Mayo V Sligo - Connaught senior final - July 15th

[Sam2011]

First of all well done to the team and management on winning their second Connacht title in a row.
Well, I'm happy enough with the result. They never played to their full potential but still managed to come away with a two point victory. Fair play to the lads for digging deep in the second half to scrape out the win. It was a good test which was exactly what they needed before the hitting the big stage.
There's plenty of work to keep the lads occupied for the next three weeks, that's for sure.
Our game plan was obviously to work the ball from deep and then go for goal- the goals simply not work out, this was due to poor decision making and Sligo's good defence. I don't think we should completely abandon this game plan we just need to seriously work on making the right decision, composure in front of goal and finishing.
Clarke was solid as was everyone else in defence, stand outs for me being Keane, Keegan, Caff and Boyle.
Midfield was sound as well with Barry Moran putting in a great performance. Delighted to see him getting MOTM again as he's had his critics in the past (myself included) and a hard time with injuries. Geraghty gave a good honest performance he's still young and learning. Aido made a big impact when he came on and a huge positive to have him back. If Barry keeps up his form and Aido stays fit they could be a formidable pair in Croke Park. Also nice to see the midfield lads chipping in with a few points each, something we lacked last year.
Then there was the forwards. McLoughlin, Dillon and Andy Moran were the pick of them. I thought Doherty got on a good bit of ball until he got that shoulder which seemed to knock the stuffing out of him. O'Connor tried his best but for me is not a centre forward. Varley didn't have the best of days but again tried his best.

We have an issue with the forwards which needs to be worked on if we want to beat the best.
However we have options there and they need to be looked at and considered.
IMO guaranteed forward starter for the next day are: McLoughlin, Dillon and A. Moran.
The rest of our forwards are (as far as I know):
O'Connor, Doherty, Varley, Freeman, Conroy, Campbell, Regan, Forde and you could also throw in S. O'Shea and A.OShea.
O'Connor- I think should start the next day but only at no. 15. I think this is were we get the best out of him and is more dangerous here.
Docherty- I just don't know with him. Every game I'm expecting him to set the championship a light but it still hasn't happened. We know he has the potential but the question is can he produce it in the championship?
Varley- is always better coming off the bench and I think we should leave him there because that's when we get the best out of him.
Freeman- like Docherty expecting him to explode each game and we know he has the potential but can he produce it again?. I think as well his confidence is a bit low with being in and out of team and with all the positional changes. He can be played at no. 11 but I don't think he will be any better there than O'Connor is now. If he starts I think it should be at no. 13.
Conroy- as many have said is a confidence player if he gets off to a good start he can be as good as any corner forward but if he gets off to a bad start he will fade.
Campbell- don't know how his injury is but I doubt any way he will start in this years championship but still an option.
Regan- do you know what kind of injury he has moy? Don't know a lot about him but I would agree with Moy, why not give him start. I know its throwing him in the deep end but he obviously has talent if Horan has him on the panel. Could be our suprise package this year like O'Connor last year.
Forde- another fella I don't know a lot about but is another option we have. He played wing back this year for under 21 but played centre forward with minor in 2010 so he has experience playing in Croke Park, could be worth a shot.( And before anyone says it I know minor and senior are two different things.)
S.O'Shea- if fit could be an option for no. 11. Don't think hes played there since 2010 but still could be worth a shot there again. Could also help out at midfield
A.O'Shea- i think we can afford to move him to no. 11 if B. Moran keeps up his current form. Also like the brother could help out midfield if needed.
Then the other options we have is moving Higgins to centre back, putting McHale or Walsh in the corner, and moving Vaughan to no. 11.
I have a few different teams I would like to see the next day:
First one is the same defence as the last day and midfield then with McLoughlin, A. O'Shea/S.O'Shea and Dillon in the half forward and Conroy/ Freeman/Doherty, A. Moran and O'Connor.
Second is the same defence again but with B.Moran and A.O'Shea in the middle and McLoughlin Forde Dillon in the half forwards and in the full forward Regan, A. Moran and O'Connor.
Lastly I'd pick Keane, Caff, McHale/Walsh in the full back line, Keegan, Higgins and Boyle in the half backs with A. O'Shea and B. Moran in the middle, McLoughlin, Vaughan and Dillon and in the full forward line I'd have Freeman/Conroy/Regan/Doherty, A. Moran and O'Connor.
These are just a few options I thought of and I know the last to would be highly unlikely but we are currently in a desperate situation and it calls for desperate action IMO.
Any way I don't think we will win Sam this year as team and management are still learning. We'll have more options next year in the forwards with Harte and Kirby back in the fold.  Also Regan and Forde will have a year of training with an inter county team under there belt and we might see Conor O'Shea and Darren Coen come through to the panel aswel

