Last Sunday is forgotten
Championship is championship, and that is especially true when Mayo clubs have been waiting four weeks to reclaim their senior inter-county players for local action.
Any chance that the county players would get a chance to check out their Connacht final opponents in person this weekend has been quashed by some fixture planning by the county board which will see the race for senior honours heat up.
The executive has scheduled two rounds of matches for the next fortnight – which for some is the ideal preparation for a provincial decider and the chance to make history by winning five titles in a row – or a disaster in terms of the risk of injuries.
Either way, the best of the county football panel will be in action with some cracking ties to look forward to beginning this weekend
Breaffy vs. Ballyhaunis – Sunday, 1pm, Breaffy
After the success of positioning Aidan O’Shea at full forward last week in the win over Galway, will his club management fancy leaving him at the edge of the square against Ballyhaunis this Sunday?
If they were to try him there it might set up a very interesting clash of O’Shea and his county captain Keith Higgins which would be a fantastic battle to witness.
Breaffy come in off the back of a one point win over Davitts last month, while Ballyhaunis will be looking to atone from their disappointment on day one when they suffered a 0-15 to 1-9 reverse to Knockmore.
Last year’s intermediate champions will need a big performance from their dual players to ensure their stay at the top grade lasts longer than a year, and this could well be the game of the weekend, if nothing more than for the possibility of Higgins taking on one, or both, of the O’Sheas at some point.
Castlebar Mitchels vs. Ballina Stephenites – Saturday, 6.30pm, Páirc Josie Munnelly
The two traditional superpowers of Mayo club football come face to face on Saturday evening, and both will be looking to key men from the senior inter-county scene side to shine on the local stage.
Wearing six last week in the win over Galway, Tom Cunniffe was part of a more reserved Mayo half-back line but we’d expect him to be pushing his side on much more this weekend.
Castlebar had to try and figure out how to beat the blanket according to Eamon O’Hara’s Ballaghaderreen last time out when at the throw-in for second half Castlebar had an entire half of the pitch to themselves as O’Hara’s charges withdrew every attacker.
Ballina are unlikely to try something similar but as ever with a second round game they will be hoping for a major improvement after an opening round win over Claremorris.
Ger Cafferkey will be a major player as ever here too, and may try and use these rounds of games to prove that he is very much good enough to be the county’s mainstay full-back after missing out last week.
Aghamore v Ballintubber Sunday, 4pm, Aghamore
The county champions continue the defence of their title and will have been glad that star man Cillian O’Connor came through last week’s win over Galway injury free.
The forward was central to their progress last season and after a serious workout last week, we’d expect him to show a further improvement in sharpness this weekend.
Aghamore lost narrowly to Crossmolina on day one, but you’d fear for them coming up against a fully fit O’Connor and his younger brother Diarmuid
The full round of matches at senior and intermediate grade is available on the Mayo website here
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