NFL Division 1 2019 Dubs again?

[Manning18]

Willie Joe's blog makes entertaining reading this morning. "Galway always target the league and will be pooped come August" after Galway beat Mayo while missing 2/3rds of their panel. "I'd rather lose than play as defensively as Galway tonight". This is a game where Galway with 13 players scored 1-1 against a Mayo side that funneled everyone back to defend that 2 man advantage. In fairness you get weirdos in every bunch, they just seem to have a high number count over there

There is a slow denial going on here in Mayo. The three Connacht Championship losses to Galway in a row are seen as sort of flukes. Many don't see that the 2012-2017 group is in decline and it's just a case of adding one to five new faces and we are up and running again.  Many in Mayo  have forgotten that Mayo have fallen back into the chasing pack (if not behind) and Galway are in the chasing pack. Problem is the Chasing pack are all well behind Dublin.

Yeah that would be a source of frustration for me talking with Mayo mates, a general lack of acceptance that Galway might finally be on their level. The seeds of this have been sown in all the underage victories for Galway sides when they've met in the past 5 years. At the same time, hard to argue about Galway getting respect until they put it up to Dublin in the way Mayo did

[IolarCoisCuain]

Horan is rotating the team a lot but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.

I don't know and Horan won't say but my own guess is that the League ended for Horan once Cavan were beaten and Division One status was ensured. That gave him four games against blue-chip opposition in which to look at players - four games that Stephen Rochford never had because his teams started badly in the League and had to play the veterans, meaning Rochford never got a chance to test the newer players in different positions and different conditions.

I'm not thrilled about the losing streak against Galway or the losing streak against Dublin but if you went to any Mayo fan at the start of the League and offered him or her Division One status guaranteed and four free games to look at players he or she would snap the paw off you. I'd have more faith in the players coming through this year than some of the players who didn't quite come through in recent years. Players like Ruane, Plunkett, McDonagh and one or two others. There are a few whom I'd like to see yet but guess what - two more games to do it!

Last night means nothing in the context of the summer

You know it, baby.

[Hound]

Have Rossies names their team?
Looking to put on a small first goalscorer bet, but can't find the team

[An Fhairche Abu]

Willie Joe's blog makes entertaining reading this morning. "Galway always target the league and will be pooped come August" after Galway beat Mayo while missing 2/3rds of their panel. "I'd rather lose than play as defensively as Galway tonight". This is a game where Galway with 13 players scored 1-1 against a Mayo side that funneled everyone back to defend that 2 man advantage. In fairness you get weirdos in every bunch, they just seem to have a high number count over there

There is a slow denial going on here in Mayo. The three Connacht Championship losses to Galway in a row are seen as sort of flukes. Many don't see that the 2012-2017 group is in decline and it's just a case of adding one to five new faces and we are up and running again.  Many in Mayo  have forgotten that Mayo have fallen back into the chasing pack (if not behind) and Galway are in the chasing pack. Problem is the Chasing pack are all well behind Dublin.

Yeah that would be a source of frustration for me talking with Mayo mates, a general lack of acceptance that Galway might finally be on their level. The seeds of this have been sown in all the underage victories for Galway sides when they've met in the past 5 years. At the same time, hard to argue about Galway getting respect until they put it up to Dublin in the way Mayo did

It's all the better to have the notion that Galway keep fluking results against them out there within Mayo in my opinion.

No point going overboard about the result although it's nice to keep the current run against Mayo going. It could (in all honesty should) have gone the other way and when Mayo got it back to a point game it was really their own ineptitude that cost them, it's hard to overstate how strong that breeze was, only a point down with 15+6 minutes left, you have to be clinching that. From there Mayo missed handy frees, had poor shot selection, had forward players not capable of consistent accuracy from 40 yards out etc.

No score from play for either team into the breeze tells its own tale on the conditions so all conclusions from the match have to come with a strong health warning.

For Galway Danny Cummins had a very effective game, good to see a player who's been out a lot the last two years come back to start and really make an impact.

Michael Daly needs to impose himself more within matches, he'll come up with a super score or excellent pass and then drift out of the game for too long. The ability is clearly there but he isn't becoming the fulcrum in the half forward line that I would have thought he'd be for the seniors.
Heaney was 7/8 out of 10 as usual, he's consistent day in day out for Galway, only blot on his copybook was the misplaced pass to Daly for a possible goal but that needs to be contrasted with the calm setup for Cummins.
Cooke had a good night as well, Kerin mixed the good with some daftness, the Mayo free in for charging in the second half he gave away leading to a tap over was mind blowingly stupid.

Antaine Ó Laoi had a superb first half and a fine game in general, two lovely scores - the second of which he was following up his own initial kick pass to Walsh into the corner, the pass of the night to setup the Galway goal, won a key early second half free that was pointed by taking on and beating Higgins, he even came up with a mark from a Mayo kickout.
Galway are looking for lads to stick the hand up and that's exactly what he did last night. I'm liking what I've seen from John Daly as well so far this year, nothing spectacular but he's got a nice bit about him, he even easily stood up a few Mayo players in defence which I wouldn't have expected to see at this point from him.
It's a real shame that McDaid is out for the league and not getting a similar chance to impress.

Heard news about Comer last night that was troubling with regards to availability this year even in the long term but hopefully that won't prove to be 100% accurate.

For Mayo I was very impressed with Ruane, really stood out above the other Mayo players last night, defo their MOTM.
Boyle looks done, if his loss of pace is so readily apparent on a heavy March pitch it'll only be worse on a dry flat track in the summer. He's a red card waiting to happen and could have walked for persistent fouling even before he connected with Walsh near the end.
I'm assuming Keegan isn't near the full pitch of it at the moment, although he didn't get a score from play I thought Shane Walsh gave him the run around.
Mayo still haven't found the right role for O'Shea, I have to admit that I don't know exactly what needs to be done but they aren't getting enough out of what should be one of their top players every match.

