Rochford's regrets

September 19, 2017

Mayo manager Stephen Rochford.
©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan.

Stephen Rochford admits he has "regrets at certain things" in the wake of the All-Ireland senior football final.

For the second successive year, his Mayo team fell to an agonising one-point defeat to Dublin and Rochford admitted that it was frustrating that they couldn't get over the line after leading on seven occasions, including with four minutes remaining:

"Yeah, I couldn't disagree with that," he told gaa.ie. "I think the goal we scored may have put us one up. I think we created a scoring opportunity then, maybe kicked it wide. To have had two scores, two big scores, back to back, that may have helped to just drive us on.

"But Dublin, you know, I'd have to acknowledge the pure quality that they have in relation to being able to bounce back. We went two ahead later on and they hit points in quick succession to put the game back in the balance. We'll certainly have regrets at certain things like that, because it's such tight margins.

"We didn't have an ambition to come up and be a good second, we were quite happy to be a poor first. But it wasn't to be. We know we played reasonably well.

"I still don't think we played to our best but I think when you've got two extremely competitive teams coming up against each other they'll negate you on some things and other things will work out well, but overall it's disappointing. It's a long trek to get back here but I have no doubt the lads will look to regroup over the winter."


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