RYAN O’Donoghue scored five points when Mayo ended Dublin’s six-year reign in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final. The Dubs hadn’t been beaten in their previous 45 Championship games but Mayo, so often the luckless fall guys, finally got over the line against them and ended their drive for seven in-a-row.
After their first two games in the National League ended in one-sided defeats to Armagh and Kerry, Dublin have now lost three in-a-row but O’Donoghue – man of the match against Monaghan on Sunday with a haul of 1-6 that included a superb first half goal – doesn’t dismiss the chances of Dessie Farrell’s men as what is already looking like a fascinating season develops.
“Dublin this year? I dunno, I dunno about Dublin,” said the Belmullet clubman.
“We’ll see what happens there.”
O’Donoghue attributes 50 per cent of his football ability to his county Down parentage – his mother Brenda is from Bryansford. After starring against the Dubs in last year’s semi-final, he registered eight points in the decider against Tyrone but added his own entry to Mayo’s long list of All-Ireland final mishaps when he hit the post with a penalty.
However, hope springs eternal in the west and Mayo remain determined to end their long wait for the Sam Maguire. A season-ending injury to O’Donoghue’s forward partner Tommy Conroy notwithstanding, the early signs in 2022 – a draw with Donegal followed by victory in Clones – have been promising.
“We needed a performance after last week,” said O’Donoghue after he’d stood patiently for picture after picture with delighted Mayo fans at St Tiernach’s Park.
“We were disappointing in the first half but we got the result and we’re more delighted with the performance than the result. It’s not an easy place to come and get a win but we’re just worried about getting good performances from the start of the year and that’s what we did today.”
Next up are the Dubs who have so far looked a pale shadow of the team that carried all before them during Jim Gavin’s time as manager.
Mayo manager James Horan won’t have Cillian O’Connor back for that game but the Ballintubber forward could be over a serious Achilles injury before the end of the League.
“We’re building, we’re just building at a very simple level and we’re happy with where we’re at now,” says Horan.
Mayo’s win in Clones meant they remain unbeaten and sit just a point behind early pacesetters Armagh in joint-second alongside Kerry and Donegal. After years of Dublin dominance, Horan says early results indicate a very competitive 2022.
“It’s a very open Division One and it’ll be a very open Championship as well,” he said.
“I think it will, there’s lots of good teams knocking around.”
With O’Connor back, Mayo should be in the mix once again and they displayed the dogged determination that has kept them at the top table for so long last Sunday when Monaghan repeatedly edged ahead of them but we’re reeled in again and again.
“I thought we were grinding very well,” said Horan.
“The pitch was in great condition but it’s still heavy and the ball is on the ground and in the second half there was a lot of 50-50s and just to compete, I thought we were strong in that.
“I thought when Monaghan tried to build up some momentum, we got a couple of balls, our tackling was good.
“In the end, the image of Padraig O’Hora and Lee Keegan and Paddy Durcan and even Donnacha (McHugh) when he came on, driving through the tackle. I thought we were getting stronger as the game went on. So that was very pleasing.”
