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Any reason the team was released today? Wasn't expecting it until Friday evening.

Game is a day earlier then normal or KW is playing mind games and will make several changes from that team?

[he asked Mark O'Reilly to swap straight after Joyce's 2nd point from play.]

I've been watching football since 1987 and was racking my brains to think of who has given the best performance in a final during the time.

Naturally the two I remember most are Fallon in 98 and Joyce in 2001 although both had had average 1st halfs and it would be fair to suggest Joyce was poor by his standards. Fallon kicked 3 fantastics points whilst Joyce kicked 9 points in the 2nd half with 5 form play including a spell where he kicked all Galways 8 points in a row, it was the first time any player had scored more than a point from play on Darren Fay and he asked Mark O'Reilly to swap straight after Joyce's 2nd point from play.

So who else has given inspirational performances in finals that a huge impact on the result?

Nice to see some accuracy on this specific aspect of the 2001 final for a change.
Not as sexy as the whole 'Padraig Joyce kicked 20 points on Darren Fay' narrative though.
I remember thinking at half-time that Darren had him in his pocket.
The wheels came off the wagon all over the field in the second half.

I have only seen highlights since although this had reminded me to order a DVD of the game, from memory Galway should have been ahead at HT and missed some very easy scores. Meath never got going at all, listening to the Meaths players since on the radio and in papers I'm sure Boylan would prepare different if he had his time again. Galway were hungrier especially considering they knew they threw away an AI the year earlier when Kerry were gone but Galway just couldn't get ahead.

There's a lad from Albania who played u21's for United called Veseli.

Maurice Fitz in 1997.

I'm not including performances against Mayo 

I've been watching football since 1987 and was racking my brains to think of who has given the best performance in a final during the time.

Naturally the two I remember most are Fallon in 98 and Joyce in 2001 although both had had average 1st halfs and it would be fair to suggest Joyce was poor by his standards. Fallon kicked 3 fantastics points whilst Joyce kicked 9 points in the 2nd half with 5 form play including a spell where he kicked all Galways 8 points in a row, it was the first time any player had scored more than a point from play on Darren Fay and he asked Mark O'Reilly to swap straight after Joyce's 2nd point from play.

So who else has given inspirational performances in finals that a huge impact on the result?

So our GK is making his debut and our fullback line all appear in the championship for the 1st time, its a lot to ask especially although if AOS starts at full forward I'll be worried.

There is certainly no shortage of pace in the team and I do think our forwards will give Mayo problems, I'm sure we'll drop plenty of players inside our own half and I'd like to think we'll attack with more purpose and quicker when we make turnovers then we were doing in the league. I just hope we can produce a performance that can give us a bit of hope for the rest of the summer.

I'd like to think now that KW is 12 months further down the line that we'd have a better plan in place on our own kickouts and on Mayo's but i've seen nothing since to suggest there will be any improvement. There was an overall improvement 12 months ago and it wasn't as comfortable for Mayo as it was in 2013 & 2014.

The issue at fullback is still there although I don't think Hanley is near as bad as some make out, at times he was left far too exposed and the bad positioning of the spare man at the back has cost us like Donegal's first goal last year.

I just think we'll struggle to match last years result and be relatively close to Mayo, all the evidence points towards a more comfortable victory as we've not improved where we needed too. In both games we were beaten last year we didn't take advantage when we had a bit of impetus, we simply don't have the forwards to take advantage although I hope I'm proved wrong with the addition of Shane Walsh & Brannigan.  I'm just hoping some of the new players give a good account of themselves and give us a bit of hope for the future.

We will give the dans an awful pastin sat night.

One day larry I'll look forward to walking into duffy's with a big grin on my face, unfortunately we'll be old men at this rate.

A disappointing result after a brilliant first half but given there isn't much of a gap between the times there was no way we could that up.

There was so much space down our right hand side of the pitch in the 2nd half, Coleman & Olson both got forward so and attacked each other but after the first few times Olson had got forward O'Neill should have made a tactical switch given we were ahead. I haven't seen any highlights but at first glance it looked like our defence dropped after Hoolahan had scored, a natural reaction unfortunately for this team and the game became too stretched for my liking. I thought McCarthy was fine until he picked up a daft booking.

Belgium were poor last night but they still created some great chances and unfortunately we don't have defenders like the Italians, I just think it will be very difficult to get anything from that game but as long as Italy beat Sweden I'd expect them to really take it easy in their last game which gives us a great chance of beating them.

Some awful junior B stuff from us yesterday mixed with some great stuff in the 2nd half.Thatt 2nd quarter was a disgrace.
Still trying to come to terms with that turnaround. 4-10 to 0-5 !!!!
Lot of thinking for management - put in some bloody midfielders and where will we get a half back line?
Also our 3 starting full forwards ( Syfín's heroes) need to be benched and let the Smiths and hopefully Diarmuid start.
1-2 from our starting FF line over 3 quarter of the game, 1-3 from the Smiths in the last 15 minutes.
Qe are where we wanted to be but by  Jaysus are we a work in progress.....
Still a lot to do and it will be next Spring before McFod ( a Syfínism) get their right starting 15 on the field.
Meanwhile anything us possible ...from disaster to an AI SF......

I would agree with all of that. In fairness that performance yesterday might dampen a bit of the hype and help in the days leading up to the final. I don't think you'll beat Mayo but fully expect to see you in a QF against Kerry.

Although Turkey werent up to much I was very impressed with Croatia. A 1-0 stuffing if ever I saw!

Didn't see much of that game but heard Croatia were dominant. Modric is some player, don't think there's any midfielder out there better than him the last 2 years.

Said to my Man Utd mate that he was the man the should have rebuilt the team around! He's as tough as hell too!!

I agree but there was little chance he would have picked United ahead of Real Madrid in 2012. Kroos is a fantastic player too and very similar to Modric and I don't think them playing together suits either of them.

Although Turkey werent up to much I was very impressed with Croatia. A 1-0 stuffing if ever I saw!

Didn't see much of that game but heard Croatia were dominant. Modric is some player, don't think there's any midfielder out there better than him the last 2 years.

A great weekend for Irish rugby, am I right in thinking Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks at any level before?

Looks like the u20's will be in a semi final next Monday, unfortunately I'm not back in Manchester until Tuesday.

Ukraine caused Germany a lot of problems yesterday, like France don't look very assured at the back but they've Hummels to come back in.

I've a feeling an outsider could go all the way.

The greatest Kilmovee man of the lot waxed lyrical in his book about Galway forwards as opposed to those in his own county, unfortunately this vintage are not in that class although they've time on their side.