'They didn't respect Cavan enough' - Keegan on shock Mayo loss

There’s no doubt about it: Mayo’s loss to Cavan in the All-Ireland Series opener in MacHale Park was a low point.

At least, that was the opinion of one of Mayo GAA’s finest sons, Lee Keegan.

READ MORE: Opinion - Where to now for Mayo after collapse against Cavan?

Keegan, in his column on the RTÉ Sport website, bemoaned the defeat to Cavan, as well as touching on the Connacht final and the future prospects for the Summer.

First came the public sentiment Keegan has experienced in the wake of Sunday’s shock result.

“After the defeat to Cavan, people down here have been bandying around comparisons to the infamous loss to Longford in 2010,” he stated.

“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.”

For the Westport man, there remains a sense that Galway were there for the taking in the home stretch of the Connacht final.

“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.”

Keegan believes that the Mayo side that slumped to defeat to the Breffni men lacked intensity.

“Frankly, they didn't respect Cavan enough,” he surmised.

“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.”

READ MORE: Column - This feels like the end of the road for Mayo

In the wake of the defeat, plenty of blame has been handed out both among the fans and the media, with plenty of it heading the way of management.

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

“On most of these attacks, if we went any slower, we'd be walking.”

Now, with the prospects of emerging from Group Four taking a serious dent, the five-time All-Star isn’t holding out hope for positive results in the Tyrone and Donegal tangos.

“There's still a chance they could take out Tyrone, who've shown their unreliability time and again,” said Keegan. “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.”