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Mayo 2-12

I paid a visit to Anthony Finnerty’s hostelry in lower Salthill before the game last Sunday. There was a great buzz about the place with plenty of Mayo supporters popping in for the crack and banter before the short hop over to Pearse Stadium. One of the first people I met on arrival was PJ Kelly from Moygownagh. He is a great passionate football man and was eagerly seeking everyone’s opinion as to who they thought would win the game. “Would we win it? Are we good enough to win it”? I got the impression that PJ was happy with the answers coming from the gathering and would have left for the stadium pretty confident that Mayo would win their first provincial title since 1967 at the city venue. If I am to be perfectly honest here I have to admit that I found it very difficult to predict the outcome in advance of Sunday’s game. I know from experience that Galway v Mayo encounters take on a life of their own and the form book goes out the window when these two sides meet. Irrespective of form coming into a championship encounter, there is rarely more than a point or two separating these two great rivals. Galway looked so ordinary against Sligo a few weeks ago that punters could have been forgiven for believing that this would be a relatively ‘handy’ match for the Mayo boys. Mayo, on the other hand, looking hugely impressive when carrying out a demolition job on Roscommon in the semi-final. I suggested, prior to the game, that our poor run of results in Pearse Stadium in recent decades would be a factor. Because of that I felt we would have to be five or six points a better team than Galway to beat them in a venue where we hadn’t won a provincial championship since 1967.

After Kerry hammering the lard out of Dublin last Monday it is difficult to predict any victors now with any huge degree of confidence.

After Kerry hammering the lard out of Dublin last Monday it is difficult to predict the victors now with any huge degree of confidence.

Thirteen years on from a bounce of a ball hopping over the bar and a one for all brawl in front of the Hill, Mayo will renew acquaintance with Meath in the championship looking for their first win over the Royal County since the heady summer of 1951. When the final whistle is blown on Sunday, the initial headlines will probably go to the forward who puts the ball over the bar for the winning score or kicks a handful of points over the 70 minutes. But no matter how good the front six are all victories have their foundation on those whose primary job is to stop the other side from putting the size five over the black spot or into the back of the net.

Meath 2-15

With the senior inter-county season put to bed for another year, things will return to normal on the club scene. And this weekend sees no time being wasted in Mayo with the final rounds of club games in the senior and intermediate football championships down for decision. In the premier competition only two teams have already booked their place in the last eight, both Shrule-Glencorrib and Ballaghaderreen have emerged from section three of the competition, with both sides picking up wins over luckless Breaffy and Burrishoole in their opening two games. The sides will meet again this weekend to sort out who takes top spot in the group and with that the perceived easier draw in the chase for a last eight spot. Shrule-Glencorrib have made up for the disappointment of missing out on the last eight in the last two years to book their place early, but this evening’s game could see them ship a defeat to the current county champions. With Andy Moran and Barry Regan in spectacular form for their side, the east Mayo men’s perceived greater fire power should be enough to see them over the south Mayo men. That said, any side that counts Conor and Trevor Mortimer, Mark Ronaldson, and Kieran Conroy in their starting 15 are not going to be a pushover. In the other game in this group Breaffy will host Burrishoole on Sunday afternoon for the chance to end their championship season on Martin Murphy’s full time whistle. Both sides have lost their first two games in the championship, with the losers on Sunday facing a relegation play-off to ensure their senior status. Things have gone to pieces for Breaffy this year, but they should have enough fight in them to hold off the challenge from the McGovern Park side and ensure their status and regroup for next year.

It’s like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages with none coming and then two come at once in the Mayo club championships. After last weekend’s fixture load of quarter finals at different grades, this weekend sees a patchwork affair of games across the levels. From a senior semi-final right down through senior and intermediate relegation play offs to action in the junior championship. There are 10 games of serious note this weekend to keep everyone entertained.

It’s like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages with none coming and then two come at once in the Mayo club championships. After last weekend’s fixture load of quarter finals at different grades, this weekend sees a patchwork affair of games across the levels. From a senior semi-final right down through senior and intermediate relegation play offs to action in the junior championship. There are 10 games of serious note this weekend to keep everyone entertained.

It’s like waiting for a bus, you wait for ages with none coming and then two come at once in the Mayo club championships. After last weekend’s fixture load of quarter finals at different grades, this weekend sees a patchwork affair of games across the levels. From a senior semi-final right down through senior and intermediate relegation play offs to action in the junior championship. There are 10 games of serious note this weekend to keep everyone entertained.