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Mayo manager James Horan has made four changes to the Mayo line-up for Sunday’s novel Connacht final against London in McHale Park. Breaffy’s Rob Hennelly who was recalled to the panel in recent days following a goalkeeping injury crisis, has been selected between the posts for his first championship start since the 2011 All Ireland semi-final defeat to Kerry in Croke Park.

The weather is up and everyone seems to be in a good mood but there is nothing better to whet the appetite than the Connacht final. The first time appearance of London in this year’s decider makes it intriguing and novel to say the least. We have watched Mayo outgun and blitz anything that has come their way this summer and the final on Sunday will be no different. The biggest worry for managers and players this Sunday will be the sweltering heat and making sure players don’t get dehydrated as come 2pm on Sunday in Castlebar, temperatures could hit the 30 degree mark. I’m sure the way players look after themselves in this day and age we don’t have to worry as they will be keeping themselves well hydrated all week.

Welcome to my first column as a writer. For the rest of the summer at least, I intend to discuss, analyse and give my opinion on all matters GAA at club and inter-county level. Feel free to e-mail me any comments or opinions you may have. For the week that’s in it my mind in focused on one thing only and there’s no prizes for guessing what that is. Mayo welcome Roscommon to Castlebar on Sunday for the Connacht semi-final and a right to play either London or Leitrim in the Connacht final. It sounds a bit surreal, but yes, London could be in a Connacht final. With the current upheaval in Leitrim and four players designated to the scrapheap for disciplinary reasons I may just fancy a flutter on London to make the final. Leitrim have a small enough panel to pick from without losing players, most notably Wayne McKeon, arguably one of their best players, but that’s for another day.

While Galway were incredibly poor last Sunday and some of their defensive errors could be made into a coaching video on "what not to do in possession", you really had to admire how Mayo went about their business.

All eyes on Sunday will be on a new look Mayo front six as the Connacht Championship throws in for another exciting instalment. Injuries have forced the hand of James Horan into lining out without what most people would say are four of his chosen starting forwards. While it’s good news that Alan Dillon and Andy Moran have made sufficient progress to take their places on the bench for Sunday, how match fit they are and what kind of impact they will be able to have after prolonged lay-offs is yet to be seen. The loss of Jason Doherty in recent times has added even more to Mayo’s problems up front along with loss of Michael Conroy a few weeks ago for a good portion of the early summer at least. Stepping into fill the gaps on Sunday are two championship debutants, Cathal Carolan and Darren Coen. While Carolan has got some inter-county miles under his belt in this year’s league campaign from the first Dublin game on, the only game time that Coen has seen in the senior side in the league this term has been a brief blood sub appearance on Leeside. Joining Cillian O’Connor and Kevin McLoughlin and the pair of debutants in attack is the experienced duo of Alan Freeman and Enda Varley.

Mayo 1-10

Both Mayo and their visitors from Kildare tomorrow night could badly do with getting a win under their belts. Mayo are coming off the back of three losses on the bounce, while Kieran McGeeney’s men are heading west after a morale sapping mauling by a rampant Dublin side last Sunday. It was their first defeat of the league, but a number of questions had been hanging over them, especially after a winless and roundly agreed out of sorts Kerry side nearly turned them over in Newbridge a fortnight before.

Mayo 0-15 : : Kerry 1-6

The thousand or so souls who turned out in Flanagan Park in Ballinrobe on Wednesday evening will have left the south Mayo venue none the wiser as to what 2013 will hold in store for the Mayo senior footballers.

The flags and the bunting have been put up around the towns and villages of the county. Songs have been written and learned with gusto, while those who left the wild sod of their homeland in search of better things afar, are clutching boarding cards to come home. It can only mean one thing — Mayo is in an All Ireland final.