwards put on Derry which create turnovers, but I’m a bit concerned about our defence.. Sam Callinan’s form and Jack Coyne. For me, Hession should be further out (I’d play him anywhere from 5-7) but our corner back slots are weak points. Is EOD stronger that JC? He’s probably shown moments of potentially being so but I’m not certain. We’ve not seen enough of him to judge it
Ever the optimist says:
March 17, 2025 at 6:58 am
I suppose McGuiness was basing his dismissal of the last two games on facing Derry in the Ulster opener. However, he could well now be thinking his second string would beat them and just plough ahead with a league final.
I'm fairly shocked at how poor Derry were yesterday and can't see Tally being able to reinvigorate them within a short period of time.
Not that McGuiness would ever underestimate an opposite number etc etc.
Kieran says:
March 17, 2025 at 7:21 am
Was in Derry yesterday to watch another satisfying performance....just a few notable things imo
AOS playing mighty but would love to see him take on a few more scores himself, he is well able!!!
I'm worried, actually very worried about the lack of steel in our defence, lovely on the ball coming forward all of them but they need to toughen up back there for wats coming down the tracks!
I feel management need to keep going and try make the league final to give our 3 lads (Tommy, Paddy & DOC) time to get a competitive game under their belts, no disrespect to Sligo football but they are not even in the same conversation as Mayo when it comes to championship football so foot down next weekend lads & who knows we might even get to piss off "PJ'S people" in a league final
Mayotillidie says:
March 17, 2025 at 8:08 am
Good thing with league, we blooded more players, some been good, and some been good in patches. Don't really want league final, especially as probably against Galway or Dublin. The only thing, another game in league final, would show management who is our best team, I'm not sure, and might get Paddy Tommy back for it. However still don't want league final
Outside of the Boot says:
March 17, 2025 at 8:35 am
Some very positives signs . We lined out with as big as physical team in long time with 5 to 12 all being big lads and we were powerful .
I agree with Mayonaze and GbX1, Eoin O D deserves another look for the no2 jersey. He just provides that Gary Ruane teak tough no nonsense defence.
I think Hess is playing a blinder at 4 and I'd leave him there. Mchugh is the man for no 3.
Halfbackline line is decent but not good enough in current format for the next level and that's fine for this time of the year .
McBrien is doing so much right at 6 but teams have coped onto pulling him out to the wing and leaving middle open .
Coen hasn't the pace to fill in , Sam's off form and need while to just tighten his game up.
Our best halfbackline if all available is Conor, McBrien and Diarmuid/paddy Durkan, will we ever see that line we don't know but that's the best 3 footballers to win breaking ball, distribution, experience and ability to drive forward .
Centerfild is going well and full credit to Reid and Carney.
The freedom Matty is enjoying going forward is a joy to see. Flynn and ROD are leaders and class acts on form but they always give 100 and everything they have.
AOS was blowing a bit of black smoke but he's still very effective, bit of match fitness and he will hit peak come May.
Irwin is a great find and a great asset in fullforward line with pace aerial ability and tidy score taking .
Good panel has formed , if everyone's on form anything is possible just need to refine the halfbackline and if we can get 2 of the 3 lads back, what a difference they would make.
Well done to the team and managment they get enough stick when things not going well but let's get behind them fill Mchale to the rafters next weekend and play free fast confidence building football
Mikey says:
March 17, 2025 at 9:02 am
Overall satisfactory performance, the new rules suit attacking instincts which I think why Mattie is doing so well. I think that very few teams have yet to sort out a strong defensive structure, but things will develop during the championship but there are still a few places up for grabs in our starting line up.
Pace is a big benefit which is why I would love to see either Paddy or Tommy back to see how they get on with these rules. Realistically, none of the three injuried players should be considered for starter roles even if they were to be back next week but would be huge assets coming off the bench later in the year.
2 hops says:
March 17, 2025 at 9:22 am
We don't seem to have our mind made up on Reape's understudy either,is it Philips or Vahey. Neither have seen game time, hopefully that won't be a problem for us as the year unfolds.
FreeTheEastBank says:
March 17, 2025 at 9:30 am
Surely it's time to drop the league final.What value does it have anyway with so many teams wanting to avoid it.
The last day of the league with winner decided on the day would be a standout GAA day and then 2 weeks until championship.
To be fair the GAA have made alot of changes but this is one that's badly needed