Andy Moran would have been aware his decision to change goalkeepers mid-championship was a gamble – but Jack Livingstone is proving to be a safe pair of hands for Mayo.One of Moran’s most noteworthy moves in the off-season was to recall Dublin-based Rob Hennelly, with an eye to his former team-mate re-establishing himself as Mayo’s number one.Hennelly retired at the end of 2024 but Colm Reape’s decision to step away for this season created a vacancy between the posts and Moran sought out the experienced Breaffy man, who now plays with Raheny in the capital. And for most of the campaign it appeared to be an inspired call, with Hennelly starting Mayo’s first six Division One NFL fixtures – even picking up Man of the Match against Galway, a game in which he floated over three two-pointers. Jack Livingstone, who didn’t make a name for himself with Mayo at minor or under-20 level, was handed his senior league debut for the Round 7 match against Roscommon, though Hennelly was back in goal for Mayo’s Connacht SFC opener against London.However, Hennelly had a difficult day in the provincial semi-final and he was one of the players subsequently dropped after Mayo’s second-half malfunction against Roscommon.Livingstone was handed his championship debut for the Round 1 All-Ireland series game against Monaghan, and the 24-year-old Breaffy club man has kept the number one jersey ever since.It says something about him, but perhaps more about Mayo, that he was their Man of the Match in that Clones clash against Monaghan – with Livingstone called upon to make half a dozen top-class saves.[ https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2026/06/23/tactical-analysis-how-to-use-an-extra-man-in-gaelic-football/Opens in new window ]Livingstone pulled off a superb save from Tyrone’s Ethan Jordan in the second half of their clash in Omagh two weeks ago as well, while last weekend in Castlebar he again produced the goods to deny Jack O’Connor in the first half and Ciarán Caulfield late in the second.Both saves against Meath were at crucial stages – the first at a time when Meath had all the momentum and were threatening to pull away and the second in the closing minutes as the Royals tried to salvage at least a draw.But if Livingstone has been carving out a reputation as a shot-stopper in his fledgling championship career, what of his kick-outs?Mayo's goalkeeper Jack Livingstone. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Against Monaghan, Mayo retained 16 of their 25 kick-outs – with Livingstone targeting experienced players around the middle third where possible. His first kick-out in both the first and second half went to Stephen Coen, who won possession on each occasion. Indeed, Coen won two of the first three Mayo kick-outs in that Monaghan game.In the Tyrone match, Mayo won 16 of their 26 restarts.Which brings us to last week’s comeback victory over Meath, in which Mayo won 14 of their 22 kick-outs. Instructively, though, only three of Livingstone’s second-half restarts were not retained – and it was in that spell of the game where the contest was won.Livingstone’s initial two kick-outs last Saturday were lost – his first effort was a popped ball out wide to his left, but Jordan Morris intercepted the pass and punished Mayo with the game’s opening point.Having lost that effort out wide left, for his second kick-out Livingstone went long to the 65-metre line where Meath again came away with possession. For a player making only his third championship appearance, and in a position that is so heavily scrutinised in the modern game, it was the kind of iffy opening that could knock the confidence of an inexperienced player.His third kick-out was contested around the middle of the field, out near the stand sideline. When the ball initially went out over the whitewash, the sideline was given to Meath but eventually the call was overturned and awarded to Mayo.It was the slice of respite Mayo needed and a few moments later the home side finally won their first kick-out in live play when Sam Callinan was on hand to sweep up a knock-down in the middle of the field.Meath, who had the wind, were the dominant team in the first half though so Livingstone did well to come away at the interval with a scorecard of executing eight retained kick-outs and losing five.Four of those eight were won out to Livingstone’s left between the 20 and 65-metre lines.But Mayo struggled on the boomers down the field. Livingstone hit five kick-outs that reached or went beyond Meath’s 65-metre line – with the Royals collecting three of those.Bob Tuohy managed to get himself free to collect a kick-out uncontested in the 21st minute but, largely, Meath’s physicality told in that area of the field.Interestingly, none of Livingstone’s first-half kick-outs went to the mid-range pocket out to his right – yet in the second half he targeted that zone on three occasions and Mayo came away with the ball each time.Diarmuid O’Connor, in particular, was a reliable option for Livingstone there and the Ballintubber man collected two of those kick-outs – the second of which ultimately ended with a Jordan Flynn two-pointer.The three second-half kick-outs Mayo lost were all between the two 65s, so that middle sector is an area they will need to improve upon against Cork on Saturday. Also, Mayo had three kick-outs during the period when they had a numerical advantage of 15 v 14 following the red card to Ronan Jones – but the home side lost one of those three restarts. Still, Mayo got 0-4 from winning their own kick-outs over the course of the contest, and during the second half they enjoyed a spell where they won three of Meath’s kick-outs in quick succession.Of the eight goalkeepers involved in this weekend’s All-Ireland quarter-finals, Livingstone is the only one with no prior Croke Park experience – but he has largely dealt with everything that has been thrown or kicked his way so far this summer.