Even before Matthew Tierney reached for his phone on Monday, he knew. It was the morning after the day before, and about to become the start of the biggest week in Galway’s season. Mayo, it was always going to be Mayo.
“I didn’t listen to the draw, but I woke up to it. You kind of knew it was coming, didn’t you,” says Tierney.
Galway’s loss to Armagh last Sunday left them in second place in Group Two, while Mayo’s defeat to Cork pushed Kevin McStay’s side from first to third in Group One.
Before last weekend’s final set of games in the round-robin series, suggesting Galway and Mayo could meet in this year’s All-Ireland decider would have been a plausible scenario.
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That will not now be happening. Life has got a tad more complicated for both camps and, come Sunday evening, one of the leading contenders to lift Sam Maguire will instead be packing up their tent for the year. It is fair to say neither side expected to be in this situation and yet once such a fixture became a possibility, it felt inevitable.
Rather than sitting at home this weekend preparing for an All-Ireland quarter-final, Galway and Mayo now find themselves on an evidently more perilous journey to merely survive in the competition.
“It is a quick turnaround and we just have to try get the bodies right now and get the heads right,” says Tierney.
“I didn’t have a chance yet [to review the Armagh game] but I will look at it. It was disappointing, it was in our own hands. We put ourselves in this situation and we have to deal with it as best we can.
“We’ll have our own heads right and our own ship right. It is what it is, we have to go out next Sunday and bring our best, bring our A game, it’s do or die now.”
It is arguably the biggest game of the championship so far and will be played in front of a thronged Pearse Stadium on Sunday. The last time the sides met in Salthill the stands were empty for a Covid-impacted Connacht final in November 2020, which Mayo won.
“It’s a home venue for us but they’re well used to it as well,” continues the 22-year-old Oughterard clubman. “It’s a small advantage, it’s good to be at home obviously, hopefully all the Galway fans are buzzing for it and come down in their thousands.
“I used to go to all of the games [as a kid]. You name it, I was there. I loved it. It’s great to have that memory as a supporter, the hype and build-up to it, the whole week you’re buzzing for the game. Every Galway game we used to go to with Dad.”
Galway are sweating on the fitness of three key players in advance of the game – Damien Comer and Dylan McHugh did not feature against Armagh last weekend, while team captain Seán Kelly was forced off with injury against the Orchard County.
“Hopefully they’ll be fine because they’re three top footballers,” says Tierney. “They’re great players but that’s what the squad is for, if they’re not available you need the likes of the boys to come in and do the job. We need everyone now if we’re going to go the distance.”
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Tierney is having a standout season for Galway where his performances from the middle-third have been a key contributing factor in the development of the team. Tierney’s ball-winning ability provides them with another outlet in that area, while his surging runs forward have seen him become a real attacking weapon as well. He scored 2-7 in the Connacht decider win over Sligo.
“I suppose I’ve had a few good games,” he says. “The Connacht final was probably my best game, they don’t come around too often but I’m trying to get them a little bit more consistent, if I can. I’m enjoying it at the moment.”
Mayo beat Galway in the league decider at Croke Park in April, while the group fixture between the sides finished a draw at MacHale Park in January.
“Mayo are a top side, they played us in the league final so we know all about them and what they can do,” says Tierney. “They’re a very good pressing side and they’ve strong men everywhere, so we’ll have to have our wits about us.”
