Former Mayo footballer Michael Conroy has lavished praise on right half-back Lee Keegan as he prepares to renew acquaintances with Dublin star Diarmuid Connolly in the All-Ireland final replay.
The seven-time Connacht championship winner, who retired from inter-county duty ahead of the 2016 campaign, says some Dublin players might be frustrated given that Keegan has been coming out on top in his head-to-head duels with Connolly.
Speaking to Midwest Radio, Conroy said: "I think a lot of the Dublin lads, they're probably complaining because Diarmuid Connolly isn't playing the way he can or the way he has been and that's simply because Lee Keegan won't let him.
"I suppose Diarmuid has never come up against anything like Lee in the last couple of years. He's beat him on probably every occasion that he's marked him in both league and championship. He's only scored two points in the last three games which is very good on Lee Keegan's behalf."
Recently, former Mayo manager James Horan had given his take on the more lateral approach taken by Dublin in possession and Conroy feels Keegan is one of the obstacles Dublin will have to find a way of getting past.
"But the problem I think that Dublin are having is that Lee is so strong. He's such a good tackler. He's not a three-time All-Star for no reason. He can track him around the pitch for as long as he wants for 70 minutes and that's the main problem. Keegan is a fantastic footballer. He's doing a job there for Stephen Rochford. If he adds to it and takes his mind off Diarmuid Connolly for a second and adds to Mayo going forward, then we've a huge chance of winning the All-Ireland on Saturday," he said.
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