Clare v Mayo Round 3A Qualifier

[From the Bunker]

Clare fairly tore Roscommon apart last year.

Yeah, a Roscommon team who had six days to recover from a hiding from Galway. Their reward for drawing with Galway the first day! As we seen from the weekend with Mayo it was hard to get your head right 3 weeks after a defeat. A Provincial final loss for Roscommon would have hurt a lot more.

[Rossfan]

We were in a bad place in late July 2016.

[ballinaman]

We were in a bad place in late July 2016.

Salthill on a wet day

[Blowitupref]

Clare fairly tore Roscommon apart last year.

Yeah, a Roscommon team who had six days to recover from a hiding from Galway. Their reward for drawing with Galway the first day! As we seen from the weekend with Mayo it was hard to get your head right 3 weeks after a defeat. A Provincial final loss for Roscommon would have hurt a lot more.

Was clear early on that Roscommon didn't want to know about a qualifier game so soon after losing a provincial final while the Mayo will be fully focus on winning this game and getting back to Croke Park.

Kerry with 14 men for all of the 2nd half outscored and beat Clare by 6 points in Ennis a few weeks ago. In the final NFL game where both had something to play for Meath beat Clare by 12 points in Ennis in April. Clare are conceding on average 1-14 per game this year. While Mayo only conceded 0-15 v Galway and 1-13 in 90 mins v Derry. All known logic points to a Mayo win and probably a more comfortably win than the one against Derry.

[Mano]

Paddy Power have Clare at 4/1 and handicap is +5. Given Mayo's awful performance yesterday and injury to Keegan and suspension for Durcan +5 is a great bet.

[Maroon Manc]

We're none the wiser about Mayo after last weekend, I think they'll keep plodding away until whenever they meet Kerry whether thats a quarter final or semi final. If Galway beat Roscommon this weekend it would be a quarter final and its hard to make a case for this Mayo team beating Kerry when it would be Mayo's 4 game in 5 weekends.

In fairness I thought the same last year and looked what happened although Tyrone's forward line has nowhere near the talent of Kerry.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

It is the toughest possible draw for Mayo given how poor Donegal and Meath have become, Clare are very fit, well organised, have a great midfield and possess a very good running game. Their weaknesses from what I have seen of them is that they are only average defensively and lack a bit of real quality up front.
If Mayo play below par they will be in trouble.

[shark]

It is the toughest possible draw for Mayo given how poor Donegal and Meath have become, Clare are very fit, well organised, have a great midfield and possess a very good running game. Their weaknesses from what I have seen of them is that they are only average defensively and lack a bit of real quality up front.
If Mayo play below par they will be in trouble.

Agreed that Clare are not fantastic at the back, but they do have real quality up front. Cleary and Tubridy are very dangerous. Cleary won't miss much from placed balls either.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

It is the toughest possible draw for Mayo given how poor Donegal and Meath have become, Clare are very fit, well organised, have a great midfield and possess a very good running game. Their weaknesses from what I have seen of them is that they are only average defensively and lack a bit of real quality up front.
If Mayo play below par they will be in trouble.

Agreed that Clare are not fantastic at the back, but they do have real quality up front. Cleary and Tubridy are very dangerous. Cleary won't miss much from placed balls either.

I'm not saying they are bad up front, they are a handful and they work well as a unit but they are not top top players if you get what I'm saying. Eoin Cleary is the pick of them alright though and Keelan Sexton caused a lot Kildare trouble back last year.

[AZOffaly]

It is the toughest possible draw for Mayo given how poor Donegal and Meath have become, Clare are very fit, well organised, have a great midfield and possess a very good running game. Their weaknesses from what I have seen of them is that they are only average defensively and lack a bit of real quality up front.
If Mayo play below par they will be in trouble.

Agreed that Clare are not fantastic at the back, but they do have real quality up front. Cleary and Tubridy are very dangerous. Cleary won't miss much from placed balls either.

Kealan Sexton is dangerous too. Clare can score alright.

[Dinny Breen]

Clare should have beaten Kildare in the League this year and could have beaten Kerry but Clare couldn't get over the psychological demons. They work on a lot on scoring goals and in particular the decision making process. Will be an interesting game and Mayo on the road might focus them a bit better. I like Eoin Cleary too defensively though they can be open.

What's the handicap I would fancy Clare +4?

[FermGael]

Clare are a good side.
Well drilled and a step up from Derry.
Interesting ....

[From the Bunker]

Ok lets be done with the Plámásing!

Clare won two games in the National League - Down and Cork.

Drew with Derry away.

They lost four in the League - Galway, Kildare, Fermanagh and Meath. Bar the Kildare game, Clare got some good beatings in some of those games.

Clare only survived Division 2 on Goal difference.

Clare beat Limerick by a point this year in the Munster Championship and were beat by six by 14 man Kerry in the second half.

Clare beat Laois who played the last 25 minutes with 14 men.

Clare biggest win of the past 15 months was beating Roscommon. A Roscommon team who had six days to recover from a hiding from Galway.

This is not putting Clare down, their heads are up presently and will be a formidable threat, but lets not lose the run of where they are at!

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

They only really took a hammering from Meath in the last game, they were without Gary Brennan and were somewhat safe in the table. They lost by 8 against Galway but Galway are possibly a better team than Mayo at this stage so it is not too bad a result.

[shark]

Ok lets be done with the Plámásing!

Clare won two games in the National League - Down and Cork.

Drew with Derry away.

They lost four in the League - Galway, Kildare, Fermanagh and Meath. Bar the Kildare game, Clare got some good beatings in some of those games.

Clare only survived Division 2 on Goal difference.

Clare beat Limerick by a point this year in the Munster Championship and were beat by six by 14 man Kerry in the second half.

Clare beat Laois who played the last 25 minutes with 14 men.

Clare biggest win of the past 15 months was beating Roscommon. A Roscommon team who had six days to recover from a hiding from Galway.

This is not putting Clare down, their heads are up presently and will be a formidable threat, but lets not lose the run of where they are at!

There is a lot of truth in what you say. That's why this is a big game for Clare too. They will feel pressure that they need to show they've moved up a level.