Mayo round up some club troops

 CALL UPS Mayo manager Stephen Rochford is short staffed this weekend. 

Mike Finnerty

A NUMBER of club footballers are in line to make their senior debuts for Mayo in the FBD Connacht League tomorrow (Sunday).

With twenty-seven members of last year’s Mayo senior football squad on holiday in South Africa, Stephen Rochford is understood to have drafted in some Castlebar Mitchels and Westport players to bolster his panel for the clash with NUI, Galway in Castlebar (2pm).

The Mayo News understands that among those who have been called up from county senior champions Castlebar are defenders Ray O’Malley and Eoghan O’Reilly, along with Danny Kirby and James Durcan.

Meanwhile, Westport, who are currently preparing for an All-Ireland Intermediate club semi-final at the end of January, are understood to have released defenders Niall McManamon and Brian McDermott, along with half-forward Fionn McDonagh.

The fact that Castlebar Mitchels only bowed out of the Connacht senior club championship in mid-November, and that Westport are still in full training, should mean that match fitness won’t be an issue for those players.

As reported in The Mayo News earlier this week, Mayo will definitely be without Ger Cafferkey and Michael Hall (both recovering from injuries), and Barry Moran and Alan Dillon (both on honeymoon).

Among those who are expected to be available for selection are Rob Hennelly, Shane Nally, Conor Loftus and Brian Reape (all members of last year’s senior squad), along with All-Ireland winning under-21s Fergal Boland, David Kenny, Michael Plunkett and Liam Irwin.

Castlebar Mitchels trio Rory Byrne, Donie Newcombe and Neil Douglas were also called up to Mayo’s FBD League panel last month and are expected to feature.

However, Gareth O’Donnell from Charlestown, who was also invited into the panel, is ruled out with an injury.

Conor O’Shea will also be absent as he has been retained by DIT for their game against Laois in the O’Byrne Cup.

Mayo’s panel will also contain some members of the county under-21 squad, with Michael Solan’s charges probably glad of the game time after their North West Cup match against Derry was called off.

There is a strong Mayo contingent in Maurice Sheridan’s NUI, Galway squad with Eoin O’Donoghue (Belmullet), Stephen Brennan (Claremorris), Kevin Quinn (Ballinrobe), Gerry Canavan and Adam Gallagher (both Mayo Gaels), Stephen Conroy (The Neale) and Jack Deane (Ballycroy) all in their plans.

However, O’Donoghue will be absent this weekend as he is in South Africa with his Mayo colleagues.

NUI, Galway have been installed as hot favourites by bookmakers to beat Mayo in the FBD League competition for the first time in eight years.