Well Happy New Year to one and all! If it’s January it must be FBD time. The 3rd Sunday of January means Mayo vs. Ross in either Ballinlough or Ballyhaunis. This year it was the turn of Ballyhaunis last Sunday and the Rossies beat Mayo for the first time in a competitive match since a certain day in 2001.

Both sets of players should receive medals and commendations for even togging out last Sunday such were the conditions. Atrocious was too good a word to describe the state of the pitch, which, despite the best efforts of the Ballyhaunis club, was in no fit condition for football. My own opinion is that if it had been a league game it would not have taken place but it was better to fulfil the fixture than avoid a pile-up later on in the spring when both teams will have bigger fish to fry. The impact of the weather told on the scoreboard as Roscommon ‘won’ the first half 1-5 to 0-1 and Mayo ‘won’ the second half 1-5 to 0-2. But, truth be told, Roscommon looked the better outfit and could have gone in 10 points up at half time were it not for the crossbar and could have been out of sight in the second were it not for some superb saves by David Clarke in the Mayo goal. One-on-one there are few keepers to match him in the country and, along with Robert Hennelly, this is one position where Mayo are well set for the coming year. Overall, I thought that Mayo played well enough given the conditions and could have earned a draw at the death but this would probably not have a fair reflection of the overall game. Certain newcomers stood out as being up for the challenge and it will be interesting to keep an eye on their progress from now until April.

The game itself, I think, reflected well the stages that both teams are at and where they want to be at this time of the year. Without being patronising, Roscommon’s short-term ambition has to be to get out of Division 3 and their hunger and eagerness last Sunday showed that they are ahead of Mayo in the fitness stakes and that their confidence in their own ability has returned. They are certainly a good bet to get promoted and I think that if they do that Fergal O Donnell’s first year will have been a success. He will let the Championship take care of itself.

Mayo, on the other hand, are in a position where the FBD competition and the league are opportunities to try out new players and to get a team ready for the Championship, which remains the Holy Grail for a county that has come so close over the past decade. John O Mahony has used 25 different players so far and, no doubt, he will use a few more when he gets the 3rd level players back. Mayo’s ambition in the league this year I’m sure will be just to stay in Division 1. Two home wins should secure that status and the games against Derry in Ballina (a venue where Mayo are unbeaten since 1995 I think) and Westmeath will be the main targets. There are also home games against Dublin and Tyrone, which should be great occasions and any result from them will be welcomed. The three away matches against Donegal, Kerry and Galway will be difficult and it is hard to see us getting a result at any of those venues.

The most important thing to get out the league from a Mayo perspective is to find 5 or 6 new players who will challenge the current panel and who will slot in seamlessly into the style that the management want them to play. It is impossible to judge players at this juncture but the 7 games coming up should provide some answers. Indeed, if we do meet Roscommon in a Connacht Semi Final on June 21st it will be interesting to compare the personnel on that day with the teams who lined out on Sunday.

The League itself starts off proper on January 31st in Croke Park with Dublin taking on Tyrone under lights. Let’s hope that the only fireworks take place after the game! For what it’s worth my predictions for the Leagues are below although anyone who has been following my predictions since this column started is about as well off as an Anglo-Irish bank shareholder!

Division 1: Galway and Dublin
Division 2: Armagh and Fermanagh
Division 3: Roscommon and Limerick
Division 4: Leitrim and Wicklow

Till next time. Good Luck!

P.S. I better mention the Shrule man, who is a good friend of the brother and myself. He emigrated to Australia last week but says that he will be home in September when Mayo are in the All-Ireland Final! So Johnno – no pressure then! Oh and he’ll probably want a ticket as well!