He might not be 100 per cent fit, but James Horan has named Cillian O’Connor in an unchanged Mayo team to face Dublin in the All-Ireland Final this weekend.
The two-time Young Footballer of the Year suffered a repeat of the dislocated shoulder that had ruled him out of action earlier in the season against Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final but despite having only four weeks to recover, he has been named in the full-forward line alongside Alan Freeman and captain Andy Moran.
There had also been speculation that Moran might struggle to retain his place after a disappointing display against the Red Handers but Horan has kept faith with his skipper and with the rest of the side who eventually got over the line in the semi-final after a shaky start.
The selection of O’Connor is the biggest talking point, however, with the general consensus being that if he is in danger of suffering a recurrence of the injury, it is better to start him rather than risk bringing him on and having to take him off again, ala Alan Brogan in the All-Ireland semi-final between the sides last year.
How O’Connor performs is one of any amount of interesting plotlines in Sunday’s game and we can’t wait to see if it will live up to expectations.
Mayo team to play Dublin: Robert Hennelly; Tom Cunniffe, Ger Cafferkey, Chris Barrett; Lee Keegan, Donal Vaughan, Colm Boyle; Aidan O’Shea, Seamus O’Shea; Kevin McLoughlin, Keith Higgins, Alan Dillon; Cillian O’Connor, Alan Freeman, Andy Moran.
Your County, Our Passion
