Cork v Mayo NFL

[Farrandeelin]

Leath ama:

Corcaigh 2-5 Maigh Eo 0-5.

Not looking too good for our boys.

[Farrandeelin]

Scór deiridh:

Corcaigh 2-8 Maigh Eo 1-12!

Brilliant turnaround by the Mayo team in the 2nd half! It's setting up nicely for the game next week!

[An Gaeilgoir]

I was very impressed with that performance. Plenty of determination and bite in the tackles. There is one thing i noticed since the Fermanagh game,that is how much the team as a whole has bulked up physically.All bodes well for the championship especially when you look at the players who are out now at the moment. Its not a bad squad we have. Roll on Dublin in Castlebar. Well done to all.

[blast05]

There is one thing i noticed since the Fermanagh game,that is how much the team as a whole has bulked up physically

That was 2 weeks ago - must be some angel dust they are eating

Support play in the 2nd half was very impressive. It might possibly the paciest Mayo team i have ever seen. The danger is that slotting MacD back into centre forward will change all that in terms of style of play

[Tubberman]

Very impressive fighback and a well deserved victory. This was a very entertaining and high quality league game.
I thought Mayo were the better team by quite a bit - it was the 2 Cork goals that really made it as tight as it was. Their big FF caused a lot of problems for Kilkullen.
I thought Heaney went out to prove a point, it was a very good display by him in midfield, I think he'll probably start there until Brady returns.
Conor Mort had another very good game, and Marty Mc also did very well when he came on.
A much improved display from the Fermanagh game and I'd say Johnno is quite pleased with how things are coming along

[IolarCoisCuain]

If Cork line out as selected then I cannot see them winning especially as Donnacha O'Connor is injured and they are only playing Shields from the U21's. Cork have decent enough backs but the forwards are weak both in terms of creating and taking scores - they need twice as much possession as the other team. Even against Tyrone there was only two points in it when Mulligan was sent off and also Tyrone had to replace their two corner backs. Tyrone more or less gave up in the last 15 mins and it was easy for Cork to get some handy points. If Mayo break even at midfield they should win as I cannot see Cork scoring more than 9 or 10 points and Mayo are capable of 1-12 or 1-13. Forecast is for dry weather which will test the cork backs..the night against Tyrone pitch was heavy and it was more suited to backs.

Looks like you're a man that knows your Cork football Tatler Jack. You were right on the money in your predictions.

[Redgreenery]

Great and very entertaining game!! Really enjoyed it. We were behind by 6 points at half time and yet I felt Mayo would make a big come back and surly they did to go on and win it!!! Heany done a good job in midfield and I thought Pat Harte was good also. When K O Neill came on I thought he made a difference to the team but scored one great point and shot some disappointing wides!! Thought C Mort had a spectular game. Overall I was very impressed with Mayo in the second half but in the first half we were slow to get into the game and once again conceded an early goal, but when they got into the game they dominated and won!!
Now that Kerry lost to Donegal it puts Mayo into second place in the table with Dublin in third and Kerry fourth.

Anyone know what happened to A Dillion?

[Redgreenery]

Cork 2-8 Mayo 1-12

A late Aidan Kilcoyne point broke Cork hearts as Mayo earned a narrow 1-12 to 2-8 win over the struggling Leesiders un Division 1A of the Allianz National Football League at Pairc Ui Rinn on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Dublin moved to third in the division - just behind Mayo after a comprehensive win over Fermanagh at Parnell Park. 

Mayo got the first score of the night within the first minute as man-of-the-match Conor Mortimer fired over the bar, but by the tenth minute the hosts had amassed a four-point lead.

Two free-kicks from James Masters overturned the initial deficit and a third kick from the same player was then fisted into the net by highly-rated full forward Michael Cussen.
A free from Kilcoyne and an excellent point from Mortimer brought Mayo's deficit back to two before Cussen made his tally 1-1 and gave Cork a 1-3 to 0-3 lead.

Mayo looked to regroup and David Heaney, who had recovered from an earlier injury, hit over a score, but John O'Mahony's side were stunned again when the Rebels hit a second goal through a cracking shot from the right from Kevin O'Sullivan.

A succession of Mayo wides followed and Cork almost punished that by adding a third goal, but O'Sullivan's effort was just punched over by Kenneth O'Malley.

A great score from Kevin O'Neill on the right reduced the gap to five points again, but Masters' third point meant Cork heled a six-point lead at half-time.

However, that lead was wiped out far too quickly for Rebels boss Billy Morgan's liking as Mayo emerged from the dressing room on fire.

A great looping point from midfielder Pat Harte was added to by Mortimer and as the Cork defence lost its head somewhat, goalkeeper Paddy O'Shea was beaten by the same man.

The goal came from great play as O'Neill exchanged passes with Heaney before feeding the overlapping wing back Peadar Gardiner on the left. He picked out Mortimer and the number 13 made no mistake as the green flag was raised.

Sub Marty McNicholas' point then levelled the score before Masters finally replied for Cork after evading pressure from O'Neill.

