Lee Keegan believes the pressure is off Mayo ahead of their trip to Tralee to face Kerry on Saturday evening.

A win for the Westerners would virtually guarantee them a place in the Allianz Football League Division 1 final before they face a local derby against Roscommon in the last round.

"It's a good test for Andy Moran's Mayo, who have achieved the primary task of survival and can head south for a free hit. They became the latest team to squeeze out a win against Armagh in this league while scoring far fewer points than them," Keegan wrote in his RTÉ column.

Teenage sensation Kobe McDonald has been the talk of Gaelic football over the last few weeks, but he isn't the only Mayo rookie to have caught Keegan's eye.

"I'm wary of fanning the flames of Kobe-mania but what can you do? The lad is making us talk about him. I was more impressed with his impact against Armagh than the previous week in Monaghan, where the game was long over when he was introduced," the former Footballer of the Year added.

"It was still in the balance the last day and he manufactured two crucial scores for himself and was involved in the build-up to the goal. Cian McHale, who shone in the Sigerson, scored 1-03 - another boost. Having supposedly had a dearth of forwards and scoring options last year, Mayo suddenly have plenty in 2026.

"Further back the field, Sam Callinan has been magnificent this season. The half-back line was a launchpad over the years for Mayo, with the likes of Paddy Durcan and Colm Boyle. Callinan looks to be stamping his authority for this generation."

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