TO ask a soldier to identify his worst fear ahead of any confrontation, even when it is a football match, had got to be a bit naive anyway.

The psyche of the army man is to deny any sense of fear ahead of battle and, John Maughan, the Mayo team manager, is no different in this respect out of uniform, during the count down to Sundays All Ireland senior foot ball semi final against Kerry in Croke Park.

What Maughan does own up to is a concern embodied in the hope that his team will succeed to "maximise its potential".

Then comes the inevitable. "But I don't have any fear whatsoever," he emphasises. Maughan's training regime is not likely to cause over loading on personal insurance cover, a la the IRFU. Still, he will expect his players to fight like soldiers.

Maughan, at 28 was uniquely young to be accepted into the team managerial sector. His determination to make up for lost ground as a player who had to quit the game prematurely at 26 because of a knee injury, saw him grow in stature as a manager with Clare.

At the Clare helm he successfully navigated the county's football team through familiar turbulence that had sunk all previous Munster championship attempts for seven decades.

That level of success inevitably targeted him as the man destined to pick up the traces and try achieve something similar for his native Mayo.

Are the thrashings Mayo teams have suffered already in this decade at semi final stages likely to haunt this current team?

"I take it you are referring to 1992 and 1993," he retorts. "I was more or less on the outside looking in at the time.

Yes, they were heavy beatings. I think Mayo had become a little bit of a shambles at that stage and the performances in Croke Park would have indicated that, but I can guarantee you we won't have that this time.

Maughan continues. "There is a different group of players there now. We only have possibly four or five that were involved in those defeats. We have a change of new players there now, a fresh energy."

The team has a good mix of youth and experience. The experience input was topped only this week with the inclusion of 31 year old long serving Pat Fallon, called up in something of an emergency because of an injury to David Brandy.

"The reason you carry 28 or 29 players in a squad is to cover your options in the event of you needing a tested player who is fit. Pat is looking forward to it like the rest of us. He is one of a number of experienced players in the panel who has been training all year for the likes of this game.

"I am very pleased with the mix. We have got a couple of guys who actually don't play on Sunday but Dermot Flanagan and Anthony Finnerty, in the subs, have been very much a part of the squad all year. Liam McHale gives us good experience as well. He has been around for a long number of years. So, yes, there a good mix".

Maughan was a staunch member of the Mayo defence for four years from 1983 and also figured in UCG Sigerson Cup teams with distinction. It will be his first time to lead his county into the All Ireland series as a manager. The experience he has gleaned from having been on the All Ireland scene as a player is expected to stand him in good stead. In this regard he is virtually on level par with his counterpart on Sunday, Paudi O Se.

Not unlike Wexford's hurling manager, Liam Griffin, Maughan is reluctant to single out any particular individual. Whether, or not, like Griffin he has no time for superstars is another matter.

He will talk about sectors rather than individuals, likely to have a big bearing on the result, like the midfield diamond consisting of his mid fielders, centre back and centre half forward.

He reckons that midfield is still the engine room of a team despite the modern game which sees less and less ball dropping into the area.

"If a team can't win ball there, then you are on the way out. It is still a critical sector. I agree with you when you say that there is less ball dropping down in the middle nowadays but we have to ensure that there is more ball dropping into the sector."

He feels that his forwards have the pace and ability to force the opposing backs into knocking ball more into midfield.

When asked to react to some wayward shooting by those forwards Maughan succinctly interjects. "For Sunday's match we will be looking at the more positive things and not the negative."

Maughan contends that his team is improving all the time. "Our improvement is on record. In training there is a good appetite for the game, good team morale, good spirit. We have an ambitious group of players."

How bad do Mayo need victory on Sunday.

"Time will tell but football in the west needs it and Mayo football needs it badly."

Maughan has no false illusions by this latest breed of Kerry opposition. "They are formidable. They are something similar to ourselves. They are a young ambitious side. Our average age is 24."

On a personal note victory for Mayo would mean that Maughan would be realising a major ambition to guiding his native county into an All Ireland final and one stage further than he managed with Clare.

Meanwhile, the Kildare County Board have still to decide on a replacement manager for Dermot Earley to take charge of their their senior football team.

The sub committee set up to nominate candidates for the final approval of the county board have not finalised their business because of holidays. They have yet to contact some people who would be in the running for the job and last night's meeting of the county board agreed to defer any decision in the matter until Tuesday week.

It was confirmed last night though that Mick O'Dwyer is still interested in the post.

. TYRONE defender Paul Devlin has been given a mighty boost before the Ulster champions' clash with Meath in the All Ireland football semi final on Sunday week.

The 27 year old Moortown club member yesterday won the Bass/Ulster GAA Writers merit award for July, after a storming performance in the Ulster final against Down. The corner back was switched from the right wing of the defence to the left to curb Down skipper Mickey Linden.