Mayo were caught out at the weekend.
Aidan O’Shea and Matthew Ruane. Two monsters of men who will field ball from the heavens. Let them have it.
In fairness, this isn’t just a Mayo problem, Colm Parkinson reckons it’s a problem for goalkeepers countrywide. The short kick-out.
It dominates discussion, it earns praise, it’s seen as prerequisite for every goalkeeper to have the ability to spray razor accurate kick-outs across the 21 in front of them. It’s been this way ever since Steven Cluxton began changing the game and other goalies feel compelled to follow.
Should they always feel the need?
First of all, let’s go back to the good old days when a midfielder’s main task was to win their own kick outs. The battle of the skies was crucially important but even if your team lost the ball, the worst that could happen is a turnover in the middle of the field.
It’s far more perilous to lose the ball on your own 21.
When it works out, it’s great but when it doesn’t it can be very costly as Mayo found out at the weekend.
Ultan Harney with Roscommon's second goal! pic.twitter.com/8W35Ip0H7w
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 25, 2019
Cian Ward and Colm Parkinson discussed the trend of the short kickout on Monday’s GAA Hour podcast and both men feel that the risk outweighs the reward.
Especially in greasy conditions. Especially when you’ve the midfield Mayo have.
“The contrast between the two goalkeepers – Hennelly went short, cost Mayo a goal,” began the Meathman.
“Roscommon, even though they weren’t winning it in the middle of the field, kept going long when there was a risk of going short…”
Proper order, deems Ward.
Wooly wonders why Mayo are persisting with the short restart.
“Why is Hennelly going short at all?”
“I have no idea, I have no idea” replies Cian Ward.
“There’s a clear and obvious domination for Mayo in midfield. This is not just an advantage, this is a domination where Roscommon are terrified of that kickout…
There’s no need for it.
“We’ve talked about this before, this is just goalies trying to show an array of kickouts because there’s no logic to that. I saw in the Carlow game, Meath had a very aggressive press and Carlow went straight up the middle. Their full forward Foley caught the ball and he immediately turned to move it on…I thought that was interesting, must keep an eye out for this. I didn’t see that kickout again…”
“I don’t get it, I think it’s a disease that has set into goalkeepers that they have to go to this corner back and when you’re doing that and conceding a goal who…it’s too much of a risk…”
You can listen to the Roscommon discussion, and much more from Monday’s GAA Hour Show here.
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