Sport

'I love Mayo and this team too much to give up'

Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly was black carded in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC final replay.
Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly was black carded in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC final replay. Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly was black carded in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC final replay.

MAYO goalkeeper Rob Hennelly has posted an emotional message on social media.

Hennelly was surprisingly picked to start his county's All-Ireland final replay with Dublin on Saturday ahead of David Clarke.

Things went awry when he spilled a routine ball in the second half and pulled down Paddy Andrews for a Dublin penalty. It earned Hennelly himself a black card.

Diarmuid Connolly netted the penalty and it proved a crucial score in Dublin's 1-15 to 1-14 victory.

Messages of support have flooded in for the Mayo 'keeper on Twitter, and he has now responded with this heartfelt message:

 

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 years time, but I do know that I'm not going to give up. I love Mayo and this team too much to do that. Mhaigh Eo Abú

A photo posted by Rob Hennelly (@robhennelly) on