Irish Daily Star - Inside Sport
REAPE WHAT MAYO SOW
Brian makes keeper role his own in McStay era
THOSE who haven’t been following Mayo closely this spring were left asking where is Robert Hennelly in the build-up to last weekend’s Division 1 final at Croke Park.
Generally for the big games, the number one goalkeeper is in situ and there may have been an assumption it was still Hennelly.
The answer is that he’s in the squad but is currently number three behind Colm Reape and Rory Byrne.
Reape is very much number one after a fine spring and that was only solidified by his performance in a national final as Mayo beat Galway.
The Knockmore man, who has won two county Championships, let in just one goal in six games as Ray Dempsey’s side landed the 2020 Mayo title. This brought him onto James Horan’s radar, but Hennelly remained his number one with Byrne as number two.
Opportunity
The arrival of Kevin McStay meant opportunity knocking for Reape and he has seized his chance with both hands.
After the win over Galway and Reape’s man-of-thematch display, McStay said:
“Sure look, that’s his job. There are going to be chances from time to time. He was great. I am so pleased for him. He has come a long way in the last six months.
“A great credit to his coach and to the other two keepers, Rob and Rory for keeping him honest.
“There is great competitiveness in the goalkeeping club. He was really good, and not just his goalkeeping.
“His housekeeping around the square was really, really good. And he hit three big frees, so that is a fair day’s work. He got man of the match I heard, so great, I am delighted for him.”
Reape only converted to being a GAA goalkeeper in 2020, having previously played as a forward, but the move has been a stunning success for the former soccer keeper.
Title
He was a forward on the Mayo squad that landed the 2016 All-Ireland Under-21 title, led by the likes of Stephen Coen and Diarmuid O’Connor.
Armagh have converted keeper Ethan Rafferty into an outfield player.
While Reape isn’t deployed in the same way, or scoring like Rafferty is, and tends to stay at home, he has shown good ball skills when forced