Oisín McConville: John Small should’ve seen the line. Quite frankly, his tackle was horrendous

If you commit to a challenge like he did on Eoghan McLaughlin, you need to get the shoulder, or get the ball - Small did neither. There’s a duty of care here

Dublin's John Small with Eoghan McLaughlin of Mayo after the challenge that went unpunished by the match referee. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

At one stage on Dublin’s northside on Saturday evening, with the skies darkening, the lights on and the pitch with a greasy surface, it sounded like there were 124,000 rammed inside of Croke Park such was the crescendo.

Maybe it was the Mayo people? They do bring a different type of energy. The noise was deafening and Mayo had played their way back into the contest as only Mayo can do. They strive on abandonment, growing in stature when they have no option but to go for it, playing with verve, little time to think about things, tactics and logic seemingly going out the window, winning their duels.

That’s not to say James Horan’s influence wasn’t considerable. His substitutions worked, like Enda Hession and Tommy Conroy, adding extra dimensions to their play. Dublin, as we’ve noted before, have not been making the same type of footprint from the bench in recent times.

I spoke with John Casey, the former Mayo footballer, beforehand and he noted the absence of Oisín Mullin was like losing a player and a half. You’d have feared for Mayo in his absence. Pádraig O’Hora, though, and Lee Keegan, played with the same intensity and attitude and made up for the loss.

When you try and construct the Mayo story from the last few years, it’s almost a concoction of catastrophe and some games become intertwined with others. On Saturday, not for the first time, there was an opportunity. This time they took it. Any lingering doubts or baggage some believe they have ingrained would’ve resurfaced with things in the melting pot. Mayo believed it themselves and saw it out, almost comfortably in the end.

For a team that has built itself on composure, it was the Dublin of old to begin. Mayo showed the type of frailties that have haunted them down the years, particularly poor decision-making in the final third, with Aidan O’Shea, for example, rushing chances when he might’ve taken his mark. Dublin tagged on the scores. It was fuss-free.

But then it flipped and by the conclusion, Dublin were out of ideas. Their ease of winning Leinster meant they had nothing to fall back on. Mayo breezed through to the Connacht final, only coming to life in the second half against Galway. On Saturday, Conor Loftus scored a point right before half-time - Mayo were still 0-10 to 0-4 in arrears - and you thought maybe, just maybe, this isn’t over.

James Carr came on just before the 50th minute and won a ball and shot. It came to nothing and people around me were shrugging their shoulders, whereas I thought this is the type of courage Mayo have in abundance.

They also have resolve in bucketloads.

Two others stand out. Diarmuid O’Connor’s refusal to give up on a ball that was going out at the Davin side, to set up a Kevin McLoughlin point in the latter stages. And before that, at the very start of the second half, Dublin targeted the throw-in again and James McCarthy blasted the ball wide.

Firing balls almost aimlessly in complete desperation is not what Dublin do. Ciaran Kilkenny was lashing in balls from the sideline and when Brian Fenton was plonked inside Mayo used Aidan O’Shea to counter.

Rob Hennelly, the Mayo goalkeeper, hasn’t always had a good time at Croke Park. I suggested in the pre-match analysis that he might be an option to push up on Evan Comerford’s kick-outs to ask a question, although I’m glad now he didn’t. Saturday, in many ways, was redemption for Hennelly and nobody would begrudge him that. He showed nerves of steel to bring it to extra-time at the second time of asking.

If more time had been played, Mayo might well have won it in the 70 minutes. Dublin were losing it and showed cynicism. Dublin got away with possibly three incidents that were black cards and John Small should’ve seen the line. Quite frankly, his tackle was horrendous.

If you commit to a challenge like he did on Eoghan McLaughlin, you need to get the shoulder, or get the ball, and Small did neither. There’s a duty of care here. Sometimes you hear about these things in a club game where a referee might be on his own and may have missed it. But for it to go the way it did was hugely disappointing. Maurice Deegan was also looking on from 15 yards away and it leaves a bitter taste for Mayo.

Paul Faloon, the fourth official, seemed sympathetic, when in conversation with the Mayo manager. Horan is a collected individual and even he was animated with what he had seen. Mayo might’ve even channeled the frustration of that and used it to their advantage but for McLaughlin, it was an end to his day.

While we wait to see how the Tyrone and Kerry semi debate plays out, Mayo, on a high after dethroning the six-in-a-row All-Ireland champions, can bring themselves back down to earth.

In Horan’s first tenure they ousted the reigning All-Ireland champions in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and ended up with nothing each time.

There was jubilation at the final whistle on Saturday, which was totally understandable considering it was such a memorable triumph. It’s human nature for a team with so much youth. When compared to its predecessors this Mayo team is different and in many ways is the same.

I did notice a few of the more experienced players drawing a breath. They have been here before. It’s not over yet, although Mayo have given themselves a huge opportunity. Now, it’s up to them to take it.