Joe Kernan might be a good option for the selection committee

Joe Kernan was with Galway with no success.
To me he lives too far from mayo

I had forgotten about his stint in Galway alright.
He had a fair bunch to pick from with Armagh them years in fairness. Things have moved on a fair bit since his time in charge though.

Could I suggest that all members do something practical by joining the County Draw.

joe kernan NO WAY

When's the club championship starting

@Bonni Boyler: League finals on this weekend and then Championship throwing-in on Friday, 8th of August.
Times and dates just confirmed for the Round 1 & 2 fixtures a little earlier today.

https://mayogaa.com/2025/07/16/club-championship-fixtures-round-1-2-confirmed/

Joe must be interested in topping up the retirement fund .
Doubt very much he would be in contention even if he was interested.
Hopefully we get a good team in place ..
Gaa county managers just run the show with final say on team selection. Coach’s do all the drills/ football.
Throw in S&C , dietician, physiologist and around 17 others in the back room team and trying to build a squad of up to 40 players reasonably happy ..
Full time job really.

Kieran Donaghy now available :)

Big Joe took over Galway (who had a team based around all Ireland U21 wins in 2002 and 2005. The season before he took over Galway lost to Mayo by 1 point in Connacht and to (pre McGuiness) Donegal by 1 point in the qualifiers.

Under Joe, they lost to Sligo in Connacht and Wexford in the qualifiers. They had him out the gap by August again.
It didn't get any better for Galway after he left as Mayo won the next 5 Connachts in a row. Indeed, Galway lost to Sligo and Antrim in 2012, before Mayo gave them an all mighty hammering in 2013.

He got scaped goated for the demise of Galway football, but no one did better for another 6 years after.

He got Crossmaglen (who Tony McEntee had won 2 all irelands and been to the all ireland club semi final in 2013), losing their long held Ulster Crown in 2014.
That was the beginning of the end of the Crossmaglen team he had built up from 4 U21 county titles in a row in the mid 1990's .

His Success as a manager was all around those players (most of whom won a lot of club all Irelands and 1 all Ireland for Armagh). he didnt do much else bar the Galway job and international rules.

He would know Tony McEntee pretty well though, so should know if he wants the Mayo job

Great podcast. Never easy to beat Kerry in a final but fair play to Joe he got the job done

Bad day in office for the Mayo ladies, big turn around in 2 years.

A real throw back to the early 00s. For all the disappointing results Armagh had from 99-01 or 03-06, winning that one Sam really glosses over the everything

My ears perked up when Mike asked the question on whether the weight of history has had an adverse impact on Mayo. Joe’s answer and not a direct quote was a bit of a stock “sure get a few lads together and go for it and it’ll be grand” type response.

At the same time how can the weight of history in Mayo not have an adverse effect of the players? I hate this “we are in a bubble and nothing gets in stuff I hear” from many ex Mayo players. The mantra in Mayo in my view is we should be winning All Irelands at all levels not to be happy to be consistently competitive. Hopefully there is more road in this discussion in the podcast series

Absolutely the weight of history weighs heavily on all Mayo teams. We come from a culture of losing finals and unfortunately it’s what we are now famous for. Kerry on the other end of the spectrum believe and demand victory and have all the medals to back it up. That of course brings its own pressures but Kerry believe they are going to win every game.

Kerry have won and lost more finals than any other county
In the official programme last Sunday the 1957 Junior was not attributed to us, I checked not attributed to any other county either.

I agree that it's totally a mentality thing with us and finals now . The weight of history really dies weigh on our shoulders when we are in a final.

That is only natural . Kerry are always going to be there. They've a great under age system . They also have the wining mentality .

I really hope whatever manager we get brings that mentality that we can win every game no matter who the opposition need to respect them but we. Need the confidence installed back in us .

There will be alot of prep talk needed for whoever comes in to get our guys back going again to their best !

@clare do you not think the mentality angle is arrogant and counter productive for mayo football going forward. We lost the majority of finals because we were poor and had no plan b. We never have a bench and not enough scoring forwards. Simple as.

