Honours almost even in old rivalry that is still McHale and hearty

Mayo v GalwayIf the statistics are to be believed, Sunday's game is a foregone conclusion. It's Mayo's turn to take the honours. But derbies like this one rarely go according to the script, wriets Damian Cullen

AFTER LAST Sunday's enthralling clash between neighbours Kerry and Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, it's perhaps even more obvious that, in modern times, rather than the traditional GAA derbies being keenly anticipated, many demand more unique pairings. After all, this is the era of the qualifiers, a county's second championship tie can be against a team from the other end of the island.

However, some of Gaelic football's greatest rivalries, at club and intercounty level, are, naturally, between neighbours - such as Armagh v Down and Dublin v Meath. It's match-ups between bordering areas that have provided the history, tension, controversies, determination on the part of players and spectators, fear of losing and moments of celebrations that are most remembered and valued.

One of the greatest of these battles takes place this weekend. Since they first clashed in the Connacht championship - in 1901 - there has existed a pure rivalry between Mayo and Galway.

It was in the late 1960s that some of their most famed encounters occurred. On July 17th, 1966, a Mattie McDonagh-led Galway met a Mick Ruane-led Mayo at McHale Park, Castlebar in the provincial final. At half-time, Mayo were two to the good, but faced a strong wind in front of 28,000 spectators in the second half.

Despite the gap increasing to five points early in the second period, Galway chipped away and, eventually, a Liam Salmon-fisted point in injury-time tipped the scales to Galway - 0-12 to 1-8.

The Irish Times report the day after began: "Even if Galway go on to win their third All-Ireland title in a row . . . they will not encounter a stiffer or more demanding test of strength than Mayo provided in this vibrant final at Castlebar yesterday."

Two months later Galway would appear in their fourth All-Ireland senior football final in a row - and claim a famous three-in-a-row.

The following year the All-Ireland champions hosted Mayo in the first round, with journalist Seán Rice writing he'd walk back to Castlebar from Galway if Mayo lost. Luckily for him, Mayo stopped Galway's bid for four All-Ireland titles in a row in its tracks - winning 3-13 to 1-8.

Back to McHale Park and the 1968 final. Galway emerged back on top - 2-10 to 2-9.

They were cruising midway through the second half - leading by seven. Mayo's comeback began in bizarre fashion with the home side winning a free near the sideline, 50 yards out. After some disagreement over who would take the free - with apparently no Mayo player anxious to step up - a reluctant Joe Langan took the free, which sailed directly to the back of the Galway net.

Thirty thousand spectators suddenly woke from their slumber. So too did the Mayo players, but despite kicking several points in quick succession, they couldn't fully wipe out the deficit.

Mayo and Galway met again in the 1969 decider, this time at Pearse Stadium. In front of 25,000 spectators, a dramatic, exciting game ended in stalemate. Mayo were the happier: they had got out of jail with Joe Corcoran pointing in the last minute to snatch the draw; the replay would be in Castlebar; and Galway had never beaten Mayo in a senior football championship replay.

That trend would continue, with Mayo winning by three points. Just a week later, Mayo would come up against Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final, agonisingly losing by just a point - 0-14 to 1-10.

Fastforward to the 1990s, best remembered in Connacht football for two things - Leitrim's provincial triumph in 1994, and Galway's victory in the 1998 All-Ireland final - the first time in 32 years the Sam Maguire rested in the province. Along with those major feats, however, a private, localised battle was still raging.

In July 1995, Mayo and Galway met once again in the Connacht final. Expectations at Tuam were high, but Galway ran out 0-17 to 1-7 victors in a dour affair. However, those who watched the curtain-raiser, the minor final between the same teams, got their money's worth.

The Galway minors staged a late rally to snatch victory in a closely fought, exciting game. The comeback was led by Pádraic Joyce, who finished with five points, Michael Donnellan, who chipped in with three, and Derek Savage, who scored a late goal to add to his three earlier points and to seal the 2-14 to 2-11 win.

The home defence that day was marshalled by Tomás Meehan in the full-back line and John Divilly at centre back. Three years later, all five of those minor stars would star for their county in Croke Park in the All-Ireland senior football final against Kildare.

But that Sam Maguire journey by Galway almost never got going. The first round of the Connacht championship that year was against Mayo in Castlebar. In a wonderful game of free-flowing football - particularly in the opening half - John O'Mahony's Galway emerged with their first win over their rivals in Castlebar for 11 years. John Maughan's Mayo team - who had lined out in Croke Park five times in the previous two years - were shell-shocked.

What is perhaps most unique about the rivalry is just how balanced the results between the two have been. This Sunday will be the 80th championship clash between the western powers, with Galway claiming 37 victories, Mayo 36, and six meetings ending with no winner.

Mayo can right that imbalance on Sunday, as they can with the balance over the past 15 years, with the stats showing six wins for Galway and five for Mayo in 11 championship ties.

While there have been years of dominance by one or the other, in a kind of Munster rugby style, losing two games to their rivals is not tolerated - and certainly not in the same year.

In the NFL semi-final meeting at Castlebar in 2006, Galway won a bad-tempered affair by five points, a game which provided the back-drop to the teams' provincial decider date at the same venue. This time Mayo edged the game by one point on their run to All-Ireland final heartbreak against Kerry. Last year, the results were reversed, with Mayo beating Galway, again by a single point, in the league semi-final in Croke Park.

Back on home soil the following month, however, Galway exacted revenge in devastating fashion - winning the provincial first-round game, 2-10 to nine points.

Last April, Galway defeated Mayo in their league encounter at Castlebar, with once again just a single point between the sides at the final whistle. If the statistics are to be believed, therefore, Sunday's game is a foregone conclusion. It's Mayo's turn.

But, as was demonstrated in Páirc Uí Chaoimh last weekend, derbies often don't quite go according to plan.