If Jack O'Connor wanted to play ball this week he could talk about sending 12 men to Croke Park on Sunday while he left a "gone fishing" sign outside his house. Depending on who you believe, Mayo are playing such useless football these days they have either little hope or no hope of beating Kerry in Sunday's All-Ireland senior football quarter-final.

Obviously, O'Connor is not being fooled into believing any of that talk. The Kerry manager attended Mayo's fourth-round qualifier against Cavan on Saturday evening, and although he didn't drive furiously home to sound the alarm bells, he realised his Kerry side are set up for the perfect ambush. In a way it was the last result he wanted.

So while Mayo's three-point win was undoubtedly scrappy, O'Connor was looking well beyond the scoreline. And he almost laughs at the suggestion Kerry are expecting a stroll in the park on Sunday - or in some way have less to worry about than when the teams met in last year's All-Ireland final.

"No way - sport doesn't work like that at all. If there's any kick at all left in Mayo then I expect it to come out on Sunday. They'll certainly throw everything at us.

"They've obviously been getting a bit of criticism, but in many ways they're coming into this game in a great position. They've been totally written off, they've definitely no pressure on them, and they'll feel they've nothing to lose. That's the way you want to come into a big game, and that's why it's an extremely dangerous one for us.

"But we'll be making sure our attitude is absolutely right. If we started listening to the talk that's going around, our heads couldn't be right, but I think the lads are mature enough at this stage to take this one very seriously."

Mayo ended the Cavan game with 11 of their All-Ireland final team, including the entire defence, while introducing forward James Gill early in the second half. Trevor Mortimer is also back in contention for a starting place having missed Saturday's game through suspension, and O'Connor is wary of them hitting fresh heights just as they appear to have fallen flat.

"Everybody is going on about the number of wides they kicked," adds O'Connor. "I think it was 19. But I was never at a game before where one team monopolised the ball as much as they did . . . But they also have a lot of athleticism and pace in the team, and on any given day if a few more of those balls start going over the bar they're a consummate team. So they're going to be extremely difficult to beat if things run for them.

"People forget as well there were several times last year when we didn't look good. We still hit a good day in the All-Ireland final when everything came together for us. So I'm certainly not being lulled into a false sense of security, and I don't think the players are either. They know as well as everyone how easily the apple cart can be overturned, and when you're playing a team like Mayo, who don't have any pressure, you know they can cut loose."

Kerry's four-week break has also been put to good use, says O'Connor. Colm Cooper has recovered from a groin strain, and the appetite is exactly where it needs to be for a big game.

"Yeah, we've trained well, and played a lot of good football among ourselves. So I do expect the team will have come on a bit again from the Cork game. But we needed to, because we certainly weren't firing on all cylinders that day. We were poor around the middle of the field in terms of possession, and we also kicked something like 11 wides. So I would feel there is some improvement left in the team.

"Colm was out of action for a couple of weeks but it was more precautionary than anything else. Given his history of groin problems we didn't want to take any chances, but he's fine. Paddy Kelly is still being bothered by an ankle injury but everybody else is grand."

Sunday marks Kerry's first trip back to Croke Park since their All-Ireland success last September:

"Actually some of us were back," he interjects. "We were up there for the Tomás Ó Sé hearing. It would have been nice to get a feel for the new playing surface, but Kerry is a long way from Croke Park . . . And I think any benefits would have been outweighed by the hassle of getting there. So we'll take our chances."