Cian O'Neill admits keeping the "circus" away from Kildare's players was key

So the house advantage counted for very little or absolutely everything, according to the moral of Newbridge's story on Saturday night. Kildare 's manager, Cian O' Neill, seems to be caught between the two but he is certain of one thing: nothing beats the feeling of victory no matter where the game is played.

"They are related, but they are not the same thing," says O'Neill, juggling with the impact that had had the home advantage by beating Mayo, a run-of-the-mill finalist from last year in Ireland, after a very complete thriller at St Conleth's Park

"I do not think it contributed to the performance, but it contributed to the atmosphere. contributed to Kildare fans, who were incredible, we really heard them, and what contributed to the performance was the hard work, the resilience, the character, the leadership, the things that people have doubted about us in the I think the important thing is that we kept the circus, if that's what you want to call it, totally away from the players themselves.

"We We just wanted to come play and play. Guys did that, they were great. The essential was, honestly, I am very clear, we would not play this game anywhere but here, end of the story. Just because that's what the rule says.

"Next week there will be a match and the CCCC will decide the thing, and it's perfect because the rules state that they decide where it's going. That was the only reason we wanted our voice to be heard, it had nothing to do with "we do not want to play Croke Park," and so on. We were entitled to it, we deserved it. We went to Owenbeg, we went to Longford, we did our best so that it would not be removed.

"This has really been seen as an advantage for us. I was the one who said a few things, but it was a decision of the players. This would not have happened unless the players were 100% sure that they were not turning on it.

O 'Neill is not at all bitter towards the GAA on his initial decision to repair the game for Croke Park, citing "health and safety issues", saying that the general manager of the Association, Tom Ryan, had intervened "I know that it was not in the foreground, but I'm pretty confident in my own head that Tom's intervention Ryan was critical for this to be resolved as it was.I do not know the man, I have never met the man, but I really know that he is a reasonable man. And I think what happened with the county council that worked very hard behind the scenes with the GAA, it certainly would not have happened without his intervention or his recommendation.

"I'm not a fool, I'm sure the media two stories written. If Kildare wins the match, the opening paragraph is done; If Kildare lost the match, your first paragraph was done.

"For me, all that is done is to put us in the fourth round." Over the years, there have been many false alarms for Kildare football, including the last three when J & K Was there so it's done putting us in the bowl for Monday morning.There's no secret to the success today for the players who hard work, dedication, resilience. "

Even while doing the last 12, and a victory to make the Super-8 quarterfinals, O 'Neill is also sure his team will not linger long on his victory.

"Maybe it was a bit of learning last year after a Leinster final – we were getting strikes in the back for a game we lost by nine points [to Dublin] and then underperformed the next day.

"There is a nice quote that someone gave me this week" that is what you earn when you do not get what you want ". We certainly have not got what we want in Leinster, but we have gained experience over the last three innings.

Mayo manager Stephen Rochford, in charge since the 2016 season and end of 2017 for a three-year extension. the term, also put the advantage of Kildare at home aside: it was a factor, only not the decisive

"it is difficult to quantify that," he says. "The reality is that two teams were played on the same field, both teams went hammer and claw, we kissed the game, the game that was presented to us and both teams served a titanic battle [19659002] "We fought extremely hard, we never relaxed from the fight, but our qualities were not as strong as we would have liked them to be."

"We probably went back the ball at different times of the game in a tense and tight game, which was inevitable, but just entering the last stretch we returned some balls in the half of Kildare that allowed them to counterattack and stretch the lead. We had a hard time getting it back in the last six or seven minutes.

"We always knew that they were going out with all guns, no matter where the game was played or under what circumstances. It did not surprise us. They were just a little better a team than us the day and all the respect for that. We lost the game. Would we rather be in Castlebar or Croke Park is irrelevant now at this point. "

Any discussion of an end of the era, or even its management position, is premature.

" This has been said since about 2014, then someone was going to be right with that. I do not necessarily think that will be the case today. This group, there are four or five guys entered this group this season in their early 20s.

"There are a lot of good quality players, Mayo just won the title [Connacht] under There may be some who will not be available next season, but Mayo football will be competitive in 2019 – I do not doubt it – the group will dust off during the winter and will seek to reinvigorate to come back in 2019

"We have two years left of our mandate, so I do not want that one read in both directions. It's just a case of reflection, what would happen if you went to the last Sunday of the competition. In all fairness to Kildare, they played hard and hard but just and got their fair rewards. "