Mayo manager James Horan is a big admirer of league final opponents Cork.

The Connacht champions and the Rebels go head to head in Sunday's football league decider at Croke Park and Horan says the Leesiders - whom Mayo beat in last year's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at HQ - will be no soft touch. But he knows his team can compete if they reproduce the form shown in the semi-final defeat of Kerry.

"They have big, strong players with a lot of runners coming through the middle," he says in The Irish Times.

"They are a difficult team to play against and are playing particularly well again, particularly Paul Kerrigan and their free-taker Donncha O'Connor. They have so many players back, they seem to be getting stronger and stronger now.

"Getting a good performance in Croke Park was important. To be honest, regardless of the opposition, we wanted to put a performance together that was hopefully good enough to win the game, and it was. We're just happy to get another chance to give another similar performance.

"Of course, it adds to anyone's confidence if you put on a performance like that when you need to, especially in Croke Park.

"If you look at last year's league performances we conceded ten goals and fell behind in every game so we are happy with how we have changed that. We have a good idea where we are and what we need to do." Tweet

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