Mayo Must Confront Past Scars to Defeat Kerry

Conor Mortimer has warned Mayo that if they are to rip up the script against Kerry on Sunday, they must first confront some painful old chapters.

The former Mayo forward, who lived through the bruising All-Ireland final defeats to the Kingdom in 2004 and 2006, believes those scars must shape Andy Moran’s game plan at Croke Park.

Old wounds, clear message

In 2004 under John Maughan, Mayo were eight points down by the 25th minute. The contest was effectively gone long before the 1-20 to 2-09 scoreline was inked into history.

Two years later it was worse. Kerry blitzed them with 2-04 in the opening 13 minutes and cruised to a 13-point victory over a Mayo side then managed by Mickey Moran. Mortimer top-scored in that championship, picked up an All-Star, and still had to watch another final drift away before half-time.

Those memories are driving his blunt assessment of what Mayo must do now.

"Ultimately if Mayo are to use anything for this, I mean they look at '04, '06, and what Kerry did to Donegal last year in the first 10 minutes of the All-Ireland, it was over," he told RTÉ Radio 1's Inside Sport.

Kerry’s start against Donegal last year is his most recent example. They tore out of the blocks, leading 0-13 to 0-04 before the 20-minute mark. Game done. Pattern familiar.

Mortimer wants no repeat.

"I know people are saying about settling things down and, you know, being cool in the first period of the game, but I think for Mayo to have a real chance in this game they're going to have to take it to Kerry from the start.

"Don't give Kerry any time to implement their control of the game or the way they play, because if you let them control the ball, you're going to have a job to get it back."

That, for him, is the crux. Mayo cannot afford a cautious opening. They must disrupt, not absorb.

"I think Mayo are probably going to try to implement their style early on, breaking around the midfield and getting ball to them guys inside and let them do the job after that."

Heavy favourites, heavier history

Kerry arrive in Dublin as overwhelming favourites to claim a 40th All-Ireland title. Their record against Mayo in championship football underlines why.

The Connacht side have just six wins from 30 previous championship meetings with the Kingdom. There is, however, a small shard of encouragement: their most recent clash, a round-robin tie in 2023, ended in a 1-19 to 0-17 victory for Mayo.

This time, the stakes are far higher. Kerry chase history. Mayo chase something more elusive: a fourth Sam Maguire and a first since 1951.

The weight of that wait hangs over every Mayo team that reaches this stage. Mortimer, from Shrule-Glencorrib, knows exactly how it can suffocate a dressing room. Yet he insists there is a route to glory, and it runs through the final stretch of the game.

Dragging Kerry deep

"I'd like to see Kerry tested in the last 10 minutes," he said. That is where he believes Mayo’s chances rise.

"I would expect that Mayo would have enough if it's tight going into the last [stages].

"Ultimately, it can go two ways: if it's tight, I'm going for Mayo to obviously win it.

"If, on the other hand, Kerry kind of turn it on, up it a gear from the semi-final they played against Dublin, then Mayo will probably be in trouble."

The semi-final offered another warning. Paudie Clifford tormented Dublin and walked away with the man-of-the-match award. Mortimer is adamant Mayo cannot allow the same freedom.

"You'd expect Mayo to be a lot, lot tighter on Paudie than Dublin were in the semi-final."

That single match-up, in his eyes, could tilt the balance. Shut down Clifford’s influence, drag Kerry into a dogfight, and Mayo’s younger players might just find the nerve to finish the job.

"So look, I'm going for a Mayo win. Very, very tight.

"If our young lads settle, we can certainly win the game by a point or two points."

The bookmakers say one thing. History says another. Mortimer is backing something different again: that Mayo finally learn from their Kerry nightmares and, this time, write the ending themselves.