Finnerty backs Mayo to prove Cork ace Tompkins wrong to question character

Former Mayo footballer Anthony Finnerty has hit back at Larry Tompkins’ claims that James Horan’s players "lack the stomach" to perform to their best on All-Ireland final day.

Finnerty scored the only goal of the 1989 All-Ireland final against Tompkins’ Cork but Mayo couldn’t push on to claim what would have been a first title since their last Sam Maguire, won back in 1951.

The Connacht champions have lost six All-Ireland deciders since then, including the last two, against Donegal in 2012 and Dublin last year, and Tompkins said Mayo need to “grow up” to deal with the spotlight. But Finnerty says Tompkins, who also cited Alan Dillon as an example of Mayo’s collective failures, is doing this current side a massive disservice.

“Larry is living in the past a bit,” said Finnerty.

“I prefer to speak about the present with this Mayo team. If you look at 2012 against Donegal, we conceded two very early goals. Other Mayo teams might have collapsed but the team fought their way back into the game. And I don’t think anyone could question the heart they showed against an outstanding Dublin team last year.”

Ironically, Cork had lost Munster finals in three successive years, from 1984 to 1986, and two successive All-Ireland finals, to Meath in 1987 and 1988, before beating Mayo the following year.

Finnerty believes the current Mayo team has shown enough fight in recovering from the two most recent final defeats to suggest they can beat Kerry this weekend.

“They had to battle against Roscommon [in the Connacht semi-final] and, if Larry was watching it, he’ll know it was a fight all the way against Cork the last day. So maybe he’s basing his opinion on the soft All-Ireland he won against us but I’d rather talk about the present rather than the past. This Mayo team has shown they won’t be found wanting if it comes down to a battle.”