Sport

Philip Jordan: Tyrone got the match-ups wrong against Mayo

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte with Mayo manager Stephen Rochford at the end of last Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final  
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte with Mayo manager Stephen Rochford at the end of last Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final   Tyrone manager Mickey Harte with Mayo manager Stephen Rochford at the end of last Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final  

I WAS surprised how much Mayo had been written off in advance of last weekend’s game.

They have a team full of players who have huge experience.

The current team may not have won an All-Ireland title during their time as a regular in the top four, but they have still shown an ability to win big games in Croke Park at the quarter-final and semi-final stages.

They needed their main men to up their performance levels.

Aidan O’Shea and Cillian O’Connor were key to their team’s success and Tyrone got the match-ups wrong on the day.

Cathal McCarron was given the job of marking O’Shea after nullifying Michael Murphy in the Ulster final.

Although both men appear to have a similar style, they are very different types of players with O’Shea using his physical strength much more.

He was able to dominate McCarron as a result; the problem for Mickey Harte was that he didn’t have an obvious alternative.

The difference between the sides was that Mayo had the one player capable of taking any opportunity in front of goals in Cillian O’Connor who doesn’t get the attention he deserves due to Mayo’s long-standing forward troubles.

However, he is one of the most accurate finishers in the game and his deadly finishing was crucial in a low scoring match.

Aidan McCrory’s strength as a defender is in the tackle, but O’Connor is so quick in taking on the shot that he had the ball over the bar before a tackle could come in.

I thought Ronan McNamee would have been more suited with his ability to challenge for first time possession.

Stephen Rochford deserves massive credit for how he set up his team defensively.

I thought the role of Kevin McLoughlin as sweeper was an area Tyrone could exploit, but as a unit they were more solid than I’ve ever seen them.

Rochford’s selection of Alan Dillon was a masterstroke. Replacing your full-back with a half-forward was a brave move, but it allowed Mayo to get an early foothold in the game.

Dillon is an excellent ball player and picked up a world of possession, leaving Justin McMahon redundant as a second sweeper.

Dillon has played very little football this year so only lasted until half-time, but he forced Tyrone to change their defensive set-up.

Rochford had to win the battles before the war and forcing Tyrone to alter their tactics was a key battle to win.

The main area of doubt about Tyrone has always been in their attacking ability.

There were positive signs during the Ulster Championship, but weaknesses in their play that Donegal highlighted in the Ulster final proved closer to the reality.

If someone had suggested to Mickey Harte before the game that they would hold Mayo to 13 points, he would have been extremely confident of reaching another All-Ireland semi-final.

Tyrone’s lack of a marquee forward came home to roost as Ronan O’Neill struggled in the inside forward line, but to put the blame on him would be unfair.

When you play one man up front, the inside forward is relying on the support play further out the field.

Tyrone rarely got their running game going and were also let down by poor decision-making.

Both Cathal McCarron and Tiernan McCann took wild shots at goal during critical periods of the game; composure was needed late in the game.

Tyrone had enough chances to at least get a draw from the game, but they were not clinical enough in front of goal.

Connor McAliskey had the one great goal chance in the match and it reminded me of last year’s semi-final against Kerry when Tyrone spurned all their chances of goal.

However, the stand-out problem for Tyrone in front of goal was their issues from dead balls.

It’s not a new issue for as they have struggled to punish teams from free kicks for several years.

Niall Morgan didn’t have any easy frees, but I was surprised he was allowed the late chance that he kicked wide.

He hadn’t kicked a score all day and was then expected to score a free from 55 metres under the most intense pressure. I was never confident he would score.

Mattie Donnelly and Peter Harte tried everything they could to get Tyrone over the line.

Both players were exceptional on the day and continue to provide the leadership the team has needed in recent years.

Harte will surely pick up the Allstar his brilliant consistency this year deserves.

I was also delighted to see a player I expected big things from this year produce a superb display – Niall Sludden.

His work ethic and drive hide the intelligence of his play that is crucial when space is at a premium in the modern day game.

Much has been said about the targeting of players off the ball over the last week.

Would I want to see it gone from the game? Absolutely.

Is it something new? No.

Singling out star players in the opposition team has been a tactic used by players from way before my time playing.

The reality is that punching players off the ball has been replaced by holding and a lot more verbal abuse. I know which I would rather be on the end off.

Referees take the option of booking both players, allowing the aggressor to escape a greater punishment.

However, I don’t think Sean Cavanagh would have been annoyed with Lee Keegan going into the book alongside him as no defender wants to face Cavanagh with a booking under their belt.

The talk since should not take away from what was a brilliant display of half-back play from Keegan who for me was head and shoulders above every other player on the pitch.

I said last week that an Ulster title and quarter-final defeat would be seen as a disappointment for Tyrone and the manner of Saturday’s defeat certainly reinforces that opinion for me.

The building blocks are in place for a realistic tilt at Sam in the next couple of years, but more emphasis is needed on the attacking side of their play.