[moysider]

Eamonn turns 37 this year, not sure when.

I must be blind so and mixing up the red and green jersied people leaving and ignoring the presentation with Mayo people. Respect? Do me a favour!

As for the arrogance - there are many who aren't but you have to accept there are loads who are. Unless my ears were failing me I heard loads of it coming down on the train from Dublin. Even when the ticket collector suggested Sligo might put up a decent fight it was met with - no, don't think so. Those 4 at least were better than the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down. Thank God for the change at Athlone!

The point is that those gobshites would annoy me (and others like me in Mayo) as much as they annoy you.

The other point is not everybody in red and green left before the presentation.

And what would a clown from Doohoma know about football ?

[Crete Boom]

Eamonn turns 37 this year, not sure when.

I must be blind so and mixing up the red and green jersied people leaving and ignoring the presentation with Mayo people. Respect? Do me a favour!

As for the arrogance - there are many who aren't but you have to accept there are loads who are. Unless my ears were failing me I heard loads of it coming down on the train from Dublin. Even when the ticket collector suggested Sligo might put up a decent fight it was met with - no, don't think so. Those 4 at least were better than the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down. Thank God for the change at Athlone!

The point is that those gobshites would annoy me (and others like me in Mayo) as much as they annoy you.

The other point is not everybody in red and green left before the presentation.

And what would a clown from Doohoma know about football ?

That's a fair auld insult to clowns comparing them to somebody from Doohoma

[magpie seanie]

Eamonn turns 37 this year, not sure when.

I must be blind so and mixing up the red and green jersied people leaving and ignoring the presentation with Mayo people. Respect? Do me a favour!

As for the arrogance - there are many who aren't but you have to accept there are loads who are. Unless my ears were failing me I heard loads of it coming down on the train from Dublin. Even when the ticket collector suggested Sligo might put up a decent fight it was met with - no, don't think so. Those 4 at least were better than the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down. Thank God for the change at Athlone!

The point is that those gobshites would annoy me (and others like me in Mayo) as much as they annoy you.

The other point is not everybody in red and green left before the presentation.

And what would a clown from Doohoma know about football ?

That's a fair auld insult to clowns comparing them to somebody from Doohoma

Fair enough lads but I think ye see where I'm coming from. We all have our gobshites I suppose. Ye know the way when you're travelling on public transport - there's always one weirdo who you hope and pray doesn't sit beside him. Well I'd a long day at a christening the previous day and guess what - the weirdo sat beside me. Hard to describe this unless you saw and heard it. Not a well man at all at all.

[Lar Naparka]

Just about able to put a few words on here now. Very disappointed with the result obviously but I'd see it as a major missed opportunity. We could easily have done it and when you factor in the 2010 clusterfcuk it just makes it worse. I've seen us in 5 Connacht finals and the 4 we've lost are by a combined 7 points. We really should have one or two more on the board over the last 15 years. Really sick walking out amidst hordes of Mayo people as the cup was being presented. It means nothing to ye at all.

Neither side played well but I expected both managments to have their homework done and so they did. I'd be a bit frustrated about our attempts to circumvent Mayo's tactics, think we had options that weren't explored or used way too late. Some second half scores were given away far too cheaply. O'Se obviously made a huge difference but our kickouts shouldn't have been going his way. I know Mayo missed quite a number of chances but a couple of ones we missed really cost us in the end. Pity one of them wasn't given as a point, it never seems to go that way...Our team are very fit and well prepared. We possibly deserved another crack at it but didn't get it.

