Christy O'Connor: Mayo’s orange crush a reward for shift in focus

Saturday's quarter-final against Cork took Mayo’s championship total of orange flags to 25. Including the league, 13 different players have raised at least one this season

Mayo’s Kobe McDonald kicks a two-pointer against Cork. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Big margins. Huge gains. In last year’s entire championship, Mayo only scored three two-pointers. As Monaghan forwards coach during the same period, Andy Moran was instrumental in the Ulster side being the highest two-point scoring team in the country in 2025.

Monaghan had the weapons that Mayo didn’t possess, but Moran upgraded that arsenal over the winter when recalling Robbie Hennelly, Cillian O’Connor, Michael Plunkett and James Carr.