Mayo manager James Horan insists that the substitution of Aidan O’Shea during Sunday’s All-Ireland Football semi-final win over Dublin was a tactical decision, rather than one informed by injury concerns.
O’Shea was called ashore midway through the second half, and former Mayo footballer Andy Moran revealed on Episode 15 of The Football Pod that the player was in a boot in the week leading up to the match.
However, Horan has dismissed suggestions that O’Shea has joined Killian O’Connor on the Mayo injury list.
Speaking at Mayo's All-Ireland Final Media Day at Hastings MacHale Park in Castlebar on Thursday, Horan told OTB Sports that the O'Shea substitution was based on tactics: “You always go through possible substitutions before a game, depending on certain scenarios, but every game is so different.”
“We were chasing the game and we probably needed a couple more shooters in there, so we brought on James Carr and Darren Coen, who can be very hot when they get going; it was just a logical step in that stage of the game.”
Horan confirmed that O'Shea was in a boot in the buildup to the game, but maintains it was merely a case of the team’s medical staff being overly cautious.
“They throw on those boots very frequently; I’m always on to the medical team, and we’ve a pile of them around the place all the time.”
“We trained last night and everyone was in good form - a few knocks and bangs, for sure, but overall, they’re in good form.”
Mayo's young guns blow Dublin away
Moran believes that the Mayo substitutions forced their younger players to produce huge performances.
“[Horan] had taken off Darren McHale and Aidan O’Shea at that stage, so then, all of a sudden, you can’t pull Tommy [Conroy] from the game - so maybe he would’ve been taken off.”
“We’ve talked about [Eoin] Murchan, Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion as the guys that offer pace, and at that moment, Tommy was moved to the half-back line, running at [the Dublin defence].”
“It was like watching Cormac Costello from three or four years ago; he was just sensational in those few minutes.”
Paddy Andrews was most impressed by Conroy’s mentality, especially after a difficult first half: “If you’re not playing well and you feel like your marker is getting the better of you, you hesitate and you don’t take that shot on - you wait and you take that extra touch instead, because your confidence is gone.”
“Conroy goes out and he kicks those three massive points - and of course, there’s the technical ability and the physicality and the athleticism to keep going for 85-90 minutes - but it’s the mentality he showed that is most impressive, especially from a young player.”
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