Horan at a loss to explain Mayo’s final meltdown

There are times when players and coaches can look back at the build-up to disappointing performances and ascertain warning signs that went unnoticed but there were no red lights for Horan in the immediate aftermath.

Mayo manager James Horan is interviewed for TV, as his son Eoghan plays on the pitch beside him

The voice is low, the words escaping reluctantly into the air.

James Horan’s son, Eoghan, is sitting beside him as he faces the hows and whys, the youngster wearing a Mayo jersey but cradling a big cuddly toy and holding a phone horizontally as he stares intently at the screen.