'No pressure' on well-drilled Garrymore despite 44-year void since last senior crown

HISTORY beckons for Garrymore GAA Club today as they appear in their first county final since 1982, facing Castlebar Mitchels in what should be an intriguing contest.

Garrymore joint manager Fintan Forde said that the south Mayo club is eagerly looking forward to next Sunday.

He explained: “We are really looking forward to the game. It has been quite a while since Garrymore have gotten to a county final.

"The players, the group, and us as a management team are all preparing well for the game.”

Forde doesn’t feel there is any added pressure on his side ahead of a first county final in 44 years.

“I wouldn’t say there is any added pressure going into this game.

"We are just approaching this like any other knockout match and trying to put our best foot forward and prepare as best as we can for the occasion.”

Garrymore seem to be peaking at the right time, and Forde saw the South Mayo O’Meara Cup campaign as very beneficial to the team.

“We had a good Division One league campaign and we also got to the final of the South Mayo O’Meara Cup, and we used a lot of different players in those respective campaigns.

“While we are happy enough where we are at this stage of the season, we know that it is going to be a big battle against Castlebar Mitchels.

“Any Sunday that we weren’t playing league or O’Meara Cup matches we had challenge games. We have a panel of in around 41 and those players got lots of football under their belts between the O’Meara Cup and challenge matches.”

Forde said that Division One league game against Breaffy in May saw great belief develop within the panel.

“The Breaffy game was a very good game. They had a strong team on the day.

"We were missing two or three players on the day and while we lost that game, it was a very good battle. From there on in we felt that once we had our strongest team available that we would be a handful for any team.”

Forde expects another stern test against Mitchels.

“The last four or five times we have played Castlebar Mitchels in the championship there has been very little between us. I expect it to be a good, tight game, and I hope it is also a good game of football for the neutrals. Yet it will be a big battle.”

Having Mayo’s All-Ireland winners Enda Hession and Eoin McGreal in the team is a boost, said Forde.

“Enda and Eoin are well tuned in, and they are great Garrymore people.

"Enda in particular has been playing football at the highest level for a good few years now and he is a seasoned campaigner and a real leader. When you have two All-Ireland winners in your ranks it is certainly a big boost.”

Forde is hopeful of having a fully fit panel to choose from.

“We have a few little niggles, but we would be hopeful that they might clear up. If everyone gets through training this week then we should be okay.”