Mayo must wait on the results of a scan to find out if their captain Paddy Durcan will be fit to face Roscommon in their next championship encounter.
Durcan, who was sprung from the bench in the 56th minute of Saturday’s 0-20 to 1-08 victory over Cavan in Castlebar, was only making his return from a calf problem when he suffered a leg injury in the final play of the game.
The Castlebar Mitchels clubman had to be carried off the field as the home supporters streamed onto the field of play to celebrate the win.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport after the final whistle, McStay admitted that he and his backroom team were still in the dark as to the gravity of the injury.
“It was the last play of the game,” McStay said. “He’s being assessed. I’ve no idea. Fingers crossed, everything crossed that it’s going to work out for him. It’ll probably be 72 hours before we know.
“I think he was trying to sell a dummy from left to right, and there was a wobble, and he kind of fell over himself.
“He jarred his knee a little bit, but he’s up walking around and he’s in good spirits. That’s very positive, but it takes time with these things to get them scanned and to see where he is at.”
We need your consent to load this comcast-player contentWe use comcast-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Reflecting on the victory, McStay said: “It’s critical. We’re in a league process now, we’re in a pool with four teams in it, and every point is going to be crucial.
“When you look like you might have the two points secured, you’re trying to pad out your score differential as well.
“We’re really pleased with that. We got to a good number, and there was consistent application throughout the 70+ minutes, so we’re delighted with the two points.”
The Mayo manager’s thoughts have already turned to a familiar foe, with Roscommon the opposition in the next round.
“There’s so much on the line,” the former RTÉ analyst added. “No doubt they’ll be teeing us up after what happened at Dr Hyde Park the last time.
“We have to go into this with a fresh canvas and start our prep almost immediately. It’s another crucial two points that are going to be up for offer.”
Opposite number Raymond Galligan was gracious in defeat. His Cavan side contributed to their own downfall with their profligacy in front of the posts, particularly in the first half when they had the assistance of the wind.
“I’m very disappointed for the group,” Galligan said of the display and the result. “They put in a huge shift over the last number of weeks.
“We thought we were in a really good place, but we left a huge number of opportunities in the first half behind us. Going in four points down at half-time with a strong breeze was deflating.
“Ultimately, we were beaten by a better team today, and we probably didn’t do ourselves justice.”