I’m going to apologise in advance for the length of this post, but as some genius once said, I didn’t have to time to write a short post.
All defeats that close out the season tend to be particularly disappointing for one reason or another, and Saturday evening was no exception. For me, and as has been mentioned by many others, there is a real feeling of a match left behind – a great opportunity thrown away. That was most definitely the case at the weekend.
There are a number of reasons why we did not progress past Mayo, but the one that stands out for me is that we are not clinical enough, and unfortunately it is an underlying issue affecting us and which invariably is fatal when the opposition is decent. We had a significant wides tally – was it 12 / 13 – and missed two nailed on goal chances. That has been a hallmark of our play throughout the year. As far back as the league game in Navan we did something similar and as recently as the Cavan replay we spurned four great opportunities. You could also argue about that wee bit of luck. One of the goal chances came back off the post and into a waiting pair of Mayo hands. Mayo did not have one wide in the second half – how many times have Mayo managed such a feat in the last thirty years? I hate to mention referees but I got the sense that we had to work much harder for our frees than they did – I recall McLoughlin going to ground very easily late on in the game and getting a free in from which a point came.
The Sunday Game highlighted the issue around time-keeping. That simply highlighted for me what I saw on Saturday – that Mayo were much cuter than us, winning frees and managing the clock. That is not a criticism of them but simply regret that we cannot do something similar when in a similar position. That cuteness though comes from big match experience and I feel that that is one example of why we need to be playing at a consistently higher level.
I think the team has benefitted from playing at a higher level in Division 2 and I got the sense that they were getting better with each passing game in the Championship. That was why I was so desperate to see them make the Super 8s and accumulate that priceless experience. It also underlines how important it is to try and push for promotion to Division One in 2020.
It was not to be Super 8s unfortunately and there will now be plenty of regrets. For me, despite the loss, there were many positives to take from the game. It was a very good team performance filled with pride, commitment and some lovely football. Jamie, Jemar Hall, Soupy, Paddy Burns and Aidan Forker were excellent, with the ageless Brendan Donaghy just pipping the excellent Paul Hughes for our man of the match, IMHO. As Oisin McConville likes to say, the players dies with their boots on and I felt great pride in the efforts of the players and management despite the defeat.
There is also a sense that there is a lot to build on. Jemar Hall has established himself as an important team player; Aidy Nugent has been introduced as has Rian O’Neill and Jarlath Og, all to excellent effect. I also got a sense of a great togetherness and camaraderie amongst the players, which is also crucial to maximising our potential.
This is now where the future of management becomes important. The sense I get is that there is a lot of loyalty to Geezer and he has generated the buy in and commitment from a lot of the players. My sense is that Geezer remaining would be important in that respect – continuity and buy in from the squad.
If I’m honest, I think there is no doubt that if an outside manager had had Geezer’s record, then he would be gone by now. Geezer’s standing in the County has stood to him that regard. He is a legend in our County who was so important to our greatest ever day. That of course should not be a factor in where we go from here, but for the reasons already outlined, I would like to see him stay on. Indeed, I’d be surprised if he does not.
Finally, can I say what an enjoyable trip it was down to Mayo – another County ground ticked off the list. The Mayo fans were tremendous and a credit to their County and is one of the reasons why I would love Mayo to win the All Ireland, although I cannot see it this year. The new stand too at McHale Park is huge – much bigger than it appears on the TV – and it generates a great atmosphere.
Anyway, another season over and an enjoyable one at that. My thanks to the players and management. As Armagh fans we can look forward with optimism to next season! We don’t get to say that every year!!