Mayo set to extend Galway’s 42-year wait for league title

by Aiden Henry

THE 2023 Allianz National Football Leagues come to a conclusion tomorrow (Sunday), with all four divisional finals down for decision in Croke Park.

Like last year, Mayo will be involved in the premier final – the Division 1 decider.

However, on this occasion they will have different opponents in the shape of their arch rivals in Connacht GAA, Galway.

Before the league started in late January you would have got long odds on Mayo and Galway ending up in the final.

Of the two teams, Galway would have been the favourite of the two sides to reach the final given that they had a great 2022, only losing out on an All-Ireland title with defeat in the final against Kerry.

On top of that, many felt that manager Padraig Joyce had a assembled a squad of players that were ready to return Galway to their glory days.

They were expected to be one of the teams on the shortlist for honours this year.

On the other hand, many felt Mayo were in transition. With a new manager, Kevin McStay, in the hot seat, it was thought that it going to take time and patience to build a fairly new side.

The news that Oisin Mullin was heading Down Under to play in the AFL and that Lee Keegan had decided to hang up his inter-county boots didn’t help the cause.

However, McStay got right down to business from the start and has assembled a squad of players with a mixture of youth and experience that seems to be going from strength to strength.

Up to last Sunday they were the only unbeaten team in Division 1 of the National League and more or less had their league final place secured with two rounds left to be played.

So we have the two form teams in the league going to battle for the Division 1 title, and both are from Connaught.

Indeed, if one is to go by the Division 1 league this year, Connaught senior inter-county football is in a very good place as filling third spot in the league table are Roscommon.

It points to a very intriguing provincial championship – which, of course, gets underway in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, on Sunday week when Mayo host Roscommon in the quarterfinal.

However, for now it is all about the league final this coming weekend. The burning question is this:

Will both teams go all-out to win it with the championship around the corner? I expect they will, and what’s more I have the feeling it could be a cracking final.

CONFIDENT

There is little doubt that Padraig Joyce’s side want to win the league badly and will be travelling to headquarters very much in confident mood of capturing it. They haven't been league champions since 1980-81.

The effort they put in against Kerry last Sunday to win the game – effectively a semi-final – illustrated in no uncertain fashion how focused they are and how much they want to win a national title.

We can be certain sure Kevin McStay’s thinking is no different. We know all the talk is about having to play Roscommon in the Connaught championship on Sunday week and should he or should he not put his best foot forward in the league final.

We all know what the Mayo supporters thought of Mayo’s performance in the league final last year, where they were simply thrashed out the gate by Kerry.

I expect it to be a lot different this time around. I think they will be doing the same preparation for their meeting with Galway and all their focus will be the league final and how best they can win this decider.

Like Joyce’s team, I am expecting McStay’s to take to the field in Croke Park tomorrow with all guns blazing.

But who will come out on top? It is a difficult question to answer as both teams have been playing some brilliant and entertaining football so far this year.

And when you add in that the majority of games between these two arch rivals are close, it makes it that much harder to predict the outcome.

Although Mayo topped the Division 1 league table (on score difference), I am expecting that most pundits outside of Mayo will be making Galway the favourites to win. This on account of the way they beat Kerry last Sunday.

We all know Kerry – the defending league champions – went to Salthill wanting to win and make the final.

While the final scoreline will show it was a close game, there was little doubt Galway were the better side and should have won by more.

The fact that Galway are now almost at full strength with Shane Walsh, Damien Comer (whose comeback following injury was quicker than many expected, and who made a huge impact against Kerry) and Rob Finnerty all making valuable contributions last Sunday, will add further to Galway’s high ranking at present.

FAZE

However, this will not faze or worry McStay as he and his management plan for this final.

To date this year they have surprised many teams and many pundits – in a good way. They even have surprised the Mayo supporters with the team has performed this year.

Last Sunday, the Mayo management used the game to give many of the fringe players game time and evaluate how they operated in a tough, competitive game.

It was always going to be hard for the team that lined out to win against a Monaghan side that was ready to put in a massive shift to come out on top in their quest to avoid relegation.

But Mayo could have won, and we must remember they were on level terms with five minutes of normal time remaining.

However, the real plus is that management now have a good bench and plenty of players that can be called upon at any stage in the game to do a job.

As already suggested, this league final will be close. Mayo love playing in Croke Park and will not be afraid of Galway.

If they can reproduce some of their best displays this year, they could leave Galway still waiting for a Division 1 league title longer than 42 years.

Verdict: Mayo