Mayo U-20s face stiff test against Galway

“WILL Galway bate Mayo?”, sang The Saw Doctors.

When it comes to the Mayo U-20s, it’s hard to know. Their 2024 win over Galway was a false dawn to an abysmal Connacht campaign. That’s why last Wednesday’s win over Roscommon comes with a health warning.

The signs have been good so far for Mayo. Peadar Gardiner’s young men have flouted strength, speed and skill in every line of the field.

However, Galway will provide a sterner test than they did last time. Derek Savage’s men are backboned by twelve starters from the team that defeated Mayo in the 2022 All-Ireland Minor final.

Two stars of that team, Tomás Farthing and Cillian Trayers, have stepped back from intercounty football to focus on rugby and football, respectively.

But Gaway can still call upon star forward and captain Colm Costello, who is already well-known to Mayo. The Dunmore MacHales man, who featured for the Galway seniors against Mayo earlier this year, shot 1-9 as his U-20s cantered to a 1-21 1-10 win over Leitrim in the first round of the Connacht championship.

Although he did not feature against Leitrim, Shay McGlinchey - an unused sub in the Galway seniors’ win over Mayo - is also a key player.

Mayo have their work cut out, clearly. But with three back-to-back Connacht Minor titles and an encouraging win over Roscommon under the belts, they are well able to give Galway a game.

^{The Mayo and Roscommon U-20s battle for possession in Round 1 of the 2025 Connacht U-20 Football Championship in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park}

In Tom Lydon, they possess one of the best forwards in Connacht, one who will flourish under the new rules. Tomorrow, he’ll have help from another South Mayo gunslinger, Darragh Beirne, who kicked a point off the bench against Roscommon just two days after playing in the Hogan Cup final.

Diarmuid Duffy, who captained Mayo to provincial Minor glory in 2022, is due to return to the starting team at some point.

But Duffy, though already a former Mayo senior panellist, will have plenty of competition around the middle eight, where John MacMonagle, Hugh O’Loughlin, Oliver Armstrong, Séamus Howard and Niall Hurley, Oisín Cronin and Luke Feeney all caught the eye against Roscommon.

READ: Three Mayo U-20 players who caught our eye against Roscommon

We can’t forget these new rules either. They will add a pace and zest that was lacking - certainly from Mayo’s perspective - in the 2022 All-Ireland Minor final.

Mirroring their seniors’ penchant for orange flags, the Tribesman kicked five two-pointers against Leitrim. Mayo kicked none against Roscommon, who kept themselves in the game with three from outside the 40-metre arc.

“Will Galway bate Mayo?” Well, they certainly won’t fear Mayo.

FIXTURE

U-20 CONNACHT CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2

GALWAY V MAYO

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26

TUAM STADIUM AT 5.30PM