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Kevin McStay: Two sides to Mayo approach for New York mission

Mayo manager Kevin McStay during the launch of the Connacht GAA Football Championship
Mayo manager Kevin McStay during the launch of the Connacht GAA Football Championship

Last week's two-point Allianz league win over Monaghan sealed a satisfactory spring campaign for Mayo manager Kevin McStay.

However, he says all eyes have quickly turned to the impending championship visit to New York on Sunday week.

Whilst ensuring a good flow of results and spread of players during the league, McStay says that planning has also been vital for the journey to the Big Apple.

"It’s not a trip," he states, "It’s a Connacht championship quarter-final and we will pay it all the respect and due diligence that it deserves.

"So there have been two sides to our approach to this game. The logistical side and the football side.

"Due to the work of Sean Finnegan and the support of the communications lads and the county board, a lot of the heavy lifting has been done in terms of the logistical side. We had a good briefing recently and that leaves us with the full focus now on the football side.

"And that’s purely what we are concerned with - the football side."

On that score, players like Padraig O’Hora and Paddy Durcan have been welcome returnees to the Mayo line-up in recent times.

The likes of Rory Brickenden, David McBrien and Jack Carney have staked their claims and there is also a healthy infusion of young blood in the squad.

Experience is still key, with the county's all-time top scorer Cillian O’Connor hopeful that his injury woes are behind him, and Aidan O'Shea set to make his 186th appearance for the county against New York.

Reflecting on the past few months, when the team finished their top-flight league campaign with eight points, McStay says he is satisfied with 2024 to date.

"We kept our Division 1 status and that was a key objective," he said.

"We did it with two games to spare and that was very satisfactory. We built out the panel with a lot of players and it is quite a young panel.

"To get them through a demanding pre-season and into the rhythm of week on week matches was significant.

"The week breaks down into a review of the game just gone, training and then a preview of what is coming the next weekend and getting all players used to that process is something that has worked very well.

"We tried out loads of other things, like all teams, and on different weeks we have had a different focus.

"So, I am very satisfied with league '24 and we drive onto the championship now."

New York's Michael Cunningham saves a penalty from Leitrim's Paul Keaney during the 2023 Connacht SFC quarter-final

Mayo take on Alan O’Mara’s New York in Gaelic Park at 8pm Irish time on Sunday, 7 April.

O'Mara, a member of the Westmeath NY club and a former inter-county goalkeeper with Cavan, took the reins in the Big Apple last December.

Tyrone man Ronan McGinley is his coach, and his selectors include Jeff Farrell, David McNamara and Dean O'Donnell.

They have appointed a player development coach, Mick Cunningham, who played in goal for the American-based side last season when they recorded their first ever championship win, after a penalty shootout against Leitrim.

A strength and conditioning coach, Sean Kelly, is also on the ticket, as is physio Sinead Burns, who has experience working Stateside with NFL and NBA athletes.

It’s obviously a much more battle-hardened Mayo side that will take the field against O’Mara’s Exiles.

As for the hectic schedule that McStay’s side has just emerged from - before they submerge into another - the Green and Red boss says that the season format is not something his side is pondering too deeply at
this juncture in the playing year.

"There are no eternal truths," he smiles.

"We are into games. I can’t change formats, but we can work around it and, to me, the best advantage is to keep winning games. That allows you to build a better rhythm.

"We want to keep things fresh as well as we go from game to game. That’s important."

For now, they look no further than Sunday week. The considerable organisational and administration work is complete and everything over the next 10 days will centre around football.

Follow live updates on the Allianz Football League Division 1,2,3 and 4 finals and watch highlights on Allianz League Sunday, 9.30pm, RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player

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