Mayo Vs Meath - All-Ireland Quarter Finals

[INDIANA]

& sure kerry didn't win Minor for ages but they success started at under 21 level with all irelands in 1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, & 2008

I don't think Kerry are a good yardstick - there are no other sports played in kerry really. They have an excellent club structure as well at adult level. Every village or boreen has a football team. They don't rely on urban centres for players either . So underage success is not as important there.

[ross4life]

& sure kerry didn't win Minor for ages but they success started at under 21 level with all irelands in 1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, & 2008

I don't think Kerry are a good yardstick - there are no other sports played in kerry really. They have an excellent club structure as well at adult level. Every village or boreen has a football team. They don't rely on urban centres for players either . So underage success is not as important there.

i'm not so sure kerry went 10yrs without a All Ireland between 1987 to 1997 don't tell me that the underage success for them didn't make them successful at senior level again

[ross4life]

1995 kerry under 21 team : D. Murphy, N. Mangan, B. McCarthy, B. O'Shea, K. Burns, M. Hassett, C. McCarthy, D. O Se, D. Daly, D. O'Dwyer, J. Crowley, M. Moynihan, J. Ferriter, L. Hassett, D. O Cinneide. Subs: W. Kirby


1996: D. Murphy, K. O'Driscoll, B. McCarthy, M. O'Shea, K. Burns, C. Drummond, E. Fitzmaurice, D. O Se, W. Kirby, D. O'Dwyer, L. Hassett, D. O Cinneide, J. O'Shea, B. Clarke, M.F. Russell. Subs: J. Brennan, R. O Raghelaigh, J. Ferriter


1998: D. Moloney, M. McCarthy, T. O'Sullivan, K. Leen, J. Sheehan, T. O Se, M. Beckett, T. Griffin, E. Fitzmaurice, A. Mac Gearailt, P. O'Sullivan, L. Brosnan, M.F. Russell, N. Kennelly, B. Scanlon. Subs: I. Twiss, M. Burke


well there got plenty from those teams

[INDIANA]

1995 kerry under 21 team : D. Murphy, N. Mangan, B. McCarthy, B. O'Shea, K. Burns, M. Hassett, C. McCarthy, D. O Se, D. Daly, D. O'Dwyer, J. Crowley, M. Moynihan, J. Ferriter, L. Hassett, D. O Cinneide. Subs: W. Kirby


1996: D. Murphy, K. O'Driscoll, B. McCarthy, M. O'Shea, K. Burns, C. Drummond, E. Fitzmaurice, D. O Se, W. Kirby, D. O'Dwyer, L. Hassett, D. O Cinneide, J. O'Shea, B. Clarke, M.F. Russell. Subs: J. Brennan, R. O Raghelaigh, J. Ferriter


1998: D. Moloney, M. McCarthy, T. O'Sullivan, K. Leen, J. Sheehan, T. O Se, M. Beckett, T. Griffin, E. Fitzmaurice, A. Mac Gearailt, P. O'Sullivan, L. Brosnan, M.F. Russell, N. Kennelly, B. Scanlon. Subs: I. Twiss, M. Burke


well there got plenty from those teams

True but How many all-ireland minor/u21 finals did Gooch play in? Donaghy as well. In what other county would you pick up a natural talent like Donaghy at 22/23? Nowhere else I'd say.

[Lar Naparka]

Did anyone hear the Cain Ward interview on Newstalk? One of the most honest sports interviews I've heard in a long time.

He completely dismissed ideas of romance leading Meath to a semi-final and history getting on top of Mayo which the interviewer kept angling towards. The more honest he was the more the interviewer realised he was asking stupid questions.

