FOR EOGHAN KERIN, there has been a stark contrast between Connacht championship days as a supporter against Mayo and the experience of playing against Galway’s fierce rivals.

He was pitched in as part of a bunch of a debutants in 2016 in Castlebar as Galway sprung a surprise. He was part of a squad that repeated the trick last summer and involved when they maintained that pattern of wins earlier this month.

But he knows the flipside of their relationship with Mayo as well.

“We have been fortunate for the last three years and in the FBD and National League we have beaten them five on the bounce which is pretty nice to get over the neighbours because they had their foot on our throat for the last few years before that.

“It was depressing enough to look at because it isn’t even about losing sometimes, they weren’t even competitive at that level. You see Mayo coming down to Pearse Stadium hammering them.

“That (2013) is the one that stands out. That shouldn’t be happening because there is an intense rivalry there and there is never a couple of points either side. So for Galway to go out that day was disappointing, I was looking on from the stand.”

The problem for Galway in recent seasons then has not been beating Mayo, it’s been building on that scalp for the rest of the campaign.

In 2016 they crashed out when Tipperary gave them a hiding in Croke Park. Last year Roscommon came down to Salthill and turned them over convincingly. Galway rebounded against Donegal before bowing out meekly to Kerry.

Kerin does not want to slip into the trap of being content with a success over Mayo.

“We put it into perspective. We have beaten Mayo in the last couple of years, but they have gone on to contest All-Ireland finals and they have been in a position to be within a kick of the ball of winning it.

“As much as we’d like to think we are gradually getting better we still need to prove ourselves at the back end of a season, not just rate our year on beating the local rivals.”

Sligo loom large as Galway’s next opponents on Sunday in Pearse Stadium. 24-year-old Kerin can remember as a young fan the games of 2010 and 2012 when the Yeats men bettered Galway in Connacht battles.

Kevin Walsh masterminded those Sligo victories and has seen during his time with Galway, the potential pitfalls that come with being overwhelming favourites.

“When you look at the last time we met in Pearse Stadium, I think it was the game Kevin was over them, they beat us by seven or eight points in the end of it,” said Kerin.

“I think I was watching on TV (in 2012). It was kinda weird, Galway had hammered Roscommon and were expected to walk through, I think I was probably thinking I will go to the Connacht final or something. Then the next thing they were beaten quite well in the semi-final. It was a surprise more than anything.

“We can’t afford to disrespect anyone. We have learned harsh lessons over the past couple of years between Tipperary and Roscommon when we were overwhelming favourites.

“It was bizarre to talk to a few fans after the (Tipperary) game because all that is being said to you is ‘I can’t believe that or I couldn’t see that happening’. It did happen so you better start believing it. That was a day that will live long in the memory, to say the least.

“Hopefully we have learned enough from that to know that we can’t go out complacent in any game and that we can’t afford to disrespect an opposition. So they will probably savour that underdog tag, and they will relish the opportunity of trying to take out Galway.”

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