Sport

Benny Tierney: Jim Gavin and Dublin will get it right second time around

The Dublin team line out ahead of the drawn All-Ireland final at Croke Park  
The Dublin team line out ahead of the drawn All-Ireland final at Croke Park   The Dublin team line out ahead of the drawn All-Ireland final at Croke Park  

1993 was the year of the replay as far as my beloved Armagh were concerned.  

And you must remember we didn’t have the luxurious fall-back of the Qualifiers, as this was real Championship football. The anomaly of that particular Championship campaign was that we played six games in the Ulster Championship and never even made it to an Ulster final.

It started off in Irvinestown in the preliminary round, when a John Rafferty point - a collector’s item - late in the game afforded us another generous chance, which we benefited greatly from in the replay. We then drew with Tyrone and went on to defeat the Red Hands in a controversial replay (even better), which meant that, after four matches, we now faced Donegal, who had been crowned All-Ireland champions for the first time a year earlier.

It’s not surprising that, with Donegal boasting names like McHugh, Bonner, Boyle and Molloy, we were rank underdogs on a good run that many expected was highly likely to end that particular Sunday in the Ulster final. In many people’s opinion, including my own, we were really up against it. Yet, we more than held our own that day. Had fortune favoured us a little more, then we could - or should - have been taking our place in the provincial showpiece, but Donegal fought back for a late draw.

A 19-year-old Kieran McGeeney kept the mercurial Martin McHugh very quiet that day and, suddenly, we had gone from no-hopers to genuine contenders. The press had built us up to be the ‘Kings of the Replay’ and, of course, like any egotistical footballer, we all fell into that particular trap.

We assumed we were probably slight favourites because we had drawn with Donegal already and had already banked two successful replays that season. Suffice to say wee Martin put on a masterclass that afternoon and the final scoreline read Donegal 2-16 Armagh 1-7. We succumbed more to mental frailties than anything else. As players, we learned absolutely nothing between the two replay dates.

It has been said many times in the last two weeks that the team that has learned most from the drawn All-Ireland final will win on Sunday. Mayo will be foolish to think that, because they drew with the Dubs last time out, they have in some way crept up the ladder of favouritism.

Yes, they were the better side and played the better game tactically, mentally and quality-wise a fortnight ago, but they came up against a team who totally misfired in so many departments, yet were still leading going into injury-time. It took the brilliant Cillian O’Connor to salvage a second bite of the cherry for the Connacht men.

Dublin will be hurting from the stinging criticism they all received. Sometimes when you underperform to such a level, you won’t get the chance to right the wrong. And yet, here they are on the biggest stage imaginable being handed a reprieve, which I fully expect them to grab with both hands.

This weekend sees one of my favourite sporting events take place in the shape of the Ryder Cup. It’s a competition where a bunch of sportsmen who ply their trade as individuals all year come together and try to form a unique team bond. It’s a concept they struggle with, especially the Americans, who possess probably the best players, yet cannot find that squad ethos which has seen them defeated in the last three renewals.

The Dubs reminded me of them in the last encounter. For some unknown reason, as a panel of hugely individually gifted footballers, they failed to ignite as a group and struggled against a more balanced and cohesive unit in the shape of Stephen Rochford’s men. Apart from one or two players, the Dubs were below par and I get the feeling Mayo will feel the force of a backlash from the favourites, whose character has been brought under intense scrutiny all of a sudden.

Just like Jose Mourinho, who left Wayne Rooney on the Manchester United bench last weekend, Jim Gavin may have to rest one or two of his star names to the benefit of the team and hope they can have an even bigger impact coming on. Nobody will jump higher than yours truly on Saturday afternoon should Mayo silence so many years of hurt. However, even though they are still in with a great shout, I get the feeling I may stay rooted in my seat at the final whistle. Dublin will emerge and play more as a team and will win by four. 

I’m not in favour of All-Ireland replays and fully agree with fellow columnist Kenny Archer that extra-time should be an alternative. In this short window, we should be concentrating on our clubs and, while there were many great games last weekend, there was one unbelievable feat that stood out on its own.

The Magpies of Kilcoo not only gained another brilliant county title at the hands of Clonduff, but they did so with five Branagan brothers playing their part in the game - and all in defence as well. This is some accomplishment for one family and also from the perspective of a rural football club that has made serious inroads in Down football in the last decade.

I don’t think I will have five sons playing in a county final unless I get extremely busy in the next few years. However, my one son and his minor team-mates will make their first county final appearance on Sunday against the great Crossmaglen. And while it is 30 years since his father made that same journey to the Athletic Grounds, I can honestly say I am as excited for him and all his wonderful mates as I was myself three long decades ago.