Div 1 Mayo v Down Official Thread

[AbbeySider]

Considering the players that are unavailable, that Down team sort of picked itself.
Midfield and forwards  are pretty much the 2010 team with only McCommiskey and Rodgers missing through injury.
It is in defence where the injuries are rampant and has forced James McCartan to select players out of necessity rather than choice. The injury list of defenders goes on and on (Garvey, Rooney, McCartan, Rafferty, Mc Ardle, Duffin, O'Hagan,...) and  James Colgan suspended.
It is asking a lot of the wing backs in particular, who will be up against the Mayo Captain and Vice Captan, Alan Dillon and Andy Moran, both very fast, hard working and clever footballers.
At left half back making his NFL debut is Paul McPolin who plays his club football in the forwards.
Liam Doyle makes his first NFL start in 3 years on a comeback after horrific injuries, but is thrown in at the highest level without match fitness. But it is great to see a man of his ability back on the field.
Luke Howard also has recovered from his knee operation and makes his first start for 2 years at corner back, although  he was able to ease back into it with some club football last summer.
In the other corner starts Aidan Brannigan who was used from the bench at times last year as half back cover. 
The spine of defence does have some quality in Brendan McVeigh, Dan Gordan and Kevin McKernan. Although Gordan is still not comfortable in the roll of fullback having only played in that position for 3 games (albeit the most important 3 games of this football life so far!)
All in all, a bit effort will be required from this makeshift defence to hold back what is a very good sextet of Mayo forwards

Very good insight there western exile, how do you have such an inside track on the opposition? Are you based in Down?

[western exile]

Considering the players that are unavailable, that Down team sort of picked itself.
Midfield and forwards  are pretty much the 2010 team with only McCommiskey and Rodgers missing through injury.
It is in defence where the injuries are rampant and has forced James McCartan to select players out of necessity rather than choice. The injury list of defenders goes on and on (Garvey, Rooney, McCartan, Rafferty, Mc Ardle, Duffin, O'Hagan,...) and  James Colgan suspended.
It is asking a lot of the wing backs in particular, who will be up against the Mayo Captain and Vice Captan, Alan Dillon and Andy Moran, both very fast, hard working and clever footballers.
At left half back making his NFL debut is Paul McPolin who plays his club football in the forwards.
Liam Doyle makes his first NFL start in 3 years on a comeback after horrific injuries, but is thrown in at the highest level without match fitness. But it is great to see a man of his ability back on the field.
Luke Howard also has recovered from his knee operation and makes his first start for 2 years at corner back, although  he was able to ease back into it with some club football last summer.
In the other corner starts Aidan Brannigan who was used from the bench at times last year as half back cover. 
The spine of defence does have some quality in Brendan McVeigh, Dan Gordan and Kevin McKernan. Although Gordan is still not comfortable in the roll of fullback having only played in that position for 3 games (albeit the most important 3 games of this football life so far!)
All in all, a bit effort will be required from this makeshift defence to hold back what is a very good sextet of Mayo forwards

Very good insight there western exile, how do you have such an inside track on the opposition? Are you based in Down?

The opposite direction     Born and bred on the east coast but live and breathe in the Whest. I still see a lot of Down football, almost as much as Mayo football.

[western exile]

Two late changes to the Down team.  Liam Doyle is replaced, as Gerard McCartan comes in at corner back, with Brannigan moving to wing back.  And Paul McComiskey replaces Conor McGinn at corner forward.


1.   Brendan McVeigh   (An Ríocht)
24. Gerard Mc Cartan ( Boireann )
3.   Dan Gordon   (Loch an Oileáin)
4.   Luke Howard   (Áth Bhriain)
2. Aidan Brannigan ( Cill Chua
6.   Kevin McKernan   (Boireann)
7.   Paul McPolin   (Cluain Dáimh)
8.   Peter Fitzpatrick   (Baile Mhairtín)
9   Kalum King   (Áth Bhriain)
10.   Daniel Hughes   (Sabhaill)
11.   Mark Poland   (Cloch Fhada)
12.   Martin Clarke   (An Ríocht)
17. Paul Mc Comiskey (Dun Dromara )
14.   John Clarke   (An Ríocht)
15.   Brendan Coulter   (Droichead Mhaigh Éo)

[Farrandeelin]

RGS, how on Earth was losing to Longford 'better than what happened in Sligo'?

