MAYO GOALKEEPER ROB Hennelly has hailed team-mate Cillian O’Connor as one of Ireland’s “marquee forwards.”

James Horan’s side marched to a fourth straight Connacht title earlier this month but they are still fielding questions about their lack of firepower up front.

O’Connor topped the scoring charts last summer and the Ballintubber marksman has already bagged 2-18 in three Championship outings this year.

That should be a warning sign to anyone who thinks Mayo don’t have the forwards to win an All-Ireland, Hennelly said.

“If Cillian O’Connor isn’t classed as a marquee forward at this stage, I don’t know who is.

“He’s been the top scorer in the Championship the past couple of years [2013] and he’s two years younger than me. It’d be a bit harsh to say he wasn’t.

Then you have the likes of Andy Moran, Kevin McLoughlin, Alan Dillon, Jason Doherty, so I think that issue is put to bed or should be put to bed.

“I have to try and stop shots from them as well so I know all about it!” he added.

Mayo are back in action on 3 August when they face Cork, Sligo or Tipperary in a Croke Park quarter-final.

After coming agonisingly close to a first All-Ireland title since 1951 last year, Hennelly believes Mayo are in even better position to end the drought this time around.

“As a bunch, I think the most important thing for us this year was that we didn’t go in with the same hand and we definitely haven’t.

We’ve added players to the squad and lads who were peripheral players last year are big players for us potentially this year: Jason Doherty and Jason Gibbons, and we’ve got Keith Higgins who went back to corner-back, Chris Barrett is there as well.

“We’re an extremely positive bunch and we’re just excited to be back.

“The hardest thing was starting again at the start but now we’re back in Croke Park.”

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