Mayo manager Stephen Rochford is showing little sympathy for the Castlebar Mitchels club players who endured an All-Ireland hammering in Croke Park only six days ago, and who could blame him.
With just a single win from their opening five games, Mayo face into this Sunday’s penultimate round of the Allianz Football League staring down the barrel of relegation; that they’re facing Connacht rivals and current Division One sensations Roscommon adds to the pressure.
Another defeat could well push Mayo into the point of no return, especially if Monaghan manage to beat Kerry in Clones. For Rochford, in his first season as Mayo manager after the player revolt of 2015, that would not auger well for the summer to come.
With all that in mind he’s recalled eight of the Castlebar players who featured in the 2-14 to 0-7 defeat to Ballyboden St Enda’s in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day – which even by Mayo standards will rank as a day to forget.
Straight back
Tom Cunniffe, Neil Douglas, Danny Kirby, Patrick Durcan, Eoghan O’Reilly, Barry Moran, Donal Newcombe and Ger McDonagh were all invited to attend Mayo training last night, and chances are Cunniffe and Moran will be drafted straight back into the starting line-up.
Another victory for Roscommon would assure them of a place in the semi-finals. After beating Donegal the last day, they boast the best scoring record in Division One (7-79 for, with a points difference of +29). Mayo defenders Keith Higgins and Kevin Keane are also back in contention to make Rochford’s team, although he is likely to be a little more sympathetic there.
Higgins, last year’s captain, hasn’t featured since injuring his hamstring against Donegal last month, while Keane has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since the FBD Connacht League in January.
Roscommon and Mayo haven’t met in the league for several years. They last met in the Connacht championship in 2014 when Mayo won by a point.
For now, however, only two things are certain in Division One: unbeaten Dublin are already into the semi-finals, and winless Down are relegated.
That means Kerry (six points), Donegal (six point), Cork (four points), and Monaghan (four points) all still have plenty to play for.
Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice has yet to make the league semi-finals during his four seasons in charge, and having been in a similar position this time last year, is keen to get over the line this time – even though team captain Bryan Sheehan has been ruled out due to a hand injury.
“We’ll still have a strong squad against Monaghan,” he says, “the only players definitely ruled out are Bryan, Anthony Maher and James O’Donoghue.”
In Division Two, Tyrone have secured promotion but their last two games will help decide who joins them in Division One next year, and also who drops to Division Three.
On Saturday they face Armagh who are bottom of the table on three points. Laois and Meath are also on three points but have a superior scoring difference to Armagh, while Fermanagh are on four points.
