Pic: Cavan’s Cian Mackey and London’s Philip Butler pull the scariest faces of the Championship so far

Think playing at Croke Park was an enjoyable experience for Cian Mackey of Cavan and Philip Butler of London this afternoon? Think again.

Mackey and Butler went head to head in the first of the All-Ireland qualifier triple header at headquarters this afternoon and the pressure seemed to be taking its toll if the expression on their faces in this perfectly timed snap by Inpho’s Donall Farmer is to be believed. Fortunately for Mackey, Cavan recovered from an early scare to emerge as nine-point winners on a scoreline of 1-17 – 1-8 having been level at half-time, while Butler and his London colleagues can be happy that they gave a good account of themselves in what has been a memorable campaign for the Exiles. Hopefully the pair of them will look a little happier whenever they get to play there again.