Mayo players 'have to take responsibility' for Cavan setback - Lee Keegan

Sunday was doomsday in Castlebar and the fallout has been rough.

That's according to former Mayo GAA star Lee Keegan in his column on the RTÉ Sport website.

He wrote: "The reality has hit home that there are possibly six or seven genuine All-Ireland contenders at the moment and Mayo sadly just aren't in that conversation anymore.

"We said a fortnight ago that this year's Connacht final defeat to Galway hit much harder than a year ago. This was a game in MacHale Park that was on a plate for Mayo with 20 minutes left, level in the match with a huge wind at their backs for the remainder, and they managed to blow it.

"For whatever reason - the few years without a provincial title, allowing Galway to do four-in-a-row for the first time since the 60s - that defeat stung the Mayo public far more than any Connacht final defeat I can remember in my time.

"I don't know if the players were still sulking from that loss or whether the after-taste was still lingering, but their body language was poor throughout the Cavan game.

"I heard Martin Carney on Mid-West Radio was fuming throughout the game about a lack of intensity, a bad sign.

"Either way, it seemed evident that Mayo didn't approach Sunday's game with the proper attitude. Frankly, they didn't respect Cavan enough.

"They didn't lay a glove on them for much of the 70 minutes.

"Ciaran Brady's opening point was indicative, where he was allowed run and run and run and stroke a tap-over point with Mayo lads waving him on his way.

"Cormac O'Reilly, a player with whom I wasn't terribly familiar, destroyed Mayo's full-back line and barely had a glove laid on him.

"Worst of all, the final scoreline flattered Mayo. They were behind by eight points until they stuck on 1-02 in the final couple of minutes, the goal coming through a very rare direct ball into Aidan O'Shea on the edge of the square.

"The management are taking a lot of heat for Sunday's performance, although they're not alone in the dock.

"People are calling for Kevin McStay to walk but the players also have to take responsibility here. The energy they brought to the contest wasn't acceptable.

"Definitely, the football Mayo are playing now is far too slow and lateral and monotonous and I don't think is suited to the playing group.

"It's a deviation from what Mayo have been when they've played their best football.

"If I see one more lad sticking his hand up in the air to slow down an attack, I think I'll go cracked. We're going slow enough as it is. On most of these attacks, if we went any slower, we'd be walking. Put your hand down!

"On one level, you'd say it'd be typical Mayo to go and win their next two group games. But, to be honest, I don't see it.

"There's still a chance they could take out Tyrone, who've shown their unreliability time and again. I'd have said that was 50:50 prior to the Cavan game but you'd have to revise that form-guide now.

"Mayo have a tendency to play up or down to the level of the team they're coming up against and no doubt they'll have to ratchet up the intensity for that game.

"But it's an absolute must-win now because the prospect of beating Donegal on their current form on neutral turf looks very slim indeed."