Burning desire for success drives Mayo
It's because a lot of them weren't involved in the National League campaign for a number of reasons. Manager John Maughan points out that 'surgery and travel' were the primary ones. Their appetite for football - fuelled by an overpowering desire to make that long-awaited breakthrough - characterised their play in Connacht and continues to. It's not an illusion. They are fresh.
By way of illustration. Mayo played Tyrone in the League in Castlebar on the St. Patrick's weekend, losing by eight points. When the counties clashed a fortnight ago in the Bank of Ireland championship quarter-final, eight of the starting fifteen in McHale Park were substitutes. Two others are not in the squad, which means that a mere five lined out in Croke Park. Among them was team captain Fergal Costello, who has lost his place for tomorrow's All-Ireland semi-final game with Fermanagh.
