Nicola O’Malley returns to Mayo ladies team for must-win Waterford game

MAYO defender Nicola O’Malley has returned to the Mayo ladies’ starting team for their do-or-die clash with Waterford.

The Westport woman, who missed the win over Kildare due to illness, will start at full-back in place of Ciara Durkan as Mayo prepare for a must-win game against the Déise.

Liam McHale’s side travel will face third-place Waterford in Kilmacthomas tomorrow afternoon, where only a win and other results will salvage Mayo’s Division 1 status. 

Mayo have lost five games and won once in this year’s Division 1 campaign, for which they were without a number of experienced players. 

Mayo’s top scorer, Sinéad Walsh, starts in a forward line which includes Bree Hession, who won an All-Ireland schools title with Mount Saint Michael. 

READ: No time to relax for Mayo Ladies ahead of must-win meeting with Waterford

Mayo’s meeting with Waterford throws in at 2.30pm tomorrow and will be streamed live. 

The green and red need to win and also hope that Tyrone beat Kildare. Those results would leave Kildare, Tyrone and Mayo all locked together on six points, with two teams to go down. 

In that case, scoring difference would come into play. Kildare are best off in this regard on -16, with Tyrone on -59 and Mayo on -29. 

The Mayo ladies team to face Waterford in Round 7 of the Lidl National Football League Division 1 is as follows: Julia Gawalkiewicz; Lucy Wallace, Nicola O’Malley, Sherin El Massry; Danielle Caldwell (captain), Jenna Mortimer, Saoirse Lally; Hannah Reape, Aoife Geraghty; Chelsea Doherty, Erin Murray, Bree Hession; Annie Gough, Clodagh Keane, Sinéad Walsh.