For those of you who didn't read the Tribune yesterday, Ewan MacKenna had an interesting piece about Mayo's defeat the previous week and how the mindset of Mayo people generally contributed to this loss.
I don't disagree at all with the general thrust of his argument and I thought those of us who follow Mayo should take note.
To summarise some of his main points, I agree that Mayo arrived in town on a mission to avenge past wrongs.
Meath turned up to win a quarter-final.
Mayo media and fans must take a lot of the blame because of the pressure was on the players to overcome history and we did suffer from the decisions of an inept referee.  MacKenna mentioned Liam McHale and how he won't speak to Pat McEaney because he sent him off all of 13 years ago. Now, that was hardly a help to O'Mahony as he tried to keep the team focused on the task in hand.
McHale deserved the red card. He set some leadership standards by running in from a distance started clattering lugholes all around. It was rough luck on Mayo that he got the line but he was guilty of a sending off offence. Period.
It was tough on Mayo that McEaney did not decide to pick out a player of equal value to Meath and send him off to balance the loss on both sides but he didn't.  MacKenna got it right, IMO, when he said McHale's resentment is a product of his environment.
I'd go further and say that this perceived sense of rough justice is holding both team and fans back in a big way.
The report went on to say that Mayo continue to accommodate the best 15 players in the county when selection should be about using the best guys to do the job. I certainly accept that you'd never guess how competitive the Mayo club scene is when you think of the county team's performance. I just wish we had a couple of hardy roots like David Brady out there and to hell with the artistes.
MacKenna makes the point that unlike Galway, we shouldn't throw a tantrum and sack the manager; O'Mahony is making progress. I also think Johnno is at long last on the right track and I'm not nearly as disappointed as last year or the one before. His team is starting to take shape and next year should be a better organised and more mature outfit. But he will continue to go nowhere as long as he has to depend on those who were around in '04 and '06; in the 3 serious championship games this season, I noticed one worrying trait.
Mayo started out very well but became rattled when the opposition steadied up and began to come at them. The Galway and Meath matches were ideal for leaders to emerge. I would have expected some of the seasoned hands to have stepped up to the mark and steady the younger lads around them but this did not materialise. For most of them the best days are over and we will have to look to the u21s and minors of recent years for salvation.
The players are there alright but it will take time. We also need a bit more luck and a bit less Liam McHale & co.

[INDIANA]

Liam hayes really had a cut at Mayo yesterday. But thats par for the course for hayes. He doesn't like anybody.

[IolarCoisCuain]

However this year John O'Mahony has found solutions at full-back (Cafferkey), centre-half back (Cunniffe) and full-forward (O'Shea). We have a very young team, with probably a similar average age to Roscommon, and if the rate of development continues and we add in a few more we can improve further but success at All ireland level was always 2/3 years away.

Cunniffe didn't play centre-half back in the Championship. O'Shea didn't play full-forward. But, you know, one out three ain't bad.

[JMohan]

Did anyone hear the Cain Ward interview on Newstalk? One of the most honest sports interviews I've heard in a long time.

He completely dismissed ideas of romance leading Meath to a semi-final and history getting on top of Mayo which the interviewer kept angling towards. The more honest he was the more the interviewer realised he was asking stupid questions.

