U21s have injury problems too, Johnno on the hustings

Mayo's U21s start the defence of their Connacht and All-Ireland titles tomorrow afternoon in Pearse Stadium against Galway but Pat Holmes has, according to Hogan Stand, plenty of injury worries ahead of this local showdown. Senior player Aidan Campbell is a doubt (what hope has he of lasting the full 70 minutes the following day against Dublin, if he's to play against Galway tomorrow?), as are Chris Barrett and Seamus O'Shea. Galway murdered Leitrim in the opening round so our lads could be up against it in this one and, with no back door in the U21s, it could be a short campaign. Let's hope not. Throw-in time tomorrow at Salthill is 2.30 pm.

Elsewhere, Johnno was on the radio last night - wearing his politician's chapeau - on a Vincent Browne special from Breaffy. Most of the Mayo candidates were also on the programme, which was broadcast live from Breaffy in front of an invited audience, but Johnno struggled to make his presence felt in a midfield crowded out by such noted blabbermouths as Beverley Flynn and Michael Ring. Even Browne himself, who it must be said is a reprehensible toad at the best of times, was civil to The Great One, instead using him to make a few sly digs at Ring. The whole show was local politics at its very worst and it makes you wonder what on earth Johnno is doing in such ghastly company. More to the point, what impact will a General Election in May have on our chances against Galway on the 20th? Priorities, Johnno, priorities!

Mayo unchanged, despite all the injuries

Anything Pillar can do, Johnno can do as well. Hot on the heels of the Dubs announcing an unchanged side yesterday for Sunday's NFL Division 1A showdown, we have - despite all the injuries in the camp - done the same. For the record, here is the team to face the Dubs in Castlebar on Sunday:

MAYO (SF v Dublin) - K O'Malley; L O'Malley, J Kilcullen, K Higgins; E Devenney, B J Padden, P Gardiner; D Heaney, P Harte; A Campbell, G Brady, A Kilcoyne; C Mortimer, A Dillon, A Moran.

Johnno has made just one positional switch, with Ger Brady moving back to the centre-forward position that he held for much of last year under the M&M regime, while Killer moves across to left-half forward. Otherwise, it's the same team that started against Cork last Saturday.

Aidan Campbell and Alan Dillon have both been named in the starting lineup but, according to today's Indo, both have still to undergo fitness tests before Sunday to determine if they're in a position to line out. Team captain Kevin O'Neill drops down to the bench but he's certain to get called into the action at some point, quite possibly from the start, if either Campbell or Dillon fail to recover.

No word on the subs, in particular the two Macs. Given his second half display against Cork, it would be great to have have Marty Mac to throw into the fray at some point but, as mentioned yesterday, he appears extremely doubtful due to the foot injury he picked up playing for Breaffy on Sunday. Given his wonder point to slay the Dubs last year (go on, treat yourself to another look!), it would obviously be nice to see Ciaran Mac make a cameo appearance on Sunday as well.

Johnno is obviously developing rapidly as a politician as well. He's quoted, in the same article in the Indo, as saying that they decided to prior to the Cork game not to blame a defeat on the injury list. "It'll be the same if things don't go to plan for us against Dublin" opines the Great One. So now we know: the injuries could, so he says, be a factor in any defeat, but you're not, if we do lose, going to hear us whingeing about them. Now, does that man deserve a vote or what?

ER, Mayo-style

The news is not getting any better on the injury front, with three further casualties arising from the weekend's action. Both Alan Dillon and Aidan Campbell limped off the field before the end of the first half against Cork on Saturday night and they're both struggling to be fit for the Dubs on Sunday. Then, to make matters worse, Marty McNicholas - who scored two crucial points in the second half against Cork - picked up a foot injury playing for Breaffy in a league game the following day and he's reported to have his foot in a cast, so that's him out for Sunday as well. There's still no sign of DB coming back, Trevor is - as we discussed last week - unlikely to be back this side of July and the unfortunate Ronan McGarritty is, of course, out for an indefinite period. In addition, Johnno has been quoted as saying that Ciaran Mc has only a 50:50 chance of being fit for the Championship showdown with Galway on 20th May. It's all a tad depressing, isn't it?

