Mayo V Sligo - Connaught senior final - July 15th

[bucko]

I think the majority of Mayo people know/expect our 1-8 if all fit. After that there is some discussion. Most, if not all, would also feature Andy somewhere. Personally I'd add Dillon, McLoughlin and O'Connor (if properly fit) to that. In fact I think McLoughlin is the most underrated forward we have - consistent, hard working, wins ball, chips in with a couple of points, pacy.

The issues really revolve around where those 4 should play and who should take the 2 corner spots and the other midfield spot. Personally I'd have McLoughlin and Dillon at 10 and 12 as they seem to play their best football there. Andy is probably our best CF and best FF but can only play in one position. While I think he's more effective out the field but I think he might be more useful at 14 because of the game I think Horan is trying to play.

I think Horan is going for goals. Everything about his teams are set up for taking goals. It's been our Achilles heel for the last 15 yrs - a lack of goals and goal takers especially at crucial times in big games. Watch the drills the forwards will do in the warm up before the game on Sunday. They will do two in particular - roll on the ground and pop the ball up (this is for not losing the ball under pressure of 5 men) and the other will be a 2-on-3 goal taking session involving all the forwards at least twice. This is why he'll pick at least one from Doherty/Freeman in the corner spots. Conor for all his score taking ability down the years was never a great - even good - goal scorer, Conroy from what I've seen is similar.

Andy as has been pointed out is generally great at winning ball (better than O'Connor at this stage) and will be used to win the ball at FF and lay it off for Doherty/Freeman, or go himself, to get goals.

Funny you should say that, was sitting right behind the Mayo management in McHale Park v Leitrim and heard Horan descibe  on more than one occassion close in points as missed goal opportunities. The tactic was obviously Moran as a target man/ball winner with Freeman and Doc playing outside the 21 to run off him. It didn't work 100% as intended due to Andy not having much joy with some of the early ball that came to him, it just wouldn't stick. What I also noted and heard in the 2nd half was Horan and Nallen making the decision to switch O'Connor and Moran's positions. I think Horan is well aware that Moran is his best 14 and 11, I'd just guess that he was seeing if O'Connor was an option at 11 for whenever he has to play Moran inside.

[moysider]

Kerchingg!!! Now people are gettin it. Well at least Bucko and kevmy are.

[Sam2011]

James Horan has made one change to the team which defeated Leitrim in the Connacht Football Championship Semi-Final with Enda Varley coming into the team at corner-forward replacing Alan Freeman. The Mayo Senior Football Team to face Sligo this Sunday 15th July at 2.00p.m. in the Connacht Senior Football Championship Final is as follows:

1.  David Clarke  - Ballina Stephenites
2.  Kevin Keane  - Westport
3.  Ger Cafferkey  - Ballina Stephenites
4.  Keith Higgins  - Ballyhaunis
5.  Lee Keegan  - Westport
6.  Donal Vaughan  - Ballinrobe
7.  Colm Boyle  - Davitts
8.  Barry Moran  - Castlebar Mitchels
9.  Danny Geraghty  - Ballintubber
10. Kevin McLoughlin  - Knockmore
11. Cillian O'Connor  - Ballintubber
12. Alan Dillon  - Ballintubber
13. Enda Varley  - Garrymore
14. Andy Moran  - Ballaghaderreen (Capt.)
15. Jason Doherty  - Burrishoole

James Horan - Manager
Cian O'Neill - Trainer
James Nallen - Runner
Tom Prendergast - Selector
Dr. Sean Moffat - Doctor
Caroline Brennan - Physio

[Rossfan]

Hope for Sligo ?
Last time they went to NY they won the Connacht Final in the Hyde.
Willie Hegarty in the Ros Herald says that Mayowestros have appeared in 10 NFL Finals since 1951 ( why did he pick that year ) and have never won a Connacht title in any of  those 10 years.

