Mayo manager wants to give Cora Staunton a glorious swan song

MAYO manager Frank Browne is targeting a glorious September swan song for ace forward Cora Staunton.

Carnacon superstar Staunton committed to a 22nd and almost certainly final season in the county shirt earlier this year and she’s been in exceptional form throughout the Lidl Ladies National Football League campaign as the westerners claimed seven wins from seven outings.

Browne returned to the Mayo hot-seat last year with some “unfinished business” to attend to.

In 2007, Browne was in charge when Mayo lost the All-Ireland final to Cork and they haven’t contested a showpiece Brendan Martin Cup decider since then.

Staunton has four All-Ireland medals in the bank but the last of those was achieved in 2003.

And Browne has a vision of Staunton bowing out at the very top on the last Sunday in September – as a five-time winner.

When asked by RTÉ Sport what this current Mayo team can achieve, Browne replied: “This year, we want to try and win the League, the Connaught championship and the All-Ireland, to give Cora a fitting send-off.

“I’m always very conscious of giving other teams ammunition but we’re good enough and I would have ambitions.

“When I went back last year, I felt that unless we did as well as 2007, or better, it would be a disappointment.

“I was asked before the League last year how we would do and I said ‘I think we’ll win it, what else would you want me to say?’

“It’s probably something we’re afraid to think about too much but it would be great to see Cora on the Hogan Stand steps on the last Sunday in September.

“If we don’t, we’ll put our hands up and accept that we didn’t win but that we threw everything at it.”