Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Mayo looking for Dublin scalp to lay down early 2020 marker
Last Updated: 01/02/20 11:42am
The Jim Gavin era is over in Dublin, and no side in the country will have been so glad to hear the news than Mayo.
Despite being the Dubs' greatest threat throughout the Round Towers club man's seven-year stint, Mayo never managed to get one over the Sky Blues during his tenure.
15 games: zero wins, three draws, 12 losses.
Mayo's sorry recent record against Dublin
| League | Championship | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Dublin 1-12 Mayo 0-7 | Dublin 3-14 Mayo 0-10 |
| 2018 | Mayo 0-12 Dublin 2-10 | |
| 2017 | Dublin 1-16 Mayo 0-7 | Dublin 1-17 Mayo 1-16 |
| 2016 | Mayo 0-7 Dublin 0-9 | Dublin 1-15 Mayo 1-14 |
| Dublin 2-9 Mayo 0-15 | ||
| 2015 | Mayo 0-10 Dublin 2-18 | Dublin 3-15 Mayo 1-14 |
| Dublin 2-12 Mayo 1-15 | ||
| 2014 | Dublin 3-14 Mayo 2-17 | |
| 2013 | Dublin 2-16 Mayo 0-16 | Dublin 2-12 Mayo 1-14 |
| Dublin 2-14 Mayo 0-6 |
With Dessie Farrell taking the reins in the capital, the westerners will be looking to lay down an early marker.
After National League success in 2019, Mayo are perhaps not in any great need of a big springtime campaign in 2020. Defending their title is perhaps a secondary goal behind preparing for the championship.
But some games take on more meaning than others, none more so than the visit of Dublin to Castlebar on Saturday night.
So what would a February 1 win over Dublin mean for Mayo? Granted it's only the league, but it would represent far more than just two points on the table.
The muscle memory of beating Dublin would be invaluable, and such recent experience may have been badly lacking when championship clashes between the two reached boiling point in recent years.
It's worth remembering, the last time Mayo overcame Dublin in the league (in 2012), they backed it up later that summer in the championship.
Another layer to the narrative is that James Horan is looking to turn MacHale Park into a fortress. The Castlebar venue hasn't been the happiest of hunting grounds for the home side in recent years, with Galway and Roscommon both coming away with big Connacht Championship wins.
However, they flipped that on its head in the Super 8s, with a knockout victory over Donegal last August.
In fact Saturday night is their first competitive tie at the venue since they sent the Ulster champs packing last summer. Can they secure another big home win?
Given the manner of Dublin's 10-point winning margin, it's easy to forget just how impressive Mayo had been in the first half of last August's All-Ireland semi-final. Of course, the Dubs responded with 12 minutes of perfection to swing the tie, and move onto the decider.
In the interim, Horan has been plotting Mayo's next move.
The recruitment of Ciaran McDonald will have sent a loud message around the county.
All the while, they're looking to unearth new talent. Indeed, there was a new look to the team in last Saturday's draw with Donegal. James Carr, Fergal Boland, Brian Reape, Bryan Walsh and Tommy Conroy were all on the scoreboard, as the younger contingent look to have a greater impact on the side's play.
Mayo feel they have a point to prove after last August, and this is a game for which they've been waiting all winter.
Can they deliver an overdue victory over their great rivals? It would be quite the statement if they were to do just that.
