McStay delighted to Reape rewards of Mayo's league focus but Joyce questions lack of black card for goalkeeper

Kevin McStay and Padraic Joyce both felt Colm Reape was the difference in the Allianz Football League Division 1 final, though the Galway manager suggested the Mayo goalkeeper might have been fortunate to stay on the pitch.

As well as scoring three points, Knockmore netminder Reape made several important saves, including spectacularly denying Damien Comer, and was named man of the match after the Green and Red edged their neighbours 0-14 to 0-11 at Croke Park.

"We're delighted. Absolutely delighted," McStay told RTÉ Sport afterwards. "We put a lot of work into the league.

"We saw it through and I think we got our just desserts. We had a strong league and we finished strong to bring the cup home to Mayo.

"We don’t like to single people out because we’re a group but I’m going to mention young [Sean] Callinan, Jack Coyne, Colm Reape, our goalkeeper was outstanding.

"But we got contributions all over the field. Not all the time but when it was needed, in the final quarter when the push was required, I thought we showed greater desire."

Joyce rued Galway’s failure to take their goal chances but also thought Reape could have seen more than a yellow card for an incident late in the first half when he ran into Johnny Heaney after the forward had flicked a shot wide of the goal. Heaney tried to play on after treatment but had to be substituted.

"For me, it probably should have been a black card" David Tubridy and Peter Canavan have their say on the decision to show Mayo goalkeeper Colm Reape a yellow card for the Johnny Heaney incident