Yesterday, as one wonderful dream ended, another went gloriously on. While Fermanagh’s summer conjured dreams never imagined by generations before them and threatened to create one of the most sensational stories in Irish sporting history, Mayo’s return to a final is filled with just as much warmth and affection. Now they find themselves in a final with a better team than the one that somehow lost two in the mid-1990s, and with as big a chance to win a final as they have ever known.
Having relied on the excellence of their football all year, yesterday was a triumph for their resilience. Their football only occasionally reached the best they could offer, and by the time they reached half-time, just two points up, they had expended most of it.
For spells of the second half, it seemed like they looked spent. The previously imperious Kieran McDonald had lost his bearings. In attack, Conor and Trevor Mortimer had finally been quelled having ripped Fermanagh to shreds in the first half. Fermanagh had taken over at centre field and looked ready to strike for home, but when it came to the final stretch, when a lifetime of learning and belief needed to be drawn on, Mayo simply had more.
Having taken 20 minutes to fully get themselves into the game last weekend and watched Fermanagh tear them asunder, Mayo had learned their lessons and found their stride much quicker. The increased workrate that had been missing the previous week and had let Fermanagh dictate the pace and tone of the game was returned. Their support play was improved and for once this summer, Fermanagh met a team playing the game at a higher tempo than them.
With Fergal Kelly added to centre field in place of David Brady, Mayo established a decent hold there and the rest took care of itself. With McDonald wafting anywhere that felt good between the full-forward line and centre field, he came across plenty of ball and made wonderfully good use of it.
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Even on a pitch glistened by showers where the ball flew yards away from its intended target once it hit the ground, the Mortimers were finding most of the passes directed at them from McDonald. By the 25th minute, Conor Mortimer had hit his fourth point and Fermanagh were hastily making changes, stitching new patches into their team.
With Mayo’s boot firmly pressed down on their throats, they were surviving on occasional gasps of air. Conor Mortimer broke through again to force a superb save from Niall Tinney, before a pair of points from Mark Little and Tom Brewster kept Fermanagh just two behind with 10 minutes left to half-time, 0-5 to 0-3.
A few minutes later Fermanagh were allowed another breath. Having made way from the start for Brewster, James Sherry was introduced five minutes before half-time and inside a minute found himself chasing a ball behind the Mayo defence before he had even time to break sweat. One toe poke to the net later, and Fermanagh had somehow managed to scramble level, 1-3 to 0-6.
It stretched Mayo’s resilience a little more, and we wondered what such a twist in the game’s storyline might do to their morale. They might have started to wonder about themselves, but instead they kept on playing. First Ronan McGarrity burst through to slot a point before Trevor Mortimer followed on with another.
They held their two-point lead to half-time, 0-8 to 1-3, expecting more but content with what they had. Two quick scores from Sherry and Stephen Maguire pulled Fermanagh level, a glorious point from Colm Bradley put them ahead and Fermanagh were finally finding their way in the game. The old heads around centre field, Brewster, Liam McBarron and Martin McGrath, kept Mayo pinned back and when they did break out, they were starting to hit wides. The previously impeccable flow of ball from McDonald was now proving harder to deliver, and harder for his forwards to win if it got that far. If they had the moral resolve, it was Fermanagh’s to win.
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Another Bradley point put them a point ahead as the game drained down to the last 10 minutes, and they began dare to dream impossible dreams. Still, Bradley had more chances that slipped away too, and when Brady kicked a stunning point to draw Mayo level again, it was hard to imagine either side grasping the game tightly enough to win, or losing their grip badly enough to lose.
Once again, Bradley gathered his nerve to kick a long free to push Fermanagh in front with five minutes left, 0-10 to 1-8, but the game contained too much tension to make it a deciding score. Instead, Mayo sallied forward, Fermanagh fouled and Conor Mortimer snapped another free over.
Then, suddenly, Mayo found a little more to give. Trevor Mortimer ripped through Fermanagh’s defence to punch Mayo in front. Gary Ruane won a crucial ball at the next kick-out to begin the move that ended with a point for substitute Austin O’Malley. As the stadium began to fill with noise, Fermanagh began to look tired.
For the first time all summer, they had nothing left to give.
Mayo: P Burke; C Moran (D Geraghty h/t), D Heaney, G Ruane; P Gardiner; J Nallen, P Kelly; R McGarrity (0-1), F Kelly (D Brady 53min, 0-1); J Gill (D Munnelly 65min), K McDonald (0-2), A Dillon; C Mortimer (0-5, 2f), T Mortimer (0-3), B Maloney (A O’ Malley 45min, 0-1)
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Fermanagh: N Tinney; N Bogue, B Owens (D O’ Reilly h/t), R McCluskey; R Johnston, S McDermott, P Sherry (H Brady 22min); M McGrath, L McBarron; E Maguire, S Maguire (0-2f) M Little (0-1); C O’ Reilly (J Sherry 30min, 1-1), T Brewster (0-1), C Bradley (0-3, 2f)
Referee: John Bannon (Longford)
Attendance: 39,485