GAELIC GAMES:FORMER Mayo manager John Maughan has ruled himself out of contention for the vacancy in the county after the stepping down of John O'Mahony.

Believed to be unhappy with the selection process, Maughan told the Mayo Advertiser although he was very interested in the position, he had, following a conversation with county chair James Waldron, decided to withdraw.

RTÉ's Sunday Gamepanellist Kevin McStay gave his reaction to the Mayo News, with whom he is a columnist. "I'm not surprised. I felt earlier in the week John would probably pull out by Friday once he read the signals that came from Tuesday night's county board meeting and the make-up of the selection committee," he said.

“John hasn’t revealed his reasons publicly yet for pulling out but I would say he figured out that support at county board level had drained away. I think he got a sense that, once he saw the make-up of the selection committee, it wasn’t one that was going to propose him.

“I’m just speculating, of course, but what disappoints me is that John Maughan seems to have pulled out because he felt there was ‘shenanigans’ going on, that the process is not being conducted in the manner it should be.”

This leaves three candidates with former Dublin and Offaly manager Tommy Lyons the front runner before interviews take place. Also in contention are former All Star James Horan, a well-regarded coach whose Ballintubber side are in this weekend’s county semi-finals, and former county player Anthony McGarry.