@ Rocco …you said “ The mantra in Mayo in my view is we should be winning All Irelands at all levels not to be happy to be consistently competitive. Hopefully there is more road in this discussion in the podcast series”.

100% with you on this.

@Plunkettn

No I don't think it's arrogant .

There's a difference between arrogance and confidence in your own abilities .

The finals we lost some of them we didn't show up for . You have to admit though there is enormous pressure on whatever mayo team gets to a final next more so then any other county who reaches a county . That's not arrogance it's just facts .

@Clare, there is of course pressure, but not sure we get more pressure than any other county who reaches a final. I remember pundits in 2010s were saying that the mayo fans were too accepting of failure in finals. I think because mayo are the underdogs we have a more hope than realistic expectation (other than 21’). So i wouldn’t say there is a huge amount of pressure anymore than a kerry player or galway. Any mayo player i’ve heard talk about it says it is not a major factor or does not mention it

@Plunkettn

Fair enough. I'm not saying it's acceptable to be accepting of failure in finals .

So you don't think another county who hasn't lost as many finals doesn't have less pressure then us ? We can agree to disagree !

Anyway I'm going to cheer for Kerry in the final which I would not normally do haha

The main reason we have lost in 1989,1996,2013,2016 and 2017 was bad luck. We did not perform well enough in 1997,2004,2006 2012, 2020 and 2021. Mayo have the players and will be back challenging again in 2026.

@Jimbo

I agree that we didn't perform well enough in the finals we lost for sure. Just think it's a mentality thing also .

Can’t judge for the ones pre 12 but 2013 we lost tactically. Not to bring up the war but freeman should have never been taken off sorry willie joe for mentioning

No need to apologise, Plunkettn. We’ve already had Clarke/Hennelly, pushing the cars round the car park and other woes so we may as well have the full set while we’re at it!

If we had played Richie Feeney we'd have won 5 in a row all irelands

;-)

I see Kieran Donaghy has stepped back from Armagh.
I think he should be head hunted by our county board , he has all ireland medals and could get us over the line, something he has done himself , many times.
Andy Moran as coach , with Cora Staunton ( another all ireland winner) and defence coach, Lee Keegan would be young energetic modern football backroom team .
A great fit for our young team.

There are to mind mind only a select few guys who possess the real one to one player inspirational skills and K Donaghy is one of those and fits the bill for us massively. Does Mayo, with all its highs and lows fit Donaghy's bill, that is the question. He would carry a mighty load on and in a new management team. Expect him to end up in a county with strong intentions of securing the 2026 AI, the fear is that it will be with the neighbours.

County board need to be doing everything they can to get Kieran Donaghy !

Clare what would be your thinking on wanting Kieran donaghy

@1985

Well he has all Ireland medals, good experience. He also seems like he would be ruthless is well which is what we need.

Jack OConnors term is up after this year isn't it unless he decides to stay but if they lose he'll go. Isn't Donaghy still based in Tralee, so I'd say he's keen to get involved down there?

Donaghy as a coach maybe but not a manager in my opinion. Not to many outside managers to look at really, I'd go with Mickey Harte if pushed but the risk with him is has he adapted to the new rules, he is definitely proven and has done it. Probably get slated for mentioning him but he could work but prefer really to stay internal.

Another name to an extensive list. Jose, "the special one", hasn't a look in here.

Some of these names being trotted out for manager are bizarre really.i would think that win or lose the all Ireland final jack o Connor will move on and that’s most likely where donaghy will end up as a coach and with all the issues around mayo football at the moment financial and otherwise it doesn’t look the most appealing opportunity.

He probably will stay with kerry in some kind of role.

I still like the idea of an outsider it would get rid of the club bias .

If not well then I think it will go to Andy Moran .

Why didn't he take Dermot Flanagan or Pat Holmes off Maurice Fitz..... Mortimer or Nallen were the men for Maurice as proven in the 1996 final.

