Always workin' Paddy Durcan.
One of the stats of the 2019 championship was that, having marked Ryan McHugh, Shane Walsh and Jack McCaffrey, Paddy Durcan kept all of them scoreless and at the same time, kicked 0-8 from play himself. That's bang for your buck from a wing back.
It's three years on but little has changed in the mean-time and, with Paddy Durcan still galloping like a racehorse, little is changing now. Opposition forwards get very little hop but, with those trademark surging drives, he's also one of Mayo's most threatening attackers and their most prolific scorers.
The Castlebar Mitchells club man was held in reserve on Sunday in the Athletic Grounds but, having been brought on just before half-time, 40 minutes was all he needed. Durcan put those fresh legs to good use by thundering up the wing at even the faintest whiff of an opportunity and when the chances arrived, with the game in the melting pot, he made no mistake and became Mayo's match-winner once again.
Durcan scored two late points, the second of which summed up everything good about him as a player. He was in the corner back position at the time and, while most players might stay there, they might leave the scoring to the forwards, Durcan pinned the ears back and set off. It's not like anyone would have gave out about him if he hadn't gone but Durcan went anyway, he went like an 800m runner and in front of the posts, it never entered your mind that he was going to miss.
https://twitter.com/GAA__JOE/status/1498603754320498691
Watch the score in better quality here from TG4.
https://twitter.com/SportTG4/status/1498638971605331971
You'd have to say that, in this sort of turbo-charged form, the 27-year-old is one of the finest athletes in the game and one of the best footballers in the country. After the 0-15 to 1-10 victory, Durcan and his Mayo team-mates warmed down with a few shuttle runs and, as only Mayo fans would do, they lined up and clapped the players through.
What a crew.
https://twitter.com/GAA__JOE/status/1498592195561021445
