Mayo 3-11 Sligo 0-7 Champions Dethroned

[the Deel Rover]

How many of the old guard started against Derry last year ? i think that most of the players that started against Derry last July will be playing again against Sligo the only main difference i can see is parsons in midfield and Austie in Full Foward instead of Barry Moran who was Mom that day and has not been seen since. Can anyone post the team that started against Derry?

[moysider]

Team that was picked to play Derry last year. Not much sign of many of the old guard there.

D Clarke; T Cunniffe, L O'Malley, T Howley; D Heaney, D Kilcullen, T Mortimer; P Harte, D Brady; BJ Padden, P Hanley, A Dillon; T Mortimer, B Moran, A Moran.

Johnno should be more concerned with getting his best team on the pitch and not some nonsense of building a settled team to last 3 or 4 years for some fanciful attempt at an AI. Every team evolves from year to year. New fellas will force their way in, there will be injuries , retirees and loss of form. If each year is looked after on its own merits then the future will be fine too. Thing is we re not getting our best team out this Summer with Mac missing. And spare me the shite that he wont be around in 2 years time when the team matures. Some of these younger lads wont be either.

[the Deel Rover]

Team that was picked to play Derry last year. Not much sign of many of the old guard there.

D Clarke; T Cunniffe, L O'Malley, T Howley; D Heaney, D Kilcullen, T Mortimer; P Harte, D Brady; BJ Padden, P Hanley, A Dillon; T Mortimer, B Moran, A Moran.

Johnno should be more concerned with getting his best team on the pitch and  some nonsense of building a settled team to last 3 or 4 years for some fanciful attempt at an AI. Every team evolves from year to year. New fellas will force their way in, there will be injuries , retirees and loss of form. If each year is looked after on its own merits then the future will fine too. Thing is we re not getting our best team out this Summer with Mac missing. And spare me the shite that he wont be around in 2 years time when the team matures. Some of these younger lads wont either.

Thanks for that moysider well there you have it the only old guard player that actually played in that game( and who has since retired) is David Brady and apart from Pierse Hanley and  David Kilcullen the rest of the players are still in the panel. That what annoys me about o' mahony its the spin he puts on things which most people accept as gospel last year he wrote off the campaign saying he was giving the old guard one last chance however the fact remains that the old guard weren't in his plan at all. Thats the thing that was so annoying about the defeat to Derry last year those players should have been bursting their balls to impress O' mahony however for what ever reason they didn't.

[moysider]

For those of you who did nt see MacDonald play last Sunday. Western People report.

GAA: Cross' win clash of neighbours
By: James Laffey in St Joseph's Park, Knockmore

TF Royal Hotel and Theatre Mayo SFC - Section B - Round 2
Crossmolina 0-14 Knockmore 2-5

FIFTEEN minutes into this senior championship clash in Knockmore on Sunday afternoon the locals would have been forgiven for making a bee-line for the exit gates. Knockmore, seven points in arrears, had yet to raise a flag in anger and their old rivals Crossmolina were delivering the sort of virtuoso performance that was their trademark a few seasons ago.
But Knockmore produced a typically resolute fight-back and by the mid-way point in the second-half had managed to reel in the Deel Rovers with a brace of goals, both of which were inspired by county player Aidan Kilcoyne. Yet, ultimately, it was a case of the old dog for the long road as Crossmolina battened down the hatches in a tight finish to escape from Knockmore with a three-point lead and a precious advantage in Section B of the Mayo Senior Football Championship.
Not surprisingly, the name on the lips of the majority of the large attendance on a beautiful summer's afternoon was none other than former county star Ciaran McDonald, who produced a characteristically stylish performance for the visitors in front of Mayo selector Tommy Lyons.
The fact that he was given a licence to roam at will by a surprisingly generous Knockmore defence meant McDonald was never far from the action and he finished the day with five points and as many assists. But he received plenty of help from another county player of yesteryear - Michael Moyles - who had a fine game for the Deel Rovers, scoring two points and always showing for the ball in attack.
Crossmolina produced some mesmerising football in the opening quarter as they raced into a 0-7 to 0-0 lead against a hapless Knockmore team who simply could not retain possession in the middle third of the field. The most impressive aspect of Crossmolina's play was the contribution of their forward division, five of whom had scored by the fifteenth minute.
McDonald opened the scoring after six minutes with a typically ambitious free-kick and he had a role to play in several subsequent scores, including a brace of points by Joe Keane. Brian Benson and Paul McGuinness also got in on the scoring act as the Crossmolina men repeatedly sliced through a porous Knockmore defence, which was missing county star Trevor Howley.
But just when it looked as if Knockmore might be on the wrong end of a drubbing, they eked out the scores that gave them a fighting chance going into the second-half. Damien Munnelly hit three of his side's four points in the first-half, with Aidan Kilcoyne striking the other.
One of Munnelly's scores might have found the net but Knockmore could hardly bemoan their bad luck as they had got out of jail only moments earlier when McDonald - playing at full-forward for a brief period - sent a fisted effort crashing off a post.
The former All-Star did manage to find the posts again in the first-half with a magnificent solo effort, but it was Knockmore who were the happier side at the interval having whittled down the Crossmolina lead to just four points, 0-8 to 0-4.

