With a quarter final in the melting pot against fierce provincial rivals who had their tails up, this selfless gesture will tell you all you need to know about the Mayo star.
Diarmuid Murtagh was absolutely flying in the last eight clash against Mayo. Lee Keegan wasn’t having a bad old game either.
Both men were giving it their all for the county cause last weekend and, at 1-8 to 2-5, there was little separating them as a place in the All-Ireland semi finals awaited.
Murtagh and his brother, Ciarán, had been phenomenal for the Rossies while Keegan had pillaged 1-3 in the opening half. His marauding runs from deep were a class above and Enda Smith had his head melted trying to spur his own side’s attacks while trying to stifle the 2016 Footballer of the Year.
With the game poised and level, 10 minutes into the second half, Keegan put rivalries aside to ensure Murtagh received the treatment he so badly needed. The St Faithleach’s clubman was poleaxed when contesting a 50/50 ball with Mayo’s Chris Barrett.
Credit: RTE PlayerPlay raged on and Mayo stormed forward on the counter-attack.
In normal circumstances, Keegan would have charged up-field and offered himself up as an attacking option. He considered it but, as the RTE cameras showed, he caught sight of Murtagh in a bad way.
Big hit on Diarmuid Murtagh. Great sportsmanship from Lee Keegan straight away to help him. Class act #rosvmayo
— cathalcorm (@cathalcorm) July 30, 2017
Just as the TV cameras swept to follow the play, Keegan was spotted approaching Murtagh to check on him.
Former Dublin defender Collie Moran was watching the game from the stands and spotted what many at home would have missed – a classic act of sportsmanship. In a piece for The Sun, Moran commented:
‘Lee stood beside Diarmuid Murtagh and put his hand on him and demanded that he get some attention. It was a very sporting gesture and something I’m glad to point out – and I didn’t need 12 different camera angles to pick it up either!’
Play continued for 30 seconds as Mayo broke forward, with referee Joe McQuillan following the action. It was only when Roscommon forced a turnover, and with both Keegan and Smith gesticulating for help, that the ref paused play so medics could get out to Murtagh.
The game was paused for two minutes but Murtagh was eventually able to continue. At this stage Keegan had moved off to mark his man.
It was a moment that was late being picked up but that should be acknowledged. Rivalries put to one side, for a few moments at least.
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