Mayo handed favourites’ tag for Galway clash

ON THE LINE Mayo manager Stephen Rochford and team selector Peter Burke are pictured during Sunday's Connacht SFC quarter-final in Castlebar. Pic: Michael McLaughlin

Mike Finnerty

MAYO have been installed as raging hot favourites to beat Galway in next month’s Connacht SFC semi-final in Salthill.
Despite losing the corresponding fixture in Castlebar last year, Stephen Rochford’s team will carry the mantle of ‘money-on’ favourites into the June 11 showdown.
The bookmakers have priced them at 4/7 with defending champions Galway at odds of 7/4 to advance to another provincial final against London, Leitrim or Roscommon in July.
Mayo will be hoping to be at full strength for the clash with Galway on Sunday fortnight but their medical team will assess both Kevin McLoughlin and Seamie O’Shea this week.
McLoughlin was forced off during the first half of Sunday’s win over Sligo with a back injury while Seamie O’Shea was withdrawn in the 68th minute after falling heavily and banging his head on the ground.
A Mayo GAA spokesman confirmed yesterday (Monday) that O’Shea would be assessed further in the coming days but was showing no ill-effects in the 24 hours after the game ended.
Meanwhile, All Star defender Brendan Harrison, who missed last weekend’s match with a hamstring injury, is set to return to training this week.
However, Alan Dillon, who wasn’t named in Mayo’s match-day squad of 26 for the Sligo game, is currently sidelined with a hamstring problem.
The veteran forward was unable to line out for Ballintubber in last Saturday evening’s refixed Mayo Senior League match against Hollymount/Carramore as a result of the injury.
The other Mayo players not to make the match-day squad last weekend were Eoin O’Donoghue, Donie Newcombe and Barry Moran.