Mayo had to survive a mighty fright at home to Derry before securing safe passage to the next round of the qualifiers, eventually seeing the Oak Leaf off on a scoreline of 2-21 to 1-13. It could have been much different: Mayo trailed until Conor Loftus' late 1-1, with the game sent to extra-time by a dramatic Derry goal that swiftly followed Loftus' point.
Derry's goalkeeper Ben McKinless was among the, er, most conspicuous of Derry's performers. He mixed the sublime and the ridiculous throughout. Naturally, the biggest talking point concerning his performance was his Pepe-Le-Pew-style hair:
Was that Derry goalkeeper in Blazing Squad back in the day ?
#mayogaa #derrygaa #rtegaa #mayovderry— Marc O'Reachtaire (@o_reachtaire) July 1, 2017
Oh wait are you talking about the Derry keeper's hair? pic.twitter.com/qB3l23WWKd
— 📻 Ed Smith 📻 (@EdTodayFM) July 1, 2017
His short-kick outs were largely disastrous (he kicked the ball directly to Jason Doherty for an early Mayo goal in the first few minutes of extra-time, which pretty much killed the game) and he sent most of Derry into palpitations by frequently frolicking out of his goal. In fairness, the kick-out strategy was hardly his own invention, and was an instruction from management. Flamboyant hair + willingness to kick short and run out of goal = mad in GAA parlance.
Back in 2001 David Clarke on Mayo panel 4 Nat League final..His opposing no today was then 3yrs of age..Clarkie will never stop saving em
— David Brady (@D9BMayo) July 1, 2017
Even by keeper standards McKinless is buck mad #GAA
— Barry O'Donnell (@bod_uherald) July 1, 2017
Can't help but enjoy that pup McKinless's style for @Doiregaa here
— Niadh Ó Cléirchín (@NiadhOCleirchin) July 1, 2017
Even by keeper standards McKinless is buck mad #GAA
— Barry O'Donnell (@bod_uherald) July 1, 2017
I don't know what's worse, the Derry keeper's performance or his haircut. #Mayo #Derry
— Jonathan O'Brien (@obrien_jonathan) July 1, 2017
#Derry keeper would give an anxiety attack to a Buddhist monk!!
— DerekHennessy (@dhennessy75) July 1, 2017
But for all his evident madness, he burnished his performance by consistently denying Mayo goals. While he was soundly beaten by Loftus' late, stunning effort, he brilliantly denied both Andy Moran and Cillian O'Connor certain goals in the second-half.
Here is the save from Moran, courtesy of Eir Sport:
WATCH:
Fine save from @Doiregaa's Ben McKinless to deny Andy Moran and keep his side two ahead in Castlebar. #GAAClips pic.twitter.com/qb61Uf8bDs— eirSport (@eirSport) July 1, 2017
And plenty were quick to recognise the quality of his performance:
Derry keeper walking the tight rope between outstanding and absolutely brutal!
— Aidan Leonard 🇵🇸 (@aidybear) July 1, 2017
How the 3yr old has become of age#GodDamYa
— David Brady (@D9BMayo) July 1, 2017
Ben McKinless with 2 massive saves here. If Derry can win this he will take a lot of the credit
— Big Red (@DaireDevine) July 1, 2017
McKinless is some shot stopper more than making up for his couple of point mistakes
— DamienMc (@damienmc67) July 1, 2017
And some say the characters are leaving the GAA...
