Connacht SFC Q/Final London v Mayo 29.5.11 in Ruislip

[Farrandeelin]

Howley came on yesterday for Knockmore. Played good when he did come on with around 15 mins to go. Hopefully he will be pushing for a place at least.

[rosnarun]

Howley came on yesterday for Knockmore. Played good when he did come on with around 15 mins to go. Hopefully he will be pushing for a place at least.

thats great news.
hes badly needed for centre half back .

[Chimley]

Howley came on yesterday for Knockmore. Played good when he did come on with around 15 mins to go. Hopefully he will be pushing for a place at least.

thats great news.
hes badly needed for centre half back .

if we see Howley at CHB this year we'll know that we're not going far. He has got the runaround in that position the last twice he appeared at HQ. I think he has a lot to offer as the extra man in defence that Horan seems to like to use.

[AbbeySider]

Howley came on yesterday for Knockmore. Played good when he did come on with around 15 mins to go. Hopefully he will be pushing for a place at least.

thats great news.
hes badly needed for centre half back .

if we see Howley at CHB this year we'll know that we're not going far. He has got the runaround in that position the last twice he appeared at HQ. I think he has a lot to offer as the extra man in defence that Horan seems to like to use.

Agreed Chimley
Even the suggestion of Howley at CHB is a wind up that I wasnt even going to acknowledge with a reply 

How are we looking on the injury front after the weekend?

I dont think Dillons injurys is as bad as initially feared so he may be back for the London game.
Keith Higgins has a hamstring injury but how long is he expected to be out?
Is Cunniffe back from his hamstring injury?

Vaughan played a full game for Ballinrobe at the weekend. I felt myself that he was well beaten by Jason Gibbons but I dont think Vaughan is a midfielder. He did better when he was moved in the second half.  I see Howley got some game time too. Whats the recovery schedule like for McGarity and Seamus O Shea?

[RedandGreenSniper]

Howley came on yesterday for Knockmore. Played good when he did come on with around 15 mins to go. Hopefully he will be pushing for a place at least.

thats great news.
hes badly needed for centre half back .

if we see Howley at CHB this year we'll know that we're not going far. He has got the runaround in that position the last twice he appeared at HQ. I think he has a lot to offer as the extra man in defence that Horan seems to like to use.

Agreed Chimley
Even the suggestion of Howley at CHB is a wind up that I wasnt even going to acknowledge with a reply 

How are we looking on the injury front after the weekend?

I dont think Dillons injurys is as bad as initially feared so he may be back for the London game.
Keith Higgins has a hamstring injury but how long is he expected to be out?
Is Cunniffe back from his hamstring injury?

Vaughan played a full game for Ballinrobe at the weekend. I felt myself that he was well beaten by Jason Gibbons but I dont think Vaughan is a midfielder. He did better when he was moved in the second half.  I see Howley got some game time too. Whats the recovery schedule like for McGarity and Seamus O Shea?

Seamie O'Shea should be back for Breaffy by the weekend.

[AbbeySider]

Mayo have a challenge run out against Antrim in Kiltimagh next Sunday at 2:30pm, and their last challenge before the London game will be on May 14th in Ballintubber against Offaly, throw-in at 5.15pm

The championship opener against London is ever looming so I guess Horan would be trying to firm up a settled team for London (and Galway hopefully), whereas on the other hand; there is quite a few injuries which will allow us to see how some players who are back will fair out.

According to Mike Finnerty in the Mayo News, up to 8 members of the county squad were not involved with their clubs last weekend including Keith Higgins, Seamus O'Shea, Neil Douglas, Alan Feeney, Richie Feeney,  Ronan McGarrity, Ger Cafferkey, Alan Dillon and with Andy Moran limping off and Howley only getting a few minutes at the end of the Knockmore game.

Keith Higgins is definitely out so I guess Cathal Hallinan may slot in at corner back but if Alan Feeney is also out then he may well play full back. If Richie is out then I would expect Vaughan to be given a run at wing back and maybe even Howley the other side. Vaughan played a full game against Ballintubber last Sunday so I guess he is nearing ready.

