Fixture pile ups usually occur for club sides in Mayo in late summer, if the senior inter-county team are involved in championship action at the business end of the season. But last weekend, as it will again this weekend, it came to a log jam for both the senior inter-county side and u21 side. Normally before inter-county games the senior team management announce their team on a Thursday evening, bar any niggling injuries that may be hanging around. But last week, John O’Mahony informed the press and public through county PRO Kevin O’Toole that there would be no side named until Sunday morning due to the involvement of the u21s in Connacht Championship action.
There were three changes from the team that was named in the programme with both Tom Parsons and Donal Vaughan who lined out for the u21s the previous day dropping out of the side and Pat Harte and Chris Barrett coming into the starting 15. To compound matters Barry Kelly failed a fitness test along with Seamus O’Shea on the morning of the game, which saw Kieran Conroy come into the team and slot in at full back with Ger Cafferkey operating as a sweeper and Mayo operating a two man full forward line of Austin O’Malley and Conor Mortimer. This weekend after a good showing against an unbeaten Kerry side in Tralee last week, Dublin come to town in a must win game for Mayo. But just like last week, there is the little matter of an u21 game the day before, this time a Connacht semi-final against Roscommon.
Tough times for players involved in both grades
The involvement of the likes of Tom Parsons, Donal Vaughan, Kevin McLoughlin, Mikey Sweeney, and Aidan O’Shea (who did come on in the game against Kerry ) in the u21 clash will leave O’Mahony scratching his head until Saturday evening to see who will be available for the clash with Dublin. If Mayo win in the u21 game they will have a week’s break at the grade before the final which is scheduled for Sunday April 5. After last Sunday’s two point defeat the fixture pile up left O’Mahony fuming telling the press: “We had to take cognisance that our u-21s were playing Roscommon next Saturday and we will always do that. But it’s absolutely crazy, the scheduling of these competitions. Up to two weeks ago there was Sigerson and we got some of our players back injured from that. We now have the u21 and the national league on top of each other.” He went on to speak on the burn out issue and asked why competitions are coming up on top of each other. “It just puzzles me. Why in the name of God can’t Sigerson be played in October or November? Why can’t the u21 be put to midweek or through the summer?.”
When Sunday comes
O’Mahony will be hoping that all the players who are involved on Saturday come through unscathed for this must win game against Dublin. The visitors come to Ballina on Sunday after losing three of their four games so far this season, their solitary win came from a hard fought win over Donegal. But last time out they were given a five point beating by an improving Derry side on a scoreline of 0-20 to 1-12. Mayo on the other hand are coming into the game with three points on the board, thanks to a win over Westmeath and a draw with Donegal. Both defeats suffered by Mayo at home to Derry and away to Kerry last weekend were by very small margins. A win on Sunday would put Mayo three points clear of Dublin with two games left, and more or less assure their division one status with an away game against Galway and a home game with All Ireland champions Tyrone left in the league. Last Sunday’s game saw Austin O’Malley put in a good showing at full forward as he battles it out with the currently injured Barry Moran for the number 14 shirt come championship time. Kieran Conroy battled hard against Kieran Donaghy for the 70 minutes at full back, but the Shrule-Glencorrib man’s best position is further out the field. Chris Barrett had a re-baptism of fire into the senior inter-county game where he was forced to shadow Colm Cooper on a day where he showed why there are very few better forwards in the game than he. The half back line of Andy Moran, Peadar Gardiner, and Tom Cunniffe put in a good display both going forward and defending, while Pat Harte and Ronan McGarrity broke more even in the middle of the field. Come Sunday at throw-in time O’Mahony will be hoping that his side have the best 15 available so they are not overtaken on the league table by the visitors.
