By Paul Keane

Stephen Rochford, in time, may come to appreciate the achievement of being within a point of the All-Ireland football champions two years in a row.

Right now, however, it is a painful place to be and the Mayo manager will spend another winter mulling over how near but yet so far the county came to ending its All-Ireland drought.

Sunday's final defeat to Dublin was particularly agonising as Mayo led on seven different occasions, and as late as the 66th minute, yet were ultimately unable to stem the blue tide from washing over them.

Rochford nodded when it was suggested to him that failing to build on any of those leads during the game, putting clear daylight between the teams, had cost Mayo.

"Yeah, I couldn't disagree with that," said Rochford. "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."

Rochford was speaking to media at the team's City West Hotel base at noon yesterday before making the journey home to Mayo.

He sat at the very same table where he spoke with reporters almost a year ago following a one-point final replay defeat to Dublin. Asked if the pain of defeat was worse this time, he shrugged.

"It's not any easier anyway," said Rochford. "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."

Rochford said that he will take some time out to consider his own position as manager.

"I have to do a bit of thinking about that during the month of October and see how it is," he said. "I've got into a new job with work and I have two young kids so there's a good bit to consider now at this stage. We'll do that during October and we'll talk to the county board."

Rochford also said he intended to speak to Donal Vaughan to assure him that Mayo's defeat was in no way down to his 48th minute dismissal. Vaughan was shown a straight red card when he clashed with Dublin's John Small who'd put in a heavy challenge on Colm Boyle moments earlier, earning him a second booking and a red card also.

"It's one of these things, he's been super for us all year and he was having a fine game," said Rochford. "There'll be no victimisation here of anybody. All 35 that are in the squad worked each other to the bone to get us into that position to be able to competitive and to go to the 78th minute."

Rochford praised the mental strength of his players and said that they will be back in 2018.

"Moments within these games don't define these guys," said the Crossmolina man. "If that was the case, they'd have been finished four or five years ago. Mentally they are a very strong group, they are a very tight group and we know again that there's more percentages there to improve on and I've no doubt the talent is there.

"I think five of the six guys we brought on were under the age of 25, three of them at 22. While Dublin were bringing on All-Ireland winners and experience, we were certainly bringing on All-Ireland winners at minor and U-21 level and that's encouraging for the years ahead."