Andy Moran: Mayo have a chance in a one-off game against Dublin
Former Mayo star Andy Moran says his native county have a fighting chance against Dublin in the All-Ireland final. You can watch the action live on Sky Sports Mix from 4pm Saturday
Wednesday 16 December 2020 07:03, UK
Many were writing off the All-Ireland final as a foregone conclusion after Dublin dismantled Cavan last Saturday evening, but Mayo's first-half tour de force against Tipperary has added real intrigue ahead of the decider.
The Connacht champions tore the Premier apart. But they coughed up a number of goal chances, something they will need to address ahead of the showpiece.
So did Mayo showing breathe fire into the championship?
"I think they have," Andy Moran told Sky Sports after the westerners' semi-final win.
"It definitely gets people thinking, saying have we got a chance? When you look at it, Mayo definitely have a chance. It's a one-off game. Your best forward [Cillian O'Connor] is playing really, really well. You have a new exciting forward in Tommy Conroy who scores four points.
"If you are looking at the balance, and not just talking from the heart, you have to say Dublin should be the favourites for the game, probably should go and win it.
"But in Mayo we are always in hope. It's another All-Ireland final. James Horan has been there, and he's got success. He has competed in six Connacht Championships, won five of them. And the year he didn't win it, he won a National League.
"So who knows? It's a one-off game, and we have got a chance."
Muted build-up
Mayo are no strangers to All-Ireland finals in recent years, but the lead-in to the 2020 edition will be markedly different. There will be no rush for tickets, no preview nights, and generally less hype around the county given the coronavirus restrictions.
"It's been a strange atmosphere in general," Moran explained. "Usually you would go through the town of Castlebar and it's a sea of green and red. You would have the flags being sold there in Ballaghaderreen when you're leaving the county. It is different.
"But Mayo have waited since 1951 to try and bridge this gap. No matter how it comes, it really doesn't matter. We've seen people pass on that haven't seen it. So if it came in two weeks' time, we'd take it with open arms."
Mayo hitting their stride
The 2017 Footballer of the Year was hugely impressed with his county's attack against Tipperary.
"I thought our forward play was brilliant; the likes of Ryan O'Donoghue, Tommy Conroy, I thought Aidan (O'Shea) linked in really well. Kevin McLoughlin and Diarmuid (O'Connor) were huge pluses," he said.
"But it would be remiss of us not to talk about [Cillian O'Connor]. It is a championship record - four goals and nine points in one game is quite amazing. Some players don't do that in their career.
"To see it happening, it's just a shame that supporters weren't here to watch it."
Although Moran is retired, he was thrilled to see some of his long-time comrades make a significant impact.
"David Clarke was excellent - 37 years of age. It would be remiss not to mention him. Tipp had 8-to-11 goal chances, and he did really well," he noted.
"There was a big difference in Tom Parsons. Tom moved really well, got on an awful lot of possession, set up a scoring chance, did really well. It gives James options. There's no way the midfield is going to last 70 minutes against this Dublin team, so you have to able to interchange that section. And if Tom is moving as well as he did today on that Croke Park surface, he's a real option for James."
Watch Dublin vs Mayo live on Sky Sports Mix from 4pm Saturday.
