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Players from both sides react to the final whistle
Mayo’s wait for their first All-Ireland title since 1951 continues, after the Connacht champions put on a great display, but ultimately fell short of Dublin.
James Horan was eager to see the positives, and there is reason for optimism ahead.
But Westerners may regret their inability to capitalize on their numerical advantage in the second half.
Dublin’s Robbie McDaid received a black card at the edge of halftime, meaning the Sky Blues would play 14 men for the first 10 minutes after the restart.
May was behind by two at halftime, and Sky sports Expert Kieran Donaghy feels that Mayo didn’t make enough use of the extra man, as they deployed a sweeper.
“James Horan should get a lot of credit for doing so much good,” Donaghy said.
“[But] I think when you wake up tomorrow morning, you will be disappointed in this.
“They had to go for it. You have to attack the game. There is no tomorrow in an Irish final. You are not going to beat a team that is going to play six in a row being conservative. And it was a bit of a conservative move. Dublin being so smart, Cluxton came out as an extra guy, Mayo played as a sweeper up front, so now he’s 13v13 in midfield, which is what he normally was. So they never took that advantage, which disappointed them because they only scored one point in those 10 minutes. [period].
“I think they’ll be disappointed. Going with a sweeper was conservative; maybe going with a James Carr, someone who will take the game to Dublin and maybe open them up. Or put Aidan O’Shea at full forward. Dublin reacts to What you are doing.
“Dublin came out, saw the sweeper back there, and they were delighted.”
Donaghy feels Horan could have played more expansively early in the second half.
Peter Canavan totally agreed.
“At halftime, we talked about how the third quarter was so important for Mayo to move forward, and they didn’t,” said the former Tyrone star.
“The management of the Dublin game was excellent. The biggest compliment I can give to Mayo is that they made Dublin look very normal at times. Probably by Dublin standards it was a pretty average performance.”
“But this Dublin team, in addition to having very skilled and talented players, they have guys who can dig deep. And they were made to work hard, they were made to fight very hard. And for a team that has won so much, they were also not lacking in that department. “
2:37 Highlights of Dublin’s victory over May
Dublin are champions once again
It was a dominant campaign from start to finish for the men of the capital. And perhaps its outstanding interpreter has been Ciarán Kilkenny.
The Castleknock star has been widely regarded as one of the best footballers in the sport in recent years, but this year he has leveled up and is in the mix to be named Footballer of the Year.
The 27-year-old made a successful transition to the full attack line and was a constant threat throughout the year. He kicked three points in the final victory over Mayo, culminating an impressive season.
“Kilkenny is right there for Player of the Year along with Con and probably Fenton and Cillian O’Connor,” Donaghy said.
Kilkenny had an extraordinary year
“He took a new position. He has to get a lot of credit for what he was able to do, by moving to the forward position.
“He was famous for his point guard role as a center forward, getting 30 or 40 possessions, playing through the lines, taking some point when he did.
“It was a great challenge [to switch]and I play fair with Dessie Farrell for saying ‘we’re going to change you this year, you’re going to come in a little more’. He bullied Kerry a time or two under some high balls in last year’s replay. But I think he said ‘yeah, we can get something out of this guy.’ Exceptional player, outstanding.
“The full forward is a difficult position to play in the modern game. You don’t get as many touches as you want. [further] outside, he was used to getting 40 touches per game, on the ball all the time. A complete striker has to be much more patient. He can touch the ball 15 times if he has a good game. So that’s a huge one for him.
“He showed his class. He didn’t say ‘I’m the best center forward in the country, why are you moving me?’
“This Dublin group doesn’t get enough credit for their internal leadership, how they are able to adapt to what they are being asked to do. They deserve more credit for that.”
Dean Rock and Ciarán Kilkenny lift the Sam Maguire Cup
Jim McGuinness was also very impressed with the former Australian Rules footballer.
“I totally agree. Ciarán Kilkenny has shown his class this year, playing in a different position for long periods in many of these games and the way he adapted to that position,” said the Donegal native.
“He’s gotten more dangerous in the way he’s brought other people into the game, in a different way than he does when he’s 11.
“It gives them more flexibility to move forward. It means that now I could play at 45, equally well. [at full-foward]. Now he is very close to the Player of the Year. “
1:48 Dessie Farrell was delighted with her team’s victory
Overall, McGuinness feels the Dubs were a step above the competition in 2020.
“They are totally worthy winners. Ciarán Kilkenny is an absolutely class act. With O’Callaghan it is an absolute class act. They were far above everyone else on the field,” said the former Donegal boss.
“James McCarthy was huge for me too. He’s a seriously strong, aggressive and powerful player who doesn’t mind going down and dirty, and he also has leadership skills. Those three for me really stood out for them.”
“The way they handled the game was very, very impressive. They know exactly the pace of the game – when to speed it up and when to slow it down. Finding those players in the pocket to blow the ball over the bar at vital moments. So they are a Incredibly polished team in every aspect. We’ve talked about it all year. Someone’s going to need an incredible jolt to bring them down.
Tune in to Inside The Game Wednesday night on Sky Sports Mix, as our experts review the finale, as well as the season as a whole.
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