Former Mayo selector Tony McEntee insists tomorrow’s Super 8 decider is not personal for Stephen Rochford - but claims Donegal are in difficulty going to Castlebar.

You could cut the tension with a knife. Everyone was on edge wondering how would the fun-loving, stone-mad GAA fan handle the windswept conditions in Portrush.

Kerry defender Paul Murphy has warned that one win will not make their summer and has urged his teammates to build on the foundations they have laid with Sunday’s victory over Mayo.

For well over an hour before throw-in, local group Celtic Steps, situated on a makeshift stage in front of the main stand, entertained the building crowd with the finest of traditional Irish music.

Unlike 12 months ago, Kerry got their Super 8 campaign off to a roaring start with this annihilation of Mayo.

By the time the final whistle blew in Portlaoise last Sunday afternoon, the landscape of this season’s Super 8s was finally set.

As a referee, there are games you look at and are so glad that you aren’t involved in. Mayo-Galway on Saturday night was as difficult a match to officiate as you can get.

Collateral damage or a typically tigerish season? This evening’s all-or-nothing duel with a county they have not beaten in five league and championship games will go a long way to defining Mayo’s 2019.

So far the evidence would suggest Mayo are going down a similar route to 2017 for their qualifier odyssey.

There was no shortage of drama or excitement in Castlebar as the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers served up a thriller with Mayo doing just enough to book their place in the next round.

In the typical nature of Mayo championship games, there was enough in their five-point win over Down on Saturday night for Mayo manager James Horan to get his teeth into when the post-match analysis starts in earnest.

Mayo got their hunt for a Super 8's place back on track after that messy Roscommon defeat in Connacht, with a typically nerve-shredding win over Down on Saturday night.

Monaghan v Armagh is the pick of the All-Ireland Round 2 SFC qualifier draw although Mayo face a tricky encounter against Down at Newry on Saturday week.

Until last weekend, Andy Moran had made it through his entire Mayo football career without losing to Roscommon in the Championship.

Long serving Mayo defender Keith Higgins believes the truth about their Allianz league campaign lies somewhere between the boom and bust scenarios that were painted.

At the ninth time of asking, Andy Moran was a winner in a national senior final on Sunday — and boy did it feel sweet.

When the time comes for the movie to be made about Mayo football, the first words you will see with the opening credits will read “Loosely based on actual events”, as the reality of the last 30 years has been far too bizarre and nonsensical to properly fit a credible narrative.

Mayo defender Chris Barrett has rubbished the claim that the county’s geographic location is what has, and will, prevent them from making an All-Ireland breakthrough.

David Clifford is in line to make his first start for Kerry this season as he is named in the full-forward line in tomorrow’s final round Division 1 game in Roscommon.

The chance of claiming a first national title in 18 years is not to be sniffed at but in the event Mayo do fall short of reaching the final tomorrow James Horan seems satisfied with what he has learned from their Division 1 exploits.

The flip chart in the Mayo dressing room after Saturday night’s gritty win in Tralee was light on to-do’s for this week’s training.

A foul night but an immensely gratifying one for Mayo, who not only ended Kerry’s 100% Division One record in the Kingdom’s back yard, but got an unexpected favour from Tyrone to tee them up for a possible final repeat with Peter Keane’s side.

When Mayo last won their opening three rounds of the league, the year was 2006, Mickey Moran and the late John Morrison were in charge of the westerners and Aidan O’Shea was only 15 years of age.

James Horan wants to make history in his second stint as Mayo manager but little did he think that a nugget of it would come in his first match back as they advanced to a FBD League semi-final showdown with Galway on the back of a penalty shootout.