[Sam2011]

Sligo team:

Greene,Ewing,Martyn,Donovan,Harrison,Quinn,McGovern,McManus,Taylor,Costello,Hughes,Egan,Breheny,Marren,Kelly
   


   

[Lar Naparka]

James Horan has made one change to the team which defeated Leitrim in the Connacht Football Championship Semi-Final with Enda Varley coming into the team at corner-forward replacing Alan Freeman. The Mayo Senior Football Team to face Sligo this Sunday 15th July at 2.00p.m. in the Connacht Senior Football Championship Final is as follows:

1.  David Clarke  - Ballina Stephenites
2.  Kevin Keane  - Westport
3.  Ger Cafferkey  - Ballina Stephenites
4.  Keith Higgins  - Ballyhaunis
5.  Lee Keegan  - Westport
6.  Donal Vaughan  - Ballinrobe
7.  Colm Boyle  - Davitts
8.  Barry Moran  - Castlebar Mitchels
9.  Danny Geraghty  - Ballintubber
10. Kevin McLoughlin  - Knockmore
11. Cillian O'Connor  - Ballintubber
12. Alan Dillon  - Ballintubber
13. Enda Varley  - Garrymore
14. Andy Moran  - Ballaghaderreen (Capt.)
15. Jason Doherty  - Burrishoole

James Horan - Manager
Cian O'Neill - Trainer
James Nallen - Runner
Tom Prendergast - Selector
Dr. Sean Moffat - Doctor
Caroline Brennan - Physio

I can't find much wrong with that.
1-7 was also going to be the same and 8-9 was  also  a pretty safe bet. Up front, Kevin Mac and O'Connor were napped for their positions and Andy/Cilliian were also odds on for the 11/14 shirts. This could have gone either way but both were going to get those positions.
That leaves only the CF places and, while he had a few names to play around with for them, I've no problem with his choices.

[RogerMilla]

1
Philip Greene
St.John's
 
2
Neil Ewing
Drumcliffe/Rosses Point
 
3
Johnny Martyn
St.Mary's
 
4
Ross Donovan
Eastern Harps
(Capt)

5
Charles Harrison
St.John's
 
6
Mark Quinn
St. Molaise Gaels
 
7
Paul McGovern
Eastern Harps
 
8
Shane McManus
Geevagh
 
9
Tony Taylor
Eastern Harps
 
10
Alan Costello
Coolera/Strandhill
 
11
Pat Hughes
Geevagh
 
12
Brendan Egan
Tourlestrane
 
13
Mark Breheny
St.Mary's
 
14
Adrian Marren
Curry
 
15
David Kelly
Tubbercurry

[neilthemac]

https://sites.google.com/a/gaa.ie/roscommon-gaa/news/anoticefromlocalgardaireconnachtfinalonsunday

traffic information for Sunday's game

the road between Tulsk and Boyle is CLOSED

[sans pessimism]

Very hard to get excited about the Connacht Final reading this thread. Heaven help us.

Poor lad.

You're perched on the edge of this thread like a fuckin jackdaw

[Syferus]

Very hard to get excited about the Connacht Final reading this thread. Heaven help us.

Poor lad.

You're perched on the edge of this thread like a fuckin jackdaw

I think you'll find I'm the referee in the middle of the pitch. It is our pitch, after all. 

[Sam2011]

Mort has apparently left the panel, wasn't at training last night. Thought my mate was joking when he told me but seen it on TV3 news there.

John Fogarty of the Examiner tweeted this- ''Conor Mortimer has left the Mayo panel for personal reasons. Full story in tomorrow's Examiner''

[Captain Obvious]

Mort has apparently left the panel, wasn't at training last night. Thought my mate was joking when he told me but seen it on TV3 news there.

All is not rosy in the Mayo garden if one of their most experienced players walks off the panel days before a final.

[From the Bunker]

http://www.joe.ie/gaa/hospital-pass/has-the-mort-left-the-mayo-panel-0026779-1

Seems to be Hearsay so far. If he has left, it's a bad time to leave a panel when things are only begining to get going! He may not be starting games, but he's likely to get a run. For the sake of five or six weeks (if we are lucky), he should have stuck it out.

https://twitter.com/JohnFogartyIrl

[FL/MAYO]

RTE has it now

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2012/0711/328836-zz/

[Syferus]

Does the Thriller have a Rossie uncle?