I doubt Alan Dillon will be ready or risked at the weekend so he makes room in the half forward line. Does anybody know the status the likes of Andy Moran, the Feeneys or Ger Cafferkey?

I put most of the injuries of late down to the change in the hardness of the ground which sometimes takes a while for the body and muscles to adjust.

[ballinaman]

Word that Pat Harte re aggravated his injury and due to miss summer. McGarrity making slow progress too, big doubt for London

[RedandGreenSniper]

Mayo have a challenge run out against Antrim in Kiltimagh next Sunday at 2:30pm, and their last challenge before the London game will be on May 14th in Ballintubber against Offaly, throw-in at 5.15pm

The championship opener against London is ever looming so I guess Horan would be trying to firm up a settled team for London (and Galway hopefully), whereas on the other hand; there is quite a few injuries which will allow us to see how some players who are back will fair out.

According to Mike Finnerty in the Mayo News, up to 8 members of the county squad were not involved with their clubs last weekend including Keith Higgins, Seamus O'Shea, Neil Douglas, Alan Feeney, Richie Feeney,  Ronan McGarrity, Ger Cafferkey, Alan Dillon and with Andy Moran limping off and Howley only getting a few minutes at the end of the Knockmore game.

Keith Higgins is definitely out so I guess Cathal Hallinan may slot in at corner back but if Alan Feeney is also out then he may well play full back. If Richie is out then I would expect Vaughan to be given a run at wing back and maybe even Howley the other side. Vaughan played a full game against Ballintubber last Sunday so I guess he is nearing ready.

I doubt Alan Dillon will be ready or risked at the weekend so he makes room in the half forward line. Does anybody know the status the likes of Andy Moran, the Feeneys or Ger Cafferkey?

I put most of the injuries of late down to the change in the hardness of the ground which sometimes takes a while for the body and muscles to adjust.

Richie Feeney will be fine. In fact I'm surprised he wasn't risked against Ballaghaderreen. I'd say it was more Holmes holding back for their championship duel with Ballagh'. Not sure with Alan Feeney but I think it is relatively mild and he ought to be fine for London. Reckon it will be Cunniffe, A Feeney and Hallinan v London with Howley having an outside chance but can't see him being started myself.

[Blowitupref]

PP odds  London 16/1 draw 25/1 Mayo 1/100

[Cosmo Kramer]

Went to Gilmartin Park in Kiltimagh today to see a fairly facile win for Mayo against Antrim in a challenge game. It finished Mayo 3-11 Antrim 0-8. Probably the first game I was ever at that was over as a contest after two minutes. We lined out with this 15:

              Hennelly

Reilly      A Feeney    Vaughan

Barrett    Cunniffe      Keegan

     Kilcullen     Gibbons

Campbell  A O'Shea  O'Connor

Howley     Varley      Doherty

Hallinan and Gardiner had been named to start on the program at 4 and 7 but didn't. Hallinan came on in the second half but Gardiner was limping along the sideline with Dillon and McGarrity (no crutches) so must have picked up a knock in the last few days. Howley played in the Kevin McLoughlin roving defender role, but wore 13.

Mayo played the first half with a strong wind at their backs. First long ball went in after about 30 seconds, the Antrim full back line misjudged its flight in the wind, Doherty stayed back behind them, caught it, had one look at the sticks and drilled it into the net off the far post from about 12 yards. The next attack saw a Mayo pointed effort drop onto the post, the keeper fumbled the catch as it came down, spilled it to Doherty who had reacted quicker than the Antrim backs and he fired in another one. 2-0 to 0-0 after two minutes.

It was fairly one way traffic after that for the rest of the first half. Antrim looked decent up to the Mayo 45 metre line, but were hopeless beyond that. Howley looked very sharp and mopped up a massive amount of ball between the 45 and midfield. Vaughan was excellent in the corner as well. It was 2-8 to 0-2 by half time, Doherty hit two points to go with the two goals, Campbell got 3 (two frees), O'Shea with a free and Varley and Kilcullen with 0-1 each.

