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James Horan was serious and practical after May’s final final loss to all of Ireland, the fifth in the past nine years.
Ireland’s decisive match on Saturday offered much less ceremonial glitz than we are used to, with Dublin players hopping around an empty Croke Park in what was ultimately a private party.
By Mayo, with no fans in place, conspicuous displays of anguish were rare. Horan was never too free with his emotions after previous final defeats and he wasn’t about to leave it all in an empty stadium.
Unsurprisingly, Mayo’s boss was inclined to focus on the details, citing an inability to guard the ball at times, along with the relatively mild shock from the substitute bench as reasons behind the loss.
“Obviously disappointed. We did a lot of things well. We were still 12 or 13 minutes to go,” Horan told RTÉ Sport after the match.
“We ran out of juice a little bit and we were a bit lazy on possession at times and it cost us. Dublin got stronger and stronger as the game progressed. Some of their substitutes made a huge difference and they were left without winners in the end. . “
He was quick to dismiss the idea that Mayo had emptied the tank in the first half and had little left for the fourth quarter.
“I don’t think so. Ah, I just think maybe we didn’t get the impact that we would like from some of the guys coming up. Like I said, Brian Howard came in, (Paul) Mannion came in, they obviously gained a lot of primary possession, so he had a big impact on the game. “
Conceding the fastest goal in the history of Ireland’s final did not represent the most auspicious start, but strangely it was the trigger for a magnificent first quarter of May.
Horan acknowledged Mayo’s success in kicking in the first half, an area widely cited as a weakness up front.
“Dublin has multiple goal threats. I think our response and composure in the first half was very good. On our kicks and opposition kicks, we did very well.
“We got some good goals, but we lost some opportunities that fell into the hands of the goalkeeper, which are murder. Overall, our response to those goals was very good.
“I just felt like we had a lot of good possession and some of it we lost very cheaply. That cost us.
“Going into the fourth quarter, he was definitely there. We made some good plays just before half-time and we were looking for a solid position.
“But Dublin was really good in the fourth quarter and they controlled it really well. We did some quick shots, there were a couple of bounces in the middle that we could have gotten. They did.”
Paddy Durcan, one of Mayo’s most influential players in recent years, was retired at halftime as a result, Horan said, of an injury he sustained early in the game.
“It was a huge loss. The first ball he reached for, he felt something in his quadriceps. He couldn’t run after that. It was unfortunate. We had to readjust some things and move some players. With that pretty well, but Paddy is obviously a great big man. player for us. “
After 2019, it was thought in some sectors that May was destined for a transition period. After 2020, with a good performance in the championship and a host of new players, the future, despite another final defeat, looks brighter.
“(We can take advantage of) a lot of the season. We saw Ryan O’Donoghue and Oisín Mullin perform today. We also had Eoghan McLaughlin, Tommy Conroy, Jordan Flynn.
“There are a lot of guys who have learned a lot in a short time. Next year’s season comes very quickly. So we will have to move fast.”
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