Mark Ronaldson has had his appeal against his four week suspension imposed by the CCC turned down. The Shrule Glencorrib club man had a hearing on Wednesday night against his retrospective red card from the Tyrone game. While there are further avenues for appeal open to Ronaldson, there was no decision made at the time this paper went to press. As it stands Ronaldson will miss the game against Dublin on Sunday and next Saturday night’s game away to Derry as his ban will only expire at midnight that night.
Mayo also have a slight doubt for Sunday’s game in the shape of Andy Moran who has picked up a slight injury according to Mayo manager John O’Mahony. “Trevor Mortimer is back after the red card he got against Galway, but Andy Moran has become a doubt following a slight injury we have just become aware of.” With Dublin coming to town on Sunday, having won their first two games also, it’s going to be a tough test for Mayo, and O’Mahony knows this. “It’s all about tapping into the performance and pushing it on, each time getting the intensity right. Dublin have been in impressive form this year going down to Kerry and winning and then seeing off Derry comfortably in their last game. We’ve got to go out and put in a performance and up our game as we go.”
With both Conor Mortimer and Alan Dillon now back in the fold, no decision has been made yet on when they will first make an appearance in the green and red for 2010. “Both of them are back with us now and have kept in good shape, but it’s all about getting match fitness and seeing when they will be ready to come back fully fit.”
Dempsey looks for progression
It is only early March and championship time is upon us already. Next Wednesday evening Ray Dempsey will be opening his account as Mayo u21 manager in Cloone under lights against Leitrim. Dempsey who has stepped up from the minor grade after three years in that job, where Mayo got to two All Ireland finals, is looking forward to his new role. “It’s a very obvious step up, it’s right next door to senior inter-county football and there are a lot of players who are spread out across this grade playing at that level also.” While on paper most people will expect Mayo to overcome Leitrim, Dempsey is not taking anything lightly. “Our full focus is on Leitrim, we’ve got to go up to Cloone on a Wednesday night under lights, and it’s right in their heartland, they are going to give us nothing easy. We’ve got a huge challenge to meet and it’s up to the players to meet it. Every match is different as you know, but this is championship football and it’s winner takes all.”
Dempsey this year is reunited with a lot of the players he had in his first minor panel three years ago and is happy with the way a lot of the players have progressed since then. “I always said we had a very good minor team that year, we won the Connacht league at that start of that season. But what has impressed me a lot is there are lads who were on that panel and they’ve kept pushing themselves on, kept improving themselves as players, and that’s what I like to see, lads who haven’t remained static but improved.” Dealing with u21s sees Dempsey working with players who are often on three our four different teams and it is all about ensuring the players are not being asked to do too much, according to the Knockmore man. “You have to dovetail with a few different managers with a lot of players, so you have to try and make sure they are not being asked too much of them, but we have worked closely with everyone involved.” Last year John O’Mahony was critical at times of the u21 championship being played on the day before league games and he is happy that it is not to much of a problem this year. “In fairness the Connacht Council took a look at it this year and they have made an effort to ensure it didn’t happen again this year, and they have to be praised for that.”
