The Connacht champions lost out to Jim McGuinness’s side at Croke Park, thanks in no small part to Donegal’s two first-half goals.
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“Yeah, the two of them should have been defended better,” Horan told reporters afterwards. “The first goal Michael Murphy won one of the first balls in and got a yard and then produced a very good shot. It’s not like us though. The second goal came from a ball hitting off a post. We had it again but then dropped it. That was hard to take.
“The second goal came from us having the ball in our corner-forward spot but we dropped it there again.
“They tried various things at various times. I think we dealt with whatever way they played. The goals that went in were just from basic mistakes we made high up the pitch that gave them opportunities. I don’t think it had anything to do with how Donegal set up or moved their play. It was just a case of our skills letting us down.”
With the Ulster side in front at the break, Horan explained that he just told his charges to keep plugging away, having already made inroads to the Donegal lead in the moments before half-time.
“Just keep playing. And playing our game. Because in the second quarter we were dominant, very dominant, and were doing a lot of things right. So it was just pretty much more of the same.
“I think one or two of their first points, again, came from a basis mistake that we made. But look it, I’m sort of repeating myself here. But that’s the way I would see the game, and the way it sort of petered out. I’m not sure what Donegal got from play, but their two goals, obviously, if you took those out, it would be a different scenario. But look it we’ll have take it on the chin, learn from it.
“I think there are, a lot [of positives]. We’ll keep going, learn from it, as we’ve done every single experience we’ve had this year. We’ve improved as team, in every single game. It the first thing we did, when we sat down in the dressing room, we went through what we could improve on, what worked today and what didn’t work. And that’s been our approach all year, and is still the same.”
We'll be back, insists chief Horan as Mayo look for positives
JAMES HORAN INSISTS his young Mayo side will learn form yesterday’s All-Ireland SFC final defeat to Donegal.
The Connacht champions lost out to Jim McGuinness’s side at Croke Park, thanks in no small part to Donegal’s two first-half goals.
“Yeah, the two of them should have been defended better,” Horan told reporters afterwards. “The first goal Michael Murphy won one of the first balls in and got a yard and then produced a very good shot. It’s not like us though. The second goal came from a ball hitting off a post. We had it again but then dropped it. That was hard to take.
“The second goal came from us having the ball in our corner-forward spot but we dropped it there again.
“They tried various things at various times. I think we dealt with whatever way they played. The goals that went in were just from basic mistakes we made high up the pitch that gave them opportunities. I don’t think it had anything to do with how Donegal set up or moved their play. It was just a case of our skills letting us down.”
With the Ulster side in front at the break, Horan explained that he just told his charges to keep plugging away, having already made inroads to the Donegal lead in the moments before half-time.
“I think one or two of their first points, again, came from a basis mistake that we made. But look it, I’m sort of repeating myself here. But that’s the way I would see the game, and the way it sort of petered out. I’m not sure what Donegal got from play, but their two goals, obviously, if you took those out, it would be a different scenario. But look it we’ll have take it on the chin, learn from it.
“I think there are, a lot [of positives]. We’ll keep going, learn from it, as we’ve done every single experience we’ve had this year. We’ve improved as team, in every single game. It the first thing we did, when we sat down in the dressing room, we went through what we could improve on, what worked today and what didn’t work. And that’s been our approach all year, and is still the same.”
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All-Ireland SFC All-Ireland SFC final Connacht SFC Croke Park Donegal GAA GAA Jim McGuinness Mayo GAA Reaction Sam Maguire Ulster SFC