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David Clarke vs. Dublin Midfield
As the late Tim Russert once said, “Kicks, kicks, kicks” (or maybe it was “Florida, Florida, Florida”).
Even the most repressed of traditionalists, raised with the idea that kicking consisted, and should, of goalkeepers throwing the ball into midfield and letting them fight there, has the note right now. Kicks are important.
Talking about kicks once again dominates the analysis prior to a Dublin-May All-Ireland final.
It was in the hours leading up to the 2016 All-Ireland final replay that it emerged that Stephen Rochford and his management team had made the (now infamous) decision to leave David Clarke and start Robbie Hennelly.
Clarke was in the vein of an All-Star, who eventually won, and had performed competently all season. But the numbers crushers and savants on Mayo’s coaching staff evidently found something wrong with their “restarts,” supposedly a relative lack of durability by inter-county standards, and were driven to act.
This decision, as we know, fell through disastrously, with Hennelly, who has been left bravely fighting for the jersey ever since, enduring a nightmare game. It ended in the 40th minute, when he missed a missed shot from Paul Flynn, knocked down Paddy Andrews, conceded a penalty and received a black card.
Rochford’s call ended up looking even worse in hindsight, as Clarke was a model of composure in her presentation.
Both Clarke and Hennelly have been involved in a Ward-Campbell-style ding-dong for several years.
While Hennelly was the top dog from 2013-15, Clarke, despite strange concerns about his kicking style, kept the jersey for most of the decade.
However, the alarm about disconnection problems is getting louder.
Statistician @dontfoul wrote an excellent and in-depth blog post this week describing how Clarke’s expulsion statistics have deteriorated dramatically in 2020.
In the past three games, Mayo has won just 53% of the kicks that have strayed past 45, and he’s scored just 0-03 on these possessions. On the contrary, they have conceded the 1-04.
Connoisseurs of the art of kicking suggest that Clarke’s restarts have a useless loop arc, allowing the opposing team to attack him with more enthusiasm.
In his RTÉ Sport column, Aidan O’Rourke warned that the safest option for Mayo might be to fall short when possible in his own outing and avoid the air battle.
Lee Keegan v …?
Lee Keegan has been one of Mayo’s biggest assets for the past decade. On the rear wing, he was the complete package, at the same time an abrasive marker and a spirited attacker.
Few players are able to tie down the most dangerous attacker in the opposition, while at the same time being able to dash forward and score scores themselves. The Westport player can be fairly described as a force of nature.
His best performance was probably the 2017 Ireland final, when he reduced Ciaran Kilkenny, one of Dublin’s most influential attackers, to irrelevance and then leapt forward to score a goal himself. It should also be noted that this was the second consecutive final in which he found the network.
These days, however, the picture is more complicated. Having shackled Diarmuid Connolly, taking a piece of a jersey in the process, in 2016 and Kilkenny in 2017, he was designated to brand Con O’Callaghan in 2019.
This brought him closer to his own goal. This found a less comfortable experience. After a strong performance in the first half, he couldn’t stop O’Callaghan from scoring two goals in the dizzying third quarter as Mayo’s resolve weakened.
Placed on the defense line in 2020, he has not been as effective or expressive as before. Against Tipp, he fluttered badly on a high ball in the opening minutes, allowing Michael Quinlivan to enter for what should have been a sure goal.
There is much talk about how Keegan, as Mayo’s chief attack dog, should be asked to continue tonight. Ciaran Kilkenny has been slashing scores and putting scores to his heart’s content in this championship.
In the 2017 final, he only managed eight possessions in 70 minutes, a staggeringly complete reduction in influence. Does Keegan have the game to gag the Castleknock player like before or will he be asked to try and stop O’Callaghan again?
An all-Ireland soccer final and a year like never before, Mayo’s impossible dreamers face off against their seemingly invincible foes Dublin @ Rte2 @RTEplayer @SatSportRTE #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/1CI1Gtuiym
– Sunday’s game (@TheSundayGame) December 19, 2020
Cillian O’Connor, Tommy goals against Fitzsimons, Cooper
The evidence from the ‘back to the game’ is that May’s inner line boasts a renewed threat in 2020.
Unless Dean Rock posts an unfeasible points tally tonight, Cillian O’Connor will finish this shotgun campaign as the 2020 championship top scorer.
People – well, Dublin fans – are inclined to roll their eyes and say “released,” but he’s also at the top of the playlists this year.
He’s gone 5-31 so far, 5-11 since the game. The Ballintubber player has been around so long that it looks like he should be over 28 years old.
Young Footballer of the Year in 2011 and 2012, one could imagine that the main gong will come his way if Mayo goes ahead and does the unthinkable tonight.
His form has been excellent so far. Then there’s Tommy Conroy, The Neale’s 21-year-old corner forward.
“He’s a great player, that boy,” announced a seasoned voice from the press box after Conroy huddled on his fourth point against Tipperary. “He is what they have been missing for years.”
More impressive than his quartet of points in the practical win over Tipp were his three game touchdowns in the pressure cooker conditions of Connacht’s Salthill final.
Defense is a more zonal business these days, but the consensus is that Mick Fitzsimons will get the surveillance report on O’Connor.
Cuala’s cornerback is among that group of players chasing an eighth All-Ireland medal, with Stephen Cluxton and James McCarthy the only other players in that group to start regularly throughout the year.
The Fitzsimons inter-county race has followed an odd pattern, starting in 2011 but only a small portion from 2013 to 2015.
Reintroduced into the championship starting lineup for the 2016 Ireland final replay, he won the Man of the Match and has been a key figure ever since.
He is generally regarded as Dublin’s best men’s marker. Jonny Cooper, the black beast of opposition fans everywhere, will likely get in touch with Conroy. But again, this is just a guess.
There is an idea that Dublin’s defense line is its weakest department. This claim is debatable to say the least. The Dubs haven’t conceded goals and are averaging just under 10 points this season, but there is an increase in the quality of the opposition this weekend.
Champions leave holes in their backs that can isolate their defenders. Cooper received a red card in last year’s Ireland final and was very lucky not to fall into the trash when he was isolated against Cavan in the semi-final.
Is this an area where Mayo can explode?
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Watch the all-Ireland senior soccer final between Dublin and May live on RTÉ2 starting at 3:40 PM on Saturday, listen to the commentary live on RTÉ Radio 1 or follow our live blog on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ app News. The highlights of Saturday’s game (21:55 h RTÉ2).
Follow the all-Ireland senior soccer final between Dublin and Cork with our live blog on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app (starting at 3:00 PM Sunday) or listen to the commentary live on RTÉ Radio 1. The highlights of Sunday’s game (9:30 pm RTÉ2).
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