VIDEO: Positive vibes from Mayo camp ahead of the All-Ireland final

THE year started poorly for Mayo with a national league drubbing in Cork, but there was no cause for thinking Mayo would be off the pace come championship time.

“Any time you're playing for Mayo you believe you can be in an All-Ireland final. There's a really high calibre of footballer in this county and we have plenty of them, so there's always that belief,” said Stephen Coen.

Of course, things didn't go entirely to plan as Mayo suffered a Connaught championship semi-final defeat against Galway on a dreary day in June. It left Mayo looking for a way in through the back door, which was unfamiliar territory for a team that had won the previous five provincial titles on the trot.

“Every game was do or die, so it's good to have had that preparation. There were three or four games there in the qualifiers where if you lost you were out. And it's the same the next day – if you lose, you're out. You don't get to win it.

“We've built up a bit of momentum from the last few games. They've come thick and fast, so hopefully that'll stand to us now.”

The Hollymount/Carramore star, who captained his county to the All-Ireland Under 21 title earlier this year, said the most disappointing thing about that Galway game was that they didn't work hard enough in it. Since then they've put in the hard yards in training, to the extent that there's belief it can pay off on the big day.

“We're under no illusions that it's going to be a tough game but we're ready for the fight.”

It's what all Mayo fans want to hear.

See the full conversation with Stephen here. We started by saying that while he hasn't been starting for Mayo so far in the champoinship, he has been an integral member of the squad, and who knows, he may play a part on All-Ireland final day.