A Mortimer free then levelled matters, but Masters again gave the Rebels the lead as the game became a bit of a personal battle between the two number 13's.

Masters pointed again soon after but he may regret not going for goal when the chance was on after great work from O'Sullivan and that proved to be the final occasion on which Cork troubled the scoresheet as O'Malley did brilliantly to stop a Kevin McMahon effort from the left.

Mayo then calmly recovered from their two-point deficit with Andy Moran doing well to get past Cork sub Michael Prout and fist over the bar to drag his side within one.

The Westerners defence then prevented another Rebel sub Alan Cronin from adding a goal and shortly after a great effort from McNicholas soared over the bar to tie the game.

But there was still time for one more chance and it was Kilcoyne, who calmly and capably, raised the final white flag to move Mayo level on points with first-placed Donegal and leave the Rebels - with four defeats from five now - staring relegation in the face.

[Tatler Jack]

Looks like you're a man that knows your Cork football Tatler Jack. You were right on the money in your predictions

Maybe I do but it is not too difficult to predict and a lot of others here could predict the same. Though not from Cork I go to most games at all levels and I cannot understand why Morgan (and before him Tomkins) persist with players and tactics that have failed so often. For several years Cork field teams with half forwards who cannot score ( or do not even try to) and the forwards as a whole lack pace. Comapare the pace of Mayo and Cork and you will see what I mean. Difficult to ever see Cork getting more than 9 or 10 scores in a game the way the play. The night against Tyrone was misleading - as I said Tyrone were very bad and Cork scored 6 or 7 points when Tyrone had given up.

[An Gaeilgoir]

According to the sindo Kenneth Mortimor set Conor for the Mayo goal. Fair play to Kenneth i say!

[rosnarun]

Great win for mayo but  i think mayo should be  looking for more . I f losing allireland finals counts as failure we need to start seeing some real progress. While we we missing half a team it was worringly enough the other 'old half ' that won that game for us  Heaney, mort, harte,Gardiner, moran and Oneill,  were all brilliant
but kilcullen on cussen suffered identical problems to heaney on Star last sept but played well besides  alot of the damage was done from the breaking ball with Masters cleaning up . Where were the cornerbacks
?. while again devenney and campbell were poor and are nothing we dont already have ,
K o'malley looks a fine goalie
BJP not bad but im still not convinced .
Overall a sweet victory but on that must be improved upon for real Progress

[OirthearMhaigheo]

I'd agree with alot of what you said Ros. There are definitely still some frailties in that team. However, its March and what we're looking for is progress and I think we got it the last night, they seem to be clicking into gear as a team and they are definitely playing a more direct game while also mixing it with some powerful running. I think Kilcullen did pretty well at full back actually, it was Kilcullen and not Cussan who broke most of the ball when it was bombed in, when you're marking a 6'7" giant that's all that can be hoped for, it is then Higgins and O'Malleys job to get under Killcullen and mop up, how much clean ball did Cussan catch, I counted 1. In 70 mins of football and with his height advantage I'd put that down as a job well done by the FB, especially to recover from the nightmare 10 mins where Cussan was on fire to be fair. All in all they showed great character, which they always do bar AIF day! Some of O'Neills passing was top drawer, a sweeter footballer you won't see, Higgins had a storming second half, Kilcoyne mixed the good with the bad but was generally good, and is an undoubted class footballer. I thought Heaney really did his stuff, from general play anyway, he will never be a great fielder. 2 more precious points in the bag and hopefully we can go on and clinch a play-off spot, bring on the dubs!!

[Tubberman]

Some valid points there rosnarun. It was worrying to see our new hope at FB struggling with a big FF, our big weakness still hasn't been resolved. Having said that, Cussen's threat was reduced as the game went on, although this may be down to a reduction in the quality of ball coming into him.
Campbell tried very hard, but things don't seem to be working for him. He went off injured and was limping badly leaving the dug-out after the final whistle so he could be out for Sunday anyway. Marty Mc has probably played himself into that spot - did very well when he came on.
Heaney put in a v big performance in midfield, and will need to repeat that against the Dubs.
I thought Dev (to an extent) and BJ did quite well.
All in all, you'd be happy enough, it was a much improved performance. Sunday against the Dubs will tell a lot

[blast05]

I think anyone being critical of Kilcullen would want to watch the match again. Fair enough Cussen got a goal and flicked on for another but given the amount of long high ball that came his way, i thought Kilcullen did really well, particularly in the second half.

As for the comment about the 'old half' .... surely Harte and Moran don't fall into this category !

[rosnarun]

re harte and moran  what i meant by that is they were both there last september.
Kilcullen may seem to have done well enough but the man he was marking was directly responsible for 2 goals or to put in another way he doesnt look like he could have handled donaghy last september and cussen isnt actually much of a footballer to begin with.
I think what campbell has going for him is that he is not 5'9'' and Trick ala andy moran dillion conor trevor marty Mac alan costello roanldson and many more. though i think kicoyne looks a class apart  in that role.
BTW was it my telly or is previously slight little aidan higgins pregnant