I thought the 2015 semi-final was indicative of that Mayo team.
They did brilliantly to come from 7 points down to draw level with Dublin, then Diarmuid Connolly got a red card and Alan Brogan got injured so it was 15 v 13 with a few minutes left. Instead of using their 2 extra men to go hell-bent on getting the winning scores, they held back, content that they had come from 7 points down to draw level. They had too much respect for Dublin, why would any team be happy to take a draw against a team down two players?
It was the same in many other games, where in the 4th quarter they often did well to come back into games or draw level, but never having that edge to really go for it once level late in the game.
The exception being the 2021 semi-final, but then fading badly in the final where the real difference between the team for most of the game was the taking of goal chances, but then Mayo deflated in the final stretch.
You do know that the ball was in play for ABOUT 30 SECONDS after Connolly and Brogan incidents before the referee blew the final whistle?
Regardless of the time, there were 2 passages of play during 15 v 13 that stood out
- when Mayo had possession they barely committed anyone forward, while if they had gone all-out for a score, their 2 man advantage should have made it easy enough to eke out a decent scoring chance
- then when Dublin had possession, Dublin passed it around at the back to see out the draw when Mayo should have pressed them and 2 extra players would have given them a good chance of a turnover, but instead were happy with a draw.
Contrast that with Kerry v Dublin last year, 15v15, with 20 seconds left and Dublin in the ascendancy, with momentum and pressing hard on the Kerry kick-out, Kerry stayed with 6 at the back, avoiding the temptation of an extra body back to help win their own kick-out, then after winning the kick-out, the 6 forwards, 2 midfielders and 2 or 3 backs pushed forward in search of a winning score instead of being happy to see out time and take it to extra time.
P.S. It was similarly frustrating to see Kerry do the same v Dublin in 2019 with an extra man, although that was more when 1 point up rather than when level. 4 or 5 of Kerry backs just stood around doing nothing instead of swarming up the field to help keep possession and see out time or get the insurance point.
