Horan expects Mayo to complete the job

September 03, 2015

Former Mayo manager James Horan.
©INPHO

James Horan believes putting pressure on Stephen Cluxton's kick-outs is the key to Mayo winning Saturday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final replay.

The Dublin goalkeeper had a rare off-day in the drawn encounter, and Horan says Mayo need to pressurise him into making mistakes once again.

"His kick-outs have been talked up a lot over the last few years, but they're not as strong as they were," the former Mayo manager wrote in his Irish Daily Star column.

"And there's no better team than Mayo to put pressure on kick-outs. Cluxton is the Dublin captain so he needs to be more composed and radiate authority. But you see him throwing his arms out in frustration and he can look stressed. Mayo will try and test him again.

"I can see Mayo looking to split the kick-outs more, maybe trying to force Cluxton to go long. They'd back themselves to win out in a conventional midfield battle for possession.

"Dublin will surely put a lot of emphasis on their half back line, which is very strong. I can see the likes of Jack McCaffrey and James McCarthy being encouraged to drive forward and create overlaps.

"Mayo will likely sit back a bit more and hit Dublin with their running game on the break.

"Eddie Kinsella is an experienced ref and I think he'll stamp his authority on things early on. I expect a fine game, with Mayo winning by two points."


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