Dillon’s departure is a reminder of ticking clock

ALAN DILLON’s retirement is a reminder of Mayo’s ticking clock, according to Aidan O’Shea. In a career which spanned 15 years and 134 appearances, the departure of 35-year-old Dillon (pictured) had been anticipated. He made the last of his 66 Championship appearances when coming off the bench in this year’s All-Ireland quarter-final replay rout of Roscommon – the final of three cameo appearances in Mayo’s exhaustive run to the final. It meant he was in the unusual position of being a spectator in this year’s onepoint final defeat to Dublin having featured in six previous finals — 2004, 06, 12, 13 and 16 (draw and replay) — but finished his career without the medal he craved. O’Shea said that Dillon’s retirement showed up the ‘narrowing window’ on the ambition for one of the most resolute football teams of the modern era. ‘Alan is probably the first big retirement out of the group in a long time so we are all aware of the time we have and trying to capitalise on that while we can. ‘We have tried to do that but have fallen short and the window is narrowing probably but we have to keep at it,’ insisted O’Shea yesterday. Dillon stayed true to that mantra of keeping at it right to the end, in a career which, for all his big-day disappointments, still yielded eight Connacht medals and two All-Star awards in 2006 and 2012. ‘The wins and losses will be remembered, but what I’ll remember most are all my team-mates who I can never give enough credit to from over the years,’ said Ballintubber clubman Dillon yesterday.