This catalogue of the walking wounded contrasts sharply with the situation in the Dublin camp, where Pillar has, unsurprisingly, named an unchanged team for Sunday's crunch match. This means that both Ciaran Whelan and Alan Brogan have to be content with places on the bench at McHale Park.

Division 1 status not yet in the bag

I have a bone to pick with Johnno. The Great One is going round shooting his mouth off to the media, viz. De Paper yesterday and the Mayo News today, to the effect that we have already secured our Division 1 status for next year. We haven't, although we're tantalisingly close to doing so, as we'll see in a bit.

It should first be confirmed that any further points gained in our final two matches, against the Dubs and Tyrone, will take us over the line. Even a draw and a defeat would do. This puts us in the happy position of having our fate in our own hands.

Because the four counties - ourselves, Dublin, Kerry and Tyrone - chasing the three Division 1 paces on offer (Donegal have already secured their Division 1 berth for next year) play each other over the two remaining rounds (next Sunday, it's us v the Dubs and Kerry v Tyrone, the following Sunday it's Tyrone v us and Dublin v Kerry), the final placings will be directly impacted by how these clashes turn out. Things are complicated further by what's happening as regards points difference - a crucial factor, as it will determine final placings if two or more counties end up with the same number of league points.

Currently, we're second on 8 points (with a +9 points difference), Dublin are third on 6 points (+22), Kerry are fourth, also with 6 points (+5) and Tyrone are 5th, with 6 points too (-5). The immediate point that leaps out here is the enormously positive points difference enjoyed by the Dubs, arising from the hidings they gave to Cork and Fermanagh in their last two outings. This means that any county finishing level on league points with the Dubs is certain to finish behind them on points difference.

Okay, so what's likely to happen?

Let's, for starters, assume that we lose to the Dubs and Kerry beat Tyrone next Sunday. We'd then be level with Dublin and Kerry on 8 points, with an inferior points difference to the former but our relative position to the latter dependent on how badly we fared and how well they did in our respective outings. Continuing this example, if Kerry then beat Dublin in the final round, they claim the second playoff place with the Dubs finishing third, providing we lose to Tyrone (if we beat Tyrone, we'd finish third). However, even if we do lose to Tyrone (as well as the Dubs), we're still likely to beat them to fourth place, unless they hammer us, as our points difference is significantly better than theirs.

Now, let's assume that Tyrone beat Kerry while we're losing to the Dubs, with Tyrone beating us in the final round as well. Our fate then hangs on the outcome of the Kerry/Dublin clash. If the Dubs win that one, we're safe in fourth place, with Kerry losing out (hurrah!). However, if Kerry win, we end up level on league points with them but, unlike the earlier example with Tyrone, this time we'd be the ones likely to lose out on points difference and so finish fifth. This means that there is still a possibility that we could find ourselves in fifth place when the music stops on 8th April and it's the reason why Johnno is incorrect to be claiming that we're home and hosed as regards our Division 1 status for next year.

U21 defence starts against Galway

Mayo's defence of their U21 Connacht and All-Ireland titles will start with a tough assignment away to Galway this coming Saturday. Galway hammered Leitrim by a whopping 23-point margin in their refixed preliminary round match in Ballinasloe on Saturday, winning by 3-20 to 0-6.

My thanks again to the excellent Leitrim GAA website for providing this result, the only place where I could find any mention of it, either on the web or in the papers. You have to admire the way that Leitrim GAA provide details of matches such as this week after week, despite the fact that, so often, the results don't go their way. The official Mayo GAA website is, by comparison, a bloody joke. It's poorly laid-out and never contains any timely information. Leave it to the Western, lads!

