MAYO HANDED TOUGH DRAW
JIM Gavin’s Dublin will begin their bid to claim a fourth All-Ireland title in a row by facing either Offaly or Wicklow in the Leinster SFC quarterfinal, although the plum tie of last night’s 2018 Championship draw was Mayo and Galway meeting in a Connacht quarter-final.
Mayo, who suffered another agonising defeat in last month’s All-Ireland final, will begin yet another search for their Holy Grail by welcoming their age-old western rivals to McHale Park next May in their opening championship encounter. It means that one of those sides will face a long road to get to the Super Eights next year. The winner of that quarterfinal will face London or Sligo in the provincial semi-final while Kevin McStay’s Roscommon were handed a very favourable draw for the defence of their crown as they get a bye to a semi-final against either Leitrim or New York. Dublin’s Paul Flynn suggested last night that it would be interesting for the All-Ireland champions to make a trip to Tullamore or Aughrim for their Leinster quarter-final, although there are no guarantees that the All-Ireland champions, looking for an eighth Leinster title in a row, will be away from home. Andy McEntee’s Meath are on the same side of the draw as the Dubs and will likely meet them in the semifinal, should they get past Longford while Cian O’Neill’s Kildare, defeated provincial finalists this summer, will fancy their chances of returning to the Leinster decider. The Lilywhites will meet Louth or Carlow in the quarter-finals and possibly Westmeath in the semi-final.