CONNACHT FINAL ROS v SLIGO 18th July 2010

[ross4life]

The wide open spaces of McHale Park must suit Sligo. I reckon there will be a big crowd and Castlebar the finest Stadium in Connacht.

military style press box, blue & yellow seats hardly made it any better than salthill? & both Stadiums are a nightmare to get out of, Roscommon in a Connacht final at any grade guarantees a BIG crowd

Military style press box!!!!!!

Salthill is a rubbish stadium because of the crosswinds that come from the Galway Bay Corner up the hill and diagonaly across the pitch.

Everybody knows about the Wind in Salthill but when it come's to Stadiums McHale is no better than Pearse park

Btw not always windy in Salthill i was at the Connacht final Mayo v Galway in 2005 there's wasn't even a breeze & it was 29c

[Farrandeelin]

Looking forward to it already.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Looking forward to it already.

Ya Sligo just saved the county board a few quid 

[ross matt]

Sligo's to lose. Injury/tiredness/complacency might have a bearing against them but they look too businesslike and focussed this season to let this one slip. Much better side than when they last won it in 2007.

Fergie has made satisfactory progress getting Ross to a Connacht Final. They wont have any pressure on them which may result in an improved competitive performance but that'll be the height of it I fear.

[ross4life]

Last meeting between the sides

Sligo 0-20 Roscommon 0-13 was a league match back in April  & last Championship match between the sides was Hyde park 2007 0-13 to 2-5 Sligo won

[ross4life]

the last time a Connacht final in McHale park didn't involve Mayo was 1962 Roscommon 3-07 Galway 2-09

[Peter Solan the Great]

A Novel pairing and one not expected at the start of the year. First time either Mayo or Galway weren't in the final since 1947.  Mayo and Galway contest the minor final on the same day. I'll be there to watch the minors, hard to know who to support?. I will probably go for the underdog Roscommon. Who will other Mayo/Galwegians be cheering for?

On form Sligo should do it. There have done the hard work beating the big two in Connacht. Judging from the various message boards The heads seem to be getting bigger and bigger in Sligo this could play into Roscommon hands. On another note nice to see some bit of use being made of McHale park, will there be a full house?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

the last time a Connacht final in McHale park didn't involve Mayo was 1962 Roscommon 3-07 Galway 2-09

Maybe it was farsighted of the Mayo County Board, new Connacht kingpins Sligo to play in the Connacht Final for 5 years in-a-row, Mayo not to feature, all 5 played in McHale Park the obvious venue for Connacht Finals 

[Shrewdness]

To be honest, i can't see us beating Sligo, and that's not smart arse talk. Not enough forwards in Ros scoring consistently .Much too dependent on Shine.I feel that centre half back and centre half forward are two unresolved positions. Neither Dineen or Garvey are up to it in those positions.

If there is a banana skin in it for Sligo, it could be complacency. The mood throughout Sligo may well be, that having already beaten Mayo and Galway, surely they aren't going to blow it against Roscommon.
Thoughts and expectation like that can bring their own pressures and mental burdens.
Can't see Kevin Walsh letting that happen though.

Already on this thread, someone mentioned Sligo beating Ros by 0-20 to 0-13 in the final League game in Markievicz Park.
It might be worth noting that Ros were without a lot of their championship team that day.

If i remember correctly, David Casey, Cathal Cregg and Karol Mannion were all injured , whilst Donie Shine, Kevin Higgins, , Paul Garvey and a few other panel members were rested as they had an All Ireland U-21 Semi Final the following weekend.

Sligo on the other hand were practically at full strength as they needed to win to ensure qualification for the Division 3 Final.

I think it's Sligo's final, but i don't expect Ros to go down without a fight, and it could be a lot closer than many people think.

Yes, Sligo beat Galway and Mayo. But how good are the current Galway and Mayo teams. Don't forget that Longford (Division 4) have also subsequently beaten Mayo, so maybe Sligo's win over Mayo could be very slightly devalued after that.
This is definitely the poorest Galway team of the last 13 or 14 years which should also be factored into any honest analysis.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not pouring cold water on Sligo's achievements in any way. They have been superb, and fully deserve their place in the final, and will justifiably start as favourites.

But they might do well to now forget about Galway and Mayo. Roscommon will be a different kind of challenge for them, where they must also cope with the tag of ''warm favourites''.

The final will be a new game, and nothing that happened against Mayo or Galway will count when the ball is thrown in at the start of the Connacht Final. 

[ross4life]

Already on this thread, someone mentioned Sligo beating Ros by 0-20 to 0-13 in the final League game in Markievicz Park.
It might be worth noting that Ros were without a lot of their championship team that day.

If i remember correctly, David Casey, Cathal Cregg and Karol Mannion were all injured , whilst Donie Shine, Kevin Higgins, , Paul Garvey and a few other panel members were rested as they had an All Ireland U-21 Semi Final the following weekend.

Someone  yes we were missing a lot of the Championship team, Mannion returned for his 1st match this year, Sean McDermott, Peter Domican,Cathal Dineen, Cathal Cregg,David Keenan & John Rogers are the others that played that day

I expect Garvey will be replaced by a fit again O Gara & Senan kilbride is back in training he should make the bench

[Turlough O Carolan]

the last time a Connacht final in McHale park didn't involve Mayo was 1962 Roscommon 3-07 Galway 2-09

That was the famous broken crossbar incident when Roscommon were 5 points down in the second half and not too long left when goalkeeper Aidan Brady pulled down the crossbar. When it was fixed a rampaging Gerry O'Malley inspired Ros to victory - with the broken crossbar being the turning point in the game. Castlebar was actually always a very lucky ground for Roscommon and when Mayo defeated Roscommon there in 1992, it was probably the first time most Mayo supporters saw their county overcome Roscommon in Castlebar. There had been two draws there in 89 and 91 (Duggan's amazing free kick), while Ros won there in 86. Incidentally, when Roscommon lost their great record in Castlebar, Enon Gavin actually broke the crossbar again, thirty years after Aidan Brady had pulled it down. Ros have not won a senior game there since.

