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Very sad to hear this. He was a mainstay and familiar name on here for very long time. Puts it all in perspective that I was getting myself annoyed over a football match earlier today. RIP.

Doesn't look great.

Honestly one of the worst games of football I've ever seen in Salthill today. Certainly at intercounty level. I've probably seen worse club games alright in the depths of winter but the conditions were pretty good today. Worryingly for Galway with no Walsh, Comer and Finnerty they looked completely devoid of scoring power against the Roscommon blanket defence. And that was probably the difference in the game. Galway were missing their main scorers while Roscommon had them all on the field at various points and that was enough for Roscommon to get a couple late scores and a couple late frees to get over the line. With almost the last kick of the game.

Awful game of football though. Lots of lateral even backwards football. Both sides getting pretty much everyone behind the ball. Had a great view of it from almost the back of the stand. Galway usually tried to leave one maybe two up but Roscommon often had all 15 behind the ball. Especially during the 2nd half. Galway's attack was so slow though that they gave Roscommon plenty of time to funnel players back.

Ref was atrocious. Three Roscommon players got in a shouting match with him mid way through the 2nd half (after a soft enough free in fairness). He booked one of them but it seemed to rattle him and after that they got a very generous whistle from him for the final 15 minutes. Clear foul on McDaid turned down that would have been a tap over point. Fairly dubious free on Glynn who had the ball right at the end that led to the last Roscommon score to win the game. Galway had pushed up looking for the late winner and got caught short on numbers at the back.

That's 2 points Galway have dropped to basically the last kick of the game two weeks on the trot. And with the injury situation I'd say they have a battle on their hands to stay up now. Galway were lucky with injuries last year. Pretty much kept everyone fit and available but very different this year so far.

Not sure what happened to Comer. Went flying in early on for a high ball and I thought he might have ran into the post and knocked himself out. But apparently has been seen on crutches and a protective boot.

Comer stretchered off early on for Galway. Thought he might have ran into the post but apparently he's on crutches and in a moonboot already.

Terrible game. Lot of the jizz went out of it after the long stoppage for the Comer injury.

Probably a fair result in the end although Galway won't be happy with the two giveaways for the final 2 Mayo points. Young Sweeney in particular took the completely wrong option in trying a kick pass out of defence in the dying seconds. If he just held on to it he would probably have been fouled. If he had just booted it off the pitch altogether it was probably all over. Just don't kick it directly to their main forward. A costly mistake for him to learn. Just don't repeat it.

Good game though. Mayo clearly had much more in the legs than Galway had. You would have expected that before the game given how late Galway got back together. Made a difference down the stretch. You could see some of the Galway lads blowing a bit late on. Last Galway free to go ahead looked more like a slip than a foul but Mayo got a few very soft ones themselves from Joe during the 2nd half. He also missed a Galway 45 after the Mayo keeper touched a high ball wide. In fact every official seemed to miss it. Overturned a Galway sideline to make it a hop ball which Mayo won late in the game as well. He was just all over the place with his decisions. For both sides.

Finnerty injury a big worry now. Looked like he kicked the diving Mayo player on the follow through after he kicked a point. Or maybe the Mayo lad landed on him awkwardly. Was hard to see. With Culhane in a moon boot already that is two form forwards who could miss a lot of the league. Shane might only be back for the last couple games as it is. Not sure if Dessie is going to get many more chances. He's just not cutting it at the moment. Not sure why PJ doesn't seem to want to use Owen Gallagher at all. He's a big lad with a burst of pace over the first few yards and usually makes good decisions. Yet, can't get off the bench at all. Even as a sub.

McDaid is such a fabulous player. Mayo were well warned though as every time he picked up the ball there were 3 or 4 descending on him straight away. They weren't going to let him make any of those driving runs but he was still very good apart from the brain fart for the black card. Bit of a worry seeing a big strapping on his knee though. You'd wonder how fit he really is at the moment. For a lad who's had injury troubles in the past.

Won't be fixing the goalkeeper issue during this league by the looks of it, Gleeson and Power have been tried before, we all know their strengths and weaknesses, neither are of the sufficient standard. Galway restarts are killing us compared to other teams who have better kick out systems and better goalkeepeers.

We'll see how they go tomorrow, interesting squad in terms of who is and isn't there, good number of players who saw time in the FBD have been cleared out. Thought Billy Mannion might have got a starting jersey but Eoghan Kelly has got the nod. O'Flaherty isn't even starting for University of Galway in the Sigerson, very young for this level but his FBD performances have been rewarded.

Heard O'Flaherty has been impressing in challenges as well. Was apparently very good against Westmeath recently. But he's only a young lad so he's going to have ups and downs for a while yet.

