Galway's Matthew Tierney: 'When we work as a unit, we're a force'

Who would have thought that this would come to pass? A question, no doubt asked by Galway and Mayo fans as they deal with the reality that the age-old rivals are to meet in a preliminary All-Ireland football quarter-final.

Pearse Stadium in Salthill on Sunday will be the next stop-off in their storied coming together. Not Croke Park in July for a semi-final, or indeed, a final.

The final day of the group phase produced outcomes that were a result of much see-sawing in play. Galway lost top spot in their section after going down by a point to Armagh. Mayo slipped from first to third after a late thrust from Cork that produced 1-06 without reply.

Sunday's winner by the seaside will be out again the following weekend. After one cauldron another pressure cooker of sorts awaits at GAAHQ.

For Galway and Mayo, their Sam Maguire odds have widened as a result of last weekend's reverses. The victor on Sunday will need a statement victory.

Matthew Tierney, a day on from that loss in Carrick-on-Shannon, faced the media as the All-Ireland series was luanched. His presence at the event in Howth was pencilled in before Galway's clash with Armagh.

"We went out to win that game but that's sport," was Tierney's phlegmatic response to RTÉ Sport after the events in Carrick.

"We're not out of it so we'll go again this Sunday."

As for meeting Mayo again, the Tribes attacker gave that familar line as to what to expect.

"There's a healthy rivalry there and we'll look forward to the challenge. It's do or die now and hopefully the Galway fans come out in force.

"It will be a great occasion to be involved in again. In the league final it didn't go our way but we're going back to the drawing board now this week at training and we have to focus. We have to