Clarke played in goal in the second half, James Burke came on at wing back for Keegan and Kevin Dolan came on for Doherty. Second half was tough enough watching with Mayo struggling a bit more into the wind and Antrim just being poor all round. All the subs didn't help with the flow of the game either, Antrim brought a panel of 32 down and must have played most of them by the end. Cillian O'Connor was the pick of the Mayo forwards in the second half, scored a nice point from a narrow angle on the left and finished off a goal from the right after a good team move. Horan ran the bench throughout the half with Hallinan, Seamus O'Shea, Douglas, David Gavin of Breaffy and another lad who wasn't on the program with 30 on his back getting a run (didn't catch who that was, someone else might know). The other second half points for Mayo came from Varley and Burke to bring up the 3-11.

Vaughan was probably the outstanding player for Mayo, won a huge amount of ball in the backs and used it well, Howley, Cunniffe and Barrett did likewise. Eoghan Reilly was having a good game in the corner but unfortunately got a kick in the hands off Gavin when the two of them went for the same ball and he had to go off. James Burke impressed when he got on in the second half. Kilcullen was strong as an ox in midfield again and it will be a tough pick between himself and AOS who also played well for the London game. He may be able to accommodate both by playing O'Shea at 11 where he started today. Gibbons would seem to be a bit behind those two at this stage and although SOS played well when he came on, I don't think he's challenging for a start against London.

In the forwards Doherty was his usual self - deadly if he gets half a chance at goal, his positioning to get chances is as good as his finishing. Varley saw a lot of ball and used some of it well but was poor at other times, O'Connor had a better game than him today I thought. Campbell was decent as well but I didn't see anything from Gavin or Dolan to suggest that they'll be challenging for starting spots. Michael Forde from Ballycastle was named in the subs as well, so the panel remains very open ended.

It was hard enough to judge anyone though because Antrim were god awful. They weren't helped by losing two players (Kevin McGourty and Sean Burke according to the program) to nasty looking injuries in the first half - but their defence could get destroyed by the likes of Murphy and McFadden against Donegal in two weeks if they line out anything like they did today. While they won a fair amount of ball in midfield their use of it in the forwards was shocking, especially in the first half. From our point of view though, it was good to see Howley and Vaughan back and looking fit and I'd say they'll both go close to the starting 15 for the London game.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Great account there Cosmo. The amount of goals Doherty is grabbing these days is ridiculous! He nailed two for Burrishoole last weekend too against Knockmore. He must be on something like 14 in 12 games with club and county. Phenomenal.
I think we'll see both Aidan O'Shea and Jimmy Kilcullen in the same Mayo starting team. They'll either be the midfield duo or, if McGarrity is back, Aidan O'Shea will play in the half-forward line. Vaughan and Howley are clearly men on a mission. That's a great thing for competition. I wouldn't grant them starting places too easily for the London game though.

[maigheo]

I see trevor mort and dermot geraghty have been invited onto the mayo panel after the weekend.I am sure morts inclusion will stir a lot of debate but i have always felt that geraghty got a raw deal and was scapegoated unfairly after 2004 and 2006.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Yeah, interesting that one. Full story here - http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12591:mortimer-back-in-mayo-fold&catid=14&Itemid=100008

Not sure about it being a good thing myself but perhaps he is due a look. Maybe he feels he has a point to prove after how he played the last two years.

[ross4life]

Wasn't Trevor Mortimer part of the Mayo panel in this year's FBD it's not like he's been away for a few years? Doherty has come on alot in the last year, i saw him play v us in the U21 game & he certainly didn't look like a goal machine back then.

[Tubberman]

Wasn't Trevor Mortimer part of the Mayo panel in this year's FBD it's not like he's been away for a few years? Doherty has come on alot in the last year, i saw him play v us in the U21 game & he certainly didn't look like a goal machine back then.

Nope - hasn't been involved under James Horan at all up until now. He was off travelling for a few months as well.
Re Doherty, he's hit an unbelievable goal-scoring streak. Hopefully it's not just a 'streak' as I labelled it, and is something that he can consistently produce. We've never had a consistent goal-scorer in the time I've been watching Mayo - although in fairness, not many teams do.