Mayo are ripe for an ambush

Date Published: 16-May-2013

 Dara Bradley

LOGICALLY, Mayo should win this handy enough. So the conventional wisdom goes. But when did logic ever enter the equation when Galway and Mayo cross swords in summer Connacht Championship battles?

Mayo come to Salthill on Sunday and are expected to account for the hosts with plenty to spare in the Connacht Championship quarter-final (throw-in at Pearse Stadium is 4pm). They’re the 2012 All-Ireland finalists and they’re on the hunt of three Connacht titles in-a-row, a feat they haven’t achieved since the 1950s.

Galway, in contrast, are low on confidence: Galway havn’t won a Connacht title since 2008, havn’t won a game in Croke Park in 12 years, and have crashed out of the championship through the back door pretty ignominiously over the past few years with a series of one point defeats against what would be traditionally considered ‘weaker’ counties.

Having lost – again – in the All-Ireland final against Donegal last September, all the talk emerging from across the border has been on how Mayo can go one better this year. There’s been double page spreads with Mayo men in national tabloid sports pages over the past fortnight, previewing the upcoming championship and there’s talk of another All-Ireland appearance this year.

There’s not a peep about a Connacht medal never mind an All-Ireland surrounding the Galway camp. Now, that might be a fairly accurate reflection of where both counties stand at the minute, but it’s a mindset thing, too.

Mayo see Galway as a means to an end; Galway are almost viewing this game as an end in itself, it’s their All-Ireland final. Mayo might just regret taking their eyes off the ball; already looking further ahead past this Galway game. They’re almost unbackable favourites. But viewed from a Galway perspective, Mayo have farther to fall. They’re ripe for an ambush.

Galway should at least have enough pride in the jersey not to roll over in their own back-yard – they’ll certainly aim to rattle them. Whether that’s enough, and whether they have the quality to topple them after rattling them, is unknown.

Certainly, the Galway team that was named by manager Alan Mulholland and selectors Alan Flynn and Donal Ó Fátharta, on Tuesday night, particularly the forwards, has the armoury to cause an upset.

Michael Meehan, the closer to goal he roams, has the potential to exploit any shortcomings in Mayo’s rearguard – he can be lethal and the sight of the Caltra man hitting the onion bag would prove a huge psychological boost and blow to the respective teams.

If Seán Armstrong brings his ‘A’ game, then he’ll trouble any defence. The Salthill/Knocknacarra man is named at corner forward but don’t be surprised if he moves to the ‘40, with another serious scoring threat, St James’ Paul Conroy named at centre-forward, switching inside, where his height and strength can cause bother.

Danny Cummins, who hit form in the league, and was probably Galway’s most consistent performer up front, completes the full-forward line with Tuam Stars Conor Doherty named at 12. One of two U21s from the All-Ireland victory against Cork, Tom Flynn will probably play a roving role at wing-forward, supporting his U21 captain, Fiontán Ó Curraoin who partners Niall Coleman in the engine room of centre-field. How they cope against the likes of Mayo’s powerful midfielder Aidan O’Shea will be a major factor in the outcome.

Gary Sice and Gareth Bradshaw are named at wing back, with the latter wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of Finian Hanley, who failed to shake off a shoulder injury.

In captain Hanley’s absence, 2011 All-Ireland U21 winning captain, Colin Forde from Killererin has an opportunity to stake a claim at full-back with Mountbellew/Moylough’s Gary Sweeney and St James’ Johnny Duane in the corners.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.