FOUR YEARS ago Clare provided advance billing of their long-running summer show in a dour league quarter-final with Meath at Ballinasloe. Meath, then the Leinster champions and the world's greatest escapologists, came away with a win but bloodied, bruised and muttering about how street-wise Clare were.
Clare's great adventure of 1992 had John Maughan as its artistic director. Yesterday's quarter-final at Roscommon had Maughan's fingerprints all over it too, as Mayo finagled a result just when all the character casting had led us to expect that the boys from Connacht would fold during the last reel. Meath were the fall guys on this occasion, and they left town yesterday wondering would they ever again field matinee idols like Flynn, O'Rourke, Lyons, Harnan and McEntee.
This was a game which teetered towards anarchy early on, matured into a useful contest and hung for the taking with 15 minutes to go. It was the sort of game which, not too long ago, Meath invariably won as their opponents grew testy, tired and distracted and Flynn slipped them the gimlet. Yesterday it was Mayo who had the savvy to prevail.
"It was robust," said Maughan, "but we have players who can, well, express themselves in those situations."
Early on it shaped up as a war of attrition as players expressed themselves in the most primitive way. Referee Michael McGrath dished out punishments like a war crimes tribunal. Two penalties, two sendings-off and three bookings in the first half, as Mayo made use of a strong and assisting wind.
Meath were the first to sin - David Nest or having been bundled over on the edge of the square after having been free initially to catch a high ball behind the defence. Anthony Finnerty, whose post-Sigerson physique lent him some unseasonal zoom throughout, netted the penalty. The impeccable Ray Dempsey added a point soon after and Mayo looked to settle into a pattern.
On eight minutes, however, the niggling got the better of everyone again. Tommy Dowd, sinned against rather than sinning on this occasion, was fouled while bearing down on goal. Young Trevor Giles tucked the penalty away.
Mayo responded with two excellent points and we were awaiting Meath's riposte, when Tommy Dowd was apprehended for settling some score with Kevin Cahill and was sent off.
As is often the case, Mayo's giddiness at seeing justice done undid them for a while. Meath, who had lost Colm Coyle, John McDermott and Barry Callaghan from the initial selection, began to improvise desperately. Donal Curtis, an enthusiastic substitute, had to content himself with a goal when Brendan Reilly's shot was saved and bounced back into his path.
Meath had grappled their way back to a one point deficit when the loneliness took its toll on Kevin Cahill and the full back got the line having committed a dumb, soccer-style back on Evan Kelly (those interested in the genre compared the tackle to the Roy Keane red-carder at Lansdowne Road last Wednesday).
While Meath celebrated parity of personnel, John Casey added a free and Mayo went to the break two points ahead.
Meath came out for the second half to enjoy the benefits of a stiff breeze. Sadly, they lacked the personnel to exploit their moment of opportunity; beaten at midfield and struggling for presence in the half-back line and, worst of all, desperately lacking leadership at present.
Martin O'Connell still exudes quiet excellence, but he looks after his own game. Graham Geraghty, with his baggage of attitude and talent, has become a senior player in terms of mileage but not maturity. Colm Coyle still seems too much like the guy who first encouraged you to smoke cigarettes, and Tommy Dowd carries the weight of a series of bad championship performances against Dublin. In times of crisis there is no Meath player to whom they must get the ball. That leaves a lot of pressure on players like Trevor Giles and Cormac Murphy.
Mayo, on the other hand, have an attractive mix. Maughan has picked shrewdly. Dermot Flanagan is enjoying a fine Indian summer at the end of his career. Liam McHale was fitter and keener yesterday than he has been for any spring in living memory. Anthony Finnerty and Ray Dempsey were excellent. Around them, six of last year's under-21 side buzzed and toiled. Lots of potential, lots of options.
Mayo worked astonishingly hard after the break. Anthony Finn city registered the first score of the second half, watched Trevor Giles reply and then made a sweet pass to Ronan Golding minutes later for Mayo to retain their breathing space.
The nearest Meath came to being on level terms was when Giles missed a kickable free after 15 minutes. At that stage Mayo were losing a lot of possession in the passage from defence to attack and looked like getting punished for it.
Instead, Giles lost possession to Liam McHale on 21 minutes, the Ballina man duly hoofed a huge and perfect pass to Anthony Finnerty who smuggled back to Ray Dempsey, whose shot was deflected by Martin O'Connell's boot into the net. Finnerty added another point almost straight from the kick-out. Mayo led by five points and the game was effectively over. Meath, with their collection of small, generic forwards, worked and tried, but cried out for focus.
"We have restored our pride a little bit and we have restored some self confidence to the players," said Maughan. "We were in danger of being out of the race altogether in terms of competing, but there is a great hunger around the county."
Five thousand people came to Hyde Park yesterday thinking that they might be seeing one of this year's All-Ireland semi-finalists. They left satisfied, talking of Mayo rather then Meath.
