We haven’t experienced that intensity all season – Jim Gavin

In these situations, it’s hard to know who gets the sympathy and who sighs the relief. Dublin blew a seven-point lead but managed to kill the game stone dead in extra time when the momentum had swung definitively Mayo’s way.

Jim Gavin wouldn't be the quickest to display his emotions but you got the sense afterwards that he was happy enough in the end to get out of Croke Park still breathing.

“I don’t think so, no,” he replied when asked if his team had gone into their shell at the end.

"Mayo played well, they came at us hard, got a couple of frees, couple of scores and it was an exciting game. There was a lot of errors in it. For our part the game will do us a world of good. We haven't experienced that intensity all season, it was four weeks since our last game and we will be the better team for it the next day.

Added time

“Yeah, I think it would have been 10, 12 minutes to go [that Dublin were seven ahead] with the added time which you factor in for championship games. We were delighted to have been in that position for the last quarter, but Mayo are one of the top teams in the country and they came back well.

“We were a man down, I thought we rallied hard, showed good composure took some great scoring opportunities. We had some frees, didn’t take them – that’s the nature of the game, I think we only had one [point] from frees in the end. That’s one area to work on.”

This was Dublin's first championship game against Division One opposition since the 2013 All-Ireland final. And it showed. They don't come back at you like this in the Leinster Championship. They don't hit this hard nor test you this keenly. Big step up?

“Of course it is,” said Gavin. “Players have less time on the ball and the passing with the foot in both halves was a little bit off. It’s very hard to replicate that in training. I think we will come out the far side of this experience much better for it. We’ll learn a lot. Those 80-odd minutes out there will stand them in good stead the next day.

“It’s up there with anything [in terms of physicality]. I thought 2013 against Mayo was quite physical too. We’ve had some physical challenges in the league, but at this stage of the season with so much on the line both teams really threw themselves into it. It’s great to see that physical aspect still in our game.”

Some of it undoubtedly coloured outside the lines and the week to come will surely be filled with disciplinary hearings and appeals and all that jazz. Diarmuid Connolly saw the line late on for swinging a punch at Lee Keegan as the pair wrestled on the ground. Gavin wouldn't be drawn on it.

Held on the ground

“I just saw it in front of me, he seemed to be held on the ground. Didn’t see why he was sent off, I haven’t spoken to Diarmuid yet, but we’ll follow it up. I’ll have to have a look at it. It would be very unfair of me to comment. Joe [McQuillan] made the decision based on whatever information he received. He made that call, as he did for the black cards and some other cards that might not have been given. We’ll have to have a look at all those.”

Did he think some incidents crossed a line?

“I’m sure there was. But that happens when players are trying their very best and we’ll look at the tape and see is there anything we need to improve on.

“Joe got the game today and he is one of the top referees in the country. He is here on merit and I am sure he did his best, but we will have a look at it.”

For a fifth game out of five this summer, the free count went against Dublin. There were only a handful in the difference – 26 to 21 – but it kept a trend going in only one direction. This is something Gavin has remarked upon before and has become quite sanguine about over time.

Art of tackling

“We’ve accepted that that’s the case. One thing that we can’t control. We are practising the art of tackling very hard in our sessions. We believe we are doing it the right way, but it’s just one of those things that we are going through at the moment. Hopefully we’ll come out on the right side of it.”

As for the major job of work for the day, Aidan O'Shea came out of the game scoreless, but not without influence. On the other side of the ledger, Stephen Cluxton missed three second-half frees.

“I thought Philly McMahon played a very good game on him,” said Gavin of O’Shea. “I thought our backs in general played well. They came hard at us obviously in the last quarter and got a couple of scores, but I thought defensively we were quite solid for most of the game.”

And Cluxton? The last free was especially kickable, since it was from more or less the same spot from which he won the 2011 All-Ireland. Not this time.

“Yeah, I thought it was well within his range. He’ll be back. He’s very strong mentally and of the opportunity arises again I’m sure he’ll step up and take it the next day.”