Well the season has come to a close for Mayo but it lasted a lot longer than people expected. After the London game there were plenty of negatives and so too after the Kerry game. Here's what I think we can look forward to and look back on.

The Positives:
-Obviously we won Connacht
-We've unearthed a few new players that look up to county standard, i.e Cillian O Connor, Doherty, Mc Loughlin
-We've restored some kind of respectability in Connacht football
-The players showed a totally different way of playing football, better than the old way where we were pushed around a lot.
-The lads look fitter, stronger and more determined all year
-Despite losing by nine points to Kerry, we didn't bottle it and we didn't roll over for them
-Andy Moran has become a real leader and has been one of the top players in the country this year
-Cillian O Connor must be a major candidate for young player of the year.
-We have sorted problems such as free taking
-Retained division one status
-Beat the tribesmen twice
-Produced the performance of the season vs Cork

NEGATIVES
-We lost to Kerry yet again
-In my opinion our half forward line isn't stable enough, and apart from Mc Loughlin they don't get on enough ball
-Alan Dillon, who I thought would be a key player this season, never played out of his skin and when leadership was needed it was Moran who provided it. Not the captain Dillon.
-Yesterday proved that we are just two or three top intercounty forwards short of having a very good forward line.
-I can't see that midfield staying dominant for too long, but then again the only game they didnt do too well in was the Kerry game.
-Alan Freeman may not be as good a player as everyone thought,. Never performed too well throughout the championship, but he's still young.
-Andy Moran, in my opinion won't be able to play at that same level in every game again next year. Carried the team in a few games and we will need more leaders to shine. He will be a marked maan next year.

Postives
-Great work ethic, physicality
-Trying to play smart football, defensively and going forward
-The emergence of Donal Vaughan as a top centre back
-Hennelly and the excellent O Connor settling in to senior football
-New leaders in Moran and Vaughan
-An accomplished full back line (on their day Donnacha O Connor and especially Cooper are unmarkable, no fault on Cafferky v Cork or Cunniffe v Kerry)
-Aidan O Shea looking fit and strong at midfield.

Neagitives
-Losing to Kerry by 4-6 points would have been ok. 3 points in injury time were killers.
-Need to find to new wing back, Mortimer, Gardiner pushing on, Feeney not up to it (although a very honest player). Keegan looks like a good optinion here.
-Horan never figured out what to do with Alan Freeman, potentially Mayo's best forward.
-Good clever, ball winning forwards but no natural finisher in forwards and I don't think either of the two C words are the answer. Moran should have scored 2 goals y'day.
-Aidan O Shea's use of the ball.