Why the hell did Tom Reilly and Finnerty get game time, where was Ciaran Mc and Kevin O Neill instead...

Chris Barrett and or Turbo Tom were the men for Murphy and Mcfadden not caff and Keane ....

Weather's shite and now ye are awakening old wounds

But looking forward to the league finals .
Breaffy V Cross is an interesting one , clashof two different styles . Can Cross manage Aido and Conors power . Interesting clashes with D Neary and Cross pace. Man marking jobs for Cogill who will he pick up .
Cross will need Loftus and Flynn at their best, Kobe and Maheady have been on fire Can they continue that form?
Conor O Shea will see this as chance to showcase his skills and remind people how good he is .
So all in very interesting clash , weather permitting should see best of aerial fielding and super fast football in contrasting styles and see which wins out

Let Donaghy pass on down the road to wherever.... we don't have to go gaagaa and weak at the knees for everyone that's out of a job I hope.
He was part of the Armagh set up that got stuffed this year and didn't appear to have many answers, when they were required.
Winning AI's as part of a good team does not automatically make a great manager or coach.

This idea that because someone has an all Ireland medal automatically makes them a good manager is baffling.Padraig Joyce has all Ireland medals and so far hasn’t delivered for Galway.John o Mahoney had no all Ireland medals and won two all Irelands with them

@JImbo
Those are very Green and red glasses your wearing
The main reason we have lost in 1989,1996,2013,2016 and 2017 was bad luck?

1989 - we were so happy to get that far, the whole county celebrated losing for 3 months - Cork had already lost two in a row and weren't going to lose a 3rd against a team as flaky as that Mayo team (who didn't get out of Connacht again for 3 years after)

1996 - A management malfunction - we were ahead by 6 points in both matches and couldn't close it out against a Meath team known for its comebacks and refusal to give in. Just not hard nosed enough demonstrated by a lot of lads lying down in the brawl.

2013 - Goalkeeping error kept Dublin in the game in the first half, management no spotting Dublin only had 13 fit men at the end was the deciding factor

2016 - first match - were level at 60min but Mayo waned with Dublin having 4 subs on 61mins to Mayos 2. Dubs pull 3 clear on 68min before Mayos 4 subs come on and help get Mayo level - Fear of using the bench cost us
2016 - replay - Goalie having a canary cost us that game
2017 - played fantastically well putting up the best scoring percentages of any finalist before then, only to be beaten by a team who were even more accurate. That Dublin team were just too good that day.

The argument for Bad luck could be the below - but is balance out by some good luck in other 1 point wins elsewhere
2014 semi replay - dodgy ref
2015 semi replay- goalkeeping calamity

1997, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2020 were all down to not having a natural fullback - in 4 of them early goals killing us off before we got started.

2021 was the real sickener as they created the chances to win and couldn't take them

I never said that someone who has an all Ireland medal makes them a great manager.

Anyways it will probably go to someone inside the county .

Clare believe it or not but every post on here is not directed at you .it was a general observation

I'd say Donaghy has clocked up enough miles toing and froing from Kerry to Armagh over the past five yrs. Can't see him doing diddly outside Kerry for the foreseeable.

What's the story with Mike Solan? Shouldn't he be in the mix somewhere?

Hard no on Mike Solan for me! He has done precisely zilch with Leitrim and Longford to warrant being in the conversation. I'm not even sure his role as u20 manager stands up to harsh scrutiny

His main selling point is he would surely get Barry solan back as s&c

In my view the manager we need to retire pronto is John Kiely, plus his backroom team.
Then we swoop in , like a baldy eagle on Paul Kinnerk. Stick him in alongside Andy to ride shotgun ,and give them time.

In the unlikely event that it doesn't work out,we can blame the co.board and the other fella.
Then Andy gets away with his status untarnished in our eyes.....
Wishful thinking on all fronts of course!

