Galway v Mayo (Conn U21 SF)

[westmayo]

With the league now in full pelt, it's time for the first Mayo Galway showdown of the year. Game is on Saturday in Pearce Stadium at 2.30pm. So how do the boards experts see it going it the clash of the last two champions in the grade

[mouview]

Galway had a facile win over Leitrim last Sat. in Ballinasloe. The side looks useful but Mayo will undoubtedly be a stern test. Have Mayo many from last year's side?

[Tatler Jack]

Galway won minor in 2004 but as we have seen over the past 2 weeks minor form of 3 years ago does not seem to count for much. Galway's win over Leitrim was impressive and the game will give them some advantage as will home venue. Underage football is generally strong in Mayo and they reached a minor AI in 2005 so they should be strong enough. Expect it will be close - maybe home venue will tip it in Galway's favour. Have the teams seperate management or is it Johnno v Forde?

[westmayo]

Mayo have Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly as the managment team again this year, but I think Johnno was involved in the back room last year on the training side for a while

[Tubberman]

Mayo are managed by Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly (joint managers) and Micheal Collins (selector) - same guys that managed them to All-Ireland victory last year.
But they have quiet a few injury worries. This from The Mayo News:

DEFENDING All-Ireland U-21 champions, Mayo are waiting on Chris Barrett, Seamus O'Shea and Aidan Campbell to prove their fitness ahead of next Saturday's Connacht Championship semi-final against Galway at Pearse Stadium writes Edwin McGreal.
Barrett is back in full-training for five weeks after a broken ankle while O'Shea has been hampered by a combination of ankle and groin injuries for the last five months.
"For us it will just be a case of assessing whether any of them will be fit enough to last the whole game and that decision will frame whether we decide to start them or not," said Mayo manager Pat Holmes.
The Mayo team was expected to be announced after training last night (Tuesday) at which stage the Mayo captain for the campaign was also due to be revealed to the panel.
Galway had a facile victory over Leitrim last weekend to qualify for the semi-final.

[Tatler Jack]

Might revise my prediction - was impressed last year with the job Holmes and Conelly did. If O"Shea is available Myo should be strong at midfield as I assume Moran is also eligible. Will wait to see the teams - should be a good game.

[GaillimhIarthair]

A brief report of the Galway / Leitrim U-21 match

Hosts Galway had little trouble in advancing in this year's Connacht Cadbury's Under 21 FC after securing a 3-20 to 0-6 win over a poor Leitrim side at Duggan Park, Ballinasloe.
Galway were full value for their runaway win even though the game was a closely contested affair in the opening quarter.
The visitors actually gave as good as they got in that period at the end of which the sides were deadlocked at 0-3 apiece.
Galway headed for home though in the run-up to the interval with five unanswered points as Leitrim began to lose their way.
The writing was on the wall for the chasing team when they conceded a goal three minutes after the restart to Galway's Eoin Concannon.
F Burke top-scored for Galway with an impressive 2-4 personal tally.
Galway (scorers) – F Burke 2-4, G Rogan 0-7, S Armstrong 0-4, E Concannon 1-1, F Breathnach 0-3, E Hoare 0-1.
Leitrim (scorers) - D O'Connor, F Clancy 0-2 each, G Reynolds, B Guckian 0-1 each.

Very hard to know what to expect on Sat next from either team.  Maybe Galway to shade it on the basis of already having had a run out (albeit facile) and home advantage.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Well this is the Galway team that trounced Leitrim.

B Faherty
A Glynn
P Gleeson
M O'Neill
G Bradshaw
G Higgins
C Bane
S Mannion
E Hoare
B Faherty
E Concannon
F Breathnach
G Rogan
S Armstrong
F Burke

My immediate thoughts are that the forwards look pretty useful. Obviously Armstrong is in there but Frankie Burke has played in the league this year with the seniors and scored 2-5 against Leitrim. Eoin Concannon is a very good player also. Eddie Hoare is a big prospect in midfield. The backs I'm less sure about although I see Gareth Bradshaw is in there. Apparently he had a stormer against Leitrim. As ever at minor and U-21 level it's hard to predict how they'll go on the day though.

