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Mayo captain Aidan O’Shea insists playing “exciting and fluid” football will be part of what Connacht’s team will bring to the table when they face Dublin in the SFC All-Ireland final on 19 June. December.
It will be the fourth time in eight seasons that the two teams meet in Sam Maguire’s decisive match. Mayo’s narrative has been painful in those previous encounters. Loss of one point; thoughts of what might have been.
O’Shea has had to endure acute disappointment.
He knows Dublin very well and above all knows that they will punish the slightest mistake. Still, in this year of 2020, and perhaps reflecting a greater faith in James Horan’s team, it’s not just about straying too far from the game plan.
Speaking at a virtual press event in May, O’Shea said: “I am afraid we have learned many difficult lessons when we played against Dublin. The consequences of a mistake are more important when playing against them than against anyone else.”
“You cannot, neither in possession nor out of possession, make too many mistakes.
“Structurally, you need to stay pretty strong, whereas against other teams you can have a bit of variability and your risks don’t have the same level of consequences.
“From our perspective, we still want to be expressive and play our game. You need to cut that down and understand that if you don’t do it correctly, there is a penalty in the end.
“But we play an exciting, fluid game and we will continue to do so. That is what suits us best and best suited to our abilities.”
O’Shea has spent 2020 operating between the full attack line and further off the field. On the roster, Cillian O’Connor and Tommy Conroy appear alongside him at the head of the attack. In all four May championship games to date, the trio have scored 6-22 between them, with O’Connor contributing 4-09 in victory over Tipperary last Sunday.
Paying tribute to her colleagues, O’Shea added: “They complement each other very well. Cillian needed the rest for her own body. People outside of our group don’t realize the things she’s done to put herself on the football field. the last five or six years.
“If you watch him train, it’s no wonder to see the things he did against Tipperary.
“As for Tommy, he’s your modern corner forward. He’s got a bit of everything. He’s got rhythm and he can kick with both feet.
“Once he has the ball, he wants to come to you. He has a good eye for goal.”
As a boss, O’Shea could be the man to lift the Sam Maguire Cup if Mayo does the business on Saturday of the week. The 69-year wait for a title would be over. However, Covid-19 means that the famous trophy will not be heading west of Shannon.
While accepting that decision after Connacht’s final win, the three-time All Star feels it might be a bit excessive.
“Obviously I had a bit of experience with the Connacht title. The fact that we have to drive alone to the game, I was hoping he would come back with me later. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
“I didn’t know until then that those restrictions were in place, but yeah, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch.
“There is nothing wrong with either team winning this weekend or next, I think the moment you go back to the locker room with a drink is something special and I think the GAA can afford both teams, this weekend and next, allow that.
“But at the same time, I understand that the circumstances in which Covid-19 has been placed is so if there is a justification around why that is the case, fair enough, it is important to respect it and follow the restrictions.
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