Mike Solan is still with longford

They are at a low ebb as the star players from the teams that reached U20 Leinster finals in 2006, 2011 and 2013 are now gone out to grass.
They won the Leinster Minor last year, so will have a bit of a revival in 2028/9. That will be too late for Mike as he gets them without any real quality players.

That said, if he can pull something out of the bag next year - he will be lauded for getting a tune out of them

It would be an advantage to Mayo to have a manager who has an all ireland medal(s) in his back pocket imo. It means the manager was part of a bonded team that was mentally strong enough to seal the deal and win Sam. That mental strength is a problem with Mayo whether we like to admit it or not. Our record against inferior opposition is atrocious. And a manager who's been there and done that wouldn't do us one bit of harm.
So, I'm with Clare on that, we are all aware of how important it is to get it right.

I don't understand this argument at all that having an All Ireland medal somehow makes you a better manager. Many have been very successful and many without have been very good. On the mental side of things, there is no doubt that our long wait for Sam weighs heavily on the players, which is only natural. The anxiety level increases with each year and is exasperated further by so many near misses.

You would think these players with all Ireland medals would keep them somewhere safe rather than carrying them around in their back pockets.The Dublin lads must really struggle

Has to be uncomfortable sitting on 6 or 8 for sure @1985.
No wonder P.Spillane walks with a gimp.

See for me the view that we have lost finals due to bad luck or the refereeing decisions going against us or being beaten by the greatest team of all time are all easy excuses instead of addressing the elephant in the room which is the mental fragility of mayo teams in finals.

In 2016, the two own goals are cited as bad luck but sure how did they come about? We had switched off and Dublin were in the back door. The own goals were a result of poor defending. Yet the focus was on the curse at play again.

In 2017 what bad luck did we get? The generational Jack McCaffrey doing his cruciate early in the match was incredibly good luck for us. John Small was ready to be sent off to give us an extra man, was that not good luck?! We got the momentum we needed in that game but still couldn’t wrestle the result away from Dublin

I know people reading this will be thinking what’s he going on about finals for, the current group are nowhere near. I do believe we will rise again in the next 2-3 years with the lads between 18-20 becoming options. However we will just walk into the same issues that have passed down from one generation to the next over the past 30-40 years whenever the next team get to a final.

By shining a light on it and trying to address it, is far better than the ostrich effect

The mental fragility of Mayo teams rears it's ugly head not only in finals but in the jittery way we finish off games, often against inferior opposition in pressure games.

Outside the county the way to go, imo, and if he walks with a gimp, because of a medal he carries in his back pocket, then so be it.

Joseph brolly has an All Ireland medal. Maybe those obsessed with A I medals in back pocket might like to see him involved. No doubt but that he is ruthless and has such a passion for Mayo football that he’s always talking about it.. Plus a tough northerner who has supreme confidence in himself and has identified for so many years the faults and failings that have held back our great county. What are we waiting for.

To win just once he certainly couldn't do any worse for us.

I imagine Donaghy be Kerry. We will be Andy or McEntee if was having a flutter.

Roco88 absolutely bang on!!

Everyone entitled to their opinion but I feel we need an outside voice be that manager or backroom. Like Roco above, someone who can identify the horseshit about curses & bad luck. We will win it when we get things right & having someone involved who has been there & done it can only help

Every club player that wins county or national titles will tell you what it means to win with your parish and I'd imagine it's the same with inter county managers. Nice to win with anyone but far more important to do so with your home county and you'd be giving it that extra push as well as knowing the set-up and players.

The mentality is you get the work done. Majority of our losses we weren't good enough on field and maybe 30% of losses we weren't good enough on the line.
We need to get the work done to be good enough in both.
There's a cultural thing in Mayo where we're full of too much bluster around great players of the last 40 years. We've had some great players, we need to stop labeling every division one standard player we have as great.
We've never got the whole bench impact thing. 2021 we're starting Dara Canavan and the other impact full forward who goaled.
One would have to say some players are ravenous around improvement like Ryan O'Donoghue, Andy Moran and Lee Keegan, but, the trend has been we have a lot of players hang around the panel plateaued.
It all feels a bit wishy washy where the likes of Ryan are swimming against the tide.
I'm not joking BTW when I suggest TsuDhonNim is good enough to be involved. Call it what it is, our player assessment and recruitment has culturally been below standard.
Donegal targeted Alan Dillon in 2012 with Karl Lacey, completely predictable looking at strengths and weaknesses. We need that GAA encyclopedic knowledge of players person or we're back to hit and miss bluster.

