Kingdom calling for Kelly’s cup chasers
Darren Browne of Westport United could find himself leading the line next Sunday as Mayo go in search of a place in the semi-finals of the Oscar Traynor Cup. Picture: Michael Donnelly
A triple header of Mayo versus Kerry encounters will whet the appetite of sports fans across the county next weekend and it’s hard to argue but that no game is bigger than the FAI Oscar Traynor Cup Quarter-Final on Sunday afternoon.
The Mayo League will look build on winning the inaugural Connacht Oscar Traynor Interprovincial Cup as they take on Kerry League for a place in the national semi-final.
After a narrow victory over Sligo/Leitrim, Mayo announced themselves with a devastating display – and a 4-1 victory – over the Galway League in Eamon Deacy Park to put them in pole position to the top the group and win the Connacht region outright, which they did after another 4-1 win over Roscommon and District League.
All involved in Mayo’s journey have been ‘all in’ since the start and as far as head coach Joe Kelly is concerned that’s the way it had to be, the Westport native admitting if you weren’t fully committed you would not be in the panel, as it is in any high-performance environment.
“It’s been a busy journey,” Kelly told the . “You try to get the best players in the county in their best positions. We tried to nail down every player, have a conversation one-to-one and see if they could commit for the campaign.
“We didn’t want to announce a squad and then have players pull out for various reasons. Once we named the squad, we knew they’d be free and committed.
“I got a bit of flak initially because such a player wasn’t picked but all these players were contacted and for various reasons, some weren’t available. Some were travelling, committed to Gaelic football… if you want success and a good vibe in the camp, you need everyone to be fully committed.”
The commitment required meant a couple of players dropped away from the panel but those who are still there have gelled together quickly, with no club divides in the camp.
“The chemistry from the off was so good and they got on really, really well with each other. Within two weeks, everyone was mingling. If you have that, it’s a great start.”
With those who have fallen by the wayside, Kelly has drafted in Ballina Town veteran Raff Cretaro and rising Conn Rangers star Colm Rutledge into the squad, although Rutledge will likely not be in the matchday squad. Kelly said that Cretaro was going to be in his initial panel but the former Sligo Rovers player had not confirmed whether he would be staying at Ballina Town or playing winter football with Real Tubber. Cretaro has since remained but injured himself playing Masters football last month for Ballina Town and is in a race against time to be fit for this Sunday.
It is in the forward line that Kelly has injury problems, with Castlebar Celtic’s Jordan Loftus out for six weeks after undergoing ankle surgery. Westport United’s Adam Nugent (knee) is another absentee in the medium term while the Kerry game may also come too soon for Cretaro’s Ballina teammate Benny Lavelle, who has resumed training but hasn’t played since last November. Kelly admits his chances of appearing are ‘exceptionally limited’.
Joe Kelly’s initial decision to stack his squad with attackers raised the eyebrows of a few pundits in the county but it appears to have been the right call given the wealth of talented forwards playing in the Super League.
Westport United’s Darren Browne or Kiltimagh/Knock United’s Jack O’Connor will likely lead the line for Mayo League this Sunday and their versatility is crucial to how Kelly wants his Mayo team to play.
“There’s so much quality in the final third in the county, we needed to accommodate as many of them as possible and we knew they were flexible. They can play centrally or out wide. I’m glad we did stack it because we need every one of them in the county.”
They will be tested by a talented Kerry League side, who have ex-League or Ireland players Matt Keane and Shane Lowth at their disposal and former Kerry minor Gaelic footballer Shay O’Meara. A draw against a highly fancied Limerick side saw them advance through Munster region as runners-up and while they were beaten comfortably 5-1 by a talented Waterford League team, Kelly knows anyone at this stage in the competition is going to be a tough test.
“Munster is one of the strong regions, along with Leinster. Kerry seemed to get away with a draw and that was enough to get through in second place. They’re a very good side, aggressive and hard working. We won’t expect anything less than a tough challenge.”
