All-Ireland Final, September 18th, 2016 - Dublin v Mayo

[whitey]

You would have said less on the ref if he hadn't black carded mccarthy though. He didn't implement the black card rule well at all. Agree though i don't think he influenced iutcome of game.

Mayo were defensively superb and i thought doherty and moran excellent too.

Black card sucks...I think by the letter of the law that was a black card, not dissimilar to the stupid one picked up by Richie Feeney in the Club Final

[cavanmaniac]

Consensus was that Mayo could only win if the Dubs had an off-day and although that happened and Mayo themselves expertly engineered it in part themselves, they didn't finish the job. The crucial  momentum they generated after half-time was allowed to dissipate as when the lead beckoned and they had the first nail for Dublin's coffin at hand, anxiety seemed to take over and a thread of aimless passes and a lack of composure ensured that promising attacking platforms were squandered. Andy Moran, with all his experience, should have done better with the goal chance too. Mayo kept the Dubs in the game when they could have been strangling the life out of them, but would hitting a 2/3-point lead at that stage of the game have served Mayo anyway? I think there was too much time left for them to see it home, given their fragilities. It's weird though, to question Mayo's gumption after the battling qualities they showed in the match but it almost looks like they need to be chasing a game to get the best out of themselves but then freeze in the limelight when they are at the doorstep of destiny.

If the replay is level approaching injury time and Mayo had a promising  attacking move in progress, or even a sight of goal for a point, would you back them to take a score from it? Not based on today I wouldn't. But, we go again regardless.

[Farrandeelin]

Did Dublin  'choke'? Ya know the way they were 3 points up with a few minutes to go?

[Dinny Breen]

Did Dublin  'choke'? Ya know the way they were 3 points up with a few minutes to go?

Absolutely, pointer steps Kilkenny and Rock in the last few minutes being the main culprits.

[Farrandeelin]

Back to the real stuff. Dublin by however much they want to win by.

They obviously didn't want to win at all then. So that's why they conceded the last 3 scores of the game.

[rrhf]

Greatest team of all time? Yer arse. This dublin team can only play if you allow them to. Wouldn't have counted against Tyrone Armagh or Kerry of the 90s. Just a handy era now.

[blast05]

The failure by the Sunday Game panel to make any mention of the clearcut pick off the ground after Cluxtons last kickout was pathetic. It was the biggest and most important decision of the game and completely saved Dublin. My brother was watching the game in Australia in a club and the the screen stopped working at the precise moment the ball was picked off the ground and just before Regan collided with Dublin player. "There was nearly a riot" and they all presumed it was a Mayo free in and that Mayo had won the game. When the picture came back just after full time whistle, they then presumed O'Connor has missed the free.....

Your brother in Australia obviously missed the free out then?

Which 'offence' was committed first ? (and I don't agree that Regan's attempted tackle was even a foul .... it was an unfortunate clash of heads)

[JoG2]

Aidan O'Shea must be that referee's lover. Persistent fouling throughout the game but somehow never got 2nd yellow/black card.

Dubs were awful today yet got a draw. No way they can be that poor again and have such a week referee. Connolly literally had his shirt ripped off him by Keegan and got a yellow card. Farcical stuff. Dublin were rubbish only scored 9 points and still got a draw. They have far more room for improvement than Mayo and should win the replay

He also punched Keegan on the head about 3 times.

& the first man to grab another man's shirt.  The Keegan v Connolly battle is a brilliant subplot of this fixture.  We all love it, the blood and thunder,  2 of the best players in the country going at it hammer and tongs.  A shake of the hands at the end and I'd say serious mutual respect when all is said and done between the pair.  The faux outrage in here is a bit girly tbh

[manfromdelmonte]

When are referees going to give C O'Connor a black card for cynical fouling? I counted at least 3 yesterday

Or a yellow for constantly mouthing at the referee trying to influence decisions.

[From the Bunker]

Out of interest when was the last time Mayo lost a championship game to the defending All Ireland champions?

Kerry 2007?

[Farrandeelin]

Out of interest when was the last time Mayo lost a championship game to the defending All Ireland champions?

Kerry 2007?

Was it not Derry who put us out that year?

[Hound]

As I kinda feared, the only real form guide for this game was last year's 2 semi-finals. Everything that happened this year pretty much irrelevant.
These are two very evenly matched teams. Mayo were the best team, but some defensive errors cost them massively.

I thought we got the better of the Connolly - Keegan match up. Connolly much less effective than usual of course, because Keegan is class defender, but he still contributed more than Keegan to the game, and was the best of our very poor bunch of forwards.

The worst, as usual, was Flynn.

I don't really buy that Dublin can't be as bad the next day. Of course they can. For example, if Flynn plays, he will be exactly as bad as he was, the same as he is every day. He's a reputation as being the hardest working player in the country, when in actual fact he's the least hard working player on our entire team. Completely lost it, and from the first minute his objective seems to be to conserve energy. A complete waste of space, and yet stayed on for nearly the whole game. Contributed absolutely nothing as usual, but Gavin seems to have a blind spot.

A joke, when we have so much talented footballers, that the clown O'Gara gets game time for us. Not much ability, and not much brains. A combination that does not make a good intercounty footballer.

Please let us not have Joe McQuillan for the replay.

[BennyHarp]

Aidan O'Shea must be that referee's lover. Persistent fouling throughout the game but somehow never got 2nd yellow/black card.

Dubs were awful today yet got a draw. No way they can be that poor again and have such a week referee. Connolly literally had his shirt ripped off him by Keegan and got a yellow card. Farcical stuff. Dublin were rubbish only scored 9 points and still got a draw. They have far more room for improvement than Mayo and should win the replay

He also punched Keegan on the head about 3 times.

& the first man to grab another man's shirt.  The Keegan v Connolly battle is a brilliant subplot of this fixture.  We all love it, the blood and thunder,  2 of the best players in the country going at it hammer and tongs.  A shake of the hands at the end and I'd say serious mutual respect when all is said and done between the pair.  The faux outrage in here is a bit girly tbh

Who's outraged? I was just pointing out that Connelly struck. To claim Connelly as the victim as the previous poster claimed is just wrong.

[squire_in_navy_slacks]

When are referees going to give C O'Connor a black card for cynical fouling? I counted at least 3 yesterday

Or a yellow for constantly mouthing at the referee trying to influence decisions.

Spot on hes a horrible slithery toad, pegged it off the pitch at full time too

[yellowcard]

I agree about Flynn. Total passenger and has been in gradual decline for the last 2 seasons. How Gavin doesn't see it is beyond me. I thought Gavin was outfoxed by Rochford yesterday. Dublin have the better players but Mayo had the better game plan and nullified much of the Dublin threat. Dublin looked below par because Mayo set up their system well. I expected Dublin to win easily and at half time even though they hadn't played well, I thought that this would still materialise. That was based on this years form alone. Now I'm not so sure as I think I under estimated Mayo. As someone else stated the only true form guide were the games between the 2 sides over the last few seasons. It's not even as if Mayo have no room for improvement, a few of their key players can play much better. I'd still have Dublin as favourites but Mayo are a resilient bunch and they have every chance the next day.