MAYO GARNERED THE spoils when they met Dublin in the All-Ireland championship last year.
Dublin exacted revenge in the league last month.
And now the two sides come face to face next Sunday in the Division 1 league semi-final in Croke Park.
Dublin’s Kevin McManamon and Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor are key attacking options for their respective sides.
They assessed their team’s progress to date this season when speaking to TheScore.ie yesterday.
Cillian O’Connor on…
Coping without the injured Alan Dillon and Andy Moran
“I think we have more depth. We’ve played a couple of new young lads, the likes of Shane McHale there on Sunday in the full-back line played very well. Cathal Carolan has been a find really at wing-forward.
“Cathal Freeman put in a shift as well early on in the League until he injured himself. We’ve tried a couple of new players and thankfully they’ve slotted in.”
Changing perception of Mayo
“Some people’s opinions would have changed but it’s hard to change people’s opinions unless you go and win and All-Ireland. That’s what some people say you have to do before you get real recognition.
“I think we have gained respect over the past couple of years from the way we’ve played and a couple of big wins we’ve had. But until you get over the final hurdle there’s always going to be people doubting you.
“It’s something that we try not to really focus on too much within the squad, there’s always going to be people slating you.”
Joe Brolly’s comments about Mayo being cynical
“It really makes no difference what’s being said outside the squad and that’s because from knowing all the lads they’re strong enough to block out all that.
The only time it becomes a problem is if then it’s painting a picture of us that’s going to negatively affect our chances in a game by placing extra pressure on officials. But I think everyone’s just moved on.”
Dublin having unfair advantage at Croke Park
“That’s the funny question that’s always there with the Dubs but it’s where the games are going to be come later in the year. It might have been said before that Mayo didn’t like coming to Croke Park but I don’t really think that’s the case now.
“We’ve had some brilliant days out here over the two years. We beat Cork here in the championship, we beat Dublin last year, we beat Kerry in the league.
“Sunday is a great opportunity to mix it with a form team on the best surface and the best stadium in the country. So we can’t really complain.”
Dublin’s Kevin McManamon
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
Kevin McManamon on…
Gaining revenge for last year’s championship defeat
“That was something that we tried to park at the start of the year. We were beaten by Mayo in the semi-final and fair play to them. It is not as if there is some revenge thing there.
“It would be hard to erase that from the memory last year. It was a very couple of painful weeks after but it is not a revenge mission.”
Changing roles in attack
“The way Pat would have done it, he would have wanted more ball winners more than anything else. Jim wants all six forwards to be a threat and to be scoring and not just being workers.
“I’m not sure if we’ve been scoring more but we’re getting a lot better spread of scorers up front. The great thing about Jim is that he wants you to and gives us license to express ourselves.
“That’s what the guys want. the young lads like Paul Mannion and Ciarán Kilkenny and everyone else.”
Dublin missing out on benefits of away trips
“It’s something that’s worked for us before. We’d only two trips this year but I remember in 2010, we’d four tricky trips away from home against Tyrone, Kerry, Mayo and Cork.
“They were the big hitters and those games brought us along. We were trying to get closer as a group as that year there was a lot of new lads as well.”
I know it is February, I know it is the league, I know it is Offaly
@Fergus McGrath: diff
@Fergus McGrath: different tears in Michael Duignan’s eyes this evening
Limerick surely favourites for Liam this year by the looks of things!
@Paddy: you MUST be a hurling genius
@conor murphy: By god I am, having listened to many a Limerick fan over the years, they have me NEARLY brainwashed
@Paddy: limerick favourites? You mad? A munster final and all ireland semi (even though I think there’s more in this side) I’d be happy with for this year
@David Dooley: Excuse me for not making my sarcasm more clear.
@David Dooley: That would be an amazing season for Limerick, I can’t see it happening though..
I was at the game. Limerick were very poor for long periods in the game. The team still appear to be preoccupied with possession hurling from the back( think man city). Offaly got great success from pressing hard in limerick halfback line and midfield area. Limerick weren’t clever enough to recognise this and see the space behind that press and were regularly turned over. The turning points were a missed penalty, soft sending off and 5 pointable frees by iffy.