A massive year for the current mayo senior team

It has been a short winter. It seems no time since we ventured south to the banks of the Shannon and endured the heartache of defeat to Kerry in that unforgettable All-Ireland semi-final replay, writes Martin Carney.

As fate has it, our quest for glory resumes with a somewhat longer trip to the Kingdom on Sunday with the ambition of getting our year off to a winning start.

There have been auditions aplenty since football resumed in January. The new management cannot be accused of ignoring promise and potential.

In the three FBD outings to date game time was provided to those whose form and reputation had come to the attention of the football public over the last few months. Patrick Durkan, Diarmuid O’Connor, Mark Ronaldson and Neil Douglas were foremost among those who did their claims for inclusion in the league panel no harm in recent outings.

Ronaldson’s guile, intelligence and ability are attributes that Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly drew from during their spell as victorious Under 21 managers and the hope is that they can regenerate the confidence levels in the Shrule lad. Were he included in the squad I think he would have a lot to offer in the areas already mentioned as well as in the scoring stakes.

Equally, Dougie and Patrick Durkan could, with encouragement and patience, develop into players of real consequence, so game time in the national league should aid and fast-track their development.

The younger O’Connor has already cut his teeth in senior football. At the moment he is serving many masters (Sigerson Cup and Under 21 teams as well as the senior squad), so I would guess that his involvement will be carefully planned and monitored over the next few months.

It is a well worn cliché but this really is a massive year for the present Mayo team. A sizeable number of the squad are of the same vintage who have rendered sterling service to the game over the last eight or nine seasons. There is an urgency that new talent announces itself in the quickest possible time in order to refresh, energise and improve on what is already there. We have seen areas in the team that have struggled in big games due a lack of depth.

Adding quality to bolster the midfield and forward sectors, in particular, is important. Central defenders, workhorse middlemen and scoring forwards will remain high priority. Hopefully the games over the next few weeks will see new players put down a marker for the season and provide the management with solutions to some of the dilemmas that they are likely to face.

It is hard to quantify the extent of the damage done to the team due to their failure to win an All-Ireland title over the last three seasons. Everyone knows that opportunities went a-begging.

Yet players have to file away disappointments and face up to the tasks at hand. The admirable capacity of this squad to dust themselves down and resume the journey, despite the setbacks, is what sets these lads apart. Sunday’s game heralds the beginning of the next leg of the quest for ultimate glory.

At time of writing we are not privy to team selection but I would guess that the defence will have a familiar look to it. The experiment of trying Donal Vaughan at full-back may be given more time but I would still predict that Lee Keegan and Colm Boyle will start in the half-back line. Chris Barrett and Keith Higgins will man the corners.

I sense that the urge to give Kenneth O’Malley the nod for this game between the sticks may prevail due to his recent very impressive outing against Roscommon.

It is from midfield into the forward line that I think we will see change. Jason Doherty and Kevin McLaughlin were the key players up front during the recent FBD games and will be assured of their places. Alan Freeman looks set to man the full-forward berth but in the absence of Cillian O’Connor, an opportunity arises to blood someone new.

Seamie O’Shea should in all likelihood start at midfield. Barry Moran has acquired some early season match fitness as a result of being ever present this January so his chance for selection is high. Doubts remain about the fitness of Aidan O’Shea but yet again his possible misfortune is likely to become someone else’s opportunity.

Kerry will have a desire to get their season off to a winning start in front of their own supporters. Injuries will hamper Eamon Fitzmaurice’s options and his team are somewhat behind others in terms of preparation. The anticipated absence of the club-tied Kieran Donaghy may further weaken them but Kerry, being Kerry, alway carry a big threat.

Yet the opportunity beckons to lower their colours and with the inspirational Keith Higgins leading out the lads for the first time, the occasion affords the chance to start the league with a win. Let’s wish all involved every success on Sunday.