Mayo manager Andy Moran feels his side are “not the finished article” despite watching them romp into their county’s first All-Ireland SFC final for five years with a 17-point win over Louth.
It has been a blend of youth and experience that Moran has sought to combine this season, with the exciting talent of Kobe McDonald tempered by experienced campaigners.
While Mayo faltered in their Connacht semi-final against Roscommon, they have improved game on game throughout the All-Ireland campaign and now find themselves 70 minutes away from lifting Sam Maguire against either Kerry or Dublin who meet in the second semi-final on Sunday [16:00 BST].
They semi-final win was built on some attacking flair, but also sheer determination to force turnovers which led to each of their three goals, while shutting down the Wee County’s attack.
Despite the impressive performance, Moran feels his team still also have more to deliver.
“We have really good one to one defenders who are addicted to playing football and just want to learn,” he said.
“We’re not the finished article, so when the likes of young [Eoin] McGreal and these boys can play 55 minutes at 19 years of age in Croke Park, it makes a big difference.
“Ryan [O’Donoghue] up front, the likes of [Enda] Hession, Jack Coyne and Donnacha [McHugh] at the back – they are great leaders to have about the place.”
