Mayo giants ready to fall?

Mayo giants ready to fall?

19 June 2019

DOWN’S senior footballers are hoping to turn Pairc Esler into their own Theatre of Dreams on Saturday night and send Mayo packing.

Buoyed by their resilient win over Tipperary last week, Down now face a showdown with what will be a Mayo maelstrom in a mouthwatering All-Ireland round two Qualifier.

This encounter seems to have really caught the imagination of the paying public in both counties and a large home support is sure to be challenged by vociferous travelling hordes.

The game will be the second instalment of what promises to be a hectic weekend of pulsating action.

The senior hurlers start the ball rolling at 2pm on Saturday afternoon when they take on Meath in the Christy Ring Cup final at Croke Park.

A quick scoot up the road will have fans in Newry for the Mayo game at 7pm in another make or break encounter.

The county’s U-20 footballers round off a frenetic 24 hours when they face Antrim in the preliminary round of the Ulster Championship at Clones with an 11.45 start — this game will be the curtain-raiser to the Ulster SFC final between Cavan and Donegal.

Mayo will provide Down’s biggest test in years.

Surprisingly beaten by Roscommon in the semi-finals of the Connacht Championship, John Horan’s side have a lot to prove.

Star forward Cillian O’Connor looks set for a return to competitive action against Down after playing in a challenge match against Clare last weekend.

O’Connor, one of the best forwards in the game, played around 20 minutes of the clash against Clare in what was his first appearance in a Mayo jersey in nearly seven months after having had knee surgery at the end of 2018.

Along with O’Connor, manager Horan is still awaiting a return of midfielder Seamus O’Shea, while Donie Vaughan, Fionn McDonagh and James Carr are also making their way back to full fitness as the Westerners look for another run in the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers. 

There is no question that Tally will send his team out with a defensive formation, frustrate Mayo and then hit them on the break.

It’s difficult to see Down making many changes from the team that started against Tipperary.

However, Rostrevor’s Caolan Mooney is free to play again after serving a one-match suspension after seeing red against Armagh and he is a certain starter, with Carryduff’s James Guinness most likely to give way. 

There will be calls throughout the county for Mayobridge sensation Cory Quinn to start, but Tally may well resist those calls and stick with a front three of Connaire Harrison, Donal O’Hare and Pat Havern.

Conor Francis, who never stops working for the cause, should hold on to his place in the half forward line with Jerome Johnston.

Mooney will move into a midfield role alongside Conor Poland and Loughinisland’s Jonny Flynn and this trio will have to go above and beyond the call of duty if Mayo are to be beaten.

Kevin McKernan, who holds the defensive unit together, should be flanked by Daniel Guinness and Ryan McAleenan with Gerard Collins, Darren O’Hagan and either Benny McArdle or Ruairi Wells fronting Rory Burns in goal.

The U-20 footballers, fresh from their Leo Murphy Cup final victory over Cavan at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday, hope to hit the ground running when they take on Antrim in Clones on Sunday in the preliminary round of the Ulster Championship.

Manager Conor Deegan has gathered together the cream of the county’s young players and has adopted a system that suits the many and diverse talents within the squad.

From Saul’s Jack Hazard in goal to Burren’s Liam Kerr at full forward he has a plethora of exciting footballers.

Defensively, he can rely on Longstone’s Finn McElroy, Burren’s Peter Fegan and Ardan McAvoy, Liatroim’s Ruairi McCrickard, Carryduff’s John McGeogh and Mayobridge’s Shane Annett.

Ross Carr, Conor Clarke, Declan McClements and Liam Middleton should operate in and around the middle of the park with Cathal Gorman and Ruairi McCormack keeping Aaron Devlin, Liam Kerr, Comor McCrickard and Seamus Loughran occupied with a good supply.

Hopefully, Down will have learned from last year’s semi-final defeat to Derry, in a game they should have won and are expected to progress into the quarter-finals.