Mayo players looking to add to medal haul

Gavin Cummiskey talks to Mayo manager Finbarr Egan ahead ofSunday's final against Dublin at Croke Park

Current All-Ireland champions Mayo have dominated women's football for the last five years, and it is no coincidence that their success began when Finbarr Egan took over the reins of the senior team.

Team trainer Jonathan Mullin heard of the Roscommon man's exploits through intercounty player Diane O'Hora who played under Egan's management at Clanna Gael, whom he guided to the Connacht club senior championship in 1995.

After three previous years of defeat at the semi-final stage the new joint management of Mullin and Egan immediately delivered back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 1999 and 2000. Egan put the success down to player dedication.

"When I came in there were a lot of players playing who weren't as committed as they could've been. We left four or five of them off the panel, who were good enough to start, but after they saw the success we achieved they began to return with the right attitude.

"The young players, especially, were a very committed group and they took our systems on board, they adapted a little easier to our style of play."

Mullin has since departed, with Eugene Lavin coming in as trainer. The team Egan has at his disposal is full of experience yet they are still young. There were eight 16-year-olds on the field in 1999 - 17-year-old Cora Staunton missed the match through injury. Despite the number of winners' medals in their pockets motivation isn't a problem.

"It's an All-Ireland final. If you need to be motivated for it there is something wrong with you.

"They have a hunger for success, they are bad losers. 2001 is not forgotten yet by a long way. Also, the competition keeps everyone focused as they all want to play - this drives them on," says Egan.

Laois caught them at the finish two years ago to deny them the opportunity of going for five in a row on Sunday. Last year they were relentless in their desire to atone for that defeat and this season does not seem any different.

However, something has changed. In late July 18-year-old Aisling McGing was tragically killed in a car crash on the way to see her sisters, Michelle and Sharon, play in the Connacht final against Galway. Everyone was devastated by her death.

"The whole thing came very close to finishing," said Egan. "A lot of the girls were very close to Aisling. A lot of them may have felt what's the point in continuing. It took a couple of weeks. They are a very young team and were affected deeply. It was the saddest funeral I've ever seen. There wasn't a huge amount we could do, we're no experts but we tried to give them as much leeway as possible.

"It took several weeks for some of them to come back and get over it, some took longer than others. We didn't know how many girls were going to continue. But they decided amongst themselves to come back. I think Aisling would've appreciated that."

Now the focus is on Dublin. The routine is the same. They will stay in Maynooth on Saturday before the short drive up to the city.

Dublin teams bring a greater degree of hype with them so it is also new territory for Egan's side. The possibility that this may be the last game in front of the Hill - as we know it - may entice the Dublin faithful to make the journey up the Clonliffe Road.

"Dublin are a quick, physical team. They have an excellent fitness regime and have a lot of time invested in weights. The game has the potential to be cynical. In last year's semi-final we took the early initiative to lead 1-2 to 0-0 but they got physical and came back into it."

This is considered the strongest Mayo panel to date so expectations are high they can claim the Brendan Martin Cup for the fourth time in five years. Yet, Egan is keenly aware of the need for improvement.

"This is the strongest bench we ever had but it didn't make a difference against Galway. When 12 or 13 players are under-performing the bench doesn't matter.

"Even to have a chance on Sunday we need to improve significantly. We can play 25 per cent better than the semi-final."