FBD Connacht League 2009

[MaroonAndWhite]

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said about the old brigade.

James Nallen, David Brady and Kevin O'Neill were all shown up last year as being so far off the pace that a return to action should not be an option. They have been great servants, and I think Jimmy Nallen is the best Mayo player of this generation, and maybe that I have seen pull on a green and red shirt. Heaney is only 30 and some experienced hands are required, and McDonald has the class, and hopefully will have recovered sufficient fitness to be involved.

However if this transition is to be successful it is time for the younger players to stand up and be counted. They need to be given the jersies for the big games and let them sink or swim. Leadership on the pitch has been missing for too long, there should be no more passing the buck. If they want it badly enough they can succeed to a certain level, their skills will decide how far they can go. Sadly I do not think that we are replacing like with like. We will probably cobble together a decent defence and midfield over the next 2/3 years but where is the scoring threat coming from. Conor Mortimer and Alan Dillon are good players but nowhere is there the all-action, goal-scoring forwards that are going to take us to an All Ireland. And what County has won an All Ireland without at the very least one exceptional forward? It is for that reason that the loss of Pearse Hanley is so profound, and may be the difference between a decent chance of ending the famine, and more pain.

I do worry when I see JOM making excuses early in the year. There were enough smoke-screens last year. I think we will be relegated in the league but will want to see a definite long-term plan in place that will be followed by players and management. No more embarassing capitulations like Salthill or Derry last year. If the right attitude is there, so will the support.

But Mortimer is exceptional.....just ask him, he'll tell ya 

[mayo51]

nuig 1  8    mayo 0.11  14 min to go .     sligo it   1.13           roscommon  0.11  8 min to go. galway 0.10  sligo 0.6

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway 1-13
Sligo 0-9

Don't have the teams. Going by the radio Galway maybe should have won by a bit more as they seemed to kick a fair few wides in the 2nd half.

[mayo51]

nuig 2.9  mayo 0.14  ft  mark ronaldson goal 2 min from time clinched it.austin o malley 5 points.bj padden was fullback

[GalwayBayBoy]

Results

FBD Connacht SFL

Galway 1-13 Sligo 0-9

Mayo 2-9 NUIG 0-14

Leitrim 2-7 GMIT 0-8

Sligo IT 1-15 Roscommon 0-13

[Zulu]

Results

FBD Connacht SFL

Galway 1-13 Sligo 0-9

Mayo 2-9 NUIG 0-14

Leitrim 2-7 GMIT 0-8

Sligo IT 1-15 Roscommon 0-13

Is it not NUIG 2-9 Mayo 0-14?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Results

FBD Connacht SFL

Galway 1-13 Sligo 0-9

Mayo 2-9 NUIG 0-14

Leitrim 2-7 GMIT 0-8

Sligo IT 1-15 Roscommon 0-13

Is it not NUIG 2-9 Mayo 0-14?

Well that's what Hogan Stand and Aertel have although Aertel is wrong more often than not.

[stephenite]

Peadar Gardiner playing at midfield for Mayo according to the Indo

Says it all really - anyone go to the match?

[Barney]

MARK Ronaldson scored a crucial goal against his own county to give NUIG the points in this opening round FBD Connacht football league clash at bitterly wet and cold Ballinrobe yesterday.


The Mayo student took full advantage of a 'keeper error' in the 68th minute to drill the ball to the net, after goalkeeper Tom Higgins dropped a Sean Armstrong effort for a point which fell short.

The goal shot the Galway students two points clear, and although Mayo pulled back a point from Mikey Mullins, Armstrong was on target again to maintain that two point lead; Peadar Gardiner's point in injury time coming too late to give Mayo a chance of what would have been a deserved draw.

Mayo, who featured six new inclusions, left this game behind them in the first half and when Armstrong shot to the net from the penalty spot in the 19th minute, NUIG were 1-5 to 0-2 ahead.

John O'Mahony's team began the second half with much more urgency than they had shown in the first with James Gill, Alan Dillon, Peadar Gardiner, Michael Mullins, Keith Higgins and Austin O'Malley very much to the fore.

By the 58th minute Mayo had taken the lead for the first time with points from Gill, Richard Haran and three on the trot from O'Malley, before Dillon fired his side in front.

But just when Mayo appeared to be heading for victory, substitute Ronaldson undid all of Mayo's good work to pounce on the goalkeeping error.

