GAA: All-Ireland final reaction from Dubin's 1-17 to 1-16 win over Mayo
By Sean McCarthy
Last Updated: 19/09/17 3:03pm
Croke Park is where dreams are made and nightmares begin. For Mayo, it's just been a long nightmare with very few moments of awakening. Nine times now they have arrived into Croke Park on All-Ireland final day with high hopes of finally ending the curse of 1951.
Nine times now they have departed with defeat as their travel companion back to Mayo.
The loss this year might just be the hardest to take as they were the better side for the majority of this game as Dublin failed to get into gear in a first-half display that was nowhere near the champion's level.
Even with the introduction of Diarmuid Connolly and Kevin McManamon as half-time subs, Mayo were very much in control of their own destiny but it ended up as a tale of two frees.
Diarmuid O'Connor stood over a free in the 70th minute and watched as hit attempt hit an upright and bounced about eight yards in front of goals but there was no Mayo player there to capitalise and Dublin cleared their lines.
O'Connor might have heard the stadium announcer say there was going to be six minutes of additional time as he was preparing for the free but in that time the only thing that happened was Dean Rock hit over a free from just inside the 45 metre line to win the final for Dublin and put them in the history books as only the second Dublin team to win three-in-a-row.
Afterwards, Mayo manager Stephen Rochford was openly devastated about a second one-point loss in the All-Ireland final.
"Any defeat can be hard to take. Losing a final, losing a second final by a point, it's difficult but sport can be cruel sometimes."
Rochford was proud about how his players got back into the game after conceding that early goal after only two minutes.
He said: "The boys took an early dent in relation to confidence with what was a fabulous Con O'Callaghan goal but they fought back in and went ahead. Dublin went ahead in the second half but we got a goal and went back in front. It was a real see-saw affair."
In the 70th minute, Cillian O'Connor had the chance to put Mayo a point up but it hit the upright. "Dean Rock had to nail a free and did deep into injury time. Unfortunately we hit a post with what was a more difficult free but these are the fine margins. We hit the post, they score and we came out second."
For Jim Gavin, he has masterminded three All-Ireland's in a row for Dublin but he knew it was a close call today.
"Any time we play Mayo in recent seasons, it's always been very, very close and it's what we expected going into the game. I thought the Dublin team showed great composure during the match. It was nip and tuck all the way."
"Probably the last quarter when we outscored them 0-04 to 0-01 was the telling in the end."
"It was a scrappy enough first half, a very physical encounter. They obviously got a bit of traction and got a good few scores and went in a point ahead at half-time but at the break in play, we reset and made a few tactical switches."
Gavin has one of the best squads ever to play inter-county football and he knows the benefits of having such depth at his disposal.
He said, "It's been a great squad performance over the season. Some players didn't travel here today and they'll be disappointed but they certainly contributed to that performance today and we're just delighted to win."
For Mayo, it's another loss to Dublin but Gavin understands how strong they are.
"Mayo are a class side and they can be very proud of their performance and that's not being flippant about it, they are an incredible group of football players and their community should be very proud of them."
