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It was All-Ireland final heartbreak for another Mayo team as Castlebar Mitchels fell to the might of St Vincent’s on St Patrick’s Day. We will never know what might have happened if Richie Feeney had not received a black card after only five minutes.

Mayo 4-12

Mayo 2-17

Not to long ago the list of Mayo’s walking wounded looked like it could not only derail James Horan’s stated aim of going for league title, but could have made the first step in achieving that goal, being in with a chance of making the semi-final, very difficult. After Mayo lost out to Tyrone in Omagh a few weeks ago, Horan pointed out that he was short some 20 players due to injury and club-commitments. But the past few weeks have seen that number come right down with only Alan Dillon and Chris Barrett on the long term list, and Cillian O’Connor very close to a return to action, according to the Mayo boss after last weekend’s victory over Kerry in MacHale Park. The Castlebar Mitchels contingent are still concentrating on club duty ahead of St Patrick’s Day.

First things first, The Battle of Bellaghy white collar boxing event between Charlestown GAA and Curry GAA held in the CBD complex in Charlestown was another phenomenal success and I am sure the coffers of both clubs are well boosted after it. I have played in many a big game down the years and would consider myself reasonably calm and in control given a particular situation, but boxing is a different animal. I had a week from hell in the lead up to the event, I could not sleep properly and was extremely anxious and nervous for pretty much the entire week, none the less, I took part, took my beating, and have very sore ribs to prove it. I would suggest for anyone who thinks I am off my trolley, to sign up for an event to see what I am on about, as every fighter on the night were pretty much petrified, even the good boxers. The box is ticked and at least I am alive to tell the tale. Note to self; you are never doing it again.

Mayo: 2-15

Fresh from seeing a game where his side engaged in a shootout more reminiscent of something you'd see in the latter stages of the hurling championship, than the first round of the football league on a chilly first Sunday in February, Mayo manager James Horan admitted he was still scratching his head when it came to the black card rule and how it's implement. The Ballintubber club man spelt out his unease saying. “I don't know, I'm still struggling with when it is and when it isn't. If I say that the Kildare one was a black card and ours wasn't you'd think I'm biased, but that's the way I actually saw it. Aido's one I wasn't sure if it was, I thought it was a yellow card.” Horan said he believed that the new rule was stopping players tackling because of the fear of picking up a black card. “Players out there are afraid to tackle at the moment, with the uncertainty that's there. If you want a game full of running, and tackling is one of the best skills in the game, that's where were going I would say. We just need to be careful and make sure that black cards are implement the right way and everyones clear on them and I don't think that's the case at the moment.”

Fresh from seeing a game where his side engaged in a shootout more reminiscent of something you'd see in the latter stages of the hurling championship, than the first round of the football league on a chilly first Sunday in February, Mayo manager James Horan admitted he was still scratching his head when it came to the black card rule and how it's implement. The Ballintubber club man spelt out his unease saying. “I don't know, I'm still struggling with when it is and when it isn't. If I say that the Kildare one was a black card and ours wasn't you'd think I'm biased, but that's the way I actually saw it. Aido's one I wasn't sure if it was, I thought it was a yellow card.” Horan said he believed that the new rule was stopping players tackling because of the fear of picking up a black card. “Players out there are afraid to tackle at the moment, with the uncertainty that's there. If you want a game full of running, and tackling is one of the best skills in the game, that's where were going I would say. We just need to be careful and make sure that black cards are implement the right way and everyones clear on them and I don't think that's the case at the moment.”

The whirlwind nature of Mayo’s start to the GAA season continues on Sunday when Mayo take on Roscommon in Ballinlough at 2pm in their third game in ten days in the competition. A win for Mayo would send them into the competitions final which has been slated for Sunday week January 22 against the winners of the other group currently being led by Leitrim with two wins from two games and a draw against Sligo on Sunday would be enough to send last years FBD winners back into the final.

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.