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looking ahead

No sign of Mayo's 12 departed players returning to panel after 'inconclusive' mediation talks

Mayo are sticking with their current panel as they prepare to face All-Ireland champions Dublin in their second All-Ireland Series game.

THE MAYO LADIES footballers won’t be boosted by the return of any of the 12 players who left their squad, following ‘inconclusive’ mediation last week.

Mayo face Dublin in their second All-Ireland Series game on Saturday at Dr Hyde Park [Throw-in, 3pm] and manager Peter Leahy will go into the game with the same panel of 31 players that led him to a stunning win over Cavan in the last round.

In the lead up to that game 12 players and two selectors walked away from the panel citing player welfare and personal issues, but both sides came together last week for lengthy talks. A confidentiality agreement was signed afterwards to keep a lid on discussions, but the end result is Mayo will not have the exiled players at their disposal.

“As far as I’m aware there was mediation that took place last week,” said Mayo selector Mick Reynolds. “I wasn’t at it because I had a funeral, but Peter and the management team were at it and all the players were at it.

They had to sign a confidentiality agreement based on it, but as far as I’m told the results of mediation were inconclusive and we’re moving ahead with the panel of 31 players we have.

“I think it is a bit unfortunate what’s happened the last few weeks. In the run up of the Cavan game we got very little training in and even when we did train, mentally half your mind was somewhere else.

“I think if anything it did galvanise us. We have a panel of players that’s as tight a unit that I’ve ever seen. In the dressing before and after the Cavan game that was evident. We are happy with what we have and we’re moving forward.”

Following their Round 1 win, Mayo sat out last week’s Group 4 action, where Dublin got off to a winning start, also against Cavan.

Saturday is the renewal of a tense recent rivalry between the two sides, with Dublin taking the honours in last year’s TG4 All-Ireland final and May’s Division 1 league final.

Leahy could well hand a first championship appearance of the summer to All Star midfielder Aileen Gilroy, who has missed their last two games through injury, but otherwise Mayo have a clean bill of health to report.

“At the minute Aileen Gilroy is still 50-50 for the weekend, she might be able to play some part. She was on the bench against Cavan and we could have used her if we really had to, so she is not far off. We won’t rush her if she’s not right,” said Reynolds.

“We’re in the quarter-final already, so if we win it won’t make our season and if we lose it is not going to break our season. But it will tell us where we’re at and highlight what we have to improve on.

“Dublin are the standard bearers. They beat us by 11 points and ten points to win the All-Ireland and the league final. I don’t think we did ourselves justice on either day but you can’t rely on that either.

“They are ruthless in front of goal and have raised the bar in ladies football.”

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