Finishing let us down when it mattered most

What a kick in the teeth.

It was a breathless, absorbing encounter but a huge opportunity missed for Mayo. Midway through the second-half of Sunday’s Connacht final, it looked for all the world like there was only going to be one winner. How Mayo let it slip will be a massive source of regret. The Mayo players and management badly needed this one. That result is going to sting for a while.

The pre-match odds and predictions of a Galway hammering proved to be absolute balderdash.

Has there ever been a truly one-sided Galway v Mayo provincial decider? Not in my lifetime anyway. It was always going to go down to the wire and be decided by fine margins. It was ever thus – and the manic nature of games under the new rules meant this was always going to ebb and flow before a winner squeaked through.

Why did Galway once again come out on the right side of a tight finish?

Composure and accuracy. Like a true oracle, Padraic Joyce said as much in his pre-match interview on RTÉ. I’ll quote him verbatim:

“It’s going to come down to the wire and the team that has the most composure and does the right things in the pressure situations will win the match.” Cillian McDaid, Paul Conroy and Liam Ó Conghaile had ice in their veins when the stakes were highest. On the home straight, surgical focus was required but it eluded Mayo, and the game slipped away.

A good start to both halves put Mayo in a super position to kick for home with 20 minutes left. But, alas, Galway dug deep as Mayo grew weak. If we could have just nudged ahead in the last quarter, I have no doubt we would have won the day. The roof would have lifted off the stand had Mayo found a way to take the lead heading into the final stretch. That would have given the team massive oxygen to kick on.

As a natural scorer, Paul Towey was introduced to get on the end of opportunities that would inevitably come with a gale at our backs. He found space, got a sight at goal, but will be haunted by the three missed efforts in the final quarter. He’s usually a dead-eye dick but that precision evaded him at the crucial time. Credit where it’s due – the defending from Corofin duo Dylan McHugh and Liam Silke to block him down late on was a remarkable show of bravery, defensive tenacity and skill.

Enda Hession had the game in his hands with his late goal opportunity. His fantastic, lung-busting run created a gilt-edged opening to seal victory, but he was denied by a fine Connor Gleeson stop. With the game in the balance and against the massive wind, Galway weren't getting as many looks at the posts but still managed to add to their tally whenever they attacked, keeping Mayo chasing.

The decisive moment in the match, of course, came from an errant Colm Reape kickout. It was eerily similar to the botched one against Kerry that Paudie Clifford pilfered to set up Paul Geaney’s goal. There was no goal concession this time – but a black card for Rory Brickenden and a tap-over free to put Galway back in front. It was a huge momentum shifter and probably the moment everything started to go south for Mayo. Even against that hugely influential breeze, Galway – with an extra man – could play the match on their own terms in the final ten minutes. It’s unfortunate for Reape, and he’ll be feeling it right now, but Mayo’s kickouts must improve if our fortunes are to turn this season.

Of course, it’s hard to do well on kickouts when you’re under the pump at midfield. Galway’s biggest performers were all in the middle third. Paul Conroy got man of the match – well deserved for his majestic two-pointers in the first half – but I thought Cillian McDaid was the star man throughout. He’s a seriously powerful runner, with and without the ball. In fact, he seems to pick up speed when soloing. Despite the best efforts of Enda Hession, McDaid was at his swashbuckling best, making massive ground for Galway with ball in hand.

Céin Darcy may not be the silkiest footballer on the ground but, by God, he dominated the skies. Mayo had no answer to his aerial prowess from kickouts. If you’re struggling to win long ones and jittery on the short ones, you’re in big trouble. Mayo need to find a fix.

As relative rookies to Connacht finals, Davitt Neary and Darren McHale can take a lot from Sunday’s classic. The pair combined beautifully for Mayo’s goal, and 1-2 from play was a very solid return from the often-unheralded McHale. After a tricky day out against Leitrim, I was seriously impressed with Neary’s pace, energy and confidence to have a cut. He lit up the earlier rounds of the league and looked back to that level at the weekend.

It was much-hyped in the build-up – and Ryan O’Donoghue’s ding-dong duel with Johnny McGrath lived up to it. I’d say McGrath shaded the first-half, but O’Donoghue got the better of the Caherlistrane man in the second. McGrath was a threat going forward but O’Donoghue gave him plenty to think about going the other way too. It was a proper mano a mano battle between two cracking footballers. McGrath was lucky to be awarded a first-half penalty – there was minimal contact and he still got a decent shot off – but his driving runs were a feature of that half. ROD will be annoyed that his monster strike from 55 metres was called a two rather than a one-pointer. Gleeson clearly touched the ball after it had crossed the bar. It would have been a highly contentious moment had the final deficit been just a single point.

I’m sure the barbs will come but I wouldn’t be too critical of Kevin McStay or the Mayo management. Maybe a few decisions were wrong from the sideline, and perhaps Davitt Neary should have been on the pitch for the dying moments, but it’s easy say that now. Padraic Joyce made mistakes too. His half-time sub Cathal Sweeney only lasted 25 minutes. History is written by the victors though. If you win, every decision is justified. McStay had Mayo – rank outsiders – well primed for this game, as seen in their lightning start. He also got his half-time talk spot on when you see how Mayo exploded to life at the restart.

I feel for McStay. He was desperate for that win. He looked crestfallen at the end, and I’m not sure he’ll get – or want – another shot at managing Mayo to a Connacht title. Galway were slightly the better team but he had his side well set-up and they gave it a good rattle. Mayo were in a great position to win. But was it his fault that our finishing let us down when it mattered most? We all feel sick right now, but you can be certain McStay feels ten times worse.

The only consolation for Mayo is that Cavan at home in two weeks is as good a game as you could wish for to get the show back on the road. Sunday’s crushing defeat was a critical blow to Mayo’s season – but not a fatal one. It’s easier said than done, but we just have to get up and go again. What other choice is there?