I agree JP. We probably eulogise our lads too much which is very admirable, but I can't help feeling that this is why our mentality is that bit short. We're happy to accept 2nd best. It's a delicate balance to find, but to be the best, you need to be prepared to do anything it takes to get over the line.

And completely agree on the use of bench. Soupy Campbell would have started for us every day of the week but Armagh had the smarts to use him late in games where he could be more effective. I would give outgoing management a bit of credit in this regard. They tried to load the bench on occasions. I remember Kerry away in 2023, we had a serious bench that day. And the starters did brilliantly & the bench saw us home. Dublin had some serious options back in the 2010s but every player bought into it. They had no stigmas on who started or who was a sub..it was just what was best for the team. There would be podcast specials in Mayo if such a one didn't start a game. Its something hopefully the new management will embrace/build on

Absolutely agree there is far, far too much talking up players in Mayo. A lad scores a few points in a club game and I keep hearing the word ‘outrageous’ being used. Way over the top stuff. I love listening to the pods and reading the papers after club and county games but some of the praise and language used is ridiculous.

Joe Kernan on the pod said he felt like a ‘loser’ cos he hadn’t won an All Ireland medal as a player. Players in Mayo who have failed to win an All Ireland are put up so high on pedestals that it’s seeped into the psyche in the county that you don’t have to win to be a ‘great’ or a ‘star’. Terms used far too generously in Mayo for years. We are being laughed at in other counties.

Joe said something like he wanted the players to feel the hurt of losing a final, every time they went training. Some our ex players have said that they have no regrets ( which I don’t believe BTW) and can sleep well. I can’t believe that’s possible with the amount of regret we as supporters have. Maybe they don’t want people feeling sorry for them, but I think it needs to change. Imagine if former players were telling the young lads how tough it is to lose a final and drum it into their heads that they might only have one chance. The difference being, another losing medal in the county or hero for evermore.

On the doing the work, the basic skills done brilliantly.
There's a point I like in the 2013 final, Mayo lose the ball it breaks available to Bernard Brogan. Brogan picks the ball with his left foot in order to get just a little bit more time to get his shot away for a point. Think how few players in am All Ireland final under pressure would pick the ball with their left foot.

I think we put our players on a pedestal based on how good they are as individual footballers. And I think players themselves place an emphasis on their own performance.
Leadership and influence the collective performance of the team has to come into the equation. Murphy and Clifford (and others on both teams) both have that ability to get the best out of their colleagues.
ROD offers it for us and we need more to stand up. McBrein, Carney, McHale... they are a work in progress whereas both Kerry and Donegal are spoilt for players who can influence a game (O Donnell and Langan ....)

Mayonaze I agree with you to a certain extent re over hyping our players and making them out to be great when they have not really being great. It’s something that especially concerns me at under age. Lads who do well at u 17 are touted as senior superstars in waiting. So much can happen a young fella between 17 and senior level. I remember in the minor final v Galway a few years ago there was way too much hype and stuff written about very young lads and they seriously underperformed in The Hyde v a Galway team they had beaten on two occasions earlier. Likewise we are talking , I feel almost too quickly of bringing in a number of this year’s u 20 team. People point to Roarty as an example of what a young fella can do. But we need to be careful. In the past we have done quite well in getting the transition from u21 to senior, so take it gradually, with a small number at a time. Where I wouldn’t completely agree with you is the idea that you are a “loser” if you don’t win an All Ireland medal. Players like Clarke, Keegan, Boyle, Andy , Cillian and others have been outstanding for us but it’s a 15 - 20 man game and we simply did not have the same panel depth as especially Dublin in the years they beat us. We had top class players but not quite enough of them.

