Jim Gavin looked genuinely confused this morning when it was put to him that Dublin had instigated a campaign against Lee Keegan through the media.

Ex-Dubs Ciaran Whelan, Paul Clarke and Ger Brennan have had their say on the Mayo wing back's ongoing battle with Diarmuid Connolly and former Mayo midfielder David Brady is one of many who believe that it is part of a deliberate Dublin strategy to put pressure on referee Maurice Deegan ahead of Saturday's replay. But Gavin insists there has been no orchestrated campaign.

"It certainly hasn't been spoken of in those terms in the Dublin camp, that's for sure," the Dublin manager told a press briefing at The Gibson Hotel, after initially failing to understand the question.

"It's a physical contact sport. We tell the players to get out there and play. Mayo play a physical contact game. What happened [between Keegan and Connolly] is predictable. Diarmuid is well able to look after himself."

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