Mayo v Donegal, Elverys McHale Park, Aug 03, 6pm

highorlow · July 22, 2019, 09:58:16 PM

Only 3 wins away from Sam for both teams.

If I remember correctly the last league game we played in Castlebar broke into something like a mini war.

From the Bunker · July 22, 2019, 11:12:58 PM

Quote from: highorlow on July 22, 2019, 09:58:16 PM
Only 3 wins away from Sam for both teams.

If I remember correctly the last league game we played in Castlebar broke into something like a mini war.

Cormac Reilly refereed it!

Had a feeling Donegal threw that game that day as they were safe and were going to end up playing Dublin in Croke Park in some League Semi or Final. Either way it was the last thing they needed a week or two away from the opening round of the Ulster Championship!

Mayo said thank you! Murphy let loose a bit! And Cormac Reilly gave us everything and more. It was one funny afternoon!

inthrough · July 22, 2019, 11:31:14 PM

A lot will depend on how many of the Donegal wounded will be fit for action. With two out long term already we can't afford any more injuries if we expect to compete in Castlebar.

moysider · July 22, 2019, 11:47:37 PM

At the end of March Mayo won League Div. 1 and Donegal won Div.2 and yet a few month's later Donegal are 8/11 heading to Castlebar. How has this happened?

Donegal rightly favourites imo, but what has happened since The League final to cause this swing in form?

Mayo have had injuries but so have had Donegal. If anything Mayo have had more time to deal with injuries over several weeks while Donegal lost 3/4 players in the week leading into Kerry game.

moysider · July 22, 2019, 11:53:07 PM

Quote from: inthrough on July 22, 2019, 11:31:14 PM
A lot will depend on how many of the Donegal wounded will be fit for action. With two out long term already we can't afford any more injuries if we expect to compete in Castlebar.

PP has Donegal odds-on in spite of those injury doubt. In fact, apart from a tsunami and Ebola hitting Donegal, ye are expected to win this.

UpMeeyo · July 23, 2019, 12:08:59 AM

so can anyone give a good account of both sides injury situation?

Potentially for us, you have the possibility of Paddy Durcan/d'oc back, seems to be less optimism about matty ruane and no idea re: Keith.

Donegal injuries the last day beforehand - ban gallagher/mcgrath/mcgee, any of these expected back? any knocks expected to rule any new players out?

Cunny Funt · July 23, 2019, 12:18:28 AM

Quote from: moysider on July 22, 2019, 11:47:37 PM
At the end of March Mayo won League Div. 1 and Donegal won Div.2 and yet a few month's later Donegal are 8/11 heading to Castlebar. How has this happened?

Donegal rightly favourites imo, but what has happened since The League final to cause this swing in form?

Mayo have had injuries but so have had Donegal. If anything Mayo have had more time to deal with injuries over several weeks while Donegal lost 3/4 players in the week leading into Kerry game.

A win against Tyrone and draw v Kerry seems to carry a lot of value. Mayo's best win since the league final was v Galway.

moysider · July 23, 2019, 12:53:35 AM

Quote from: Cunny Funt on July 23, 2019, 12:18:28 AM
Quote from: moysider on July 22, 2019, 11:47:37 PM
At the end of March Mayo won League Div. 1 and Donegal won Div.2 and yet a few month's later Donegal are 8/11 heading to Castlebar. How has this happened?

Donegal rightly favourites imo, but what has happened since The League final to cause this swing in form?

Mayo have had injuries but so have had Donegal. If anything Mayo have had more time to deal with injuries over several weeks while Donegal lost 3/4 players in the week leading into Kerry game.

A win against Tyrone and draw v Kerry seems to carry a lot of value. Mayo's best win since the league final was v Galway.

Not exactly the point I was trying to make but that's down to me. Mayo has been dysfunctional all Summe, while Donegal really got their act together. Both have had to deal with injuries and Odhrán Mc Nialliás appears to be gone missing too ( serious player). How does this happen?

WhoDat · July 23, 2019, 02:32:12 AM

Unless something drastically changes with the Mayo restarts, Donegal will win. Clarke has had two bad games in a row now. His kickouts are well and truly sussed and Mayo were lucky that Meath weren't really able to capitalize on it. I think this could go a similar way to the Kerry game. I could see Mayo getting destroyed on their own kickouts again.

thewobbler · July 23, 2019, 06:55:03 AM

Would you really blame Clarke for Mayo's restart issues?

They haven't really needed a plan for the past decade over and above lump it out to Aidan, Seamus and Tom, and win upwards on 75% as a result.

—-

The bookies - who let's be honest, shouldn't deal in bias and hope - started this one at Mayo +1, and we are already out to Mayo +2. Which still seems a bit of a sleight on Donegal, who've had a fine summer to date.

As we know, the injuries are crucial. Donegal would have a massive pace advantage based on the teams that started at the weekend. But as any or all of Durcan, Higgins, Ruane and O'Connor return, the gap narrows. I doubt we will see all 4 of them, but if we do, this could be a classic.

Where Donegal will find it tougher than normal is that they rarely meet a team that is physically stronger than them, and rarely meet a team that is cuter/more cynical than them. How they react to those factors will be crucial. It's difficult to see this being 15 v 15 entering the final quarter.

Also I'd expect Leroy will take one for the team and spend the match on McHugh's shoulder. I don't think even Keegan can take McHugh completely out of it, but Donegal's counter attack just won't work as well if Keegan is continually disrupting its main artery.

Hound · July 23, 2019, 07:48:44 AM

Quote from: UpMeeyo on July 23, 2019, 12:08:59 AM
so can anyone give a good account of both sides injury situation?

Potentially for us, you have the possibility of Paddy Durcan/d'oc back, seems to be less optimism about matty ruane and no idea re: Keith.

Donegal injuries the last day beforehand - ban gallagher/mcgrath/mcgee, any of these expected back? any knocks expected to rule any new players out?

Cian Ward on the Wooly podcast reckons Paddy McBrearty had a hamstring problem at the end of the Kerry game.

magpie seanie · July 23, 2019, 08:59:07 AM

I hope we have a referee who can count 4 steps in this one. Both these sides have many serial offenders. There was a time people would get annoyed about 7 or 8 steps....not its 12 or 16 that's leading to scores and totally unpunished. Just put the head down and run - seems to be what people get away with now. That's not gaelic football.

larryin89 · July 23, 2019, 09:20:48 AM

Some prize for the winner , a semi final v Dublin . Donegal miles ahead of Mayo anyway but I personally would prefer a five/six point defeat to donegal in castlebar rather than a twenty point trimming at the hands of the dubs .

macdanger2 · July 23, 2019, 09:24:14 AM

Tickets not available online anymore, I presume this will be a sellout

inthrough · July 23, 2019, 10:29:10 AM

Quote from: larryin89 on July 23, 2019, 09:20:48 AM
Some prize for the winner , a semi final v Dublin . Donegal miles ahead of Mayo anyway but I personally would prefer a five/six point defeat to donegal in castlebar rather than a twenty point trimming at the hands of the dubs .

Not the greatest vote of confidence in a team I've ever seen