'We will look to step up because we will need to'

GAELIC GAMES:JAMES HORAN'S stock has risen sharply over his first year as Mayo manager. He used the league to reconfigure his team and find a few new names and after the early-summer wobble in London, his Mayo team claimed the Connacht championship with little difficulty.

As the rain continued to spit across Roscommon, Horan paused to reflect on a final won by the team that was the most organised and that made the least mistakes. Trailing 0-4 to 0-9 at half-time, Mayo had a bit or work to do. Was Horan concerned at that point?

“No. It was similar to the Galway game, we were four points down at half-time but when we looked at the facts and figures we were dominating possession and winning breaking ball so we knew we would get the shots that we needed to.”

Horan’s willingness to make brave personnel decisions was reflected in his decision to hand young Cillian O’Connor the place-kicking duties for this final. On a day when scores were hard to come by, it proved critical.

“We have had four or five guys working hard on frees and Cillian was kicking well and feeling comfortable so he took them. He had a lot of people shouting at him for his first free down there at the Roscommon end but he is a class guy, very composed for his age and he was exceptional today.

“On a day with the conditions as they were and two teams really going for it, the frees are going to make a difference.”

It was not a vintage Connacht championship and even though Mayo were in control of the game, they were defending a dangerous lead. The last two minutes proved a bit of a scramble.

“Even when we went two points up there was always a chance of a goal. Rob Hennelly made a fantastic catch towards the end and that kept us in it. We missed a few chances as well but today we are delighted to get a Connacht title and we are looking forward. We train Tuesday night and we will take it from there. We will look to step up because we will need to if we want to be competitive.”

Fergal O’Donnell identified the first half as the main reason for Roscommon’s defeat. He was reading the same statistics in the neighbouring dressingroom and felt his team were in a hole.

“We didn’t play as well in the first half. I felt we would need four and we got two. I was very disappointed with the performance. We turned the ball over too easily and we weren’t hungry enough and the best team won.

“We said we would have to reach a new level and we didn’t. We played poorly.”

O’Donnell shrugged when asked about the half chance of a goal that fell to Donal Shine with 20 minutes remaining but he was reluctant to see that as a turning point.

“Well, people talk about Donie but that was a lucky break, it came out of the blue. Mayo had a chance the other side too so these things balance out.

“It was really the way that we turned the ball over and silly stuff like that.

“Mayo were probably a little bit stronger and we weren’t strong enough to break the tackle coming out. It is going to be difficult for us now.

“I always said our best chance was to go the direct route and facing Armagh or Tyrone, there can probably only be one conclusion. Let’s be realistic.”

Keith Higgins trots up to the dressingroom, beaming. Twenty minutes after the game and Hyde Park has become quiet: just a few Mayo fans linger in the rain.

“We don’t mind coming up here. It was going to be a hostile crowd but that is what championship football is all about. We were definitely hungry.

“Last year was a disaster and if you are not hungry going into a Connacht final you shouldn’t be playing football.”