[RedandGreenSniper]

RGS, how on Earth was losing to Longford 'better than what happened in Sligo'?

Because we at least tried against Longford. The confidence was shaken but some players had a right go at it. Against Sligo it was obvious at half-time that we were going to lose and the players didn't even seem to care about that. I don't think the gulf between Sligo and Longford has anything to do with it, we gave up in Markievicz Park. I'm not saying there was anything really to be proud of in losing to Longford. But the white flag being shown in Sligo galled me more than anything else. Humiliating.

[Farrandeelin]

Fair enough. Anyway all that is in the past and hopefully we will start off the season with a win against Down. I still think it will be tight and a lot will depend on the weather conditions tomorrow evening as well.

[moysider]

More rain forecast for tomorrow with 'persistent' rain forecast for tomorrow evening. Will be still quite windy as well. Not sure if the game will be under threat of postponement or not but I would suspect there has to be doubt there.

[Mourne Rover]

I hesitate to challenge a respected contributor like Western Exile but Dan Gordon has played at full back in six - not three - serious games for Down. He was initially switched there for our first qualifier v Longford last July, and then stayed in the position for the rest of the open draw, v Offaly and Sligo, and then the AI quarter, semi and final.

However, he is still inexperienced in such a key role, and Kevin McKernan has even less game time at centre half under his belt, so, with three other relative newcomers in our defence and a fourth who is returning from a long-term injury, Western Exile is entitled to be concerned about the back six as a unit.

We look much stronger going forward, as usual, and Mayo are generally good for a decent score at Castlebar, so, if the weather forecast had not been so poor, it could have turned into something of a shoot-out. I suspect that both sides would take a draw if it was on offer, but it looks an unpredictable fixture at this stage.

[lfdown2]

folks, any southern radio streams for the game in case 5ivefm aren't broadcasting?

cheers,

[stephenite]

www.mwr.ie will have live commentary

[Out in Front]

I heard yesterday that 5fm were covering all the Down games in the league, including the away fixtures.

[amallon]

Thats a fairly strong Down team especially from mide field up.  Big opportunities for McCartan, Howard, Brannigan and McPolin to stake a claim for places in the defence.

[whitegoodman]

That is a strong down team from midfield up, great to see mccumisky fit again, he was outstanding when he got to croke park last year and shouldnt have been taken off in the final imo.

I fear for our defence though, it is a chance for them all to stake a claim but it would have been a better chance for them if it had of been 4 experienced defenders and 2 rookies rather than the other way about but there isnt many alternatives.  Howard and brannigan may not be rookies but one is coming back from a long injury and the other hasnt established himself at county level as yet.

If down win midfield they will win but if they dont i fear they could be well beat.

[Lar Naparka]

RGS, how on Earth was losing to Longford 'better than what happened in Sligo'?

Because we at least tried against Longford. The confidence was shaken but some players had a right go at it. Against Sligo it was obvious at half-time that we were going to lose and the players didn't even seem to care about that. I don't think the gulf between Sligo and Longford has anything to do with it, we gave up in Markievicz Park. I'm not saying there was anything really to be proud of in losing to Longford. But the white flag being shown in Sligo galled me more than anything else. Humiliating.

That second half against Sligo was the most inept display by a Mayo side in any grade and in any competition I can recall and I've chalked up more than 50 years of following the green and red.
There have been assloads of inept displays and hard luck stories along the line alright but there was nothing to compare with what we saw in Markievicz Park that day.  If young Freeman hadn't livened things up a bit in the first half we would have been out of it by half time. I truly never saw an entire team and management so united in their efforts to self-destruct and I hope I won't see the likes again.
I'd agree with you about the Longford game. Mind you, anything after the Sligo debacle would have to be an improvement on what we saw then but I thought some of the players had re-discovered their pride and that gave me some grounds for hope.
Maybe today will be the start of a bright new future!

[stiffler]

Does anyone know any bars around Lurgan which has Setanta?