Kenny and Phillips look to banish ghosts of previous final defeat

The defeat to Donegal in the 2020 Nicky Rackard Cup Final was certainly a disappointing one for Mayo duo Adrian Phillips and David Kenny, but without question, it was the most ‘surreal’.

Not just a game played in the backdrop of Level 5 restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also played on the same weekend of the Bloody Sunday centenary.

“We drove up. I remember driving under the Cusack Stand and nobody being there,” recalls Phillips. “We'd have driven our own cars all the way into Croke Park and parked up. You're standing out there and realising you're after driving into Croker here!

“It was surreal. It was the Bloody Sunday anniversary as well. It was great to get up there (for the final) but we didn't get the win so we were very disappointed on our own driving in the cars so it wasn't.” They didn’t have to wait long for their next visit as they won the Nicky Rackard Cup in 2021 with a thumping win over Tyrone. The experiences of both defeat and victory at Croker will stand to them ahead of this final this Sunday and whiles the likes of Cathal Freeman and Keith Higgins are no longer there, an injection of fresh blood into the panel from junior clubs has given the squad a boost. 

“Yeah it was big (against Tyrone) because we played very well that day. It was a complete performance and that's what we're hoping for again. We started very well and finished very well. There's different players now and we've lost a couple of players from that. But that's what we're hoping to get again.” 

Phillips added: “(The junior players) will take to it pretty easy. Once the ball will be thrown in, they won't be worried about where we're playing. They're very capable lads. They're well able to hurl anywhere.

“They've hugely benefited us. They've come in and they've not only adapted but they've driven everything on. They've really pushed training hard, they're very focused and committed guys and they really are driving training every night. 

“It's just what the county needs. It's great to have representation from those clubs on the county panel and see their name on programs from now on, so it's fantastic. It's a great bond. We all get on very well with all the lads from all the other clubs. It's a good bond in the group at the moment.”

It’s been a great year for Mayo so far. They won the Division 3A title convincingly and while they hit a bump on the road in the championship against Donegal, they secured a final place with a draw against Roscommon, although it came with a big scare after Roscommon came back from eight points down but could not find a winner.

“Delighted with how it's gone so far,” said Kenny. “Getting to the National League final and winning that was a great, I suppose, stepping stone for us. We've done well now to get this far and get into the final, we're delighted with that. We lost the previous round to Donegal, so we're looking to get one back over them.

“After the (Roscommon) game there was definitely a feeling of relief but we have put it to one side. The goal was to get to a final and that's what happened so we were delighted with that. We did have a lead, we let it slip and that's what we were disappointed with and we're looking now at ways to make sure that doesn't happen again. There's no complacency going into this game. It might work out in our favour yet.” Both men are going into the final this Sunday confident of victory, with a return to the Christy Ring Cup also on offer should Mayo succeed.

“It would be fantastic, it would give the group great confidence. It would be great to win it and then move on to next year and try and do something with Christy Ring. It'll be brilliant for the group,” said Phillips.

“It'd be nice to get back up. Christy Ring is where we've done a lot of our hurling in previous years and it's somewhere we want to get back to,” added Kenny.