Championship Preview - Mayo News Football Podcast 2021 E9

06/20/21 • 59 min

The rapid-fire National League campaign is now over with the action getting underway in this year's Championship next weekend. Mayo take the field next Saturday, when they face Sligo in a Connacht SFC quarter-final tie at Markievicz Park.
In this episode of the Mayo News football podcast we use the short lull in hostilities between League and Championship to preview this year's race for the Sam Maguire. Billy Joe Padden hosts the Championship preview episode and he's joined by fellow Mayo News (and Irish Examiner) columnist Colin Sheridan and by Mick Foley of the Sunday Times.
In a wide-ranging discussion, the lads look ahead to the summer campaign from a number of different angles. Their focus initially is on Mayo, where, naturally, they zero in straight away on the loss that Cillian O'Connor represents to a Mayo team that start out as favourites to retain the Nestor Cup but whose more expansive plans this year have been undercut by the Achilles injury suffered by their talisman.
The lens then widens out to consider Galway and Roscommon, both of whom were relegated from Division One last weekend and who seem destined to meet in Connacht at the semi-final stage. Their respective strengths and weaknesses are examined, as are their prospects for provincial honours.
Casting the net wider still, the lads survey other potential last-four competitors, before their gaze fixes on the quixotic endeavours of John Maughan and Mickey Harte. Both men have walked the line more than once on All-Ireland day but this year their respective charges in Offaly and Louth - both of whom enjoyed League promotion this year - are set to meet in the first round of the Leinster Championship.
Wrapping up this Championship preview episode, all three provide their predictions on who'll come out of Connacht and then they go on to declare who they think will get their hands on Sam in August.
This episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as on the Mayo GAA Blog.
The Mayo News football podcast has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you're a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.
The Mayo News football podcast is sponsored by Ceramic City and Swinford Motors, two fine Mayo businesses with whom we're proud to be associated.

Previous Episode

Clare Review - Mayo News Football Podcast 2021 E8

Mayo are back up in Division One for next year following Sunday's win over Clare and with that achievement in the bag James Horan's team now turn their focus to their opening game in the Connacht Championship the weekend after next. They do so, however, with considerable worries over the fitness of Cillian and Diarmuid O'Connor, both of whom came off injured in Ennis. In this episode of the Mayo News football podcast, we review the victory over Clare and start to look ahead to the challenges now facing Mayo, not least in light of the major injury concerns relating to two key players. Billy Joe Padden is back in the chair for this episode and he's joined once again by Edwin McGreal of the Mayo News and John Gunnigan of the Mayo GAA Blog. Together they discuss the highs and lows of Sunday's match in Ennis, focusing initially on the injuries to the O'Connor brothers before assessing Mayo's performance in what was in every sense a game of two halves. We then hear post-match thoughts from Ennis from Austin O'Malley, John Casey and Martin Carney, all of whom Mike Finnerty chatted with after the game at Cusack Park. Rounding off this episode, the advanced mark gets a mention and so too do the exploits of the All-Ireland winning Breaffy ladies rounders team. This episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as on the Mayo GAA Blog. The Mayo News football podcast has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you're a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes. The Mayo News football podcast is sponsored by Ceramic City and Swinford Motors, two fine Mayo businesses with whom we're proud to be associated.

Next Episode

Sligo Preview - Mayo News Football Podcast 2021 E10

This weekend sees the start of the football and hurling Championships and on Saturday afternoon Mayo join the fray when they travel to Sligo to take on the Yeats County at Markievicz Park. In this episode of the Mayo News football podcast we preview Mayo's Connacht Championship opener.
This match preview show is hosted by Mayo News sports editor Mike Finnerty and he's joined by two former Mayo greats, Martin Carney and Kevin McStay. To start the show we hear Martin and Kevin’s own personal memories of playing Championship football for Mayo and how very different things were for the county back in the Seventies and Eighties. They reflect on the sense of hopelessness that often surrounded the county team's prospects back then and they discuss how their own experiences as players make them appreciate where Mayo now stand all these years later.
Turning to Saturday's knockout clash with Sligo, Martin and Kevin discuss the impact of Cillian O'Connor’s injury on the player himself, before going on to consider the possible make-up of the team for Saturday. They also provide their views on Mayo’s prospects this summer. Rounding off this preview episode, Martin and Kevin outline what they are looking for and expecting from Mayo against Sligo, including from a defensive perspective given the big scores that the team have been leaking in recent matches.
This episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as on the Mayo GAA Blog.
The Mayo News football podcast has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you're a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.
The Mayo News football podcast is sponsored by Ceramic City and Swinford Motors, two fine Mayo businesses with whom we're proud to be associated this year.