Odds firmly stacked against Galway

FOR THE fourth successive season Galway and Mayo will lock horns in the Connacht Senior Football Championship and if the prevailing mood in both counties is an accurate barometer of how events will actually unfold at MacHale Park on Saturday evening, this year’s installment looks set to follow a similar pattern.
Mayo rule the roost in the west these days. They’re a seasoned bunch, well-versed in the demands of Championship football and are short odds to capture a record-breaking sixth Connacht title and move on to challenge the Dublins and Kerrys of this world at the sharp end of the season.
Galway occupy a very different space in the Gaelic football world. Mid-table Division 2 has been their level in League football, while their Championship losing streak to their northern neighbours has stretched to five matches and the wait for a Connacht title has entered an eighth year.

Read our extensive build-up to the clash in this week's edition.