The whirlwind nature of this year’s Christy Ring Cup continues a pace this Saturday when Mayo make the long trip to Newry to take on Down. Mayo having reached their second semi-final in the tier two competition in two years will be looking to go one better tomorrow (June 6 ) after losing out to Carlow at the death last season in McHale Park.
The quarter-final win over Kildare in Kiltoom a fortnight ago will have given Mayo a great boost ahead of the game against the division two side who picked up wins over Kerry and Westmeath in their league run this season to finish second bottom of the table. Brennan is confident his side have what it takes to come out on top on Saturday, but knows that if they don’t win all they have achieved this season could be forgotten. “We were just talking about it on Wednesday night in training, this really is the final, Down are probably the classiest and strongest side in the competition and if we don’t beat them, then everything else we have done this year will be forgotten. It’s about taking that next step and pushing Mayo hurling on to the next level.”
Martin Brennan and Pete Finnerty have made two changes from the side who started the game against Kildare in the last eight with super sub Cathal Freeman who landed five points from play against the Lillywhites after coming on just before half time. Also coming into the side is Galway native Kieran McGrath from the Sylane club, who will be making his championship debut at corner back in place of the injured Derek Walsh who is out with an ankle injury he has failed to shake off in the past few weeks. “Cathal did very well coming on the last day, you might nearly think it would be nice to keep him on the bench and spring him again like we did the last day and see the impact he can have. But you can’t keep talent like that on the bench, he was superb when he came on and deserves his spot in the side no doubt. Derek hasn’t been able to shake of the injury, he might have been fit to start come Saturday, but his preparation would not have been up to speed. He is an experienced lad and telling him he wasn’t going to start is not the nice part of the job, but Kieran put his hand up for the spot and claimed it”, said Brennan
Giving lads a chance to shine
On Monday last the Mayo lads were given a run out in a challenge game against Sligo in Ballyheane, where Brennan and Finnerty gave a number of their fringe players a chance to shine against the current Nicky Rackard champions who are preparing to defend their title starting off next weekend against Meath. Only four of the 15 that started against Kildare in the Christy Ring Cup last eight started for Mayo with good showings from Adrian and Cathal Freeman and Martin Devanney in attack, while Ballina’s Tom Duffy got a run out between the posts after only rejoining the squad since finishing college in Scotland. The side had a good run out according to Brennan, “It was a good afternoon’s work, I only used four of the lads from the Kildare game in the starting 15 and brought some more on over the course of the game. It kept the subs fresh at playing hurling and will have them keyed up should they be needed on Saturday.” The strength and depth in the panel over the past number of years is the cornerstone for the success of the side according to the Westport man. “We have a great panel, you only have to look at the bench and you’ll see a number of lads who have been pillars of this side through the last ten years, they’re still giving it their all and are fantastic hurlers and will not be short if called on, but lads keep putting themselves forward and earning their chance, we have a real top class squad here.”
Making the long trip north
This will not be the first time that these sides have met in the Christy Ring competition. In 2007 Mayo made the trip to Ulster in the group stages of the competition, where they had face into a six hour road journey before getting ferry to Ards peninsula to Ballycran, one of the strong holds of hurling in the county. After making a shaky start Mayo looked to have settled into the game only for Down to grab two goals just before half time to swing the game in their favour with Mayo eventually going down to Down 2-19 to 2-11. Six Mayo players who played that day are still playing this year, Derek Walsh (who will miss out on Saturday due to injury ), Aidan Connolly, Paul Hunt, Paddy Barrett, Stephen Borderick, and Adrian Freeman. The long trip to Newry is something that has to be done but Brennan is just happy it is not the same destination as 2007 his side have to go to. “That was one long trip, it was very hard to keep lads focused and their minds on the game, with a journey like that. But it still will be a home game for Down so we have to cope with that and they will go in as favourites, but we’ll be ready.
Mayo: Michael Walsh; Kieran McGrath, Aidan Connolly, Paul Hunt; Brian Higgins, Paddy Barrett, Conor Ryan; Keith Higgins, Pearse Higgins; Eoghan Madigan, Derek McDonnell, David Dowling; Adrian Freeman, Derek McConn, Cathal Freeman.