On Mayo - I think Barney is right. A lot of people will downgrade Mayo's rating based on that performance but Sligo did a decent job at cutting off a lot of options for Mayo. Horan is a good manager who knows what he is at and is getting the players to work hard. i've no doubt they'll improve, the QF draw will be interesting.

I was at the game seanie, and I didn't hang around afterwards. Most of those who streamed out with me were Mayo heads. Sligo fans were probably too devastated to make a move anywhere until their world stopped spinning around.
I don't gloat over my neighbours' misfortune at any time and certainly not on Sunday.
Matter of fact, I was thinking of you!
You and Sligonian and mano and baoithe and all the other decent Sligo folk on here. I felt desperately sorry for you all and for Sligonian's dad  and indeed all Sligo supporters who got sickened once more.
I know that sort of feeling and so do all Mayo supporters. '04, '06 and the game against Kerry last year knocked the stuffing outa me and I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone.
Glad we won but sorry Sligo were on the receiving end.
Another reason for me not getting carried away is the fact that we won CFs so many times before and thought we were the real deal when we did. Far too often, I left the ground after our next match feeling the same as ye are feeling now.
None of that is to say that I don't value a CF win -- as long as the win gives us hope to go on further and not because we were about the best of a piss-poor lot and the Nestor Cup was the summit of our ambitions for that year.
Whatever about the others, Sigo certainly don't fall into that category and made us fight all the way. Not an entertaining game but both side can take lessons from it both should be the better because of it for their games to come.

[sans pessimism]

Just about able to put a few words on here now. Very disappointed with the result obviously but I'd see it as a major missed opportunity. We could easily have done it and when you factor in the 2010 clusterfcuk it just makes it worse. I've seen us in 5 Connacht finals and the 4 we've lost are by a combined 7 points. We really should have one or two more on the board over the last 15 years. Really sick walking out amidst hordes of Mayo people as the cup was being presented. It means nothing to ye at all.

Neither side played well but I expected both managments to have their homework done and so they did. I'd be a bit frustrated about our attempts to circumvent Mayo's tactics, think we had options that weren't explored or used way too late. Some second half scores were given away far too cheaply. O'Se obviously made a huge difference but our kickouts shouldn't have been going his way. I know Mayo missed quite a number of chances but a couple of ones we missed really cost us in the end. Pity one of them wasn't given as a point, it never seems to go that way...Our team are very fit and well prepared. We possibly deserved another crack at it but didn't get it.

On Mayo - I think Barney is right. A lot of people will downgrade Mayo's rating based on that performance but Sligo did a decent job at cutting off a lot of options for Mayo. Horan is a good manager who knows what he is at and is getting the players to work hard. i've no doubt they'll improve, the QF draw will be interesting.

Ah jesus seanie

[Crete Boom]

Eamonn turns 37 this year, not sure when.

I must be blind so and mixing up the red and green jersied people leaving and ignoring the presentation with Mayo people. Respect? Do me a favour!

As for the arrogance - there are many who aren't but you have to accept there are loads who are. Unless my ears were failing me I heard loads of it coming down on the train from Dublin. Even when the ticket collector suggested Sligo might put up a decent fight it was met with - no, don't think so. Those 4 at least were better than the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down. Thank God for the change at Athlone!

The point is that those gobshites would annoy me (and others like me in Mayo) as much as they annoy you.

The other point is not everybody in red and green left before the presentation.

And what would a clown from Doohoma know about football ?

That's a fair auld insult to clowns comparing them to somebody from Doohoma

Fair enough lads but I think ye see where I'm coming from. We all have our gobshites I suppose. Ye know the way when you're travelling on public transport - there's always one weirdo who you hope and pray doesn't sit beside him. Well I'd a long day at a christening the previous day and guess what - the weirdo sat beside me. Hard to describe this unless you saw and heard it. Not a well man at all at all.

Fair enough Seanie I understand what a trip down on the train with the standard mental case sitting beside you and loosing a big championship match to big rival can do to amplify a hangover. Been there before too many times as I'm sure many of my fellow county men have and good luck in the next round from what I saw on Sunday you have a fair chance at making the quarters.