Scorers -- NUIG: S. Armstrong 1-2; M. Ronaldson 1-0, P. Broderick 0-3, M. Clancy 0-2, H. Connellan and D. Conway 0-1 each . Mayo: A. O'Malley 0-5, P. Gardiner 0-3, A. Dillon 0-2, J. Gill, M. Mullins, J. Prenty and R. Haran 0-1 each.

NUIG -- L. Grant, P. Healy, S. Drake, P. Gleeson, C. Barrett, G. Bradshaw, P. Domican, D. Duffy, B. Guckian, P. Broderick, M. Clancy, S. Armstrong, J. Connellan, J. Farrell, D. Conway. Subs: M. Ronaldson, for Clancy, D. Gavigan for Domican, C. Healy for Broderick.

Mayo -- T. Higgins, C. Moran, B.J. Padden, T. Howley, C. Cafferkey, L. O'Malley, K. Higgins, J. Gill, P. Gardiner, R. Haran, A. Dillon, M. Mullins, B. Benson, A. O'Malley, J., Prenty. Subs: S. O'Shea for Haran. A. Higgins for C. Moran.

Ref -- D. Hunt (Roscommon).

Can't believe Gardiner was midfield! My views on the lad are that he is not good enough for the half-back line, but I'm in the minority.

Don't like to see Billie Joe at full-back. Cannot see if working. Liam O'Malley isn't the answer either. Mullins, O'Malley and Prenty have had opportunities before and I cannot see them being answers come Summer football.

The younger talent I can only assume was lining out for the colleges - although Seamus O'Shea has good potential and I hear he did very well when he came on.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Liam Sammon's reign as Galway manager got off to a winning start when they proved far too strong for Connacht champions Sligo in a well-contested FBD League clash at Tuam Stadium.


Sammon used the occasion to give a run to several fringe players and they were always on top against a Sligo side who faded for long periods.

New Sligo manager Tommy Jordan will be far from happy with the barren periods which saw Sligo fail to score for the opening 21 minutes and then go 23 minutes for a period in the second-half without raising a flag.

Kenneth Sweeney and Gerry McGowan added points shortly after the restart to level the game but Sligo did not manage another score until eight minutes from the end.

Galway scored 1-5 without reply during Sligo's second-half barren spell, the goal coming from a Michael Meehan penalty after 68 minutes.

Galway had started well, too, chalking up four points without reply in the opening quarter, with wing-back Mullahy going forward to hit two superb points in addition to efforts from Niall Coleman and Lydon.

By the end of the game all six Sligo forwards had found the range but they did not get their first score until Gerry McGowan fisted over a point after 21 minutes.

Another McGowan point and efforts from Mark Breheny and Sean Davey left it 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval.

The 1,200 strong crowd anticipated an even contest in this Connacht final repeat, but midfield dominance through Bergin and Lydon and a solid display at the heart of the defence from Niall Coyne ensured it was Galway who prevailed.

Breathnach picked off three good points from play and Cormac Bane also found the range with regularity, while Meehan kicked the point of the match after a good delivery from Mullahy.

Sligo came back as best they could with a late rally but it was not enough to salvage a match where both new managers would have been pleased with the initial showing from their new charges.

Scorers -- Galway: M Meehan 1-2 (1-0 pen), C Bane 0-4 (0-3f), F Breathnach 0-3, D Mullahy 0-2, M Lydon 0-1, N Coleman 0-1.

Galway: A Flaherty; M Comer, K Fitzgerald, D Burke; G Sice, N Coyne, D Mullahy; J Bergin, M Lydon; N Coleman, M Gottche, D Meehan; C Kenny, M Meehan, C Bane.Subs: F Breathnach for Gottche, 22 mins; D Blake for Sice, 33 mins.

Scorers -- Sligo: E Cawley 0-3 (0-1f), G McGowan 0-2, B Curran 0-1, S Davey 0-1, K Sweeney 0-1, M Breheny 0-1 (0-1f).

Sligo: P Greene; B Kivlehan, N McGuire, R Donovan; P McGovern, C McGowan, J Davey; E O'Hara, M McNamara; B Curran, E Cawley, S Davey; G McGowan, K Sweeney, M Breheny. Subs: B Phillips for C McGowan, 50 mins; D McTiernan for Davey, 50 mins; E McHugh for Kivlehan, 56 mins; K Byrne for O'Hara, 58 mins.

