“We must remain focused and continue working hard. Our journey in the championship is not over, and I will remind the team of this in a few moments. Although we find ourselves in an unexpected position, let’s test our resilience,” he expressed.
When asked how he felt about the team’s first loss in the All-Ireland series and their second loss in the 2023 championship against Roscommon in the Connacht semi-final, McStay looked upwards, his disappointment evident. “I am disappointed. As we were coming on the bus, we were in a great position, but we were fully aware of the dangers associated with it. I mean that sincerely. I conveyed this to anyone who would listen. These games are not easy,” he explained.
“We can no longer rely solely on the division we are in and draw a line. That concept is outdated. We knew the situation was precarious, but I would argue that we had a great advantage in the third quarter when we were up by six points. However, we failed to manage it, and we lost that advantage quickly. I believe that was the turning point,” he stated.
When questioned about why the team collapsed and failed to score in the final 20 minutes despite being in a winning position in the 56th minute when substitute Tommy Conroy scored a goal, McStay paused to reflect. “I will have to give that some serious thought since we clearly lost momentum there. It was a significant play, the Cork penalty. It should not have been the deciding factor, but it appears to have been. We lost our footing after that,” McStay replied.
“Cork really capitalized on that moment, especially since it occurred just minutes after we scored our goal. It seemed like we had established a comfortable lead and were gaining momentum. Instead, they swiftly countered, and we never had the chance to maintain our six-point advantage,” he added.
McStay revealed that everyone on the bench was aware of the importance of Aidan O’Shea’s free kick in injury time, which could have secured Mayo second place in the group based on score difference. Unfortunately, Cork’s three-point victory meant they tied with Mayo in points and scoring difference but ultimately won because they had scored more. Kerry’s significant win over Louth allowed them to top the group based on scoring difference. “It wasn’t meant to be,” McStay acknowledged.
“That particular free kick was quite dangerous, actually. It was a bit under-hit. It could have gone anywhere if someone had touched it. While it would have been a great point, I’m not blaming anyone for that play. We had numerous other chances. We can’t complain, lads. Cork pushed harder than us in the last quarter and overtook us,” McStay admitted.
Cork manager John Cleary chuckled and explained, “There was a significant difference between winning by two points and winning by three points!” He continued, “This victory takes us to the next round. Beating a Division 1 team has instilled a sense of belief in us. We needed to achieve that since some doubted our abilities. This is a small step in our journey, and hopefully, Cork football will regularly reach quarter-finals and semi-finals. But that’s still a long way off. We’re thrilled and will now focus on next week.”
Cleary acknowledged his concern that Mayo would regain their momentum after scoring a goal. However, he remained confident in his team’s abilities. “Looking at the pitch, I felt that Mayo was starting to tire, and we gained momentum from our bench,” he shared.
“Sometimes, when you have a comfortable lead, you tend to retreat, and I noticed Mayo’s defense trying to push up the field, leaving gaps. Colm O’Callaghan’s impressive run for the penalty was a game-changer. We were only three points behind at that point with ten minutes left. We continued to push and hoped for a draw or a victory, but winning by three points was the icing on the cake. Without that win, we might have had to play another match next weekend. Now, we’ll regroup and prepare for next week,” he concluded.
The Cork bench contributed 1-7 to the team’s total score, highlighting the importance of the overall squad. “We always emphasize to the players that it’s a collective effort. We need everyone to contribute, especially in the final 15-20 minutes of a county game. It can make a significant difference,” Cleary emphasized.
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