Mayo lost to Dublin on Saturday evening by a single point in the All-Ireland final replay.
Before throw-in, Stephen Rochford elected to promote substitute goalkeeper Rob Hennelly into the starting team. Hennelly gave away a second-half penalty which Diarmuid Connolly duly converted.
Today, Hennelly has posted a statement on his Instagram account.
“I’ll never be able to fully describe what was going through my head at this moment. What I was expecting to be one of my best days turned out to be the opposite, and it breaks my heart that I didn’t come through for my team and county.
“I told a brilliant young man Anthony Casey that that one game wouldn’t define him, and today, and probably for a while to come, I’ll be telling myself the same thing. It is not a good place to be, but I know I have to come back from it, I still believe I have something to offer this team and my county, so now is not the time to relent.
“I have to say that the support I’ve received has been incredible and the messages from friends, family, former team mates, players from other counties, and of course the Mayo supporters, has helped me immensely.
“I don’t know where I’ll be in a year’s time, but I do know that I’m not going to give up. I love Mayo and this team too much to do that.
“Maigh Eo abú”
Read More About: All-Ireland, Dublin, final, GAA, Gaelic Football, maurice deegan, mayo, Penalty, referee, replay
