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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mayo reveal a strong hand for U-21 test
BY ANTHONY HENNIGAN
FOUR players who featured in Mayo’s National League defeat to Dublin last Sunday, seven of Mayo’s All-Ireland minor final starting teams of 2008 and 2009, and as many as 11 players who played minor championship football for the Green and Red during the past three seasons, have been named in Raymond Dempsey’s U-21 team that commences its Connacht Championship campaign away to Leitrim tomorrow night (Wednesday).
The exceptions to that latter rule are Burrishoole’s Pat Mulchrone, Westport’s Lee Keegan, Cathal Carolan of Crossmolina and Castlebar’s Neil Douglas.
The latter three were, of course, members of the Mayo U-21 team that won provincial honours last season with Keegan and Douglas two of nine members of tomorrow’s team who have had various involvements with John O’Mahony’s FBD and National League senior Mayo panels so far this year.
Of last year’s U-21 team beaten by Down in an All-Ireland semi-final, nine players who started that day have retained their berths for tomorrow also.
Joining those in the line-up are Sean Prendergast and Alan Freeman, who were both sprung from the bench last year, the aforementioned Pat Mulchrone, Knockmore’s Shane McHale, Garrymore’s Shane Nally and Castlebar’s Ger McDonagh.
Injury has curtailed the training of 2008 minor midfielder James Cafferty whilst Michael Gallagher, who held down a defensive berth for some of last year’s provincial U-21 campaign, is also thought to be pushing hard.
Mayo boss Raymond Dempsey is expecting no easy ride in Cloone. Three years ago the Leitrim minors held the then reigning All-Ireland champions, Roscommon, to a draw in the group stages of the provincial championship. The same Roscommon team went on to beat Mayo by six points.
“This is going to be a serious test. Leitrim are always very rugged and committed. The game is above in their back garden too, it’s an evening match under lights and there’ll be a big local support so we’ve a lot of issues to address and to be ready to meet.
“There’s a lot of individual work to be done by players if we’re going to get a team performance,” added Dempsey.
The match will be the first ever Connacht Championship game at the three main grades to be played under floodlights. It’s something that might have bothered players a few years back, but not now says the manager, who has expressed delight at the appointment of Sligo official, Michael Duffy.
“We’re lucky Michael is in charge. He’s a quality referee,” said Raymond. The winners of tomorrow night’s game will have home advantage for the semi-final clash with Roscommon on St Patrick’s Day.
MAYO U-21 (v Leitrim): Robert Hennelly (Breaffy); Pat Mulchrone (Burrishoole), Shane McHale (Knockmore), Kevin Keane (Westport); Lee Keegan (Westport), Eoghan O’Reilly (Castlebar), Sean Prendergast (Claremorris); Ger McDonagh (Castlebar), Shane Nally (Garrymore); Cathal Carolan (Crossmolina), Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole); Neil Douglas (Castlebar), Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), Alan Freeman (Aghamore).
Connacht U-21 Football Championship Preliminary Round
Wednesday, March 10, at 7.30pm in Cloone
Leitrim v Mayo
Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo)
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