McStay staying focused on bigger picture of championship

Regardless of playing style or new rules, the confidence that Mayo are now playing with has transformed their fortunes from strong contenders for relegation to an outside chance of a league final.

That ‘extra confidence’, according to Mayo manager Kevin McStay, has helped Mayo look forward as opposed to over their shoulder. League safety can be secured by avoiding defeat to Donegal, and a league final is still on the cards if other results go their way.

“When a team is confident, they start looking like they've figured things out. Certainly there was a nice aspect of foot passing to what we were trying to do today. I thought it was really nice, and it's not reckless foot passing. It's 30 metre little dinks to advantage that turned out very well and when we need to put it through the hand, we did as well.

“This is our third year, the squad are getting used to us, they're getting used to what we want to try and do and all that good stuff so I'm pleased our trajectory is correct as we're coming towards the end of the league. That's the way it should be and we'll be able to leave this league now without too many questions or question marks around it.” 

McStay said he was pleased with the performance, in particular how they gave away no goal chances in the final quarter as Derry pushed on. But he knows, too, that there is more in the tank; while pleased with the scores, he was not overly satisfied with the goal return, despite his team scoring two.

“Big effort put in by everybody, eight or nine different scorers and we got scores at key moments, really critical moments to give us a good bit of oxygen and overall, even the way we managed the last quarter, no goal chances, no significant goal chances to Derry, kept a clean sheet in that quarter, really good.

“Two pointers hurt us a bit but they're just class points, not a lot you can do about it but we'll have to have a look at it all the same. But overall, the journey home will be a lot easier.

“These are Division 1 champions from last year. No matter what people say, they're good players. They don't get a Derry jersey for nothing. So, it was a big competition. Like last night, these two points were savagely hard to be won and now we have them won, and it puts us in a good spot for next week.

“Two out of six now wouldn't be a number I'd be screaming about, but you have to make them (goal chances). We have to produce the chances. There were some very good chances in the first-half that we left behind, unfortunately, but they kept at it. Everyone's keeping their chin up and head up and they're driving it on. That's what we have to see. That's what we want to see. I think, to a man, we're very pleased with that effort.” 

For their final game against Donegal this Sunday, Mayo are still to welcome back Tommy Conroy, Paddy Durcan and Diarmuid O’Connor from injuries and competition is fierce for places. Many who didn’t make the 26 went back to their club last weekend for action. McStay remained coy on whether those named will see action next Sunday, instead focusing on the bigger picture with championship around the corner.

“With respect, I have 26 here and I have thirteen at home and I have to figure out ways for all thirteen, so as you'll probably be aware we released as many of them to play club football as we could this weekend. Others then, we could have brought them with us but we thought, no, we'll do a bit of conditioning work with them at home or we'll get bit of medical work for them.

“We could have brought one or two of them with us this week. We thought it was the better thing not to bring a player like Doc (O’Connor) up here. [What if] he's a sub here and we don't use him? Now that's a weekend that he could have been playing with Ballintubber and getting a bit of work done down in Mayo.

“That was our decision. That was the better decision. But we're still very confident. It's a long season. We make it 10 or 12 matches left in this season, something like that, and we'll have a very strong panel by the time things get serious.”