ANDY MORAN CONSIDERS the question that Kobe McDonald has transformed this Mayo team.
That’s a different prospect than saying he is their best player. That has happened in games too often. He is still clipping the odd shot short and wide and getting blocked down. But at times he produces moments in a game when it looks so glorious that he is heading into an All-Ireland final at the age of 18.
“Yeah, I suppose I was very close to the last one. Oisin (Mullin) is a tiny bit different – he’s a defender and he’d take you out of the game and he’s (got that) burst going forward,” say Moran.
“The two that I’ve seen like that are Pearce Hanley and Kobe.
“Let’s be honest, they’re generational talents. You see, you’re going to watch a guy tomorrow, Ciaran Kilkenny playing for Dublin, who went over for a month or two and came back a couple of months later and played against us in 2012 in an All-Ireland semi-final.
Kobe McDonald celebrates. james lawlor photos
james lawlor photos
“Of course these boys bring something different. The Aussies aren’t after them because they’re average players. They’re after them because they’re the best.”
He also brings a freedom to Mayo.
“He went through on goal in the last minute against Cork,” Moran reminds us.
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“I tried to tell him to hit it over the bar, but there was no chance. He’s just his own guy. Stevie (Coen, sitting beside Moran at the press conference) would tell you there, you wouldn’t even know he’s around the place until he puts on the pink boots and starts playing a bit of football.
“I swear to God, he’s quiet isn’t he, Stevie? He’s just quite a humble young man. He plays with that kind of 18-year-old freedom.
“We have a few of them in terms of Eoin (McGreal) would have the same sort of, I suppose, quietness, but when he plays, he plays differently. He’d play a bit like Keith Higgins and these guys. So when these guys come along, they absolutely elevate everyone around the place.”
Andy Moran. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
Before this game they had three goals scored in this championship; one each against Roscommon, Monaghan and Tyrone.
They failed to hit the net against London, Meath and Cork.
Here, they doubled their tally. They could have had four more.
Did Moran see that coming on the training ground?
“I remember being in Omagh and coming out of Omagh and thinking, lads, the boys are beginning to click.
“I know we came out of Omagh and we talked about it. It was just one of those games where we were so close to winning, but you could see that there was huge progression happening. You were just kind of praying then that it didn’t end the week after.
“We’ve just kind of worked on different stuff every week depending on the opposition. Today, we did work on it, if I’m being honest, and it’s something that paid off.”
Louth manager Gavin Devlin came in, looking like a man who had scaled great heights with his players this year and didn’t think all of that should be lost, despite the gulf on the day.
“We’ve won big games this year and it’s much more difficult when you come in after a defeat like that,” he began.
“But honestly this journey that we’ve been on this year has been absolutely magical. The scenes the last two weeks in Louth, sometimes it’s just bigger than the team.
“What our young people experienced this week and our clubs and the local area, it’s been amazing. The performance today was disappointing and the result was bitterly disappointing. It just seemed in one of those games today that whatever could go wrong went wrong.
“It’s a day to get your shoulders up. What they did for Louth is amazing. It’s a matter now are we willing to… If there’s a bump in the road we’ll hit it, that’s for sure.
“And if there’s another bump in the road, I keep saying this, that we keep going again. There was a gap out there today. There was a gap physically, speed-wise.”
Asked if he expected Mayo to be as good, he was emphatic.
“Absolutely. Mayo has been 13 times since the millennium at this stage of the competition. They’re a fantastic bunch as well.
“The noise and the fever that they bring as well. Honestly, for me, I’d love to see them go over the line now.
“They’ve been there just enough times now. It’s time to go and break that glass ceiling. I’d love to see them go and do it now.”
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'It's time to go and break that glass ceiling' - Devlin wishes Mayo well
ANDY MORAN CONSIDERS the question that Kobe McDonald has transformed this Mayo team.
That’s a different prospect than saying he is their best player. That has happened in games too often. He is still clipping the odd shot short and wide and getting blocked down. But at times he produces moments in a game when it looks so glorious that he is heading into an All-Ireland final at the age of 18.
“Yeah, I suppose I was very close to the last one. Oisin (Mullin) is a tiny bit different – he’s a defender and he’d take you out of the game and he’s (got that) burst going forward,” say Moran.
“The two that I’ve seen like that are Pearce Hanley and Kobe.
“Let’s be honest, they’re generational talents. You see, you’re going to watch a guy tomorrow, Ciaran Kilkenny playing for Dublin, who went over for a month or two and came back a couple of months later and played against us in 2012 in an All-Ireland semi-final.
“Of course these boys bring something different. The Aussies aren’t after them because they’re average players. They’re after them because they’re the best.”
He also brings a freedom to Mayo.
“He went through on goal in the last minute against Cork,” Moran reminds us.
“I tried to tell him to hit it over the bar, but there was no chance. He’s just his own guy. Stevie (Coen, sitting beside Moran at the press conference) would tell you there, you wouldn’t even know he’s around the place until he puts on the pink boots and starts playing a bit of football.
“I swear to God, he’s quiet isn’t he, Stevie? He’s just quite a humble young man. He plays with that kind of 18-year-old freedom.
“We have a few of them in terms of Eoin (McGreal) would have the same sort of, I suppose, quietness, but when he plays, he plays differently. He’d play a bit like Keith Higgins and these guys. So when these guys come along, they absolutely elevate everyone around the place.”
Before this game they had three goals scored in this championship; one each against Roscommon, Monaghan and Tyrone.
They failed to hit the net against London, Meath and Cork.
Here, they doubled their tally. They could have had four more.
Did Moran see that coming on the training ground?
“I remember being in Omagh and coming out of Omagh and thinking, lads, the boys are beginning to click.
“I know we came out of Omagh and we talked about it. It was just one of those games where we were so close to winning, but you could see that there was huge progression happening. You were just kind of praying then that it didn’t end the week after.
“We’ve just kind of worked on different stuff every week depending on the opposition. Today, we did work on it, if I’m being honest, and it’s something that paid off.”
Louth manager Gavin Devlin came in, looking like a man who had scaled great heights with his players this year and didn’t think all of that should be lost, despite the gulf on the day.
“We’ve won big games this year and it’s much more difficult when you come in after a defeat like that,” he began.
“But honestly this journey that we’ve been on this year has been absolutely magical. The scenes the last two weeks in Louth, sometimes it’s just bigger than the team.
“What our young people experienced this week and our clubs and the local area, it’s been amazing. The performance today was disappointing and the result was bitterly disappointing. It just seemed in one of those games today that whatever could go wrong went wrong.
“It’s a day to get your shoulders up. What they did for Louth is amazing. It’s a matter now are we willing to… If there’s a bump in the road we’ll hit it, that’s for sure.
“And if there’s another bump in the road, I keep saying this, that we keep going again. There was a gap out there today. There was a gap physically, speed-wise.”
Asked if he expected Mayo to be as good, he was emphatic.
“Absolutely. Mayo has been 13 times since the millennium at this stage of the competition. They’re a fantastic bunch as well.
“The noise and the fever that they bring as well. Honestly, for me, I’d love to see them go over the line now.
“They’ve been there just enough times now. It’s time to go and break that glass ceiling. I’d love to see them go and do it now.”
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