And if we had the same depth in the panel, would we be winners? Is that all we have to fix?
My recollection of the u17 final is that Galway were a much improved side by the time we met in the final. We didn't underperform on the day imo
The new rules game is evolving but a certain amount of the cynical fouling is gone, the penalty for fouling is severe. Donegal scored almost everything from play v Meath. Most teams have a sharp shooting u20 on their team, why should mayo be different?

I think the u17 all Ireland final in 2022 is a great example of the continued issues Mayo teams face on big days. This team was based off players born in 2005/2006. At the time it was framed as these lads had grown up watching Mayo teams in Croker from 2011-2017, the glory days. I’d imagine it was said somewhere too that this team would not be affected by defeats of the past. Sure what impact would 89, 96, 97 etc have on lads born in 2005. What happened next?

Well for one, huge hype and expectation going into a final not uncommon in the past 30 years. Secondly, and not removed from previous point, a complete systems failure in a final against a good Galway team but a team Mayo had comfortably dealt with in the two previous encounters. Whatever about Galway upturn in form, Mayo were beaten out the gate that day when they were better than that

I know it’s u17 and I do think this should not be the minor grade but I always thought it epitomised Mayo’s issues on a big day. Huge expectation on the players, huge anticipation but not result we want. It’s almost we want it too much it’s overwhelming

It can’t be a coincidence we keep seeing the same story play out across different decades and teams. We often think people grow up to be a result of environment you are brought up in. In a GAA context, if that environment is to continually lose finals but life goes on, we will continue see that play out

