James Horan: Mayo need more risk for reward, but everything is now full of opportunity for Galway

Galway will harness the groundswell of support after the Connacht final win, knowing their panel depth is real. After a big win, everything is good.

Galway’s Kieran Molloy throws water on manager Pádraic Joyce as they celebrate after the Connacht final. Pic ©INPHO/James Crombie

Over more than a dozen consecutive years of championship showdowns with a formidable rival, a volatile mix of familiarity and friction develops. Lingering skirmishes from previous encounters grow into driving forces, while the memory of past defeats stirs the emotional state. Considering Pádraic Joyce's meagre record of one in eight triumphs against Mayo, juxtaposed with Galway’s reach for a third straight Connacht crown, the intensity in Salthill on Sunday was ratcheted to near fever pitch, unsettling the nerves of all involved.

This backdrop almost guaranteed drama. There was an awful lot going on. One-to-one combat, great scores, crazy mistakes, acts of brilliance, mixed in with a lot of unpredictability around some refereeing decisions. It was a cocktail that ended up rocking the Pearse Stadium foundations.