Under-21 FC: Mayo's virtual non-appearance in the opening half hour of Sunday's All-Ireland Under-21 football final must have made some supporters at Cusack Park remember the classic Groundhog Day.
Here they were again, staring down the barrel of yet another painful defeat when silverware was just one performance away. It had been going on for 21 years: 14 All-Ireland finals, including three at senior level, without victory.
Cork led by three points, and it could so easily have been six or seven, as they effortlessly ripped through the Mayo midfield.
"We were just sitting around the dressingroom," said Mayo captain Keith Higgins in explaining the half-time revolution. "I was relaxed enough, a lot of lads weren't happy, but we were only three points down and we hadn't started to play at all.
"I just told the boys to relax. The pressure's off our shoulders, just go out and play."
Surely the fear of becoming another Mayo statistic crossed his mind? "I suppose deep down it is there. But after the semi-final (they beat Tyrone after extra-time) the management team told us to forget about it. Different boys, different attitude.
"We believed all year. When we started training in December they told us the ability was there to win an All-Ireland. That was our main aim. We didn't think about anything else."
In the end they ran out 1-13 to 1-11 winners to end the drought.
Young midfielder Seamie O'Shea had carried the experience of a heavy beating by Down in last year's All-Ireland minor final into Sunday's match, but this looked set to become even more traumatic unless he could wrestle hold of some high ball.
"Seamie O'Shea had a great game in the second-half," continued Higgins. "I mean, he got some balls coming through the centre like he was an absolute giant. It just shows - he was a minor last year - that it (Mayo's record in finals) doesn't matter to us. He was out there to win an All-Ireland medal."
They all were. History wasn't a concern.
Higgins must bury the euphoria of victory more quickly than most, as dual players are never afforded the luxury of stopping to smell the roses. Senior football manager Mickey Moran will expect his full attention ahead of the May 28th trip to Ruislip to play London.
But such is the small-ball prowess of Higgins that even Moran will make an exception for the talented corner back.
"I've got the (hurling) championship coming up in a couple of weeks time. We've got Carlow, Kerry, Wicklow and Kildare, so it's not going to be easy, but we'll be going all out to give it a good lash," added the Ballyhaunis man.
Importantly, Higgins does not see Sunday's achievement as the pinnacle. Plenty of teams have achieved success at under-21 only to be swallowed up in the championship.
"I don't know if we will have a huge impact. I mean, it will give lads the confidence, knowing the voodoo is gone or whatever from All-Ireland finals. Hopefully they'll build on the confidence that the under-21s will bring to the squad. Hopefully we will build from that."
