Tyrone vs Mayo AISF Semi-Final - August 25th

[ballinaman]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Its been exciting this week.  There has been some crap talked and some wise words.  Problem is - Nobody knows yet who is talking the crap and who is talking the wise words.  Sunday might answer all, but don't rule out a dodgy draw, and then I would actually fancy Mayo in the replay.  Id weigh it up by saying Mayo have it all to lose on Sunday, Tyrone have lost all their big championship games for 4 years and have a bit to go yet.  Its a good chance to see where a young Tyrone team might pitch in against the all Ireland favourites.
One last laden comment might be that what an encouragement it would be for London to know they created goal chances in the first 20 minutes against the future ai champions.   
Enjoy the game lads.

I honestly think Mayo players stood back to allow them the space. London's tackles were so reckless and the referee was all London. Mayo wanted to avoid injury for the next game. Mayo will not step aside for Tyrone, they are no London, they are a top 5-6 team.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Having read all the posts in this thread over the last couple of weeks im looking forward to this game more and more.

Im a tyrone supporter, however im worried about the lack of firepower we have up font. I cant see darren mccurry scoring much (if at all) from play, stephen o'neill is far too isolated up front and has therefore been easily marked by a number of defenders at once, im personally glad penrose is suspended and our half forward line, outside matty donnelly for the odd score are basically defending, trying to win break ball, and play on the counter.

To all mayo supporters, Aidan O'Shea has been awesome this year in the championship, no doubt about that, but if he marks sean cavanagh on sunday, guaranteed he is taken off him after 15 minutes, he doesnt have his engine or athleticism, and sean will run him riot.

Personally however i dont see this battle as being the winning of the game. I think it will be won by who has the greater influence, Alan Dillon or Conor Gormley. If Gomley gets to grips with him and stops him putting ball into their full forward line then we are in business, if not............then we're scooped.


Prediction: If Tyrone dont concede any goals, tyrone win.

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Sean Cavanagh might not see enough of the ball to need be marked. It will be Seamus who does any marking job on Sean Cavanagh if needs be.

[Whishtup]

I think we're hoping for a 2008 Dublin performance  - a bolt from the blue when a previously-stuttering side magically moulds into a serious outfit over 70 mins.

I dunno.  Football has changed a lot since then-the quality of Roscommon, Kildare, Meath and Monaghan was much higher than Louth, Westmeath and Mayo(pre-bestteamever) (and Wexford in the SF) were in 2008.  Rather than elevate Tyrone to some lofty heights, if they win it will drop Mayo to the level of those who have gone before them.  Forwards need to start scoring, though.

[joemamas]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

Seems like your townie may have put his foot in his mouth again !

[ballinaman]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

Seems like your townie may have put his foot in his mouth again !

You listening to Off The Ball on news talk?

[Syferus]

Having read all the posts in this thread over the last couple of weeks im looking forward to this game more and more.

Im a tyrone supporter, however im worried about the lack of firepower we have up font. I cant see darren mccurry scoring much (if at all) from play, stephen o'neill is far too isolated up front and has therefore been easily marked by a number of defenders at once, im personally glad penrose is suspended and our half forward line, outside matty donnelly for the odd score are basically defending, trying to win break ball, and play on the counter.

To all mayo supporters, Aidan O'Shea has been awesome this year in the championship, no doubt about that, but if he marks sean cavanagh on sunday, guaranteed he is taken off him after 15 minutes, he doesnt have his engine or athleticism, and sean will run him riot.

Personally however i dont see this battle as being the winning of the game. I think it will be won by who has the greater influence, Alan Dillon or Conor Gormley. If Gomley gets to grips with him and stops him putting ball into their full forward line then we are in business, if not............then we're scooped.


Prediction: If Tyrone dont concede any goals, tyrone win.

Mayo can win a points race juat as easily. If they weren't splitting teams open they'd be layering on 20+ most days and indeed did so against us when for whatever reason the goals didn't come. They are playing exceptionally in attack and it certainly doesn't just boil down to goals.

Dillon has become more peripheral to Mayo this season (his stomach injury obviously contributing to that) and outside of the Galway game and the first half against Donegal he's been one of the more average performers on the Mayo team, in the context of a team overall playing great.

Shutting down Dillon isn't going to change much, were Gormley even capable of doing that. Mayo's HBs (which in most ways will number five with McLoughlin and Higgins going box-to-box) are the primary creators in attack and it'll that an incredibly marking job by Tyrone to keep them all quiet at any time.

Oh, and if AOS were marking Sean Cavanagh (which he won't be) he'd clean Cavanagh out in the air. Cavanagh operates best in space and has been cleaned out in his midfielder duties many times in his career. Going up against the best pure midfielder in the country would in no way be a good match-up for him.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

Seems like your townie may have put his foot in his mouth again !

You listening to Off The Ball on news talk?

Spit it out.

[ballinaman]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

Seems like your townie may have put his foot in his mouth again !

You listening to Off The Ball on news talk?

Spit it out.

The lad Brady hinting that AOS may miss Sunday due to injury.

[joemamas]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

Seems like your townie may have put his foot in his mouth again !

You listening to Off The Ball on news talk?

Spit it out.

The lad Brady hinting that AOS may miss Sunday due to injury.

Thats what I was also told, then he tried to backtrack.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

Seems like your townie may have put his foot in his mouth again !

You listening to Off The Ball on news talk?

Spit it out.

The lad Brady hinting that AOS may miss Sunday due to injury.

Thats what I was also told, then he tried to backtrack.

It will be grand, hey!

[joemamas]

Here's another Tyrone man thinking AOS will 'mark' Cavanagh. I can't see AOS picking up Cavanagh.

Especially if he's not on the pitch

Seems like your townie may have put his foot in his mouth again !

You listening to Off The Ball on news talk?

Spit it out.

The lad Brady hinting that AOS may miss Sunday due to injury.

Thats what I was also told, then he tried to backtrack.

It will be grand, hey!

Hopefully, but why say that if there is not some creedence to it. listen live now.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Emmet to be the white-stick out of Croke for larry (who's rose-infused spectacles will have clarified with such alarming alacrity half-way through the second-half as to render him blind to white light!  ) at 5:30, fair dues Emmet, what a man! 

[emmetryan]

You know my dad or is this a different Larry you speak of?

[Redhand Santa]

What kind of Tyrone support will there be on Sunday? Judging from tickets available seems to be a big crowd overall going. It's been quiet round tyrone all year but have sensed increased anticipation as the week goes on with more flags etc on display. Hopefully another wonderful occasion.