The Dubliner who managed Mayo players Lee Keegan and Fionn McDonagh to All-Ireland club glory believes Mayo can halt the drive for five on Saturday.

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.

It was the first time that the Cats were beaten in the Championship on home soil since 1949.

Cork remain in the hunt for a place in the Electric Ireland Munster MHC final after an improved second half saw them past Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening.

Late points from Conner Hegarty, Dylan Downes and Keith Smyth saw Clare over the line in a tight and tense curtain raiser in Walsh Park that was level seven times.

Sunday’s league semi-final will tell Galway manager Micheál Donoghue whether the fringe players he has persisted with throughout the spring are capable of making an impact come championship, according to former Galway forward Niall Healy.

This was a convincing and routine win for Galway as they easily bettered Dublin to claim both the league points on offer at Pearse Stadium.

UCD were indebted to a brace of late frees from Ronan Hayes as they recued a share of the spoils with NUIG after their entertaining Fitzgibbon Cup Group A encounter at David Billings Park.

Every year, the confirmed Fitzgibbon Cup panels read more and more like a who’s who of the inter-county game. Hurling is as much a student’s game these days as a young man’s one. So among our ones to watch in this year’s competition (which begins Sunday) there will be familiar names but to a man, they have points to prove.

Galway 0-26 Dublin 2-19

Waterford 2-13 Tipperary 3-9: Waterford produced a sensational comeback to beat Tipperary in the Munster Minor Hurling Championship at the Gaelic Grounds.

Former Mayo forward John Casey is praying his county beat Galway on Sunday — but isn’t sure a third straight Connacht SFC defeat to their neighbours would effectively mean the end of their championship.

Although it wasn’t widely identified as a trend — more reported as a series of unrelated events — an intriguing development in 2017 was the signing by the managers of the country’s top four football teams to stay on until 2020, writes Kieran Shannon.

Tyrone 2-14 - Mayo 0-8: After what he described as his team’s best performance in years, Tyrone manager Mickey Harte took aim at those who had been critical of Tyrone’s tactical approach this year.

Jason Flynn's 1-9 haul eased All-Ireland title holders Galway to an anticipated victory at Parnell Park, setting up an Allianz hurling league promotion shoot-out with Limerick next weekend.

NUI Galway 2-12 Dublin IT 0-15

With games falling victim to the inclement weather at the weekend, it further highlighted and exacerbated the craziness of this early season fixtures pile-up during a period most likely to be negatively affected by mother nature, writes Mike Quirke.

Christian Brothers College are through to the semi-finals of the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup after victory over a brave St Clement’s side at Temple Hill yesterday.

Galway 1-19 Antrim 1-16: After an hour of average hurling Micheál Donoghue’s Galway finally showed their class to launch the defence of their league and championship titles with victory over Antrim at Pearse Stadium.

History was made in today’s Mayo SFC Final as Castlebar Mitchels retained their title and claimed the Moclair Cup for the third season in a row.

Two second-half goals from Jack Canning delivered Galway an 11th All-Ireland minor title.

A stunning Mayo performance put an out-of-sorts Kerry out of their misery in a thoroughly deserving All-Ireland semi-final replay win.

John Divilly believes Lee Keegan should start at midfield in Saturday’s replay as he has the mobility to counteract likely Kerry starter Jack Barry.

A 72-year-old man with an intellectual disability was malnourished and severely dehydrated prior to his death at the Áras Attracta care centre in Mayo, an inquest has heard.

A farming organisation wants forestry payments curtailed amid claims they are a threat to the fabric of rural life.

Mayo's up and down summer continues as a determined second-half showing at Ennis progressed Stephen Rochford’s side into the fourth round of qualifiers.

Mayo fatigue is being experienced across the country but this team doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. That belligerence has to be respected yet the question is, can they transform doughtiness into dominance? John Fogarty looks at the arguments for and against.

The compelling story of this season’s National League took another dramatic twist in Castlebar yesterday when the Cavan footballers ended a 13-year wait for a win in the top division.

One glance at this weekend’s fixture programme should be enough for the penny to drop. You certainly don’t need a third-level degree to take from it that the dominance of certain counties on the big stage is perfectly mirrored at club level.

Galway 1-19 Laois 0-16: A first-half goal from Joseph Cooney proved crucial as Galway advanced to the semi-finals of the Walsh Cup.

Antonio Conte was in no doubt about the significance of Chelsea’s club record, 12th successive league win.

The winners face Tipperary in the semi-finals.

Mayo 5-7 Cork 1-14: An hour and a half after Stephen Coen lifted the Clarke Cup, he and his team-mates were back on the field to mingle with friends and family.

Magic from Conor Loftus and Liam Irwin brought Mayo U21 All-Ireland glory for the first time since 2006.

Cork midfielder Ronan O’Toole could be fit for Saturday’s EirGrid All-Ireland U21 final with Mayo at Cusack Park (6pm).

Mayo 1-15 Dublin 1-14: These Mayo lads have an awful tendency to make life as hard as possible on themselves.