Minor Final Preview: Down v Mayo, 1.45

Happiness for the young footaller is to be acknowledged as a natural by a discerning coach. Mayo's manager J P Keane may be running the risk of creating a couple of swelled heads before tomorrow's All-Ireland minor final against Down, but his appraisal of his troops seems justified.

Keane and joint-manager Joe McCabe realised earlier this year that "we would not have to do a lot of work with them".

"They are born footballers," says Keane. "Defenders who are not mere stoppers but ball players as well, and fast forwards with great cohesive ideas and understanding."

Sandwiched in between is a midfield partnership that makes ball winning look easy. James Gill and Gavin Duffy are big prospects in rugby as well, both having earned under-age honours for Ireland.

Keane and McCabe have, however, carefully impressed on their players that their biggest mistake would be to imagine that Down are in any way less accomplished. Few finals in recent years can have promised such an exciting package. Down had all the marks of class in their semi-final replay against Dublin while Mayo's range of skills and speed disposed of Cork.

Down have come through the more arduous campaign. They captured the Ulster crown for the first time in 12 years only after a replay with Donegal in the Ulster final. They opened up impressively, mercilessly ambushing Dublin, in the second half of the replayed semi-final in Navan.

0With the exception of right half forward Gary Digney, all of the Ulster champions players scored in that barnstorming second period.

Brendan Coulter poses an obvious threat to Gill and Duffy in midfield. He is unquestionably the most effective attacking midfielder in the grade. Going into the replay against Dublin, he had already chalked up 3-9, a record for a midfielder, and topped up that personal tally with a further goal and a point.

The attacking qualities of Mayo's half-back trio, Rory Keane, Paul Coady and Conor Moran, were notably in evidence against Cork with all three scoring points. Coady's job of work proved comprehensive in that he also held Cork's Conor McCarthy scoreless.

Liam Doyle will have his work cut out to achieve the same measure of success when pitted against Mayo's Billy Joe Padden. The Belmullet player was replaced after scoring a point in the semi-final, but is duly restored to centre forward, leaving Mayo with the same starting line-up once again. There is, however, a doubt concerning Brian Loftus's fitness. The prolific left wing forward damaged a knee ligament in a club match with Crossmolina a few weeks ago and his inclusion will ultimately depend on the outcome of a late fitness test tomorrow. Should Loftus not make it, the call-up would rest between John Moran and Dermot Costelloe.

Mayo's level of inventiveness and adventure, not unlike that of Down's, was reflected by nine of their players figuring in the scoring against Cork. Robert Moran's impeccable placekicking is expected to enhance the Mayo tally once more. The Dillon brothers, Gary and Alan from Ballintubber, along with Charlestown's Eoin Gallagher are set to give the Down full back line a harrowing experience. In the wake of Dublin's semi-final defeat, their captain Nicky Cleere told the Down players: "Mayo don't like to be hit hard". The trouble largely experienced by defences so far has been in catching the flying Mayo youths before a shoulder could be laid on them.

The Connacht champions may find it very difficult to score goals of the sort netted against Roscommon, Galway and Cork with the very capable Down six-footer John Sloan facing them, but they are still fancied to create sufficient openings for a winning tally of points.

Down, whose best chance of success rests on a five-star display by their midfield diamond of Doyle, Louis Sloan, Coulter and Michael Walsh, show only one change in personnel from the side that beat Dublin. Damien McGrady moves from left wing back to right half forward to the exclusion of Gary Digney. The move accommodates the return of Colm Murtagh, to wing back, following suspension.

DOWN: J Sloan; J Clarke, B Grant, M Doran; B Kearney, L Doyle, C Murtagh; L Sloan, B Coulter; D McGrady, M Walsh, R Murtagh; P J McAlindem, J Fegan, R Sexton.

MAYO: J O'Hara; M J Meeneghan, P Kelly, J Brogan; R Keane, P Coady, C Moran; J Gill, G Duffy; R Moran, B J Padden, B Loftus; G Dillon, A Dillon, E Gallagher.