Taking the road less travelled.
Mayo did the impossible when the toppled the mighty Dublin in the semi-final. It hasn’t been done since 2014 when Donegal managed to get over the line against them and many wondered when it would happen again.
It was an enormous occasion created by an enormous effort, and Mayo not only solidified their place in the final, but as favourites to win the whole thing.
Tyrone however, mustered up an equal effort to defy the odds when they beat Kerry in their semi-final, something that very few people expected them to do.
So with these two teams defying the odds in the previous round, we need to look back at who else they conquered to reach the promise land.
Mayo cruised through Connacht, hammering Leitrim and Sligo, accumulating scorelines that could only be described as embarrassing, without the slightest hint of competition in them.
The final against Galway was a battle for the first 35 minutes at least, but once Mayo found their form, they took control and dominated.
In contrast to this, Tyrone have become battle hardened in their path to glory. Playing Division One football meant that they came up against Monaghan, Donegal, Armagh, and Kerry, all before the opening championship fixture.
That fixture was against the reigning Ulster champions Cavan, who they blew away with a late flurry, setting up a date with the Ulster favourites Donegal.
The Red Hand county proved victorious there, to make the final against a Monaghan side who narrowly beat fellow Division One team Armagh in. the ulster semi-final.
In a fiercely tight game, Tyrone proved to be the victors by a single point, securing their match-up against Kerry, where they performed to a whole new level.
An important statistic to take from this is that in the 2021 season, Tyrone have only faced one team that wasn’t in Division One, and that was the reigning Ulster champions Cavan.
In contrast to this, the only Division One team that Mayo have played this entire year has been Dublin. With the rest of their opposition being tier two or below.
With Tyrone now being battle-hardened to the big occasion, used to the big hits and the air-tight matches where there’s nothing between the two sides, it gives them an edge that can’t be underestimated.
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