So, a full weekend of football lies ahead for the county. An U21 clash with the Old Enemy on Saturday and what promises to be a real humdinger of an NFL match with the Dubs on Sunday. And the clocks have gone forward: Summer football is drawing ever nearer.

Cork 2-8, Mayo 1-12: Killer seals cracking comeback win

Under the lights and in front of the TV cameras down at Pairc Ui Rinn last night, Mayo pulled off a superb comeback to beat Cork by a single point in their NFL Division 1A clash. Six points down at the break and with midfield totally beaten, our second defeat of the campaign looked a certainty. However, Mayo stormed back into the match in the second half and a point in injury time from Aidan Kilcoyne won it for us. Here's Setanta's take on the game. And, for good measure, RTE's and the Sunday Indo's.

Early on, it looked as if Cork were going to do to us what Kerry did in last year's All-Ireland. Using their early midfield dominance, they rained ball into their 6'7'' full-forward, Michael Cussen, and a glut of scores ensued. Cussen himself fisted a free from Masters into the net after ten minutes and later he broke another incoming ball into the path of corner-forward Kevin O'Sullivan who hit home Cork's second goal. We were 2-5 to 0-5 down at half-time and a chastening defeat appeared to be on the cards. However, as Eugene McGee noted in his half-time analysis on Setanta, Mayo's backline wasn't actually playing all that badly but Cussen was clearly proving a handful. With Kilcullen having been booked early in the game, he was obviously somewhat compromised in terms of grappling with the Cork full-forward. Losing a man in such a situation would almost certainly have resulted in a pasting for us.

What needed fixing in the second half was midfield, as that was where all our problems were starting from. We were never going to win ball in the air against Kavanagh and Murphy so the obvious Plan B was to start breaking it, crowd the sector out and try to snaffle up the loose ball. The tactic worked against Fermanagh last time out and soon it became apparent that it could work here as well. With more ball coming into them, Mayo were soon attacking with intent (shades now of the Dublin game last year rather than the final) and Conor Mortimor finished a fine move - involving David Heaney, Kevin O'Neill and the overlapping Peadar Gardiner - with the goal we so badly needed. This meant that, with only six minutes gone in the second half, we were back on level terms.

It still looked like we might fail narrowly to get anything out of the game, with Masters - who ended the night with six points - a constant threat. However, Cork never managed to get more than two points ahead of us after Conor's goal and Masters' final score twenty minutes from the end - which restored their two-point cushion - was also the last one of the night for the home side. It wasn't enough for a win, however, as points from Andy Moran, Marty Mc and Killer instead sealed victory for our lads.

This was a cracking result, one that will do wonders for the team's morale. Despite shipping those two early goals and battling to stay in it in the first half, they recovered superbly to dig out the win. While we were obviously caught on the hop in the first half by the threat poased by Cussen (though, in true Eurovision fashion, we should expect that every county will this year try to ape Kerry's successful tactic last year of deploying a big man in the square), Johnno's second half tactics were spot on. Once the supply to Cussen was choked off, we had a chance but we still needed scores ourselves to get back into it. Conor, once again, showed his worth to the team, with his 1-4 contribution earning him a second-successive MOTM accolade, but it was good too to see the scoring duties being shared around, with two points each from Killer and Marty Mc and a point each coming from David Heaney, Pat Harte, Andy Moran and KoN.

The win makes Division 1 football next year more likely, but we're not there yet. We're currently second in the table, on 8 points, and will remain there until next weekend's matches providing Donegal beat Kerry this afternoon. If Kerry win (and I think the cute hoors just might do so), we'll be level at the top on 8 points with both of them, though (unless Kerry paste them, which I don't think they will) with an inferior points difference, we'd drop to third in the table.

The Dubs are two points behind us but they annihilated hapless Fermanagh last night and so have a massively superior points difference to us (we're +9 but they're +22). If Tyrone beat Limerick today - which surely they will - they'll be level with the Dubs on points, but behind on points difference. Our two final matches are against the Dubs (next weekend) and Tyrone (the weekend after) so we can't afford to be complacent as both could yet overhaul us.

