Mayo to see off Tipperary in opening group game

LGFA TG4 ALL-IRELAND SFC PREVIEW: By Aiden Henry

THE Mayo ladies senior team return to competitive action this Saturday (June 11) when they meet Tipperary in the first round of the All-Ireland championship group stages.

This opening game in Group 1 – which along with Mayo and Tipperary also contains Dublin and Cavan – will be played in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park at 2 p.m.

Unlike the other three groups in the All-Ireland championship series, Mayo’s has four teams in it (there are only three teams in the others).

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the All-Ireland quarterfinals.

Mayo would have to fancy their chances of making the last eight of the championship by beating Saturday’s opponents, Tipperary, and their second round game against Cavan, which will be played in Glennon Park, Longford, a week later.

Mayo’s last group game will be against current National League and Leinster champions, Dublin, a match that will be played in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, on Saturday, June 25.

Following their disappointing defeat by Galway in the Connacht final, Mayo will be anxious to get back to winning ways against Tipperary. In the provincial decider, Mayo just didn’t perform to the extent we know they can. They allowed their opponents get an early grip on the game and although they fought back bravely in the second half, they were just not able to reel Galway in.

However, despite that loss to Galway, there was enough evidence to suggest that Mayo could trouble a lot of teams in the All-Ireland championship. Team manager Michael Moyles and his backroom staff have been rebuilding this young Mayo side for the past year and a half. They have come on in leaps and bounds and have been gaining lots of experience with each game they play.

While it takes time to build a new side, the reality for this Mayo team now is that they are not very far off being able to challenge the top guns for the major honours.

What we have seen from Mayo is that there is a wealth of young talent in the county at present, meaning competition not alone for starting places but simply getting into the squad itself is rising all the time.

PRIORITY

The priority for Mayo now is to do well in the group stages of the All-Ireland championship. While Mayo and Dublin are the firm favourites to come out of Group 1, the games against Tipperary and Cavan will be far from easy.

But with home advantage, Mayo should get their campaign off to a flying start against Tipperary next Saturday. Tipperary will not travel to Castlebar just to make up the numbers, but still one expects Mayo will prove too strong for them.

In the Munster championship, Tipperary never got in a blow against Kerry in the semi-finals. In the end they lost by 10 points, 2-12 to 0-8, and it could have been a lot more had Kerry not taken their foot off the pedal in the second half. Indeed, five of Tipperary’s eights points came from Emma Morrissey frees. Against Kerry, Tipperary were without two of their star players – Aishling Moloney, who was out injured and could also miss the Mayo game, and their star player, Aishling McCarthy, who didn’t return from Australia at the end of AWFL. Both these players are a huge loss to this Tipperary side.

Of Mayo’s three games in the group stages, this opening clash against Tipperary would seem to be the easiest. Therefore, it is important that Mayo get off to a winning start here. Anything less that a victory against Tipperary would leave them with a massive battle on their hands to get out of the group. With the ever-improving Cavan up a week later, I am sure team manager Michael Moyles will be more than anxious to not alone get off to a winning start, but to produce a confidence-boosting performance.

Overall, it has to be a Mayo victory.

Verdict: Mayo