[From the Bunker]

- Eugene McGee

Irish Independent
Monday July 16 2012

Wonderful professionalism from our amateur players

Because Gaelic football is such an intrinsic part of Irish life, aspects of its culture can often be taken for granted. The accessibility of county footballers to the general public is one of the distinctive hallmarks of the game -- and we had a good example of that yesterday.

Half an hour after yesterday's game had ended, there were a couple of hundred Mayo supporters still on the field meeting the players.

In particular, the players spent a long time giving autographs to young boys and girls for ages without a note of impatience.

I wonder how many other sports people of similar stature would be be so friendly and considerate in a situation like that.

It is something the GAA should be proud of -- the availability of its biggest stars to the followers.

Have to say i was on the pitch a half hour (or even more) after the game. I must say that the players were very (very) accommodating for autographs and pictures. They were legitimately friendly and courteous. I stood there thinking, how they had given their time today and now were given more (and not getting a penny). This was from both sets of players. I must say that i went home feeling good from such an good natured experience.

[RogerMilla]

the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down.

them Doohama lads know their football 

[ballinaman]

the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down.

them Doohama lads know their football 

ludermor will be knocking heads lads if theres anymore of that talk....

[intoDwest]

Leave Doohoma out of this Seanie......the only people we are dismissive of is the gang from Belmullet.

[joemamas]

Delighted with the win.

James Horan is doing a fantastic job, and the players really are giving their all. This is the best Mayo team in 15 years.

Think we will probably come up short this year since we just don't have the top class forwards to bring us over the line. But if we keep working at things we may get the break in the next 2/3 years.

Bang on, Barney. Good to see you posting again.
James is doing a superb job and bit by bit, he is crafting a good side together.
I think he's filled every position except the CF spots. It's impossible to say if his best will be good enough or not, but he's heading in the right direction.
Players have developed into their position like flowers popping up in springtime.One after another. Barry Moran is the latest to show that Horan's patience and his faith in him were justified.
(Will Barry be able to play in the next game?)

Agree with both of you. The most sensible comments I have read since the final.

Our corner forwards or lack thereof are a major issue, one that most likely will not be rectified this year. this is a 4-5 year process, we are two years in. We have a serious lack of depth at corner forward position, Freeman and Conroy are not impact subs, conroy just shot on sight, not good enough at this level, andy moran was wide open 14 yards from goal, when he took that crazy effort from his wrong side. freeman had two clear chances for points, did not convert. if somehow sligo sneaked a goal, all of these misses would not be easily forgotten. Also on that point, I was disappointed that AOS also kicked the ball over the sideline in the last minute, a team that is going to win an all ireland would take better options. More worrying is that we are so dependent on Andy Moran, something that will not go unnoticed by other teams.

Bottom line we are in Croke Park in three weeks. I have a lot of confidence in James Horan, we are on the right path.

[ludermor]

the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down.

them Doohama lads know their football 

ludermor will be knocking heads lads if theres anymore of that talk....

I thought we kept all our clowns local and took the passport from them before they crossed Bellacorrick, sounds like he could have been a Belmullet man pretending to be a Doohoma clown to ruin our good reputation.

[magpie seanie]

the clown from Doohoma who never shut up about Mayo football and how much he knew the whole flippin way down.

them Doohama lads know their football 

ludermor will be knocking heads lads if theres anymore of that talk....

I thought we kept all our clowns local and took the passport from them before they crossed Bellacorrick, sounds like he could have been a Belmullet man pretending to be a Doohoma clown to ruin our good reputation.

If you met this chap previously you'd not forget him in a hurry! I'm just hoping someone else on here witnessed it - it was somethnig else!

[moysider]

Regan- do you know what kind of injury he has moy? Don't know a lot about him but I would agree with Moy, why not give him start. I know its throwing him in the deep end but he obviously has talent if Horan has him on the panel. Could be our suprise package this year like O'Connor last year.

Knee ligament strain I believe but he s expected to be able to play V Ballagh' on Saturday.

Fingers crossed we won t lose anybody to injury in these club matches. We can t afford to lose anybody.