MAYO WILL TAKE THE POSITIVES

MAYO can bounce back stronger from arguably their most crushing defeat yet, says manager Stephen Rochford. While Sunday’s display against Dublin was probably the best they have produced in an All-ireland final since they last won one in 1951, Rochford believes there are plenty of things that they could have done better and will seek to improve on as they look to 2018. “We don’t take any solace in coming a good second,” said Rochford (above), still hoarse when speaking at the City West Hotel yesterday after an emotional 24 hours. “We were totally invested in winning that game. It wasn’t to be. Tight calls, tight margins, a post. “I’ve no doubt when we sit down at the end of this week or early next week and look back, we’ll pick out a number of things that we could have done better, in that I know that we didn’t play to our best. “And in that way I think that there’s still room for improvement in the lads.” In any of Mayo’s catalogue of final defeats there are seminal moments–last year it was Rob Hennelly conceding a penalty in the replay and Cillian O’connor’s missed free as they looked to force extra time, this time it was Donal Vaughan’s red card. “Moments within these games don’t define these guys,” Rochford insisted. “If it was, they’d have been finished four or five years ago. “Mentally they are a very strong group, they are a very tight group and we know again that there’s more percentage points to improve on and I’ve no doubt the talent is there. “I think five of the six guys we brought on were under the age of 25 yesterday, three of them at 22. “While Dublin were bringing on All-ireland winners and experience, we were certainly bringing on All-ireland winners at minor and under-21 with youth and that’s encouraging as well for the years ahead.” In a game so delicately poised, Mayo could identify a couple of refereeing decisions that might have yielded a better outcome for them. One was a free awarded to Dublin on the stroke of half-time which Dean Rock converted, while Lee Keegan (inset) had to be content with a free rather than a penalty in the second half after being fouled by Ciaran Kilkenny. “To be honest I hadn’t seen the penalty one,” said Rochford. “I don’t want to get into a referee bash or anything. “I did think the one just before half-time was a harsh call, when the two players had collided and gone to ground. “But look, tight game… You look at certain instances if you want, when you come to a one point game you may look at that but it is what it is. “I’m sure if you go and look at some decision we got, you might have said, ‘Dublin would have been hard done by’.”