I played in one final in my patchy GAA career and will never forget the final words of our star player just before we left the changing rooms. “I always bottle it in finals.”
A couple of us offered words of encouragement and he sadly nodded his head.
I got the same nod as the ball was about to be thrown in but had to worry about myself first. First possession he had, he popped a shot wide. First free he took, it dropped short.
He had dragged us into the final but was hardly there when it counted.
John Small must have felt his stomach cinching as so many of his teammates failed to fire during the All-Ireland final. The 23-year-old focused on his own job for that crazy half an hour but he pushed himself to the forefront as Dublin finally turned territory into scores.
On one occasion in the first half, he barrelled into his man, won possession, drove forward and found a teammate in space.
All well and good, the RTE commentators remarked, but boy could Dublin do with Jack McCaffrey
In the second half, he was immense. McCaffrey, the 2015 Footballer of the Year, wasn’t mentioned once.
Every time Dublin needed some forward momentum, it seemed as if Small was there. He forced turnovers, fielded high balls, powered up the left and through the middle. He seemed to be the only Dub capable of getting his supporters to part their arse-cheeks from their seats.
If there was one flaw to pick from his courageous display it was his reluctance to shoot when within sight of the sticks. On a couple of occasions he was in the clear only to hand-pass possession away.
Perhaps he was affected by the misses of his vaunted teammates. It was the only part of his game that lacked stomach.
Speaking about the Small on The GAA Hour, Colm Parkinson declared:
“John Small was brilliant. He reminds me so much of Cahir Healy, who plays for Laois. He is a player I absolutely love.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve. John Small leaves it all out on the field. All out. Small would put his head in anywhere; in the thick of it.”
Mayo seemed to recognise the threat and laid down some heavy hits.
Less than 60 seconds after regaining his feet, following treatment for a head knock, Colm Boyle battered into Small with a full-blown shoulder charge. Somehow the Ballymun Kickhams man got up.
He was still out there, still offering himself for the ball and heaving forward when Boyle was off nursing his hurt.
Just over five minutes to go and he backed himself. It paid off with a point.
Dean Rock and Diarmuid Connolly, rallied by their younger, greener teammate, tacked on points but Mayo found it in them to come back. Small could do with some support when he faces these Mayo men again on October 1.
Next time out, more will be looking to him as a catalyst.
He can take it.
We review a crazy All-Ireland final and chat to Lee Keegan about his special relationship with Diarmuid Connolly. Listen below or subscribe here on iTunes.
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