“The ultimate teammate” – Lee Keegan heaps praise on heroic Mayo star

High praise for the Mayo man.

Lee Keegan has branded Diarmuid O'Connor as "the ultimate teammate" after his heroic performance today in Mayo's victory over Galway. Mayo were struggling in the first half and only managed to hit three points, but came out like men possessed in the second half, dragged themselves back into it, and got the win. That comeback was spearheaded by Diarmuid O'Connor who ruled everything from the skies to the earth in midfield, and was awarded with the Man of the Match award. "What a second half for Mayo, came out of the blocks and dictated the terms and conditions. Diarmuid O'Connor set that tone straight away. What a victory," said Keegan. "I think Peter mentioned before the game the subs, and the impact Mayo would have. That was the telling difference towards the end. Mayo finished really strongly, they'll be delighted with that second half performance.

"Diarmuid O'Connor [was man of the match]. Fantastic performance. We always mention his work rate, his determination, his resilience to keep going and going and going. "But he set the platform for Mayo, particularly in that second half. He won a massive turnover here in Galway's attack, and then made a huge run. He was fantastic today."

O'Connor admitted in his post-match interview that they never wanted to be in this round, but they are excited to have made the quarter finals, and will let his former teammate answer the question of who Mayo will want to play next. "This wasn't a round we wanted to be in and we were disappointed last week so it's a great win today but we've to get over it very quickly. "It could be anyone [in the quarter-final draw]. I don't know what Lee will say, I don't know if anyone will fancy getting us when we have momentum behind us. Just looking forward to it." Keegan took the opportunity to heap even more praise on the midfield mountain.

"It's funny, every time Mayo are really with their backs up against the wall, after a few poor performances, they're nearly written off after so much hope. "A game like today is the most Mayo thing you'll ever see. They come in and do what they do best. I think he [O'Connor] sums it up in terms of his performance. He is the ultimate teammate - that's the best compliment I can give him.

"He will do anything on the pitch, he will track, he will harry, he will tackle. Again, it was him today who set the terms and conditions, when Mayo needed somebody to step up. I'm delighted for him, I really am." Related links:

• Paddy Durcan reveals how Mayo were able to spark unlikely comeback
• Galway do 'a Mayo' and collapse in second half to exit championship
• Glenn Ryan's post-match interview about referee could get him in trouble