1. A pulsating and dramatic finale
Kevin McStay was struggling in the post match press conference to piece together his recollections of injury-time and who could blame him after such a blizzard of action and drama? Mayo were clinging to a one-point lead as the game passed the 70th minute mark after Paddy Durcan raised a white flag two minutes previously.
They had their chances to add to that tally in a game that was prolonged to the 78th minute yet Cillian O’Connor couldn’t find his range on three occasions. In between Donie Smith, deputising after Diarmuid Murtagh was withdrawn, kept his nerve to land a magnificent free in the 73rd minute and there were frantic scenes as both sides coughed up possession.
When referee Joe McQuillan eventually called time, the vociferous fans from both counties in the 65,746 attendance could exhale and try to gather their thoughts on a frenzied conclusion.
2. Roscommon’s lightning start
The pre-match debate about whether Roscommon’s towering Connacht final showing was a one-off display was quickly put to bed by the powerful opening they produced in this game. They sprinted from the blocks with Fintan Cregg notching an early point before the same player and Ciaran Murtagh had both despatched the ball to the net after 12 minutes.
Roscommon instantly leaked a goal at the other end to Lee Keegan but raising two green flags early doors was the platform upon which they built a competitive position throughout the game. With scores hard to come by on both sides, that early flurry of scores was central to Roscommon staying in the hunt for honours.
3. The Keegan v Smith duel
The 2016 Footballer of the Year facing off against the 2017 Connacht final man-of-the-match was an interesting duel. McStay admitted afterwards they hadn’t forecast Lee Keegan being detailed to shadow Enda Smith at midfield. It was a clever move on Mayo’s part and paid off as Keegan raided forward to cause havoc with his haul of 1-3 in the opening period while Smith, apart from a super early point, wasn’t as influential early on.
In the second half Roscommon shunted Smith inside to full-forward and tellingly Keegan followed him inside at the start. It robbed Mayo of an attacking weapon and it wasn’t until around the 50th minute mark that they released him back outside.
Smith notably had a bigger impact for Roscommon after the break, winning a free that Ciaran Murtagh converted and producing a moment of brilliance in the 55th minute to split the Mayo defence with a pass that saw his brother Donie point.
Both management teams will seek to maximise the input of Keegan and Smith for the replay, how they fare will be intriguing.
4. Mayo’s marathon summer continues
We haven’t reached the end of July and yet Mayo have already played six championship games. Their seventh looms large next weekend with this replay and given the nine championship encounters they had in 2016, there’s been no shortage of action during Stephen Rochford’s reign.
They’re still standing after today but it’s been a hectic bout of activity in July. Four qualifiers, two of which went to extra-time, and a draw today means their supporters nerves have been routinely shredded. It’s been a gruelling schedule and getting their squad fresh for the replay will be a key objective.
5. Experience gained by Roscommon
After getting hammered by Kerry and Dublin in their last two outings in Croke Park before today, Roscommon will be glad to have avoided a repeat of those league reversals. They performed admirably as their band of young players stayed with Mayo.
Seanie McDermott was the only Roscommon player with senior championship experience of Croke Park before this match from the 2010 quarter-final against Cork and they were colliding with a Mayo team who are frequent visitors to the stadium. The experience gained by Roscommon from this afternoon will prove invaluable and a tool they’ll hope to harness effectively in the replay.
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