A JUBILANT JACK McCaffrey praised his Dublin teammates following their defeat of Mayo in the All-Ireland final yesterday.
McCaffrey admitted that it may not have been the prettiest game to watch, but it meant little given that the desired result was achieved.
“It’s something else, it’s been a phenomenal year and it’s great to get the win at the end of it, whether by a point or by ten,” he said. “We got there. It’s a testament to the character of the lads.
“The younger lads gained a bit from the experience of the likes of Stephen Cluxton and Bryan Cullen, they would have been through it all before and would have taken lads aside and talked them through any problems they might have had.”
The youngster was full of praise, in particular, for two-goal hero Bernard Brogan.
“That’s what Bernard does, and what he can do. He’s always liable to pop up and get that crucial score. That’s what we needed from the older lads, leadership, and they did the business for us.
“It was some day, but sure what else would you be doing,” he added. “Mayo really did put it up to us and we were very lucky to get there in the end.”
Dublin found themselves trailing Mayo at half-time, however McCaffrey says they did not panic.
“We have a routine we go through that gives lads a lot of comfort if things aren’t going too well or if your backs are to the wall. We do the same stuff and that brings you down to earth so you can focus in on the simple things. That’s what won it for us in the end.
“Jim [Gavin] is looking after us alright. Hopefully it’s not the end of it. Lads from the minor team last year coming straight in, hopefully we can drive on with the same hunger and desire.”
And while Dublin are generally regarded as an attractive side to watch, the 19-year-old says that it was their defensive game that stood out yesterday.
“I’ve heard it said, obviously, after some of our earlier games, but if you look at Mayo, they play something similar.
“I think it was our full-back line, or defence, which won it for us during the year. They’ve been getting an awful lot of stick but they really pulled it out of the bag today, lads putting their bodies on the line — lads like Johnny and Rory got smacks on the head but they just kept going.
“The defence obviously has a part ot play but we do what we’re told by Jim and he allows us to express ourselves. Thankfully it was enough to do the business.”
McCaffrey says his side knew what to expect from Mayo, but concedes that they caused them problems.
“You look at every team you’re playing for a couple of days beforehand. We knew their style of play and went out to combat that but they probably blew us away — they’re probably disappointed with a few of the chances they missed early on. But we stuck to it and got over the line.”
