O’Shea is backing in-form Moran to deliver

For the second GAA media event in succession, Mayo put forward a player unlikely to start the promoted game.

Back in April, it was Alan Freeman before the Division 1 final — he played no part — and yesterday it was Seamus O’Shea, who is only back in training the past four weeks after tearing his hamstring, quad and groin. That awful run of luck has meant he’s behind his brother Aidan and in-form Barry Moran in the midfield stakes with Danny Geraghty and Jason Gibbons also ahead of him in the queue. Having played alongside Moran, not to mention his younger sibling with Breaffy (19-year-old Conor is also on the panel), O’Shea can speak with authority about the pair.

“We [Moran and I] have a good understanding,” he said.

“We’ve played together in club football. I wasn’t really playing this year so it wasn’t really going to happen. Barry has been having a great season, a couple of man of the matches in the Connacht championship, he’s been playing great football, he was very good against Down again, I thought.

“Obviously Aidan has come on over the last couple of games [after recovering from a groin injury]. They are going well around the middle of the field. He was only ahead of myself in terms of injuries. I’ve grown up playing football with Barry. We’d have played U21 and minor together in 2004. He’s had a terrible run of injuries but he’s been well looked after by the medical team and the physio.”

At least O’Shea is available for the game. He can count himself fortunate compared to captain Andy Moran who is ruled out with the cruciate injury sustained against Down in the quarter-final.

“He is a big loss to us there’s no doubt about it, but the only thing is we’ve had plenty of notice of it,” said O’Shea. “We’ve had a month to prepare. We’ve a good panel there and hopefully players will be able to come in and do a job.

“It’s disappointing from Andy’s point of view and we are sickened for him but we have to crack. But at the same time I don’t think we should get motivated by the fact that he’s not there. An All-Ireland semi-final is there to be won. If that’s not enough motivation to get you going then you are in the wrong place.”

Affirmative stuff from O’Shea who, like the rest of the Mayo panel, feels the benefits of working with sports psychologist and Irish Examiner columnist Kieran Shannon.

“He’s a good, knowledgeable guy about Gaelic football and knows his stuff. Mental preparation is a big thing nowadays and that’s an area.”

Based in Dublin where he works in the city centre with an insurance company, O’Shea hasn’t sensed much build-up to the game.

Then again, his time is split between the capital and home with team liaison officer Noel Howley driving the Dublin contingent in the squad back to training on Tuesdays and Fridays.

“I try to keep the head down. Between work, travelling home for training and trying to get to the gym, I’m not out too much.

“You miss out on the buzz at home. You don’t really see what’s going on. It’s a quiet enough build-up. Myself, Ger Cafferkey, Kenneth O’Malley and Chris Barrett go down together, and then during the winter there’s a few more when college is back and a few teachers.”