James Horan made no attempt to put a sheen on it all afterwards. He’s long enough at it now to know there’s no gerrymandering the thing after a display like that. Mayo ended Saturday night still in the championship, so there’s that. Hard to get excited about anything else, all the same.
“The objective for the day was to get into a quarter-final and we did that,” Horan said. “You’d like to do it very differently. We stuck at it and got through it so I’m delighted with that, the character that the lads showed as they always do. Hugely satisfied with how we ground it out playing so poorly.
“But our first half, the energy and intent was non-existent. So to go five or six down in the second half, they had a goal chance and Enda Hession got a big block – there was a couple of big plays in the second half that turned the whole momentum of the game. It gave us that bit of energy we needed to push Kildare back a bit.”
[ Mayo somehow overcome Kildare despite dreadful displayOpens in new window ]
Mayo actually only had a panel of 24 available for the game and Horan was indignant afterwards at having lost two of his players between the naming of his squad on Thursday morning and throw-in Saturday night.
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“We’d a player that got sick this morning and couldn’t come, and we had a player that got injured on Thursday. The GAA rule is one of the craziest rules that ever existed. We had a game last weekend against Monaghan, and we trained Tuesday and Thursday. I’ve to submit a 26 on Thursday morning by nine am. If anyone gets injured, or hurt, or anything after that, you can’t add anyone to the panel.
“I’m not sure if people know or understand that, it’s one of the stupidest rules that I’ve heard of. So we arrived with 24 players today, and in game like that, that cuts your options. So why can’t it be a day before, or whenever? To have to do it a couple of days before a game doesn’t make any sense, and then people give out about the team not starting that was on the programme. I’ve to submit a team but we might have a fitness test for four players.”
For Glenn Ryan, there was at least a bit of reputation saved after the hiding his side took in the Leinster final. They could have won – should have won – but he declared himself proud of his players nonetheless. And he took aim at some of the commentary – in local media and online – that had followed the Dublin game.
“These fellas have had a lot thrown at them over the last couple of weeks. Certain derogatory tweets by people in our own county and our own media. Doesn’t help. It doesn’t help these fellas get over it. Sure, Jesus, it was a horrible place for these lads to be in. But from the night we came back, their resolve is something you have to really admire.
“Ultimately, we’ll all be judged on results and what it is we win. But there’s certain human qualities you like to see in people and these fellas have shown those qualities that you like and admire in abundance. All the focus will be on the results. But as a group, we’d like to make sure that there’s certain standards that we maintain and no matter what certain people throw, we continue to do it. I thought that was a very honest display tonight. And that was what they wanted to do this evening, as well as win the game.”
