McDonald did not travel due to injury

Gaelic Games/Football: Mayo selector Liam McHale has poured cold water over the theory that football captain Ciarán McDonald choose not to travel to last Sunday's victory over Tyrone in Omagh.

"Ciarán injured his calf against Cork, he has a lower back problem and was run down with the flu. His father travelled to the game but we decided to pull the plug on him travelling as it would have aggravated the back," explained McHale.

"He has had a recurring back injury bothering him for two or three years now. He trained Friday night but was off form and run down. We've had specialists look at it and they said it is just general wear and tear. It is not helped by the job he does either."

The Crossmolina clubman is in a family building business that requires a lot of heavy lifting.

Despite the absence of two key players in McDonald and James Gill (hamstring), Mayo still became the first team to beat Tyrone in Healy Park, or anywhere in the county, in over five years.

Both players are considered doubtful for the re-run of last year's All-Ireland final when Kerry visit Castlebar on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Donegal manager Brian McEniff has upheld his assertion that the refereeing of Limerick's Michael Ryan ended any chances of his team making the semi-finals of the National Football League.

In turn, it lands them in a relegation dogfight.

The three yellow cards were bad enough but awarding Dublin a crucial 45, which wasn't, and a point, which also wasn't, ensured his blood was still boiling a full 24 hours after the event.

Conal Keaney's point was even deemed wide by Dublin supporters, while a late 45, called wide by an umpire only to be overrruled, was pointed by Tomás Quinn to give Paul Caffrey's team a third win from five outings.

Donegal are bottom of Division One A with just a single victory - over Kerry.

"We are now facing relegation through no fault of our own," said McEniff. "I will put the issue to the executive so they can deal with it, as you can't say what you want to say. It will be through the right channels. It wasn't a point and the decision cost us the game and it was a four-point game at that.

"There is nothing we can do now but it is a high cost to us and I feel sorry for the Donegal people who travelled all the way down from the north west. It is three months' hard work down the drain pipe."