Horan gears up for major tilt at league

Mayo boss James Horan has set his sights on winning the National League in 2014 as he believes that it would be the perfect preparation for an assault on the All-Ireland title.

Speaking for the first time since September’s All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin last week, Horan lamented the fact that, despite reaching the NFL final in 2011 and semi-final last spring, he felt Mayo’s league form hasn’t been ‘more consistent’ over the last two years. He also said that ‘winning tough games on the road’ is the ideal way to build character and confidence ahead of next summer’s championship.

“One of the things we set out to be is a consistently top team, and consistency is one thing that Mayo hasn’t had in a long time. We’re improving that,” he noted.