James Horan refused to use the blatant foul on Lee Keegan just moments before Aidan Walsh scored Cork's second goal as an excuse for Mayo's Allianz Football League final defeat.

While dismayed that referee Maurice Deegan failed to award the 55th minute free, the Mayo manager acknowledged that the better team won.

"It was at a key time in the game, there was no doubt about that, but I think over the course of the game Cork probably deserved," he said.

"We did not play at the level we can and I am disappointed with that. Even in the first half we did not play that well to go four points up.

"Cork got a huge start to the second half, but we hung in there and if we got the rub of the green or the free we deserved there, we would have been there or thereabouts. Overall, the game was disappointing and we did not play at the tempo we can play at." Tweet

Most Read Stories