Date with destiny

DATE WITH DESTINY

Mayo hurlers call for your support ahead of semi-final

Daniel Carey

THE manager of the Mayo hurling team has appealed for support ahead of the county’s first ever Christy Ring Cup semi-final next Saturday at 3pm. The match has been fixed for McHale Park, Castlebar, with Carlow providing the opposition, and Martin Brennan is asking the people of Mayo to ‘come out and support the lads’.
“It’s a huge game,” the Westport man told The Mayo News. “It’s the first time a Mayo senior hurling team have got to the last four in the country in their division. The work the lads have put in is phenomenal, and people don’t understand how big this is for them.”
Mayo, coached by former Galway star Pete Finnerty, qualified for the last four after beating Wicklow by 3-18 to 1-22 in Aughrim on Saturday. Extra-time was required, and Brennan said Mayo’s fitness was ‘a telling factor’ in the victory. Nine of the Mayo side were back in action the following day for the club football championship. It was a long weekend for the group, who left Castlebar at 8am on Saturday morning ahead of the 5pm throw-in.
“Because the journey [to Aughrim] was so long, I made a point of getting down there early,” said Brennan. “We were down there for 1pm. We got food got out of the way, had a team meeting, and went down to the pitch at our ease … And we didn’t care if it took us two days to come home! The mood in the dressing room afterwards was phenomenal. To see lads hugging and crying with joy – it was the most emotional thing I’ve ever witnessed. And really, if we can play the game at the same pace as we played against Wicklow, I would be quietly confident that we’ll get to Croke Park. We have no fear of Carlow.”