CONOR MORTIMER KNOWS all about Stephen Cluxton’s ability to pick out his Dublin teammates with pinpoint kickouts.
Former Mayo ace Mortimer won a Sigerson Cup medal with Cluxton in the colours of Dublin City University and the pair are now clubmates at Parnells in the capital.
Mortimer has urged Mayo to push up on Cluxton’s kickouts and force the two-time All-Ireland senior medallist to go long at Croke Park on Sunday.
With Barry Moran once again named in the team for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final at GAA HQ, Mayo have the option of dropping the towering Castlebar man, named in the full-forward line, back into the middle third to provide an extra body.
Moran played an effective ‘sweeper’ role in the quarter-final victory over Donegal and Mortimer suspects that something similar might happen again.
But Cluxton’s kickouts will dictate how Mayo set up, Mortimer believes, and he has warned that his home county cannot afford to let the Sky Blues gain primary possession from his deliveries.
“You can’t let them play it short,” Mortimer told The42.
“If you let Dublin play, you know what they’ll do to you because they’re a good footballing side.
“Mayo need to be strong and push up, that makes more sense.
“The difference with Clucko is that he can play it long, short, across the field, he can do whatever he wants with the ball. We know that, we’ve seen it for years.
“The only way we struggle with his kickouts if when we don’t work hard enough.
“He doesn’t look to play a man over 30 or 40 metres, he hits it into space.
“So Mayo have to block off the space or track the runners, that’s the most important thing.
“It takes a lot of hard work but the team that works harder at the weekend will win the game because they are two fairly evenly-matched teams.”
Mortimer is impressed by Mayo’s starting 15 but insists that Tom Cunniffe’s injury loss may be felt in defence.
“Cunniffe will be a loss, no doubt about that. Are Mayo going to play Barry (Moran) at full-forward with Aidan or put him back as a defensive midfielder like in the Donegal game?
“This is the question that people will be asking but it’s a strong side and the boys are playing well. They might put Barry out around the middle for the kickouts.”
Mortimer, Mayo’s all-time leading scorer, is confident that the side managed by Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly has what it takes to make a third All-Ireland final in four seasons.
“I think Mayo will win it, the reason being they’re confident, but we don’t know where Mayo or Dublin are at at this point in time.
“There’s been a few changes to the team in the last couple of years, a bit of a fresh approach, trying different things.
“Aidan O’Shea at full-forward is a move that’s working but I think he’s a better midfielder, one of the best in the country.
“He’s playing well at full-forward, doing a job, but there’s going to be huge pressure on him at the weekend.
“But with Aido, the more pressure on him, the better he’ll play.
“He’s a confidence player. When things are going well, O’Shea will have a big game and he needs to for Mayo to win, which they’re more than capable of doing.”
Meanwhile, Mortimer and his business partner Dave Feeney have launched a new training centre, catering for male and female athletes from the age of 16 upwards.
M&F Training Centre of Excellence will offer GAA skills and weights training running right through from September to December.
They can offer one hour pitch sessions and the option of a gym session comprising of spinning classes, TRX classes or your own preferred session.
Players can then finish with a jacuzzi, steam room or sauna if they so choose.
Email mandftrainingcentre@gmail.com for more details, follow them on Twitter or connect on Facebook.
Cmon rory, hope he holds on. If he does get caught though how could anyone begrudge sergio a major. Especially the british open.
Great round of golf by shane lowry today, 65 in the final round in a major is world class.
His “f— it”, shot on camera on the 18th green was priceless
Great round Shane. Well done.Come on Rory. Irish Golfers simply the best :-)
He doesn’t consider himself Irish though?
Thumbs down from the bandwagon jumpers!
Amazing to think that if he had not blown the masters he’d have had a career slam at only 25
Hold on Rory
Stand up for the Ulster man! Brilliant stuff from Rory!
That sham of a flag which he will wrap himself in later.
What ? The Offaly flag?
Go home Mark Kelly you’re drunk.
Rory handing off that fat kid, lolololol.
Three Irish men in the top 10
Heckler has been kicked out for giving McIlroy hassle – wonder if it was Olympic related
C’mon fowler and if you can’t win and looking to big an ask come on Garcia
Don’t like him at all but I suppose it is good for a British person to win the British Open
He’s British by choice though. His caddie is Irish so a good day for us too.
Kinda anyway. Don’t want to go stealing British athletes. They do that to us often enough!
Get in the hole!
Doesn’t look like Lowry’s going to win.. does it?
He has plenty of time to practice seeing as he’s not are signing autographs for children now. Just push them out of the way and get your scorescard in eh For?