FBD League Final could be under Castlebar lights
Mike Finnerty
THE prospect of an FBD League ‘Home Final’ under floodlights at McHale Park, Castlebar will be one of the major incentives for the Mayo senior football squad on Sunday.
The Connacht GAA Council have confirmed that the Connacht League Final will be played on Friday, February 11 — under lights — with Castlebar pencilled in as the venue if Mayo beat Leitrim in Ballinamore.
A large crowd would be expected to attend a mouth-watering clash between James Horan’s new-look Mayo and John Maughan’s NUI, Galway outfit (which includes Mayo footballers like Kieran Conroy, Peadar Gardiner, Alan Dillon, Neil Douglas and Jason Doherty).
However, the defending champions need to beat Mickey Moran’s Leitrim first in order to set up another floodlit fixture at the re-developed McHale Park next month.
Meanwhile, Aghamore’s Alan Freeman will be hoping to build on his impressive debut senior season with Mayo when he lines out in the Green on Red on Sunday for the first time in 2011.
The 21 years-old played with DIT in the O’Byrne Cup in Leinster earlier this month but has been selected at full-forward for Mayo’s make-or-break clash with Leitrim.
He is the only player picked to start by James Horan that hasn’t already seen some game-time in the FBD League in recent weeks.
Interestingly, the Mayo management team have selected their third different full-back, centre-back, midfield partnership and full-forward in as many weeks as they seek to find the right combination ahead of the National League.
In all there are thirteen changes from the side that beat Roscommon last Sunday, with goalkeeper Kenneth O’Malley and corner-forward Brian Benson the only players who retain their starting slots.
Meanwhile, Leitrim manager Mickey Moran has revealed that he will be without a plethora of his most experienced players for the coming months.
The former Mayo boss explained that regulars like Declan Maxwell, Enda Lyons, David O’Connor, Shane Foley, Declan Gilhooley and Michael Foley had all opted out of the Leitrim squad due to work commitments.
"We are victim to circumstance and victim to the economy as we have lost players although we have not yet totally finalised the panel,” he told the Leitrim Observer.
Sunday’s match throws-in at 2pm in Ballinamore with TJ Keaveney in charge of the whistle.
Mayo
Kenneth O’Malley (Ballinrobe); Cathal Hallinan (Ballintubber), Alan Feeney (Castlebar Mitchels), Richie Feeney (Castlebar Mitchels); Chris Barrett (Belmullet), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites), James Burke (Ballymun Kickhams, Dublin); Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber), James Moran (Burrishoole); Aidan Campbell (Swinford), Austin O’Malley (St. Vincent’s, Dublin), Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen, captain); Aidan Kilcoyne (Knockmore), Alan Freeman (Aghamore), Brian Benson (Crossmolina).
Subs to be annnounced.
