Turning points
You'll know by now that I'm an avid sportsman. Soccer or surfing, rugby or rowing, golf or gymnastics. It doesn't matter. I'll watch it and appreciate the effort, the exertion, the joy, the disappointment. Sport is a great allegory for life. Often hard work, dedication and patience pays off and the old chestnut "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" rings true just like in our lives.
Something I often notice in a match is a turning point. A steely determination to regain possession, a lung bursting run, a last ditch tackle or interception. They often come at a crucial point in the match and you can sense the writing on the wall. I saw that very thing in yesterday's all Ireland semi final between Mayo and Dublin here in Ireland.
Some background
These two teams have gone head to head many times over recent years, as they were the two best teams in the country for many years of late, but much to the utter disappointment of Mayo players and fans alike, the Dubs have almist always come out on top, often in All Ireland final deciders.
This Mayo team and the players who have donned the green and red over the past decade are and were some of the finest footballers in the country. However, they never can get over the line against Dublin, often just falling short, as they come to the line neck and neck. This Dublin team and squad have been bullet proof, winning an improbable 6 titles in a row, a record for the GAA. Had this Mayo team been around at any other time in history, one would expect them to have won an All Ireland title or likely a few. Sport is intolerant to if and buts however, and you must face what is on front of you.
Yesterday Mayo had the mighty Dubs in front of them. Dublin, having won the 6 in a row and therefore unbeaten in an astounding 45 championship matches, were hot favourites to once again claim a Mayo scalp on the way to yet another final and it looked quite likely as Dublin raced into a 10-4 half time lead. 6 points is a lot in Gaelic football, and it was not looking good for Mayo. Maybe the curse was real?
The curse
This is an explanation of the curse from Irish website www.rte.ie:
Mayo footballers’ legendary curse dates from 1951, the last time Mayo raised the Sam Maguire cup. The story goes that the winning team neglected to pay proper respect to a funeral while passing through Foxford on their victorious drive home. Enraged, a local priest cursed the team and the county that while any member of the team of ’51 lived, Mayo would never win an All-Ireland final.
Since last lifting Sam Maguire almost 70 years ago, Mayo have reached the final in seven different seasons and have lost every time. Two members of the team of ’51 are still alive.
There are many that believe this curse and after losing all of those finals, it would be hard for it not to sneak into your subconscious regardless of how little superstitions bother you. This curse has fattened column inches for so many years now, that I doubt there is man, woman or child in the country who hasn't heard of it.
The catalyst
So let's switch our attention back now to yesterday's enthralling game. Actually that's a stretch to be fair, the first half was quite drab and boring at times and things only really got going in the second half. Mayo were 6 points down at half time remember, but they re-emerged for the second half with renewed hope and steely determination and slowly began to erode into Dublin’s impressive lead.
They began winning those dirty 50/50 balls and were coming out better from any tussles and tackles. Whatever Horan said to them at half time struck a chord. They were sick of being serial losers against the skill and guile of Dublin.
As Mayo continued to narrow the margin with some magnificent individual scores, that moment occured, the turning point, the catalyst, that phase of play you look back on and can identify this is where they won it. A badly kicked shot looked to be dropping harmlessly wide for Mayo, but nobody told the Mayo number 10 Diarmid O'Conner who miraculously kept the ball alive by somehow stretching a leg out to keep the ball in play soccer style and not only did he keep it alive, but also picked out Mayo team mate McLaughlin who calmly slotted over the point to reduce the defecit to four points.
It was a pivotal score and Mayo had the bit between their teeth from that point forward and etched away at the Dublin lead bit by bit and after 7 minutes of injury time and 77 minutes of football, the teams were level at 13 points apiece. Mayo continued to turn the screw in the extra time period and went onto win the game 17-14, which was quite incredible considering that Mayo were 10-4 down at half time. Dublin’s 45 game winning streak came to end and Dublin’s name will not be etched onto the Sam Maguire cup in 2022. Instead it will be Mayo, Kerry or Tyrone.
Can Mayo overcome the curse, while two members of the 1951 team are still alive? Only time will tell.
