Mayo ladies manager Kevin Reidy is expecting a much tougher test for his ladies senior side this Sunday in the Connacht final against Galway than they got in their semi-final. Mayo’s 26 point drubbing of Leitrim wasn’t the ideal preparation for the premier game in Connacht, but everything is moving along nicely on the training field ahead of Sunday’s game in Fr O’Hara Park in Charlestown at 4pm according to the Galway native.
“I’m really looking forward to it. This should be a very good and close game and a good advertisement for the ladies game in the province.” The nature of the facile win over Leitrim is something that Reidy could have done without but he was happy enough with what he saw on the field. “You would have preferred a tougher game ahead of a final. But you can only beat what is put in front of you and we did that very well the last time out against Leitrim. Galway themselves had a similar win in their semi-final which I was at and they also looked very impressive in that game. Galway have a good team as they always do, but I’m confident that we will have enough in the game to take them.”
Apart from the long term injury victims Helena Lohan and Claire O’Hara, Mayo will be picking from a full deck on Sunday and there are plenty people fighting for a place in the side for the big game. “The girls have been putting in a huge effort in training as they have ever since we came back from taking some time off after the league final. You need everyone on their toes all the time these days. It’s a 20 person game during a match these days and it’s really a 30 person game, because you need everyone in the panel ready and available to come into the game at a moment’s notice, so there has been no let up on the effort in training from anyone.”
The senior final on Sunday will be preceded by the junior final between the same two sides which will throw in at 2pm.
