Mayo will compartmentalise league final defeat to Kerry, says Billy Joe Padden

Flying high after an impressive innings in the National League group stages, Mayo came to Croke Park for the final against Kerry looking for a second title in four years.

However, the Connacht champions were sent packing, with David Clifford leading the rout for the Kingdom.

Although that defeat has led to many questioning the Westerners' summer credentials, former Mayo footballer Billy Joe Padden feels that it will be quickly forgotten if they account for Galway on Sunday.

"[James Horan] will be able to keep the focus on the squad really tightknit. You never really hear a Mayo player in the squad giving out.

"Even when they leave the squad, players that retired, you never hear them saying anything really bad. I think James will have enough credit built up with the team to compartmentalise what happened in that league final," Padden outlined.

"When you're a player, the key difference will be, if you find yourself lining out against Galway and you don't have Diarmuid O'Connor, you don't have Paddy Durcan, you don't have Robbie Hennelly, you don't have Oisin Mullin, well then the league final is very much in the back of your mind.

"Whereas James Horan on the side-line and the supporters in the stands will feel very confident if those four players are playing."

And he feels Mayo should be respected for how they took Kerry on.

"James Horan should be given credit for this, when all the talk is about bad football. People will say it's naive, and maybe it is. But he always tries to play football on the front foot," Padden continued.

"He always tries to be the team that forces the issue. And I think they were trying to force the issue against Kerry as well - play high up the field, pressurise Kerry up the field. They weren't able to do that, and they left themselves in that no-win situation, one-on-one against David Clifford when he's in good form.

"I think he'll deal with that challenge differently, should that challenge arise again."

'If they win that, everyone will have forgotten about the league final instantly'

Victory over the Tribesmen could lay the foundations for a long summer ahead.

"It's an opportunity," said Padden.

"If they win that, everyone will have forgotten about the league final instantly, because the Galway game is the one that really matters.

"If you don't win it, your season can spiral pretty quickly. I think it's hugely important that Mayo's key players are fit to play.

"From Mayo's point of view, it's about how they counteract what Galway do well. It's very much about getting the match-ups right. What are you going to do with Paul Conroy? What are you going to do with Shane Walsh? Damien Comer? They're all coming into form. Matthew Tierney to a lesser extent.

"If James Horan has a clean bill of health, he will feel that his big players are able to win more one-on-one battles. If they do that, I think they will probably win the game.

"Whoever comes out of it, then has an opportunity to ramp it over over two or three weeks, and will be red-hot favourites in the next round [against Leitrim]. And then getting a good challenge again against, in all likelihood Roscommon in a Connacht final."

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