Ref -- V Neary (Mayo).

[MaroonAndWhite]

Early days for Sammon & Galway and hard to judge in January how they will go from here. First of all, ya couldnt read much into the result.....Sligo were chronic. They must have a serious lack of depth within the county......they had ten of the Connacht final team starting the first FBD game of the year. I was surprised to see O'Hara play although he had a relatively quiet game.
Galway's new lads didnt set the world alight nor did they do any harm to their chances either. Goalie (Flaherty) did all that was expected of him but come the league Id expect Doherty to be back in with Brian O'Donoghue his back-up. Good to see Mullahy back in and going well, Milltowns best player all year and probably best club player in county bar the mighty PJ. He kicked two class scores coming from no 7. Lydon did ok in midfield, nothing spectacular but did nothing out of the way either. Gottsche didnt get a chance to do anything.....he got creased about fifteen mins in and was taken off. Fiachra Breathnach did well in his place....still cant make up my mind about whether he's good enough or not come the summer.
They seemed to be mad on the notion of the 2 man full forward line....Meehan and Kenny inside with Bane rambling around the middle. Probably, due to the fact that Galway's midfield are mediocre. Meehan seemed off the pace a bit yesterday and the inside lines were not making the runs for anyone to play quick ball in.
Still, Sam wasnt won in Jan (or to be much more realistic, Nestor!).
Not a bad crowd for 6 January....hopefully the support will continue into the league

[muscles magoo]

Went along for a look yesterday. Nothing of note really to report. Liam O'Malley played quite well at CHB. BJP looked very out of sorts at FB. James Gill started slowly but came into it well especially when moved to CHF in the second half. Austin O'Malley did well and gradually got the better of Stephen Drake who initially looked as though he might have the measure of him. None of the newcomers apart from Brian Benson in the last 15 minutes really did anything to suggest that they will be pushing hard for places come next June. Unfortunate error by the Westport keeper (Tom Higgins I think?) at the end but not wholly unexpected as he had dithered on a couple of occasions prior to that but had been baled out by the presence of a Mayo player each time.

[rosnarun]

you gotta love the Drake. has he been asked on to the mayo panel? i think their is huge porential there.

Its not fair judging younglads on a early january FBD game make perhaps a nervous debut. we got to have  a wee bit of patience any with the exception of Dillion and LOM youd get good money obn any of that team stating in those position come summer . so if one  or 2 of them(from either squad)  make the grade the FBD will have been worth something

[SLIGONIAN]

Strange time of year as always we play useless. Very poor yday. Its hard to be too critical with only 1/2 teams playing 1/2 teams and new players trying to impress in very heavy conditions. If light fast and not physical itd be a miracle to show how good you are compared to a summers day. Thus G McGowan played well yday but wont in the summer and m brehony poor. Noel McGUIRE did very well on meehan. Conor mcgowan made a very poor first impression at chb just as well no 11 for Galway got injured because he was roasting mcgowan. infairness to conor out of depth at chb so poor selection in my book. Never rated him at club level though. Mcnamara was very poor at midfield with a quiet ohara. Not sure Mcnamara is as good as everyone seems to think. Cant defend, cant tackle without giving away a free, one great pass 2 shit passes, cant catch, great play him midfield or chb genius etc....

Cawley did ok but looks heavy legged, sweeny did well but needs to be more clinical. Despite S Davey retiring hes back and did ok (im glad he is, way too good and young to retire)
Kivelhan looked ok and donovan did well.

Mctiernan came on and played like a rabbit caught in the head lights. Fumble after fumble... I have high expectantions of him but was disappointed.
Mcgovern gifted Galway there goal and that killed the game. J Davey tryed hard but as brehony conditions would never suit his style of play. Curran was quiet.
Congrats to my clubman Eoin McHugh playing the last 20 mins and didnt look out of place and very sharps so was happy to see that. Wilson is better and I guarntee would be better than mcnamara at midfield.

It was extremely cold so you could hear alot of players said including alot of whinging to each other, everyone blaming everyone else. Time to take responsibilty when you mess up. Really hope the connaught medal didnt go to there heads.

Very subdued Sligo and few postives. Looks like were way off the pace and we will probably struggle during the league again to find any form.

Galway like last yr just looked to be more trained and smoother on the ball which tells me theyve been training with the ball whereas our fellas have just been doing weights by the looks of things.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Anyone have the list of fixtures and venues for this weekends action ?