Mayo have the momentum: Jim Gavin

Dublin football manager knows Dublin will have to pull out their best display of the summer to date when they face Mayo on Sunday week in their All-Ireland SFC semi-final at Croke Park.

“There’s no doubt Mayo do have the momentum,” says Jim.

“They have played more recently than us against a very good Donegal side and they will carry that into the game and it is up to us to match it early on in the game.

“I think going into the game it was very hard to call. Donegal have a lot of experience in this competition and are very battle-hardened. Maybe the long season took its toll, they’re going since May when the rest of us were probably only getting ourselves ready for the championship.

“So it’s very demanding and it’s a long season for them but Mayo fully deserved their victory and based on the form they showed in the Connacht final and against Donegal in Croke Park, they’re very impressive.”

“A lot of the attention at the moment is on Aidan O’Shea. And rightly so, I think he’s the form player in Ireland at the moment.

“Again, demonstrating the form they have in Connacht, bringing that to Croke Park and he looks very impressive on the square and out the field.

“But he’s surrounded by some fantastic players, Cillian O’Connor and Diarmuid O’Connor, Jason Doherty is having a fine season as well, McLoughlin and Keith Higgins.

“They’re still very potent going forward and their structure in midfield now with (Tom) Parsons and Seamie O’Shea and Barry Moran who played a more defensive role — so they look as impressive as ever.”