Leitrim produced arguably their best display of the season in the TG4 Connacht Senior Championship, running Mayo to three points.
And last year’s TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate winners will need to go beyond those levels if they’re to stay alive in the Senior Championship.
Leitrim have found the going tough after making the step up from the Intermediate grade and after losing out to Mayo and Galway in the province, they suffered heavy losses to Dublin and Waterford in the All-Ireland series.
But retaining senior status would be a huge achievement – and Leitrim have that chance when they take on Mayo, who lost out to Galway in the Connacht Final before coming up short against Cork and Kerry in the group stages of the All-Ireland SFC.
The winners will play Senior Championship football again next year, with the losers playing off against Armagh or Donegal on Saturday July 12.
Mayo are unchanged after defeat to Cork, as Leitrim show one change to the side defeated by Waterford, with Síomha Quinn coming in up front for Shaylyn Ward.
Mayo: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkin; D Caldwell (c), E Brennan, S El Massry; H Reape, S Lally; L Hanley, S Walsh, A Geraghty; E Murray, C Keane, K Sullivan.
Leitrim: M Guckian (c); J Maye, C Tyrrell, E Quigley; D Beirne, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, A Quinn; A Gilmartin, V Egan, A Clancy; L Fox, S Quinn, L O’Dowd.
Mayo v Leitrim
Saturday July fifth
Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry, Sligo, Throw-in: 2pm
