Mayo vs. Roscommon Connacht SFC Semi-final (June 16th, McHale Park)

[ballinaman]

Game 2 - Job done. Game panned out the way I expected. Didn't get out of 3rd gear, I can't remember one big hit, seemed like we were having a look at Roscommon before settling into the game.
Still a nice bit of work to do even with playing well. Sloppy for the last 20, misplaced passes and wrong shot selection a few times.

To be in contention with Donegal/Dublin(where we want/need to be), you have to be as close to flawless as you can be.

Two more rounds of Club Championship before August bank holiday weekend to navigate without injuries( I'll be lighting candles those weekends).

[highorlow]

Roscommon were tactically inept.

Plenty of opportunities to work the ball into at least the 20-30 yrd line in that game but deciding to take pot shots from the 40-50 yard line instead. Madness.

Yes and you have only mentioned the attacking. The defending was hopelessly naive. With us only playing 4 forwards in a direct line for the first half hour and for Ross to be following the other lads up the field and not to have a sweeper or spare man in the backs was incredible to see. Also as soon as Freeman bate the fullback to the first ball the full back should have been moved, instead Evans was gesturing to him on the sideline to break the ball.

Anyhow, well done to our lads they seemed to have a good plan for the first 10 minutes and as soon as we got playing ball into the forwards we were a threat on all our attacks. Very impressed with such a spread of scores and the our best forwards on the day were nearly our half backs.

[seafoid]

Game 2 - Job done. Game panned out the way I expected. Didn't get out of 3rd gear, I can't remember one big hit, seemed like we were having a look at Roscommon before settling into the game.
Still a nice bit of work to do even with playing well. Sloppy for the last 20, misplaced passes and wrong shot selection a few times.

To be in contention with Donegal/Dublin(where we want/need to be), you have to be as close to flawless as you can be.

Two more rounds of Club Championship before August bank holiday weekend to navigate without injuries( I'll be lighting candles those weekends).

You can't ask for more in June. You can only beat what is in front of you.
Seems like a very well organised Mayo setup and great to see Andy Moran playing a role . 

[seafoid]

Mayo are not better than Roscommon. They just have different water.
That gets the ball over the bar. It is something to do with homeopathy. 

[emmetryan]

Hi guys,

Video analysis of how Mayo get their defenders into attack up here http://action81.com/blog/?p=7338

Thanks
Emmet

[Asal Mor]

What's the news on Cillian O' Connor. Is he out for the rest of the summer?

[Lar Naparka]

I think James Horan was one of the stars yesterday.
Before the championship started, I wouldn't have given Alan Freeman, Donie Vaughan or Richie Feeney much chance of getting a starting place on the side.
I thought both Alan and Donie have underperformed throughout last season and Richie seemed to be forever doomed to a place on the subs' bench.
It's fair to say that very many Mayo followers were of the same opinion.
All three played their part in Salthill but yesterday they well and truly silenced their critics- me anyway.
James Horan can be thanked for this. He's turning out to be one of the shrewdest managers on the go often gets overlooked when the plaudits are being handed out.
Keep 'er going, James; we're on a roll.

[Chéad rogha]

The main thing that I took from the match is how critical the fitness of Cillian O'Connor is, purely from an open play perspective. He was the one with the vision and composure to deliver the final pass for goals v galway and it was something that was missing yesterday. If he was on the pitch I think we'd have raised a few green flags.
Something I've noticed alot of from this side is their ability to solo with the wrong foot and for it to appear to come naturally -  Its something boyle, dillon, COC, Higgins are fully adept at, handy for getting you out of tight situations.
Plenty of positives but I saw plenty to work on - distribution being the main one. Like someone else has said hopefully we can get through the club championship unscathed - think we're due a bit of luck with injuries at this stage!

[Syferus]

LOL @ Syferus

Your reaction gives me the win on aggregate, delicious

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

LOL @ Syferus

Your reaction gives me the win on aggregate, delicious

Had you not responded to tell him 

[Syferus]

LOL @ Syferus

Your reaction gives me the win on aggregate, delicious

Had you not responded to tell him 

There's no room for subtlety on a sports forum, boss. I can teach you more but first I have cattle to rustle.

[INDIANA]

Congratulations to Mayo on another ruthless, efficient and professional performance. They never really took the foot of the gas and just like they were in the Galway game there was no show boating or going for glory scores when they were well out of sight.

From a Roscommon point of view we started really well and dominated possession but even then it was ominous looking in terms of how well the Mayo defence dealt with any balls that went in. Even when we were in the lead you just knew we weren't scoring with enough ease to make it count.

The match was over as a contest 10 minutes before half time. We looked from them onwards as if we were going though the motions. There was no heart or fight in Roscommon. They only lost the second half 8-5 and got on alot of ball but never looked purposeful with it.

Mayo haven't just improved in terms of strength and conditioning. Their ability to take scores from play has vastly improved also. They will probably win the Connacht final by a greater margin than today or even the Galway game but you can only beat what's in front of you and they appear very focussed on consistently hitting their own high standards.

Roscommon have no reason to go booking transatlantic flights and throwing in the towel on championship 2013. Mayo are a member of a top 6 club that are miles ahead of the next tier of which we are part of. If the Rossies get the heads down and refocus + are lucky with the back door draw they still can win a match or two and together with today's humiliation learn from the experience.

