Mayo 1-13 Westmeath 0-8

[rosnarun]

very suprised and disturbed to hear that about kelly. are you sure of the reason or just assuming . wheter hes a prferred starter or not hes a huge loss and with injuries and loss of form he would ge 50/50 to start the championship any way. david nestor made a career out of sneaking into the team at the last minute against peoples initial judgments .
hope its not a sign of an unhappy camp. neither blp or tom parsons l;ookmed too understanding after being takem off in l'kenny

[moysider]

An ankle problem that s bothering Caff. Harte, Dillon and Barry Moran all injured to an extent.

[IolarCoisCuain]

Is this game still all-ticket? They're some clowns in the County Board. As a Dublin exile, I'd make match day decisions on the morning, because it's a long damned spin down and back. Charlestown suits Dublin exiles above any other venue, because it's the nearest. But making the game all-ticket means that I have to ask myself why should I drive down to Mayo to see what is a relegation playoff with no assurance in the world that I can even get in to the game once I get to Charlestown? If the Board want to make a game all-ticket, they should choose one that people badly want to see. Shocking. 

[AbbeySider]

Is this game still all-ticket? They're some clowns in the County Board. As a Dublin exile, I'd make match day decisions on the morning, because it's a long damned spin down and back. Charlestown suits Dublin exiles above any other venue, because it's the nearest. But making the game all-ticket means that I have to ask myself why should I drive down to Mayo to see what is a relegation playoff with no assurance in the world that I can even get in to the game once I get to Charlestown? If the Board want to make a game all-ticket, they should choose one that people badly want to see. Shocking. 

Its just a hunch, but for some reason I cant see there being a mad scramble to the match. Even if it is declared all ticket, id say they will let people pay in at the gates... Im nearly sure I paid into league games in smaller grounds like Charlestown before that were declared all ticket.
Will that many Westmeath fans even travel?

[dodo]

There was a piece in one of the papers yesterday saying that there will be tickets for sale outside the ground on sunday.

[Farrandeelin]

There'd want to be dodo, I mean I cannot see too many people travelling to the game when it is set in Charlestown and it is against the bottom team in the division. I wonder is this a precedent to help maintain the costs for McHale Park? I mean, they could say the Dublin match is an all-ticket affair, then it's Tyrone at home on Easter Sunday.

[RedandGreenSniper]

I think the thinking being it being all-ticket is a dictet from Croker. Charlestown capacity is only 3,500 and as that could fill, all-ticket is the easiest way of making sure there isn't problems with overcrowding.

But I reckon there might only be 2,000 people present because there's f**k all talk about the game and I'm finding it hard to look forward to myself.

Mayo team should be picked tonight. Will be interesting to see who goes in at full-forward if Barry Moran can't play. I'd be very worried if Austie is picked but I can see that happening.

I reckon this will be the team if Ger Caff, Barry Moran, Dillon and Harte are out.

Clarke

Kevin McLoughlin Liam O'Malley Donal Vaughan

Peadar Gardiner Tom Cunniffe Andy Moran

Ronan McGarrity Tom Parsons

Billy Padden Trevor Mortimer Barry Kelly

Conor Mortimer Austin O'Malley Mikey Sweeney.

Its not a great looking team . . .

[dodo]

Found the f**ker

Meanwhile, the GAA have announced that Sunday's National Football League Division One game between Mayo and Westmeath in Charlestown is an all-ticket affair. Tickets are available from both county boards, the Connacht Council or the GAA ticket office on 01-8658657 – and will also be on sale at the venue on the day of the match.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0304/1224242233558.html

[Barney]

According to the Independent this morning Dessie Dolan is out with injury. Can be no excuses now.

I think the GAA have a policy that if a certain % of a ground is likely to be filled that a game must be all-ticket. I don't think anybody will get locked out but there will probably be caravans (not the usual ones you find in East Mayo) near the ground where you buy your ticket and simply hand it in at the gate.

Not the greatest place in the world for a match but so be it.

Does anyone know if the Kerry game is a Saturday or Sunday match, in Tralee or Killarney?

