I thought Clarke made a great attempt to save the penalty but Connolly placed it right in the corner.What a boost to Mayo it would have been if Clarke had saved that penalty.The save and the circumstances would have given Mayo huge momentum going in to the last 25 minutes of the match.The margins are small in all of these things and the difference between success and failure can be very little.
I convinced myself Clarke would save the penalty. The roar when he took the field was unreal. Connolly took it brilliantly, ice in the veins. Placed it so well that no keeper would have saved it.
A couple of things I don't understand about this whole situation. Why is it so easy for people to point at Hennelly for the reason why Mayo lost. The guy made mistakes, it's a team game, they win together they lose together. I don't like the way pundits have latched onto his selection and his mistakes and made him number 1 reason for Mayo's loss. He wasn't. If you look at the kickouts, I think he made 2 really bad kickouts and concedes the penalty. If a defender gave away 2 sloppy passes and conceded a penalty would he be getting as much stick? I don't think so. A number of so called 'bad' kickouts were won by Dublin due to their excellent pressing in the first half, a number of Mayo players weren't tuned in at the start and took time to settle Look at Cluxton in the Kerry game. He had a shocker in that 10 minute spell before half time. You could argue he cost Dublin 2 goals and probably a couple of points. Although Dublin still went on to win does anyone think he would have come out, put the hand up on social media and take all the blame!! Not a chance. Also, can someone explain to me why inter county players are on social media while they're playing? We all know that social media allows for anonymous abuse so why be on such a thing and leave yourself exposed to it? Why did Hennelly even feel the need to post on it? Mayo did not lose because of Rob Hennelly and if they go into the winter months thinking that that's all it was then they're never going to win the All Ireland. I for one hope his team mates and management are supporting him and backing him up as best they can right now
Replying To keithlemon: "A couple of things I don't understand about this whole situation. Why is it so easy for people to point at Hennelly for the reason why Mayo lost. The guy made mistakes, it's a team game, they win together they lose together. I don't like the way pundits have latched onto his selection and his mistakes and made him number 1 reason for Mayo's loss. He wasn't. If you look at the kickouts, I think he made 2 really bad kickouts and concedes the penalty. If a defender gave away 2 sloppy passes and conceded a penalty would he be getting as much stick? I don't think so. A number of so called 'bad' kickouts were won by Dublin due to their excellent pressing in the first half, a number of Mayo players weren't tuned in at the start and took time to settle Look at Cluxton in the Kerry game. He had a shocker in that 10 minute spell before half time. You could argue he cost Dublin 2 goals and probably a couple of points. Although Dublin still went on to win does anyone think he would have come out, put the hand up on social media and take all the blame!! Not a chance. Also, can someone explain to me why inter county players are on social media while they're playing? We all know that social media allows for anonymous abuse so why be on such a thing and leave yourself exposed to it? Why did Hennelly even feel the need to post on it? Mayo did not lose because of Rob Hennelly and if they go into the winter months thinking that that's all it was then they're never going to win the All Ireland. I for one hope his team mates and management are supporting him and backing him up as best they can right now"
They are on social media because they can money off it.
1 Goal and 4 Points were scored by Dublin due to mistakes by Hennelly. Lee Keegan (Mayo if not Irelands best player) got black card as a result of Hennellys poor kick outs. The 2 Black Cards to Hennelly and Keegan wasted the option to bring on 2 subs that management would have needed to freshen things up at the end.
I stood on the hill directly behind the goal and I don't think Hennelly can take all the blame for the kick outs ending up in Dublin hands. He had zero options on the ones they lost. He kicked some out towards Mayo players who lost their individual dual with their opponents.
His worst one was just after Connolly's point and led to Lee Keegan's black card. He totally under hits the ball but Dean Rock does extremely well to anticipate and get a fist to the ball. The Mayo defender was still favourite to win the ball but again lost out to Rock. Also Keegan was caught flat footed by Connolly and resorted to fouling Connolly. There were three mistakes in that instance, one from Hennelly, one from the receiver (can't remember who) and finally one from Keegan. To solely blame Hennelly is awfully harsh. His was the first mistake but 2 of his defenders could have bailed him out but failed to do so.
The penalty is all on him but I think people are going back from that point and picking holes in everything that came before.