Donegal v Mayo: Three key match-ups to keep an eye on

ANDY MORAN V JIM MCGUINNESS

A lot of where the league points end up on Sunday could come down to the two generals.

Jim McGuinness has thrice had to contend with stopping the shooting boots of Andy Moran from firing
live ammo.

Now, he’ll have to contend with the management skills of the Ballaghaderreen man.

This will be the toughest test of Moran’s time in charge of his native county so far.

Many sides tend to start the season by introducing new prospects into the squad before re-integrating
heavy hitters further down the tracks.

Last season, though, there was a sense that Tír Chonaill hit the opening rounds hard, before tapering off.

The aim of the game is simply to stay in the top flight, full stop. The same pattern seems to be playing out this season.

If one casts an eye over the Donegal side from the Ballyshannon clash with Kerry, it’s stacked with
seasoned campaigners, with the exception of Malone, Mulreany, and Kieran Gallagher.

That’s without even looking at Ryan McHugh, Oisín Gallen and a certain Mr Murphy, who resides on the
other side of the river from Sunday’s venue, coming in from the sidelines.

It is expected that ‘Jimmy’ will keep a similarly stacked arsenal for Mayo’s jaunt up the Wild Atlantic Way.

There will be no shortage of fires to fight for Moran. Daire Ó Baoíll and Michael Langan can find range
any way they like, while pacey defenders like Young Footballer of the Year Finbarr Roarty, driving from
deep, are more than capable of causing chaos.

However, McGuinness will have more than enough firefighting of his own to do.

For Mayo, the jewel in Belmullet’s crown, Ryan O’Donoghue, has been virtually unplayable since moving out to half-forward.

Green and Red fans have been raving about the exploits of Sam Callinan, and with good reason, and he has proved to be a thorn in the side of both Dublin and Galway.

When you add in serious talents such as David McBrien, Jack Carney and company, there is scope for
plenty of interesting match-ups.

Here’s hoping the tie lives up to the billing.