[furboot]

Mayo team will not be announced till Sunday according to an update on http://www.clubmayo.ie/

[Croí na hÉireann]

Is this game still all-ticket? They're some clowns in the County Board. As a Dublin exile, I'd make match day decisions on the morning, because it's a long damned spin down and back. Charlestown suits Dublin exiles above any other venue, because it's the nearest. But making the game all-ticket means that I have to ask myself why should I drive down to Mayo to see what is a relegation playoff with no assurance in the world that I can even get in to the game once I get to Charlestown? If the Board want to make a game all-ticket, they should choose one that people badly want to see. Shocking. 

The woman not coming this Sunday ICC so if u want to stick some lipstick on there u can use her season ticket... 

Dessie isn't our only injury worry  From de hoganstand...

Niall Kilcoyne, Kieran Martin and Conrad Reilly will make their NFL debuts for Westmeath in Sunday's crucial NFL tie against Mayo in Charlestown.

Kilcoyne, a son of former hurling All-Star David, replaces the injured Donal O'Donoghue at midfield where David Duffy has been passed fit to play. Dessie Dolan is also ruled out through injury, so his place in the full forward line goes to Maryland clubman Martin who, ironically, is a student of the All-Star's at Moate Community College.

John Smyth's absence through suspension sees Paul Kelly switching to centre forward and Enda Leonard coming in at right half forward with Doran Harte reverting to the half back line where he replaces Willie Murtagh. St. Loman's Conrad Reilly is named at left half forward.

A fourth change in personnel sees Francis Boyle return to the full back line in place of Alan Claffey.

Westmeath (SF v Mayo): G Connaughton; F Boyle, K Gavin, J Keane; M Ennis, D Heavin, D Harte; N Kilcoyne, D Duffy; E Leonard, P Kelly, C Reilly; K Martin, T McDaniel, D Glennon.

Not looking good, 5 of them forwards didn't feature last year. Personally I'd have given Claffey another outing in the corner, move Francie Boyle out to the half back line and leave Doran Harte in the half forwards. Very inexperienced half forward line now. Hopefully Duffy doesn't aggravate anything and the young lads can put in a decent performance. It would be a bonus to take some points from this. We stayed clear of injuries till near the end of the league last year but then they cost us in the championship, hopefully this year we're getting them now and not later.

[AbbeySider]

Does anyone know if the Kerry game is a Saturday or Sunday match, in Tralee or Killarney?

Its on Sunday in Tralee AFAIK. I plan to head down

[kevmy]

I think the thinking being it being all-ticket is a dictet from Croker. Charlestown capacity is only 3,500 and as that could fill, all-ticket is the easiest way of making sure there isn't problems with overcrowding.

But I reckon there might only be 2,000 people present because there's f**k all talk about the game and I'm finding it hard to look forward to myself.

Mayo team should be picked tonight. Will be interesting to see who goes in at full-forward if Barry Moran can't play. I'd be very worried if Austie is picked but I can see that happening.

I reckon this will be the team if Ger Caff, Barry Moran, Dillon and Harte are out.

Clarke

Kevin McLoughlin Liam O'Malley Donal Vaughan

Peadar Gardiner Tom Cunniffe Andy Moran

Ronan McGarrity Tom Parsons

Billy Padden Trevor Mortimer Barry Kelly

Conor Mortimer Austin O'Malley Mikey Sweeney.

Its not a great looking team . . .

Yeah it could well be along those lines. Only others I'd see in the mix (assuming none of the injured 4 can make it - although the delay in naming the team probably means they are waiting on the fitness of at least one of them) are Ciaran Conroy and Barry Regan. Parsons could be shoved in centre forward.

[AN other]

With that forward line I'd be expecting another tidy trimming. Only 1 proven inter-county forward amongst the 6, that being Glennon. Of course there's also Kilcoyne in midfield with no experience, literally.
To put a positive spin on it few squad players got much of a chance to impress last year in the league, at least there's a few getting a run this year by default!

Edit: What's wrong with Dolan?

[kevmy]

According to mayogaablog this is the team to be printed on the programme for Sunday

MAYO (NFL Division 1 v Westmeath, 8/3/2009):  David Clarke; Liam O'Malley, Ger Cafferkey, Donal Vaughan; Peadar Gardiner, Tom Cunniffe, Andy Moran; Tom Parsons, Ronan McGarritty; Barry Kelly, Trevor Mortimer, Alan Dillon; Conor Mortimer, Austin O'Malley, Mark Ronaldson.

No Billy Joe but Cafferkey, Ronaldson, Dillon and Barry Kelly in along with Austie