Bryan Sheehan: Mayo the draw Kerry needed to win the All-Ireland

The former star believes Kerry's quarter-final draw was perfect

1 March 2020; Dara Moynihan of Kerry in action against Darren Coen of Mayo during the Allianz Football League Division 1 Round 5 match between Mayo and Kerry at Elverys MacHale Park in Castlebar, Mayo. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Former Kerry footballer Bryan Sheehan has said Mayo was “the best draw” Kerry could have got and expects the Kingdom to overcome James Horan’s side in Sunday week’s All-Ireland quarter-final.

Given the manner in which Kerry sleepwalked through Munster, Sheehan couldn’t emphasise enough the importance of a proper quarter-final probing before a last-four meeting with Dublin.

“It is exactly what Kerry needed,” Sheehan said of drawing Mayo on the Irish Examiner GAA podcast.

“They needed this because Dublin will beat Cork and you can't go into an All-Ireland semi-final untested. The last competitive game Kerry had was sometime in the League, so it is great they are meeting Mayo.

“Seeing Armagh yesterday, I would have been very, very cautious about facing them. I do expect Kerry to beat Mayo, but I also think it is the best draw they could have got.

“Not for one second am I saying this is going to be a walk in the park for Kerry, this will be a very competitive game. It is the game Kerry needed if they are to go on and win the All-Ireland.” 

The five-time All-Ireland winner described Mayo’s display against Kildare as “very poor” and accused the county of not heeding the failings that have been tripping them up season after season.

“They are still making the same mistakes four and five years in a row, such as their decision-making on the ball. They are still relying on their backs to kick most of their scores. Their forwards are not producing enough scores. It is the same mistakes over and over again are going to confine Mayo to being caught out.” 

2002 All-Ireland Armagh winner Oisín McConville believes Mayo need to bring “mayhem” from the first whistle on Sunday week.

“If Mayo start with the intent of, we are going to contain them for 35 minutes and then we are going to go at them, it's just not going to happen. Mayo cannot contain teams.

“If they try and set up similar to the way they set up against Kildare, Kerry will be home and hosed after 35 minutes. If Mayo are going to win this game, it is going to be 2-22 to 1-21, or something like that.”

McConville also stated that Aidan O’Shea is “a spent force" at midfield but is worth a spell on the edge of the square against Kerry.