I'd say most of those defeats were to teams better on the day or perhaps with better panels. The Dubs certainly did it with panels (McMenamin, Costello and Connolly the main impact guys on big days vs us). 2017 was an outlier in that we matched them in every department. That was the day I think the Dubs having no fear of losing and so much experience of winning just about got them over the line. Maybe we had 2% doubt despite reaching the last few steps of everest near the end of the game but again it was Connolly cuteness that won the free and our subs didn't impact enough. The feeling was to beat Dubs you need to be a few points better in performance.
Of the older games, the drawn game vs Meath in 96 was one I thought we'd won (6 up and McHale hits the upright). Wasn't panicked as Meath picked off scores thinking 6 was just too big a lead and then the ball hops over the bar for the equaliser, what are the odds. There was an element of management savvy (Boylan) as Meath stopped trying to field clean and punched on the kickouts to their forwards knowing Mayo's midfield was strong. The replay was nip and tuck and whoever said too many Mayo lads lay down in the fight should take another look at the video and Meath were known for their toughness but very few shrinking violets on either side. Anyway was spoken of as a disgrace at the time so maybe we shouldn't be giving it oxygen.
In 97 fans were a bit shook before the game on hearing the Mayo captain's father either had passed away or it was close. The atmosphere at the game was flat. Free taker Maurice Sheridan got a great goal chance on stroke of half time and pulled his hamstring landing and punched it over the bar. Kieran Mc I think it was missed some simple frees and bagged a brilliant penalty later on. The wrong man was put on Maurice Fitz (Mortimer was the #1 defender in the land, almost no scores ever came off him) so definite management blunder there. One of the poorest finals lit up by one magnificent player.
2004 Jack out thought us playing in high ball on top of our 5'5" defender who was very quick and strongly built but untested by high ball. Also was the dawning of Gooch with that great goal. We underperformed, Willie Kirby never played as well before or since in the absence of Darragh O' Shea (replaced by a moving wing forward with no intercounty experience in the positiion albeit athletic). We should have had clear advantage in midfield with superior players consistency wise but it was the reverse that happened. 2006 we came up against possibly the best Kerry forward line of all time and even if we got the match ups right they'd have probably won with a bit to spare. Gooch hitting peak, O' Sullivan (unmarkable that day), Donaghy causing havoc until Brady came in, Galvin and whoever else they had (probably Mike Frank Russell). Our star player Kieran Mc was playing injured and they got great pleasure in Aidan O' Mahony disposessing him as he tried to stir up the fight but he was hanging a leg. We manufactured a goal chance at the start from a quick free and botched it. Always thought it was daft leaving Brady off the 2006 team (think he was left off in the semi aswell as recall he came on and immediately flattened Whelan (giving hime a few stitches in the process) who'd previously concussed his clubmate McGarrity), he was our best midfielder of that era and hard as nails and put a stop to Donaghy when it was too late but that was an emergency substitution (don't think he played before or since in full back). In 2012 we came back into it after a shock start but missed 3/4 after half time to close the gap from 4 to something that would make Donegal nervous. Not a great game given how incredibly fit Donegal were. We'd likely have won had Andy not done his cruciate in the QF as he was completely unmarkable that year and the FB line was Donegal's strongest line. In 2013 yes soft goal but Cluxton gave the greatest masterclass of his time to date in the 2nd half with his laser kickouts to the wings in the 23 degree heat and that's mostly what got us, the O' Sheas had been winning midfield in the 1st half. McCauley or Brogan (2-2) got MOM but it was really Cluxton. In 2014 replay our early goals were a joy and the clash of Aido and Cillian had a big impact. Our never say die got us to extra time, Kevin Mc had a goal chance which he put over the bar and fresh Kerry sub Jonathon Lyne did the damage to finish us off. Kerry were better than Donegal in the final but managed to find themselves behind late on until a goalie blunder handed them the AI. 2015 was the year the players demanded a return to the Horan standard of preperation after we ran out of legs in the replay after Dubs used a cryo chamber for recovery during the 6 day turnaround. Was it unfair, we'll never know. A management team rarely wins in its 1st season. At this stage, leaving no stone unturned was becoming part of management with up to 30 in the backroom teams if we include the stats people. 2016, yes some bad defending but still a freak with the two own goals. A spirited comeback after half time and nip and tuck until the end. Bastick fouled the ball which was not called and would've been a cruel way to lose but them's the rules. In fairness few of us (I was on that end of the stand) bar Cillian saw the foul. Replay not helped by Dubs targeting of Leroy (who definitely bent the rules in the drawn game) in the media. He saw blakc early on. Short kickouts even down the middle are now commonplace and Robbie one of our more reliable but was probably nerves on the day. The penalty was unnecessary and gave them the gap we struggled to narrow. Cillian could've drawn it at the end with a long free but they were probably the better team certainly once they hit the front. 2018 was millimetres. Aido seeing the danger tried to catch Donie on the way in but couldn't stop him. Even still we hit the upright with a free which went up the other end and over the bar, that one incident and the cuteness of Connolly winning the final free was the difference. Our subs that day having low impact and was another factor in trying to close it out along with some poor kickout executions at the death; one of them near two of our excellent midfielders, the ball landing perfectly half way between them to McCarthy, the other one our goalie should have found the free half back we could see around our 40. Tiny margins but Dubs had the winning mentality and we needed a performance 1 point better before the climax to avoid the Dubs catchin up. No excuses but some were close and others not. 2020 we had a chance alright but the Dubs were better. 2021 we had enough chances to win especially early in the 2nd half. People say Tyrone were better but really only for 15 mins in each half, we were just as good and better in phases but blew those goal chances and they took theirs (the 1st a mistake by us and the 2nd from a brilliant kickout). We never deserved to be favourites in my book as I thought they were more impressive beating Kerry than us vs the Dubs but it was there for the taking and we underperformed (but nowhere close to what happened Cork this weekend). Had the penalty gone in Tyrone might never have gained the confidence or composure to drive on they way they did (indeed they were creaking a bit at the time), momentum could have swung. In all these we never gave up, we'd a few poor performances in QFs and the 2015 SF replay got hit late on with a blitz. A few players made mistakes (some of a serious nature) but collectively and individually they all fought on.