However, after last night's win, the aim now should be a top two finish in order to reach the play-offs. To keep on track for this, we need to beat the Dubs in Castlebar next weekend. They're showing good league form too and they also have a score to settle with us, but, having got into the habit of kicking their asses last year, we'll be looking to give them second helpings in McHale Park this day week.

Pundits and bookies back Cork to win tonight

Tonight’s match under the lights at Pairc Ui Rinn represents an important test for Johnno’s developing Mayo. Home advantage, Cork’s apparent greater need for the points on offer, our lengthening injury list (which is now approaching alarming levels), the ridiculous travel arrangements the lads have to endure today and, possibly, the home side’s regular exposure to playing matches such as this one under lights, all indicate that a win for Cork could be on the cards. At least that’s what RTE, Setanta and the Irish Times all think so Johnno is right to be cautious about our chances. Paddy Power also agrees with this assessment, with the Rebels quoted at 10/11 to win, while Mayo are available at 6/5.

It has all the indications that we could be in for a tough evening. If Cork tear into us the way Fermanagh did and hit us with a few early scores, we could be in real bother. We’re weak at midfield – although David Heaney should do better there than James Nallen did the last day – and so if Cork win lots of ball - which they should with their pairing of Murphy and Kavanagh - and move it quickly inside, they could punish us fairly hard. If midfield becomes the problem I think it might, then the temptation will be to handpass our way from one end of the pitch to the other, which, as the Clones match showed (and common sense would suggest), is not a sensible tactic for a game played in March. At least the weather should be okay tonight compared to Clones and the pitch cannot be as bad as St Tiernach's Park was but a short-passing game would, I fear, still be a route to nowhere for us.

On a limited supply of ball, economy of effort is likely to be very important tonight. We kicked a fair few wides in the first half in Clones but were far tighter in the second half, picking off scores with isolated attacks while Fermanagh were wasting plenty of chances at the other end. I wouldn’t expect Cork to be as wasteful as Fermanagh were (they haven’t that great widester Tom Brewer playing for them, for starters, and they do have James Masters) which means that our lads will have to make even better use of whatever ball they get. This is, I know, a tall order.

It’s an important match for the two Aidans – Campbell and Kilcoyne – who both experienced victory over Cork in last year’s U21 All-Ireland final. We’ll need a few scores from both lads if we’re going to have any hope of taking something from the game. Alan Dillon and Ger Brady will have to put in improved performances and, needless to say, we’ll need all the points that Conor is able to poach. Andy Moran will also need to put in yet another tireless 70 minutes, most likely further out the field than where he's been named in the starting lineup. Johnno still has to figure out what formation works best for the players he has – a two-man full-forward line comprising Conor and Alan Dillon doesn’t rock my boat, I have to admit, especially if high ball is being sent into them.

The sideline will be enormously important tonight as well, especially before the lads take the field. Johnno needs to get it into the players’ heads that any notion that Cork have a greater need of the points is just rubbish. If we want to make the playoffs – a reasonable target to aim at, I would have thought – then we need to win not only tonight’s match but next Sunday’s home clash with the Dubs as well. So, any thoughts that this is a “must win” for Cork but merely a “nice to win” for us - a suggestion made by a contributor to Mayofans.com the other day - have to be nipped in the bud. Johnno could do worse than take a leaf from the book of that celebrated Corkonian, Roy Keane, who this week questioned the motivation and will to win of the Irish soccer team in fairly trenchant terms. I hope Roy isn’t using the weekend off to psyche up his county’s Gaelic football team!

Finally, a reminder that the match is live on TV on Setanta Ireland tonight, for all those in the land of cable (in particular, that of NTL) and for those who subscribe to the channel on Sky. Radio commentary is, of course, also available on MWR.