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"
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 2, 2023
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
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"We had three or four very good goal chances that we didn’t take and when you see the Mayo keeper man of the match that tells its own story," Joyce said.
"Johnny Heaney had a great chance in the first half, he got to the ball first and was taken out of it. There probably should have been a bit more punishment for that but it wasn’t given on the day.
"It was a tight enough game. It was probably a patchy game overall from both sides. Ten of Mayo’s 14 points came from frees and marks. Disappointed with some of the frees that we conceded there and we would question a few that were given.
"But no complaints. Mayo were the better team on the day so congrats to Kevin and their squad."
Speaking on RTÉ2's Allianz League Sunday, both former Clare star David Tubridy and Tyrone great Peter Canavan agreed that Reape had been lucky to escape the sin-bin.
"The way the keeper comes out, he doesn't spread himself to block for a goal, he sticks out the leg at the last second, catches Johnny Heaney on the quad and takes him out of the game really," said Tubridy.
"For me it probably should have been a black card and could have changed the game big time."
Canavan added: "It was a massive call because the goalkeeper went on to be man of the match.
"Initially, I thought it was just a collision but when you watch it again he definitely took him out of it and I think he got off lightly."
Here's how Kevin McStay and Pádraic Joyce reacted after Mayo's #AllianzLeague Division 1 final win over Galway earlier
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 2, 2023
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Mayo have a tight turnaround and are back in action against Roscommon next Sunday in the Connacht quarter-final whereas Galway won’t meet the winner until 22 April.
"They are probably building a little bit ahead of us because they have championship next week whereas we have three more weeks," said Joyce.
"We’ll be trying to come back and get at it for the pitch of the championship."
Watch highlights of Mayo v Galway and all the weekend’s action on Allianz League Sunday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