[neilthemac]

the last time a Connacht final in McHale park didn't involve Mayo was 1962 Roscommon 3-07 Galway 2-09

That was the famous broken crossbar incident when Roscommon were 5 points down in the second half and not too long left when goalkeeper Aidan Brady pulled down the crossbar. When it was fixed a rampaging Gerry O'Malley inspired Ros to victory - with the broken crossbar being the turning point in the game. Castlebar was actually always a very lucky ground for Roscommon and when Mayo defeated Roscommon there in 1992, it was probably the first time most Mayo supporters saw their county overcome Roscommon in Castlebar. There had been two draws there in 89 and 91 (Duggan's amazing free kick), while Ros won there in 86. Incidentally, when Roscommon lost their great record in Castlebar, Enon Gavin actually broke the crossbar again, thirty years after Aidan Brady had pulled it down. Ros have not won a senior game there since.

was there in 1991 and 1992 for that. imagine having a spare crossbar lying around the place!

[ross4life]

Some good & bad memories in last two decades in McHale park for us rossies, i was there to witness the defeats to Mayo in 92,95, 99,02,04,09 & the defeat to Galway in the Quarter Final in 2001

i was right behind the goal when Derek Duggan scored that free against the wind hard to think it's 19 years ago  & not forgetting the Connacht Minor final success in 2006 which was the platform to All Ireland glory (i was one of 200 or so rossie fan's that invaded the pitch that day) & that was our only win at Mchale park at any grade since 1986

Now it's Back to McHale Park again

[spectator]

From the time we ended Mayo's hopes of three Sams-in-a-row in the 1952 Connacht Final, McHale Park was a winning ground for us. I think it was newly developed at the time, Mayoites?

We then won Connachts there in ' 61 & ' 62 with wins over Galway, while we overcome Mayo again there in ' 72 & ' 79 [ Ros came through late on,as Joe McGrath had a stormer for the home side.]

Mayo eventually managed to gain some hope of turning the tables, by squeaking past us 0-9 to 0-7 in the 1983 semi-final, while the first time they actually beat us in a Connacht Final in McHale Park was in 1992, the day Tony Mac retired. I heard him saying once he absolutely loved playing in Castlebar, so successful a venue was  it for him during his playing career. Perhaps it was just as well then that he hung up his boots once the fateful 'losing' day came!

Our minors did the biz over Mayo earlier that day, but sadly we didn't produce enough good minor teams in the years that followed & so, Castlebar is now seen by the younger supporters as being somewhat of a bad venue for us. Funny the way perceptions change from one generation to another. I always enjoyed going there - well '83 & '92 aside anyway before it all started going pear-shaped

The minors of '06 didn't see it that way though, as they got back to winning ways against the old enemy there that famous year. Hopefully, along with all the hard work that's going into under-age development this past few years, that mentality can follow through to senior level once more and Castlebar can become a ground we look forward to playing in and being competitive in again.

We beat Sligo over in Mayo in the semi-finals of ' 61 & ' 62 as well btw, although those two games were played in Charlestown.

[Maigheo Abu]

To be honest, i can't see us beating Sligo, and that's not smart arse talk. Not enough forwards in Ros scoring consistently .Much too dependent on Shine.I feel that centre half back and centre half forward are two unresolved positions. Neither Dineen or Garvey are up to it in those positions.

If there is a banana skin in it for Sligo, it could be complacency. The mood throughout Sligo may well be, that having already beaten Mayo and Galway, surely they aren't going to blow it against Roscommon.
Thoughts and expectation like that can bring their own pressures and mental burdens.
Can't see Kevin Walsh letting that happen though.

Already on this thread, someone mentioned Sligo beating Ros by 0-20 to 0-13 in the final League game in Markievicz Park.
It might be worth noting that Ros were without a lot of their championship team that day.

If i remember correctly, David Casey, Cathal Cregg and Karol Mannion were all injured , whilst Donie Shine, Kevin Higgins, , Paul Garvey and a few other panel members were rested as they had an All Ireland U-21 Semi Final the following weekend.

Sligo on the other hand were practically at full strength as they needed to win to ensure qualification for the Division 3 Final.

I think it's Sligo's final, but i don't expect Ros to go down without a fight, and it could be a lot closer than many people think.

Yes, Sligo beat Galway and Mayo. But how good are the current Galway and Mayo teams. Don't forget that Longford (Division 4) have also subsequently beaten Mayo, so maybe Sligo's win over Mayo could be very slightly devalued after that.
This is definitely the poorest Galway team of the last 13 or 14 years which should also be factored into any honest analysis.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not pouring cold water on Sligo's achievements in any way. They have been superb, and fully deserve their place in the final, and will justifiably start as favourites.

But they might do well to now forget about Galway and Mayo. Roscommon will be a different kind of challenge for them, where they must also cope with the tag of ''warm favourites''.

The final will be a new game, and nothing that happened against Mayo or Galway will count when the ball is thrown in at the start of the Connacht Final.