I'm sure Mayo will be a very different beast come June if they get over the Rossies but that said I also expect Galway will be as well.

[Kurtz]

Willie Joe's blog makes entertaining reading this morning. "Galway always target the league and will be pooped come August" after Galway beat Mayo while missing 2/3rds of their panel. "I'd rather lose than play as defensively as Galway tonight". This is a game where Galway with 13 players scored 1-1 against a Mayo side that funneled everyone back to defend that 2 man advantage. In fairness you get weirdos in every bunch, they just seem to have a high number count over there

There is a slow denial going on here in Mayo. The three Connacht Championship losses to Galway in a row are seen as sort of flukes. Many don't see that the 2012-2017 group is in decline and it's just a case of adding one to five new faces and we are up and running again.  Many in Mayo  have forgotten that Mayo have fallen back into the chasing pack (if not behind) and Galway are in the chasing pack. Problem is the Chasing pack are all well behind Dublin.

I went to see them in Croker last week
Mayo are still a pacy, and very physical team, which will get them past most sides
Dublin were technically better in every position and never looked in trouble
Today against Roscommon again they looked comfortable because of their technical ability

[whitey]

Last night AOS fairly dispossessed the Galway keeper as he tried to solo up the field

The ball hit the referee on the heel and was immediately retrieved by Mayo

The ref then gave a hop ball.

Was that the right decision?

[oliverkelly]

Last night AOS fairly dispossessed the Galway keeper as he tried to solo up the field

The ball hit the referee on the heel and was immediately retrieved by Mayo

The ref then gave a hop ball.

Was that the right decision?

Open to correction but i think if it hits ref has be throw up regardless of circumstances

[Itchy]

Last night AOS fairly dispossessed the Galway keeper as he tried to solo up the field

The ball hit the referee on the heel and was immediately retrieved by Mayo

The ref then gave a hop ball.

Was that the right decision?

Open to correction but i think if it hits ref has be throw up regardless of circumstances

I'm sure aidan would claim that as a penalty to mayo and jump up and down about it

[From the Bunker]

If I may intrude on this Galway thread.....
I suppose well be doing well to keep the margin below 20 points on Sunday 

Dublin are a different animal outside a neutral venue such as Croke Park. Dublin are presently minding themselves for bigger days out. I expect the Rossies to be within 6 of them!

[Dubhaltach]

From a Mayo point of view, that game was lost in the period where Galway were down to 13 men. Just after the black cards, we were 2 points down, with 2 extra men. All we had to do hold on to possession, play boring football, do nothing stupid and that would have nearly taken us up to half time where we could have gone in a couple points down with the gale in the second half. Instead, we pushed forward, went looking for scores against the wind and ultimately left ourselves exposed at the back. We placed too much emphasis on Galway being down to 13, the Galway system is not based on man to man marking and they are better placed than most teams to cope with the loss of two players. By the time their 2 players came back on, they were 6 up. Game management was never Horan's strong point and it doesn't look like much has changed in that department.

We also let a 13 man Galway secure their own kickout on 2 occasions during that period, their goal came from one of them. Absolutely criminal.

Despite this, we still had opportunities to win the game in the second half. After Doherty's free that hit the post (which would have brought the sides level), it was as if we had a collective meltdown in attack. There was 15 minutes left, patience was required. Instead, we proceeded to butcher 4 scoring opportunities in a row. Andy's speculative punt, Barrett carrying the ball into traffic and 2 aimless long balls from McDonagh and Doherty. This handed the impetus back to Galway and they took it with both hands.

Galway's game management going down the home stretch was superb. Time keeping in gaelic football is a total farce at this stage but Galway exploited it to the max. There was 6 minutes of injury time and 3 of those were stoppages, yet Deegan blew up as soon as the 6 were up...jokeshop. Compare Galway's time wasting in the second half, when they were against the wind, with Mayo. Not one Mayo player tried to slow the game down in the first half when we were against the wind. Mayo need to wise up.

[Cunny Funt]

Good effort by the rossies today, probably similar to the effort put in against Tyrone,Monaghan that earned points but the difference is Dublin are better than those two teams.

1st half with the conditions taken into account was good as any game played this year. Roscommon still have a decent chance of staying up but that Cavan result could turn out to be a killer.

Dublin v Kerry final is looking more and more likely after this weekend results.

[mouview]

Last night AOS fairly dispossessed the Galway keeper as he tried to solo up the field

The ball hit the referee on the heel and was immediately retrieved by Mayo

The ref then gave a hop ball.

Was that the right decision?

I actually thought the ball ran loose and was about to be picked up by a Galway player.

[whitey]

Last night AOS fairly dispossessed the Galway keeper as he tried to solo up the field

The ball hit the referee on the heel and was immediately retrieved by Mayo

The ref then gave a hop ball.

Was that the right decision?

I actually thought the ball ran loose and was about to be picked up by a Galway player.

Hmm....I was fuming because Mayo were in possession and the keeper was 30 yards from his own  goal

I'll see if I can watch it back

[SouthDublinBro]

I'm not one to stick up for Monaghan or the Ulster teams, but I've heard from a few people that the ref rode them today. Possible vested interest in Monaghan losing from a Rossie ref?

[straightred]

I'm not one to stick up for Monaghan or the Ulster teams, but I've heard from a few people that the ref rode them today. Possible vested interest in Monaghan losing from a Rossie ref?

Haven't seen it but i'm good firends with someone who was at it and he said the same. Didnt think monaghan would get anything today anyway but a dodgy ref wouldnt help their cause