Mayo’s Moran mindful of a Leitrim upset

Living in a house with parents that were born and bred in Co Leitrim means that Mayo midfielder, Barry Moran, is more aware than most of what’s at stake in Sunday’s Connacht SFC semi-final in Castlebar.

The 26-year-old spent many of his childhood weekends in Mohill in the heart of Leitrim’s ‘football country’ and got to know the likes of the McGuinness brothers, including the late Philip, during his visits. Moran’s inside knowledge means that nobody in the Mayo camp is more in tune with how Leitrim are approaching their 27th championship tussle with the Connacht champions.

“I know a lot of the Leitrim lads well and they won’t fear us,” said Moran. “And I certainly won’t be taking them for granted. The last time we played them in the Connacht championship (in 2006) we only got through by the skin of our teeth, beat them by a point, and definitely could have lost. We know if we’re a fraction off, or our heads aren’t right, we could get caught. We have to be ready for action. They’re going to bring pure aggression. “They’re not going to step back from us.”

On Sunday, Moran starts a championship game for the first time in two years, after finally managing to shake of a succession of injuries that threatened to end his inter-county career before it had even got started.

The Castlebar Mitchels number eight, who stands at 6’ 5” and tips the scales at 15 stone, has had problems with his ankle, knee and hamstring in recent seasons.

However, a recall from James Horan late last year was followed by a trouble-free league campaign, and he is looking forward to continuing that good form into Sunday.

“My only aim at the end of last year was to get back into the Mayo scene again,” says Moran.

“James gave me the opportunity to go out and prove myself and I played a part in every league game, which was brilliant. The FBD League and national league allowed me to get back up to the pace of inter-county football again. I’m just delighted that I could through it. People like Ed Coughlan, Cian O’Neill, Liam Moffatt and Joe Dawson in our backroom team have done an incredible amount of work with me in pre-season, before a ball was even kicked.”

As the countdown to Sunday continues, one local bookmaker has priced Mayo at 1/50 to spoil Leitrim’s plans of turning over their illustrious neighbours for the first time in Castlebar. Predictably, Barry Moran is steering clear of any loose talk or bold predictions. He knows Leitrim too well. “A one point victory would do me fine. We just want to put in a performance that gets us over the line.”