Mayo to 'make the days count'
The countdown has already begun out west to the All-Ireland SFC final on September 17, and Mayo manager Mickey Moran wants his troops to be kept away from prying eyes.
Sunday's dramatic semi-final win over Dublin has only served to increase the pressure on Moran to deliver a first All-Ireland senior title for Mayo since 1951.
So much so that the Derry man will not be holding any open training sessions between now and the Croke Park decider against Kerry.
Moran and his assistant John Morrison have shown unstinting dedication to the Mayo cause in their first year at the helm - admittedly the duo both "eat, sleep and drink football" - and now the county's supporters have been called upon to "give the players the space to train for two or three weeks".
"It will make all the difference," Moran told the Mayo News. "We’re going to meet eight times and work hard with the players, everything else will be kept out of their hands.
"We need to have a lot of intense sessions, we’ll be doing different things, and it’s a time for the players to focus in on Kerry.
"To beat Kerry in an All-Ireland Final is going to take one hell of an effort and we need to get work done.
"I would like to thank all the Mayo supporters for their marvellous support. I think they started to believe last Sunday, even when we were seven points down. They got behind us and they realised that that these lads have gelled and are focussed."
Mayo lost the 2004 final to Kerry - this year's battle will be the fourth Sam Maguire Cup showdown between the two counties.
Moran, who began coaching his own club Glen at the age of 17, added: "My plea to the supporters ahead of the final is: ‘let the lads make every session count now’. John (Morrison) and I have a saying: ‘Don’t count the days, make the days count’. That’s what we need to do."
