Ciaran Whelan said that Mayo couldn't be faulted for desire but ultimately paid the price for an absence of two-point shooters as they exited the 2025 All-Ireland SFC championship in agonising fashion against Donegal at Dr Hyde Park.
Ciarán Moore's winner after the hooter condemned Mayo to elimination in bottom place in Group 4, the Connacht runners-up paying a heavy price for their shock opening-round loss to Cavan in MacHale Park - with Raymond Galligan's side progressing despite having a drastically inferior score difference.
In the Hyde, things looked grim for Mayo at half-time as they trailed by three despite playing with a wind in the opening 35 minutes. However, they rallied in a strong second-half showing, David McBrien's goal putting them ahead with 15 minutes remaining and briefly putting them into top spot in what was a ferociously tight group.
Fergal Boland's late equaliser appeared to have nabbed a draw which would have sealed their progression in third place but there was a sting in the tale.
"They'll look back at that game against Cavan. It's another heartbreak for Mayo," sighed Whelan.
"You can't fault their desire, their effort, their intensity, the hunger they brought to the game. They really tried to unsettle Donegal and how they play. They brought it to a game of chaos.
"But ultimately, if you're playing with a wind and you have eight shots from play in the first half and you don't have two-point scorers, that came back to bite them. That's been their problem.
"They gave everything for the jersey. You can't fault the players. Their passion is fantastic but they just haven't been good enough.
"And still they were there, it was small margins near the end. It definitely wasn't Donegal's best performance but that was because of the way Mayo played and the pressure they put on, out the field.
"They'll rue that loss to Cavan, that one is going to hurt for a long time."
The game's final play generated plenty of comment afterwards. When the hooter sounded, Donegal could have put the ball out of play and been assured of second spot, with Mayo going through in third.
However, Moore chose to go for the jugular and switched on the after-burners, bursting in as far as the 21m line to kick the winning score with no time left for a response.
The point made no difference to Donegal's position in the table but it had a seismic impact elsewhere, with Cavan being sent through to the preliminary quarter-final at Mayo's expense.
What drama! Donegal break Mayo hearts after the hooter - Cavan come third, the Green and Red are finished for 2025
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 15, 2025
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"When Patton puts the ball on the tee, there's four seconds on the clock," Whelan said. "Brendan McCole has the hand out and is going out to the left wing, Mayo just switch off for that second.
"When the ball comes out (to Moore) that's the time to get over and foul him. If needs be, try and slow him down. But he shows massive pace to get through and pop it over the bar.
"From a game management perspective, if Donegal had kept the ball, nothing changed (from their perspective). If Mayo had won the ball and won the game, Mayo would have topped the group and Donegal would be on the road next week.
"It was such fine margins, those three or four seconds to get that ball out and Ciarán Moore did brilliantly to close it out. But that's the difference, Donegal just a bit more ruthless."