[OirthearMhaigheo]

Mayo have alot of last years team alright which suggest they will be very strong, however 2 of the players they lost are Aidan Kilcoyne and Michael Conroy and they were 2 massive players last year. I expect it will be close as no more than ourselves Galway rarely have a poor underage team. Home advantage, Mayo's injury list and Galway having a game under their belt (albeit a handy one) point to a Galway win but these boys won't want to hand up their title too easy, we haven't had many to defend recently!! Hopefully we'll squeeze through by a couple points but I really don't know much about the Galway team. Are there high hopes for them in Galway this year?

[GaillimhIarthair]

Mayo have alot of last years team alright which suggest they will be very strong, however 2 of the players they lost are Aidan Kilcoyne and Michael Conroy and they were 2 massive players last year. I expect it will be close as no more than ourselves Galway rarely have a poor underage team. Home advantage, Mayo's injury list and Galway having a game under their belt (albeit a handy one) point to a Galway win but these boys won't want to hand up their title too easy, we haven't had many to defend recently!! Hopefully we'll squeeze through by a couple points but I really don't know much about the Galway team. Are there high hopes for them in Galway this year?

There hasn't been much talk about the U-21's at all this season, but on paper they look like a handy enough outfit (especially the forwards) and in Stephen Joyce I expect them to be very well managed.  That being said, Mayo always produce quality backs so I do expect this to be a very close affair on Sat afternoon. 

[galwayman]

This is a very difficult one to call. I would disregard the Leitrim as they were hopeless and we've seen that from previous years in minor that big wins over Leitrim or Sligo or Ros don't mean anything anything in a Connacht final between Galway and Mayo.
3 years ago at minor level Galway won by 2 points with a goal and a point in injury time from Brian Faherty and Alan Glynn but in truth Mayo should have been out the gate by then as they totally dominated the game but hadn't got their shooting boots on. Mayo should be very strong as the likes of Mark Ronaldson, Colm Boyle, Aidan O'Shea, Barry Moran, Kenneth O'Malley etc are available again this year.
Expectations aren't great in Galway for this team as there are very few players that stand out as potential seniors unlike previous years. Sean Armstrong has already made the senior championship team but I don't see many more from this team capable of doing the same - possibly Gareth Bradshaw from Moycullen who plays wing back for the u-21s but that's about it.
I'd tip Mayo on the basis that they should have more quality than us. There's more of their lads capable of making as county seniors and this should swing it their way.

[MaroonAndWhite]

Was at U21 game v Leirim - tough to judge what Galway are like based on it...Leitrim really were that poor. That said, full forward line looked mightily impressive....especially Frankie and Greg Rogan. Armstrong did ok too but failed to show often enough and when he did, he often didnt release to better placed players. May be the main man in the forward line but has to realise that its about more than him. Some handy goal chances went astray last Sat but hopefully on another day they will be stuck away.
Midfield were ok against a very poor Leitrim pair.....will be interesting to see how they do against a stronger Mayo duo.
Gleeson at full back looks a good prospect for senior panel in next year or two, Bradshaw is a class act in half back line and Cillian Bane a very neat and tidy wing back.
We owe them one after failing to show up last year in Castlebar for U21 final.
Much will depend on whether the Mayo full back line can hold out against Rogan, Armstrong and Burke and the midfield battle. If Mayo win this match, they will have earned it this year I think.

[Redgreenery]

I'd expect Mayo to do the business!

[myball22]

I remember that minor game, six minutes into four minutes injury time Faherty gets the ball, hops it twice (the only person in the stadium not to see this is the ref) and breaks a tackle on the 21 yard line halfway between the goal and the sideline. The only option is to shoot for goal and fair play to him it shot right into the far corner giving the goalie no chance.
It's one of those things, we've been on the end of them lots of times and there's no worse feeling in the world and when it goes for you, there's no better feeling in the world!!

[magpie seanie]

big wins over Leitrim or Sligo or Ros don't mean anything anything in a Connacht final between Galway and Mayo.

Enjoy the Connacht final lads and lassies.