Mayo have recalled Kieran McDonald to their side for the All-Ireland semi-final clash with Cork in Croke Park on Sunday. McDonald came in as a substitute for full forward John Casey in the Connacht final against then All-Ireland champions, Galway and retains his place in the attack as Casey has failed to recover from a leg injury.
McDonald, who left the panel for a time earlier this year amid rumours of a dispute with manager John Maughan, played an influential role when introduced in the Connacht final, some observers feeling it was the turning point in the contest. McDonald contributed a point himself and set up two others for teammates.
Colm McManamon retains his place in the attack in spite of having been replaced by Pat Fallon in the second half of the same match.
The selection reflects the fact that Mayo seem to now have strength in depth and can afford to have at three former All Star players on the bench.
Mayo manager Maughan admitted last night that he had a huge hurdle to clear if they are to get into the All-Ireland final. "I see Cork as a major threat to our hopes. We have a very well-balanced team and have many options open to us if things seems to be going astray. Cork are young and very determined and they have a very strong side in all areas of the field.
"I believe that there is very little between the two sides and that we have the edge on them as far as experience of this kind of clash is concerned. Neither side can afford to be complacent about this match. It means a lot to both counties.
"I am aware that there is a great drive in Cork for a double in football and hurling in this the last year of the millennium. That will spur them on, but we are confident down here that we can move on to a final against either Armagh or Meath. We have a very strong panel and we are confident we can get through.
"We know what stands in front of us and we are not complacent in any way, but we have done a lot of hard work. We have beaten the All-Ireland champions, Galway, and we have a total belief in ourselves and with the way our supporters will get behind us and the fact that we have done a lot of very hard work, we believe that we can win this match with a bit to spare," he said. Mayo supporters are expected to arrive in Dublin in huge numbers on Saturday evening and Sunday morning while extra trains are being put into service for Cork supporters The GAA has announced that some 2,000 tickets for next Sunday's match will go on sale at the New Stand today from 11 o'clock. Family tickets costing £20 each for two adults and £3 for each child must be booked through county boards. It is expected that a crowd of close to 60,000 can be accommodated as work on the Canal End progresses.
MAYO v Cork
(1) P Burke (2) A Higgins (3) K Cahill (4) G Morley (5) F Costello (6) D Heaney (7) A Roche (8) J Nallen (9) D Brady (10) M Sheridan (11) J Horan (12) K Mortimer (13) C McManamon (14) K McDonald (15) D Nestor
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