O’Connor: We settled them down at half-time
The three-time winning manager at senior level took over the minors from Mickey Ned O’Sullivan for 2014 and is closing in on another landmark success in his career. If Kerry beat Donegal or Dublin in next month’s final they can bridge a losing streak that stretches back to 1994.
“It’s been too long, yeah,” said O’Connor. “The likes of Denis Dwyer was on that team in ’94 and sure he’s long retired. It will be a massive one with a big build up and I just hope the whole county gets behind us now.”
O’Connor admitted it was a frustrating period at times yesterday as his minors failed to play to their potential, keeping Mayo in the game.
“I found it very frustrating because I thought we were the better team in both halves and it wasn’t being reflected on the scoreboard,” continued O’Connor.
“But we were a bit nervous. I’m hoping the Croke Park nerves will be out of the system the next day and we’ll relax a bit and play the game we’re capable of playing.
“I think we’ve a right good chance. It was just that we snatched at chances in the first-half. They’re young and they were nervous. We settled them down at half-time and we played much more controlled football in the second-half.
“I kept saying, ‘we’re better than this’, we just had to settle down and that happens with young lads.”
Mayo manager Enda Gilvarry admitted a virus affected his camp ahead of the game. But he refused to use it as any sort of excuse for the tame display.
“The second goal we got came too late but there was a glimmer of hope after the first one,” sad Gilvarry.
“But, look, Kerry were good enough to come back and pull away and we have to admit that.
“They controlled the ball around the middle of the field and any team that does that are going to hurt you.
“We were hanging on and hanging on and living off scraps. We weren’t able to put any kind of consistent pressure on Kerry that would have tested them.”
