Connacht U-21 Championship 2009

[Lar Naparka]

Sligonian,
I feel bad for you,  you are like a lot of Mayo people at heart. We wish our teams can win and get carried away when we win one or two and cry when it all falls apart like yesterdays game did for Sligo.
By the way Mayo have a very strong u21 side again this year so please give them a little respect and your own lads too, they did their best and maybe the game passed some by but they trained hard enough to be on the team and panel and they can only learn from it.

I've no problem at all seconding that.
The Sligo lads can't be faulted for lack of heart or effort and the game was played at a furious pace throughout. Most teams who are well behind will throw in the towel coming up to the end.
Not so Sligo yesterday.
I was surprised at how hard they kept trying right up to the final whistle.
Mayo have big mobile lads throughout the field and Sligo players just didn't have the physique to match them around the middle third of the field.
Even they lost well, I thought the score did not accurately reflect the exchanges out there.
Mayo's last goal slewed the final score somewhat but it can right at the death when all the lads were waiting for the ref to blow the whistle.
Talking of the ref, I have to say he seems a bit of a prat.  Either he just got a shiny new whistle and he can't resist blowing it or I badly need to have my glasses changed as I couldn't make out what he was up to a lot of the time.
I have one complaint after my visit to Markievicz Park and it doesn't concern the game at all.
For €15 I'd expect a half clean seat to sit on. There was dirt all over the place and the seats and their backs had a film of grime all over them. Many around me were very annoyed as a lot of them had the choice of either standing or needing to go to the expense of a trip to the dry cleaners.
Really, at €15, I'd expect someone to have given the seats a quick lick with a mop. It would be good civic training for a gang of u12s from the local club.

[spectator]

Many around me were very annoyed as a lot of them had the choice of either standing or needing to go to the expense of a trip to the dry cleaners.

What is it about Mayo v Sligo games and dry-cleaners

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/red-faces-as-gaa-painted--in-a-bad-light-341988.html

Good Luck to ye in the rest of the competition - ye're definitely in with a good shout.

[Rossfan]

[ yiz all should go back to what you all  do best- and that's stealing sheep .  

also batin' Kerry in All Ireland Finals (at all four grades of football  ) 

[AbbeySider]

My thinking on a low scoring affair FYI, as i knew Coen and McHugh were our main scoring threat and that it would be tough for our lads to post a big score simple as that, especially as we'd be up against it at Midfield was the only way we'd win .

I knew that we would hammer Sligo

[Barney]

Wasn't able to make the match but great win by the lads - 9 goals in three games in what was classed as one of the toughest Connacht Championships for years. 4-in-a-row for Holmes and Connelly and 6/7 of the team have 2 more years left at this level!

So Down/Armagh up next. If they are playing on the Wednesday before the semi-final it will have to give us an advantage you would think no matter how good they might be. Very unfair on them really.

[Farrandeelin]

Are ye sure it's Down/Armagh we play? I thought the Ulster u-21 was only at semi-final stage. Delighted we won 4 in a row in Connacht. I thought O'Shea was outstanding yesterday indeed we seemed to outplay Sligo in the middle third of the field. I thought also that whenever Sligo came at Mayo that the players were able to get stuck in. The helicopter must've been for O'Mahony. He was perched high behind me across from the stand (with Lyons and Gallagher). He was also captured on camera at the FG ard-fheis yesterday evening as well.

[Barney]

Yeah its definitely one of those two - the make-up is as follows:

Mayo v Down/Armagh

Cork v Dublin

[Owenmoresider]

Not surprised at the defeat really, it was going to be tough to beat what is a fine Mayo team, with them having been well tested by Galway and Ros, while we had laboured against a shocking bad Leitrim outfit. Just weren't up to it in too many positions, and midfield was a disaster. But at least it was a good team that beat us, we pissed away chances to win connacht against arugably inferior (not all though) teams with better Sligo teams. Someday we might finally win the bloody thing, it's galling to think that Leitrim have won it before, and we haven't.

And the insult added on to the injury was the Bellaghy man taking the cup afterwards. At least our team was sourced from within the county. No more of that. O'Shea is a better prospect anyway for me, really did stand out amongst the participants yesterday.

[moysider]

Good win yesterday and top class performances from McLoughlin, Parsons and O Sé in particular. We re in a position now to speculate obout winning the whole thing. Of course there is no thread of form to indicate which provincial winner most likely.
We have some reasons for concern. I thought our defense struggled with 2 man ff line. We give up softish frees when run at. If this was deliberate I would nt mind as its better than giving away goal chances and points from play. But our defenders often look bemused when pulled as if they have nt meant to foul.
We could do with Freeman back. He scores heavily for a hf but does so much besides. I know this sounds daft looking at our scoring rate but I m not sure we have an outstanding inside forward to make the difference in a really tight one. But at least we re in with a chance anyway

[venter]

What date is the all ireland semi scheduled for? It will probably be in breffni?

[Barney]

Confirmed for Longford at 5 - per hoganstand.com. Its on Saturday week, live on TG4

[venter]

Thanks Barney  -- I must try and go to that. They are doing well  - James Cafferty is another man that will probably be with them next year. He is turning into a good player

[RedandGreenSniper]

Thanks Barney  -- I must try and go to that. They are doing well  - James Cafferty is another man that will probably be with them next year. He is turning into a good player

I really thought he would be in this year Venter but then I guess the Under 21s aren't short of midfield options with Parsons, O'Shea, Brian Gallagher, Jason Gibbons and Ger McDonagh. And then there's another Cross man, Cathal Carolan, who actually ends up playing midfield a lot of the time and doing a damn fine job too! I'd say Maughan will love Carolan's attitude.

[moysider]

Thanks Barney  -- I must try and go to that. They are doing well  - James Cafferty is another man that will probably be with them next year. He is turning into a good player

I really thought he would be in this year Venter but then I guess the Under 21s aren't short of midfield options with Parsons, O'Shea, Brian Gallagher, Jason Gibbons and Ger McDonagh. And then there's another Cross man, Cathal Carolan, who actually ends up playing midfield a lot of the time and doing a damn fine job too! I'd say Maughan will love Carolan's attitude.

I m surprised Cafferty not there already as well. Is it just me or have the U21 management been reluctant to use their bench midfielders? Carolan and Burke have done a great nuts and bolts job around the middle as well that has allowed Parsons and O Sé to take the game to opposition. I ve been less impressed by Brian Gallagher who for me just does nt show the urgency required at this level.

[Foreverhopeful]

Amazing to think brian gallagher was starting at no.11 last year on the team. They really do make some strange decisions but they do get alot out of players and there seems to be a great team spirit. Shane Nally shud possibly be looking to come into team with either vaughan/mcloughlin dropping back into corner. How do ye rate the centre back?