Andy Moran hails humble Kobe McDonald: 'Jordan has him in a headlock half the time'

Moran said he always thought his Mayo team would be suited to Croke Park

Kobe McDonald scored 0-4 for Mayo in their All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Cork. Pic ©INPHO/James Crombie

The wunderkind’s big reveal in the big house didn’t disappoint.

There wasn’t a minute played of Saturday’s All-Ireland football quarter-final between Mayo and Cork on Saturday when Kobe McDonald kicked the first score of the game. The last meaningful act was his shot that Patrick Doyle stopped in the dying seconds.

And it’s not like there weren’t moments in between. McDonald did it all. He kicked a sublime two-pointer, managed four points in all from play, provided at least one assist, caught a monster catch in midfield, burst through from deep… Not bad for an 18-year old just off the back of his Leaving Cert.

“He’s just the most humble young fella,” said Mayo manager Andy Moran. “You wouldn't even know he's around the place when he's there. I think Jordan [Flynn] has him under in a headlock half the time. He's just a really, really good kid.

“If Kobe Macdonald is out kicking in Crossmolina tomorrow and someone sees him, I wouldn't be surprised. That's the sort of fella he is. He'll keep trying it on. He doesn't back away.

“You see him for the goal chance, the last minute. As a manager you're thinking, this fella's 18, he's not going to fist this over the bar. He wanted the goal. He's 18 years of age, but he's just a great kid. Coming from a great family. Yeah, it was a great score.” 

Mayo’s win means we get to see McDonald at least one more time in the green and red before St Kilda get their hands on him, but let’s be clear: this was anything but a one-man show on a day when he was just one of eight on his team to make a Croke Park bow.

This was Mayo’s best defensive display in ages. They got the balance between the prevention of two-and three-pointers just right. They went man-to-man when they had to and hunted in packs when it was profitable.

If the midfield struggled for possession of kickouts then they worked like dogs in that middle third anyway and, as Moran said, they had some class up front with McDonald, Ryan O’Donoghue and man-of-the-match Darragh Beirne.

Moran had spoken after last week’s epic comeback win over Meath in Castlebar about bringing Mayo back to Croke Park for a first championship game in three years and they delivered to a man to earn that semi-final slot.

"Yeah, I was saying to people during the week, I always thought this team was suited to Croke Park and the way it plays because it's a completely different game.

“But the answer I was giving to everyone [was], we’ll know more at half-six on Saturday evening. And I just think the boys put in a really good workmanlike shift. I think they did really well and we’d a bit of brilliance up front that kind of won us the game as well.”