Horan dwells on the positives as Mayo learn valuable lessons

When it comes to these sterile post-match press conferences in the bowels of emptying stadiums, it is more often than not the words left unspoken than those uttered which are of utmost interest.

Yesterday, both James Horan and Jim Gavin ambled into the designated room with their cards held wedged to their chest and only once was there a mention of the fact that what had just been witnessed was the semi-final of a national competition and that came in the form of a question rather than an answer.

For Horan, there was no teary lament, none of the August anguish we witness so regularly from players and managers whose sides have just fallen one hurdle short of a place in the All-Ireland final. This was about lessons learned, not so much a prized fixture as a valuable educational tool.