Mayo U-20s seek to put 2024 behind them as Connacht campaign beckons

THE only way is up for the Mayo U-20s.

It would be harsh to call 2024 a disaster for Peadar Gardiner’s side. They did avenge an embarrassing Connacht championship defeat to Leitrim by winning the Philly McGuinness Cup before losing the All-Ireland ‘B’ championship semi-final to Down with the last kick of the game.

But more was expected from a team that boasted the cream of two Connacht-title-winning Minor teams, including players who’d featured in the 2023 All-Ireland Minor final. Particularly a team that showed so well against Galway in the first round of the championship.

Mayo were quite impressive in that game. Fuelled by the heavy-metal, backs-running-past-forwards mayhem that hallmarked the mid-2010s, Mayo sent out a message with a 0-16 2-6 win over The Tribesmen.

Eleven Mayo players scored on the night, Horanball was back, and the green and red looked odds-on to win their first Connacht title since 2018. How wrong that hunch proved to be.

They lost to Sligo at home, buckling as soon as tongs clasped the hot iron. They drew with eventual Connacht champions, Roscommon, in the Hyde. Most ignobly of all, they were dealt a sobering defeat by Leitrim and condemned to a secondary competition few knew even existed.

READ MORE: Disappointing U-20 campaign leaves questions unanswered 

The whole idea of introducing a round-robin format was to make U-20 football less cut-throat and give players more chances to play for their county. Even with this forgiving format, the Mayo finished bottom of their pile in Connacht with three points.

More should be expected of Mayo this year. Key players like last year’s captain Seán Morahan, Conal Dawson, Finbar McLoughlin, Tom O’Flaherty, Jack Melvin and Darragh Reilly have been caught by Father Time. But Peadar Gardiner still has plenty of talent at his disposal.

HOT PROSPECTS

WE’LL start with the forwards and work our way back. In Tom Lydon and Darragh Beirne, Mayo have two of the hottest prospects in Mayo football at the minute.

Lydon, a Leaving Cert student, saw limited game time in last year’s U-20 campaign. Later that year, he outscored his own comrade Tommy ‘Goals’ Conory by kicking 1-25 in four championship games for The Neale. Some of his performances for Ballinrobe Community School in recent months have been sensational.

Darragh Beirne has just as much potential as Lydon. The Claremorris man may or may not feature this Wednesday after his exploits with St Colman’s College, but he’s still one to watch for the year ahead.

Eastern Gaels’ Senan Guilfoyle proved a handful for many backs in last year’s county junior championship. Dylan Gallagher was arguably Davitts’ player of the season last year, kicking 3-17 during the border men’s march to the county semi-finals. Ballina Stephenites Luke Feeney, already a two-time senior county medallist, will also be in contention for the full-forward berth.

Ballinrobe’s Diarmuid Duffy has already made three appearances for the Mayo seniors and can do a job anywhere in the middle eight.

He could feature at midfield, but Mayo have good options there in Hollymount/Carramore’s Jack Keane and Kilmaine’s Hugh O’Loughlin, who has been appointed team vice-captain.

Mayo have lost a serious half-back in Seán Morahan. But they’ve replaced him with someone just as good in a clubmate of Morahan’s, John MacMonagle.

More of an old-school defender than a gung-ho attacker, MacMonagle played with a class and maturity beyond his years as one of the few bright lights of a Castlebar Mitchels team that rarely sparkled in last year’s senior championship.

A born leader with a brain to match his brawn, MacMonagle will be a key player for the Mayo U-20s this year.

All-Ireland intermediate club champions Aaron Coggins and Mathew Gordetskyy are also included in the squad. They will likely sit in front of either Conor Meaney or David Dolan and will be copper-fastened St Colman’s College captain Rio Mortimer.

We might not see him on Wednesday, but we’ll see plenty of him as the weeks progress.

A lot will be expected of Mortimer. So it goes for a Mayo U-20 team seeking to put a forgettable 2024 behind them.

FIXTURE

CONNACHT U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1

MAYO V ROSCOMMON

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19

MACHALE PARK AT 5.30PM

The Mayo U-20 panel for 2024: David Dolan (Balla), Conor Meaney (Westport), Aaron Coggins (Crossmolins Deel Rovers), Cathal Keaveney (Parke Keelogues Crimlin), Colm Lynch (Parke Keelogues Crimlin), Colm McHale (Moy Davitts), Daithí Butler (The Neale), Dara Hurley (Claremorris), Dara Neary (Parke Keelogues Crimlin), Darragh Beirne (Claremorris), Darragh Slattery (Kilmeena), Darragh Staunton (Knockmore), Diarmuid Duffy (Ballinrobe), Dylan Gallagher (Davitts), Eoin McGreal (Garrymore), Hugh O’Loughlin (vice-captain) (Kilmaine), Jack Keane (Hollymount Carramore), James Lavelle (Béal an Mhuirthead), John Finn (Mayo Gaels), John MacMonagle (captain) (Castlebar Mitchels), Josh Carey (Cill tSeadhna), Jude Clarke (Balla), Luke Feeney (Ballina Stephenites), Matthew Gordetskyy (Crossmolina Deel Rovers), Niall Hurley (Claremorris), Oisín Cronin (Balla), Oliver Armstrong (Knockmore), Paul Gilmore (Claremorris), Rio Mortimer (Claremorris), Seamus Howard (Béal an Mhuirthead), Seán Walsh (Killala), Senan Guillfoyle (Eastern Gaels), Tom Lydon (The Neale), Yousif Coghill (Breaffy).