Here we go again.
For 63 minutes, Dublin looked on course to be in the All-Ireland final. But, in the space of 12 second-half minutes, things changed utterly and Mayo forced their way back into the game.
So, where does that leave both sides now as we look forward to Saturday’s replay? Are Dublin capable of putting in a 70-minute performance or can Mayo learn enough from that final chaotic few minutes?
Our sports psychology consultant Emmett Hughes gives his take on who’s in better shape ahead of Saturday’s game.
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The team with momentum normally is who you would think comes out of a drawn game in better shape. Think of Kerry getting that last-minute point in the first Munster final this year.
In the immediate aftermath of the game, I was really interested to see the Dublin players pushing away the TV cameras, and how a Dublin player had the ball in hand as the final whistle went and he just booted it into the stand.
That suggests to me that Dublin were visibly frustrated with themselves whereas Mayo were the team coming off the pitch much much happier with themselves.
You could say that Dublin not winning will be a huge blow to them mentally. Being up so far up with 12 minutes to go means, you’re asking why the game didn’t finish the way you wanted it to.
But then you look at it from Dublin’s point of view and it changes the whole complexion of the replay.
Dublin had not faced a single Division One side in the championship until last Sunday and they had that game won after 63 minutes.
They did everything right for over an hour and they will feel that they should have won. In training this week, that feeling is probably being cultivated by Jim Gavin and his management. Rightly so.
He knows his team were in a real game for the first time in a year and were minutes away from finishing the job.
That gives them huge confidence and a momentum of itself.
Mentally, you would have to admire how Mayo’s comeback was achieved. They showed real resilience and they did not go away. They eventually got beyond Dublin’s momentum.
To do that against such a strong team shows incredible drive.
The longer the county goes without that elusive All-Ireland title the more the feeling will grow that this football team are on a crusade, and I really get that sense from this team.
Their playing and training standards must be very high and they are an example on how to block out external influences. I expect that will be the same this week even with all the furore over players missing and last week’s game.
Mayo is a really steady ship – that was reflected in the comeback – and they have some of the best leaders you could ask for in Keith Higgins and Donie Vaughan.
Even someone like Aidan O’Shea has grown up a lot as well and that’s made a huge difference.
I think maybe too much was made of the various off the ball incidents. Hurling and football are confrontational sports and the only thing that is anyway close to it at the moment, for me, is rugby.
We can over-analyse it a bit and, I think, from a spectating point of view it’s not pleasant. That being said, you have to admire the physical intensity of the stuff between the teams.
The biggest issue when you’re talking about physical confrontations is who is in control.
Was it players losing their control or was it players being calculating and keeping their heads in the middle of all the physical stuff to try and get someone else to lose control?
A key aspect of the replay for me will be to see whoever maintains the control of their emotions, and their aggression, are likely to be the winner.
There is bound to be a lot of focus on whether both teams will try and change their approach to the replay from their tactics the last game.
Tactics being tactics there is always room for some change but, at the same time, there is some comfort in knowing that what Dublin did for 60 minutes worked and when Mayo pushed up that worked too.
To stick or twist now is a huge decision for the managers but it will come down to how they view their players. The only thing that I can say from my experience is that players want the confidence from sticking to what they know rather than switching it up.
But are players then in too much of a comfort zone?
Just a word, finally, on Kerry and how ready the winners will be to topple the Kingdom.
Last year’s drawn game has to give Mayo serious confidence even if the result ultimately went against them. That experience, which to be fair, Dublin’s players really don’t have, has to be a major strength.
If Mayo were to win on Saturday you’d have to think that it would be almost a certainty that you could write-off the chance of them capitulating in the final against Kerry. Again.
And for a county that has suffered so much loss to Kerry would be a major boost for them mentally.
Then you look at Dublin and if they win they would really fancy their chances of beating Kerry.
They have avoided the ‘caught on the hop’ scenario that did for them in 2014 and that will be a major motivation.
I think the momentum is with Mayo.
If they reflect on the game but move on, instead of letting what happened fester, which could affect Dublin’s players and management, then they are in a very strong position.
You can contact Emmett Hughes here
