Mayo look to stop Tribeswomen three in a row drive

Ladies Football: Connacht Senior Football Championship final

The annual meeting of Mayo and Galway in the final of the Connacht Ladies Senior Football Championship will see its next instalment take place on Sunday afternoon in MacHale Park.

When the teams met last year in the provincial final, the Tribeswomen won by two points after a tough battle on a scorching day in Castlebar. However it will be a very different looking Mayo team that take to the field on Sunday - the reasons why are well known and were aired throughout last summer.

The teams met again at the All Ireland quarter-final stage after Mayo progressed through the All Ireland series group stages, in the last eight meeting Galway ran out comprehensive 5-11 to 0-12 winners.

Galway have won seven of the last eight Connacht senior football titles, with Mayo's only win in that period coming in 2016, a year they went on to go all the way to the All Ireland final against Dublin in Croke Park.

In the league this year Galway reached the final - where they were beaten by Cork, while Mayo will have been happy to have ensured their status in the top flight - they failed to really make a dent in the league, losing their meeting with Galway in MacHale Park and finished up in fifth place with two wins and one draw from their seven games.

Mayo manager Peter Leahy named his side for Sunday's game on Wednesday with Aisling Tarpey between the sticks, in front of her is a full back line made up of Westport's Nicola O'Malley, Knockmore's Roisin Flynn, and Danielle Caldwell from Castlebar Mitchels. The half-back line will see Ciara McManamon flanked by Eilis Ronayne and Ciara Whyte. In the middle of the park Clodagh McManamon and Sinead Cafferkey will look to get to on top to give Mayo a foothold in the contest.

Team captain Niamh Kelly will wear the number 12 shirt with Roisin Durkin and Tamara O'Connor joining her in the half-forward line. The Mayo full-forward line looks its most potent with Sarah Rowe, Rachel Kearns and Grace Kelly taking up those postings. Unfortunately for Mayo they are still without the services of Aileen Gilroy who is still working her way back from a a cruciate ligament injury.

Galway will be heading into the game as more than warm favourites because of their league form and recent victories over Mayo, and also the fact that Mayo have not played a competitive game since their last outing in the league.

Galway will be looking to Roisin and Treacy Leonard, Sarah Conneally, Olivia Divilly and Lousie Ward to lead them on the field against Mayo. If Peter Leahy's charges can keep it tight at the back, they do possess the fire power up front to give Galway a serious challenge. The action gets under way at 4pm on Sunday.

 

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