Strong Galway team for Saturday night

Connor Gleeson; Eoghan Kelly, Seán Kelly, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, John Daly;Daniel O'Flanherty Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid; Paul Kelly, Matthew Tierney, Johnny Heaney; Rob Finnerty, Damien Comer, Dessie Connelly

Subs Bernie Power,Neil Mulcahy,Cathal Sweeney,John Maher,Billy Mannion,Matthew Barrett,Peter Cooke,Gerard Davoren,Ryan Monaghan,Eoin Finnerty,Owen Gallagher

That's a strong team alright. Joyce mustn't like Tomo Culhane or is he playing Sigerson?

He went off injured in NUIG's last game.

John Maughan writing Galway off for the year anyway, we should be ranked below Armagh and Derry in the National context. It was a "handy" All Ireland last year apparently.
His smug prediction after the Galway Offaly league game last year was completely inaccurate, so while I have a bit of trepidation about how we'll go after blowing what was a rare opportunity in a winnable final last year, I'm starting to feel better about 2023 already.

I don't think we'll have a particularly great league anyway. Between players unavailable for whatever reason especially in defence and we have quite a few involved in Sigerson as well. Just seems like there is a lot of competing interests at the moment and it looks a bit unsettled. Think they are a bit behind most teams as well in terms of work done apart from maybe Kerry. They have Kerry last up as well which will probably be a very different Kerry side to the one that will play the first half of the league. Get a few wins and stay up will be at aim I'd say and hopefully unearth a couple players in defence. They have to as they are down a couple of very good players back there and they won't be back this year.

I did see some of the Maughan interview alright. I could understand him saying listen Galway are down a few players so they might struggle to replace those players this year but it seemed a bit odd to landing us behind a few sides that they beat last year.

Moycullen look like a very good side and the AI series is going to be very competitive this year if the weekends matches are anything to go by. Any of the provinces could provide this years winner based on what I've seen to date. What is the story with their jerseys though, they look like something from the early 2000's. Are they retro jerseys or are funds just tight around Moycullen?

They've always had a green jersey with a white sash as long as I can remember anyway.

'A' league teams finalized and draft tentatively set for 7pm on Wednesday evening.

The first game is on Thursday evening (US time) so we will need to have the B draft by then

Any complaints for 8.30 Wednesday evening for the 'B'?

Fine by me.

By the way there are 11 in the B. Is there going to be 12 in it or is someone still left to move up?

[magpie seanie]

Hey, I don't particularly care what division I'm in but I was ranked 6th at the end of last year's regular season. It's there in black and white on screen, 6th. I played 7th in the consolation play offs. Why I'm 6th and not 7th I don't know. Presumably those are decided by the league settings from before the season starts. Just saying as getting relegated from 6th with 4 teams below 6th would be fairly unusual I imagine. Granted one is commish.

Not that there is much time to argue over this stuff as drafts need to be done before Thursday night.

I've looked at it a lot since the initial complaint. You weren't 6th at the end of the regular season. You faced me (highest ranked in our playoff bracket) as you were the lowest ranked. You can see this in the win/loss record. You show as moved up to 6th only as you beat me in the playoffs but your regular season record was worse than mine and Oraisteach, the same record as magpie seanie with an inferior score.

Hey, whatever keeps people happy. As I said it's not a big deal to myself.

Good man, if you could accept that invite as soon as possible i'd appreciate it so I can finalize the teams and set a time for the draft. Likewise with magpie seanie and David McKeown , think that's all we're waiting for. If anyone doesn't have an email please let me know. The sooner I can get teams finalized the better.

What time suits everyone? I can have the A+B running simultaneously, I don't mind.

I haven't got any email invite yet. Should I have received one? Can PM it to you if needed.

Hey, I don't particularly care what division I'm in but I was ranked 6th at the end of last year's regular season. It's there in black and white on screen, 6th. I played 7th in the consolation play offs. Why I'm 6th and not 7th I don't know. Presumably those are decided by the league settings from before the season starts. Just saying as getting relegated from 6th with 4 teams below 6th would be fairly unusual I imagine. Granted one is commish.

Not that there is much time to argue over this stuff as drafts need to be done before Thursday night.

I've looked at it a lot since the initial complaint. You weren't 6th at the end of the regular season. You faced me (highest ranked in our playoff bracket) as you were the lowest ranked. You can see this in the win/loss record. You show as moved up to 6th only as you beat me in the playoffs but your regular season record was worse than mine and Oraisteach, the same record as magpie seanie with an inferior score.

Hey, whatever keeps people happy. As I said it's not a big deal to myself.

Hey, I don't particularly care what division I'm in but I was ranked 6th at the end of last year's regular season. It's there in black and white on screen, 6th. I played 7th in the consolation play offs. Why I'm 6th and not 7th I don't know. Presumably those are decided by the league settings from before the season starts. Just saying as getting relegated from 6th with 4 teams below 6th would be fairly unusual I imagine. Granted one is commish.

Not that there is much time to argue over this stuff as drafts need to be done before Thursday night.

In and available once again.

Will Ballinamore do the business Sunday?

They should have a real chance. MM will just about have sobered up by then.