For those of you who didn't read the Tribune yesterday, Ewan MacKenna had an interesting piece about Mayo's defeat the previous week and how the mindset of Mayo people generally contributed to this loss.
I don't disagree at all with the general thrust of his argument and I thought those of us who follow Mayo should take note.
To summarise some of his main points, I agree that Mayo arrived in town on a mission to avenge past wrongs.
Meath turned up to win a quarter-final.
Mayo media and fans must take a lot of the blame because of the pressure was on the players to overcome history and we did suffer from the decisions of an inept referee.  MacKenna mentioned Liam McHale and how he won't speak to Pat McEaney because he sent him off all of 13 years ago. Now, that was hardly a help to O'Mahony as he tried to keep the team focused on the task in hand.
McHale deserved the red card. He set some leadership standards by running in from a distance started clattering lugholes all around. It was rough luck on Mayo that he got the line but he was guilty of a sending off offence. Period.
It was tough on Mayo that McEaney did not decide to pick out a player of equal value to Meath and send him off to balance the loss on both sides but he didn't.  MacKenna got it right, IMO, when he said McHale's resentment is a product of his environment.
I'd go further and say that this perceived sense of rough justice is holding both team and fans back in a big way.
The report went on to say that Mayo continue to accommodate the best 15 players in the county when selection should be about using the best guys to do the job. I certainly accept that you'd never guess how competitive the Mayo club scene is when you think of the county team's performance. I just wish we had a couple of hardy roots like David Brady out there and to hell with the artistes.
MacKenna makes the point that unlike Galway, we shouldn't throw a tantrum and sack the manager; O'Mahony is making progress. I also think Johnno is at long last on the right track and I'm not nearly as disappointed as last year or the one before. His team is starting to take shape and next year should be a better organised and more mature outfit. But he will continue to go nowhere as long as he has to depend on those who were around in '04 and '06; in the 3 serious championship games this season, I noticed one worrying trait.
Mayo started out very well but became rattled when the opposition steadied up and began to come at them. The Galway and Meath matches were ideal for leaders to emerge. I would have expected some of the seasoned hands to have stepped up to the mark and steady the younger lads around them but this did not materialise. For most of them the best days are over and we will have to look to the u21s and minors of recent years for salvation.
The players are there alright but it will take time. We also need a bit more luck and a bit less Liam McHale & co.

Great post

I've said these things many times before but not nearly as eloquently and I'm glad to see someone else is thinking or coming round to the same way.
Mayo have some great footballers - but the mindset and disillusioned opinion for the past 15 years or so is what is most frustrating and people can appreciate Mayo ones think you are just anti-Mayo when you say them not being from the county - but the sad fact is that the mindset of Mayo people generally contributed to this loss and sense of injustice is holding both team and fans back to the degree like I've said before with that attitude they'll never win an All Ireland.

Why McHale would even say that what he said is just indicative of the mindset - get over it and get on.

Great post Lar Naparka

[Jinxy]

Liam hayes really had a cut at Mayo yesterday. But thats par for the course for hayes. He doesn't like anybody.

He's actually getting worse.
I'd love to know what his "good friend" Colm O'Rourke thought of his article the week before laying into the sunday game panellists.

[moysider]

Liam hayes really had a cut at Mayo yesterday. But thats par for the course for hayes. He doesn't like anybody.

Just read that now. Ah well, we can hardly complain. In fact I know there are Mayo people out there who would feel along similar lines to Hayes.

[AbbeySider]

However this year John O'Mahony has found solutions at full-back (Cafferkey), centre-half back (Cunniffe) and full-forward (O'Shea). We have a very young team, with probably a similar average age to Roscommon, and if the rate of development continues and we add in a few more we can improve further but success at All ireland level was always 2/3 years away.

Cunniffe didn't play centre-half back in the Championship. O'Shea didn't play full-forward. But, you know, one out three ain't bad.

Cafferkey is not a full back.... 0/3

[AbbeySider]

Liam hayes really had a cut at Mayo yesterday. But thats par for the course for hayes. He doesn't like anybody.

Just read that now. Ah well, we can hardly complain. In fact I know there are Mayo people out there who would feel along similar lines to Hayes.

Link?

[JMohan]

Liam hayes really had a cut at Mayo yesterday. But thats par for the course for hayes. He doesn't like anybody.

He's actually getting worse.
I'd love to know what his "good friend" Colm O'Rourke thought of his article the week before laying into the sunday game panellists.

Well actually while probably hypocritical I thought he had a few truths ... no?

[IolarCoisCuain]

Liam hayes really had a cut at Mayo yesterday. But thats par for the course for hayes. He doesn't like anybody.

Just read that now. Ah well, we can hardly complain. In fact I know there are Mayo people out there who would feel along similar lines to Hayes.

Link?

http://www.tribune.ie/sport/article/2009/aug/16/truth-serum-for-mayo/

Hard to argue with his criticisms of Mayo. Doens't mean he's not a pain in the whole though.

[Zulu]

Generally my default setting is to disagree with everything Hayes says but he isn't far wrong with his thoughts on Mayo.