Good post Ross Matt, there is a journey to be had with this county football craic and it is an investment of years that might and might not pay off. Mayo are further down the road at the moment than any other Connacht county but the cycle of football like all sports is a short one and all can change with one win/loss. To see how Laois got to an All Ireland 1/4 final last year and maybe should of beat Dublin after being beat in Leinster by Longford in 1st round. To see 4 or so of their players fly off after being beat this year really holds back any prospect of them pushing on to any extent. Roscommon were at such a low ebb towards the end of the noughties that any progress was always most likely going to be quite gradual, regardless of underage potential. It might take a few years more to get the older players to be true leaders and an inspiration for the younger bucks but hopefully they will as Connacht football needs a right competitive championship. Almost 20,000 at game today with the result never in doubt, there is a public there that needs servicing.

You'd need  5/6 very good teams in a row to make the underage success stick.

Roscommon looked badly conditioned to me yesterday for an inter county side with a serious lack of top end pace through the team.

Surprising for a county with relative underage success recently.

[ross4life]

Congratulations to Mayo on another ruthless, efficient and professional performance. They never really took the foot of the gas and just like they were in the Galway game there was no show boating or going for glory scores when they were well out of sight.

From a Roscommon point of view we started really well and dominated possession but even then it was ominous looking in terms of how well the Mayo defence dealt with any balls that went in. Even when we were in the lead you just knew we weren't scoring with enough ease to make it count.

The match was over as a contest 10 minutes before half time. We looked from them onwards as if we were going though the motions. There was no heart or fight in Roscommon. They only lost the second half 8-5 and got on alot of ball but never looked purposeful with it.

Mayo haven't just improved in terms of strength and conditioning. Their ability to take scores from play has vastly improved also. They will probably win the Connacht final by a greater margin than today or even the Galway game but you can only beat what's in front of you and they appear very focussed on consistently hitting their own high standards.

Roscommon have no reason to go booking transatlantic flights and throwing in the towel on championship 2013. Mayo are a member of a top 6 club that are miles ahead of the next tier of which we are part of. If the Rossies get the heads down and refocus + are lucky with the back door draw they still can win a match or two and together with today's humiliation learn from the experience.

Good post Ross Matt, there is a journey to be had with this county football craic and it is an investment of years that might and might not pay off. Mayo are further down the road at the moment than any other Connacht county but the cycle of football like all sports is a short one and all can change with one win/loss. To see how Laois got to an All Ireland 1/4 final last year and maybe should of beat Dublin after being beat in Leinster by Longford in 1st round. To see 4 or so of their players fly off after being beat this year really holds back any prospect of them pushing on to any extent. Roscommon were at such a low ebb towards the end of the noughties that any progress was always most likely going to be quite gradual, regardless of underage potential. It might take a few years more to get the older players to be true leaders and an inspiration for the younger bucks but hopefully they will as Connacht football needs a right competitive championship. Almost 20,000 at game today with the result never in doubt, there is a public there that needs servicing.

You'd need  5/6 very good teams in a row to make the underage success stick.

Roscommon looked badly conditioned to me yesterday for an inter county side with a serious lack of top end pace through the team.

Surprising for a county with relative underage success recently.

At U-21 level 2008,2009,2010,2011,2012 we have beaten Mayo three times the two we lost we were very closing to winning. Then you have this years U-21 team that lost to Galway after extra time. Underage teams,players are there but it's about bringing them through and i wouldn't be so quick to write off our underage players like some have.

[larryin89]

What sort of time frame are you looking at for these underage lads to become stars of their senior team.

I look at likes of K.Higgans , he was on senior team in 06 when he won u-21 title.

I know it has taken some of them longer to establish themselves as top seniors but not all that much longer, AOS  is 22 and an established top midfielder , some would say one of the finest in the country.

Cillian o Connor was u-21 this year and he also is a recognised top player.

My point is i think the Ross are waiting for something to happen automatically , that might not happen imo for lots of reasons, main one being ye have no players there to blend them with or bring them on.

Really tough times ahead for Roscommon.

Mayo look really really good, quality all over the park, i believe we will win the all  Ireland.

[Syferus]

What sort of time frame are you looking at for these underage lads to become stars of their senior team.

I look at likes of K.Higgans , he was on senior team in 06 when he won u-21 title.

I know it has taken some of them longer to establish themselves as top seniors but not all that much longer, AOS  is 22 and an established top midfielder , some would say one of the finest in the country.

Cillian o Connor was u-21 this year and he also is a recognised top player.

My point is i think the Ross are waiting for something to happen automatically , that might not happen imo for lots of reasons, main one being ye have no players there to blend them with or bring them on.

Really tough times ahead for Roscommon.

Mayo look really really good, quality all over the park, i believe we will win the all  Ireland.

Keith Higgins walked onto a team that was about to contest it's second AI final in three years, CO'C a team going to the AISF and AI final in his first two years. We've been building from pretty much square one post-Maughan, as late as 2011 were were in D4. The 2006 minors are looked to as experienced players but they're only 24 and can't be expected to become veterns just because there's not many older than them.

Basically trying to compare development arcs between counties is a fool's game. What's progress to one county isn't to another.

Patience and planning remain the key words for us.