Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG

Football

football

Gavin: 'There is a sense that we got lucky'

Dublin and MAyo are set to battle it out again in the All-Ireland Football Final after they drew 2-09 to 0-15 the first day. Ahead of the replay, Dublin manager Jim Gavin talks to GAA.ie about the re-match on Saturday, October 1st in Croke Park (throw-in 5pm). #DUBvMAYO

By Paul Keane

It's only a fortnight ago that the notion of Jim Gavin describing his Dublin team as 'lucky' to be still in with a shout of retaining the All-Ireland title would have seemed ludicrous.

Everything changed in the space of 70 or so minutes at Croke Park last Sunday week, however, and the Sky Blues supremo accepts that they are fortunate to still have one hand on the Sam Maguire Cup.

In other years, Dublin's meagre six-point tally from open play, with just two of those delivered by their starting forwards, would have led to a chastening defeat and no second opportunity.

Thankfully for Dublin, they will return to Croke Park tomorrow with a strong determination to be better against Mayo, much better.

"There's a sense that we got lucky the last day," conceded Gavin. "In the first-half, we weren't scoring from play until very late in that half when we drove hard at them. It was two lucky goals for us. Yes, we created those opportunities but we didn't execute them, it was Mayo that executed them for us. So we got lucky on the day. On reflection, that's the sense of it, we were on the ropes and got a bit of luck on the day."

A more mean spirited team might be keen to inflict revenge on Mayo for denying back to back titles 12 days ago though Gavin shot down that narrative straight away.

"No, we've never gone after revenge," said the 2013 and 2015 All-Ireland winning boss. "We've never used that language in the group. It's always been about the performance piece and trying to perform to their best standards.

"It's my job and the job of the management team to just get players to be their very best. If we've done that, we've done our job. That's the way we've always looked at it. The players will give it their all. They did that the last day. I thought they showed great character in that game to hang in there.

"They know they got the breaks but they also hung in there until the end. Our job is to reset them and get them to be their best. If we can do that on Saturday night, that's all we can really ask of them."

Dean Rock playing against Wexford in the O Byrne Cup on January 3.

Dean Rock playing against Wexford in the O Byrne Cup on January 3.

The Dublin chief said that his view of the team's display in the drawn game didn't change much even after reviewing and dissecting it a number of times.

"I found that my perception of the game straight afterwards was exactly what I saw when I looked at the tape in terms of not meeting our standards," he said. "We've always gone after trying to play our particular game as best we can.

"That's what we always focus on and in terms of pass execution, shot selection, shot execution, it just wasn't up to what the players set for themselves."

Gavin smiled at the memory of Dublin's first competitive game this year, a January 3 O'Byrne Cup opener in Enniscorthy. John Small, Dean Rock, Denis Bastick, Philly McMahon and James McCarthy, all players expected to feature tomorrow, played that day and could be excused for feeling a little fatigued at the end of a long inter-county season.

"If they weren't playing this weekend for their county, they'd be playing for their clubs in the Championship," said Gavin. "That's the reality for Gaelic footballers.

"No, no, if anything, there's been a great energy there. A great energy in the dressing-room after the drawn game, great energy during the week, great spirit there. Just really enthused about the second chance.

"Our guys will be playing in two All-Ireland finals in the one year, it's great. As a Gaelic footballer, where else would you want to be but getting ready for an All-Ireland final and all that goes with it?"

Dublin may have won the final at the first attempt if Diarmuid Connolly had played a sideline kick short to a team-mate deep into injury time, instead of trying in vain for a point, from which Mayo created the equaliser. Gavin had no problems with the decision.

"Diarmuid thought it was on so we give him that expression piece," said Gavin. "We'll influence them and give them a tactical framework to play within. But there's no guarantee if he'd went short that they wouldn't have been turned over anyway."