It looked as if normal service had resumed early in the second-half when McDonald stretched Crossmolina's lead to five points but Knockmore had other ideas. A powerful run by Aidan Kilcoyne in the fifth minute ended with Graham O'Hora poking the ball to the Crossmolina net, courtesy of a deflection from a defender's boot.
The goal brought Knockmore right back into the game and although Benson replied immediately for Crossmolina it was obvious that the homeside had built up an unstoppable momentum.
Kilcoyne, on another great run, was pulled down for a penalty which was expertly dispatched to the Crossmolina net by Damien Munnelly to leave the sides tied at 2-4 to 0-10.
Had Knockmore taken the lead in the immediate aftermath of the penalty they might have gone on to win the match. And it wasn't as if they lacked chances. Defender John Brogan kicked wide when he had better options in front of him and Declan Sweeney saw several passes go astray.
Crossmolina, on the other hand, didn't need a second invitation when they found themselves in front of goal. Substitute Sean Kelly put them back in the lead in the 19th minute and when McDonald extended the advantage to two points a minute later it seemed as if the Crossmolina men had weathered the storm.
A Munnelly free made it a one-point game again with eight minutes on the clock, but McDonald and Moyles showed that experience usually wins out in a tight finish by finding the posts at critical moments for a deserved Crossmolina win.
Knockmore will rue some wasted possession around the middle of the park but the fact that they only managed seven scores in the entire match - to Crossmolina's fourteen - is indicative of the pressure they were under. The two goals - deserved though they were - put a positive gloss on what was ultimately a fairly comprehensive victory for Crossmolina.
And as for a certain Mr C. McDonald? Well, he hasn't gone away, you know.

[Farrandeelin]

Barry Regan reportedly gave Conroy a roasting in the Ballaghaderreen/Shrule match. Doesn't bode too well for our full back position. I also have a sneaking suspicion, that Nallen will start inn the fullback line. I know I am very critical of him, but he was excellent on Sunday catching most kickouts around the middle of the field.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Lads is Billy Joe really out of contention for full-back? Consider that he had a solid national league prior to getting injured against Laois and is now back at full-fitness.
I think there is a place for him on this team and that it could well be full-back. Especially if Conroy got roasted at the weekend.

I've a feeling the back six will look like this

A Higgins  B Padden  L O'Malley
T Mort  D Heaney   K Higgins

And sure while I'm at it I think from there forward is fairly straightforward

R McGarrity  T Parsons
P Harte A Dillon P Gardiner
C Mort (if fit)/Ronaldson Austie Andy Moran

[moysider]

You re right Farandeelin. Nallen had a fine match. So too did Kevin McLoughlin. I think all Three should be in County senior panel. McL can do a great  job corner back at any level. Not too young. Remember Mark O Reilly in 96. I m not sure our management has the nose for a 'new' player anyway. That s what made Boylan a great manager. He could spot a player who could do a job. Getting back to Nallen a lot of people will laugh it off and say it was only club game blah blah, and the difference with county, blah blah and blah. Its as if Archimedes and Pythagoras never existed. We ve our own ways of doing things here and logic has little role to play it seems.

  In Mayo club football  X[ Nallen] and Y [McDonald] is > Z [take your pick]

Therefore for county team Z must be > X orY .

[RedandGreenSniper]

You re right Farandeelin. Nallen had a fine match. So too did Kevin McLoughlin. I think all Three should be in County senior panel. McL can do a great  job corner back at any level. Not too young. Remember Mark O Reilly in 96. I m not sure our management has the nose for a 'new' player anyway. That s what made Boylan a great manager. He could spot a player who could do a job. Getting back to Nallen a lot of people will laugh it off and say it was only club game blah blah, and the difference with county, blah blah and blah. Its as if Archimedes and Pythagoras never existed. We ve our own ways of doing things here and logic has little role to play it seems.

  In Mayo club football  X[ Nallen] and Y [McDonald] is > Z [take your pick]

Therefore for county team Z must be > X orY .

Didn't realise you were a maths teacher Moysider 
I agree with u regarding McLoughlin - he's going to be a regular for years to come if he wants to be. I guess the problem is he wasn't given enough exposure at Under 21 and therefore a big step up becomes huge. But having him in the panel would do absolutely no harm. Same with Ger Cafferkey.
Nallen has plenty to offer too but think he's going to plumb for O'Malley.
McDonald? Well I wouldn't rule out a return if we get over Sligo. Thats still a reasonably big 'if' imo

[moysider]

Lads is Billy Joe really out of contention for full-back? Consider that he had a solid national league prior to getting injured against Laois and is now back at full-fitness.
I think there is a place for him on this team and that it could well be full-back. Especially if Conroy got roasted at the weekend.

I've a feeling the back six will look like this

A Higgins  B Padden  L O'Malley
T Mort  D Heaney   K Higgins

And sure while I'm at it I think from there forward is fairly straightforward

R McGarrity  T Parsons
P Harte A Dillon P Gardiner
C Mort (if fit)/Ronaldson Austie Andy Moran

Yeah it looks like you ve nailed it there Sniper. Thats what I ve been thinking anyway, Well nearly. But I hardly see Padden starting full back. My gut tells me it will be a reluctant Heaney. We need a solid full back line to build on and Conroy [ a good player who looks to have lots to offer in other positions too] and BJP look like floodlight fullbacks. This June has seen the hardest pitches for some time and I dont think those two would cope with smart early low ball? Unless we play a sweeper which is hardly likely. Imagine either of them marking a Paddy Bradley. And we have nt even broached the subject of tactics yet in these discussions and there' s little previous to take solace from there. Heaney has been our best option as full back since Cahill retired and his only bad days were against big rangy men. Of course we miss his influence in hb line but there are more options there than we had say, three years ago. Mind you I' m only trying to second guess what management have in mind.

[moysider]

You re right Farandeelin. Nallen had a fine match. So too did Kevin McLoughlin. I think all Three should be in County senior panel. McL can do a great  job corner back at any level. Not too young. Remember Mark O Reilly in 96. I m not sure our management has the nose for a 'new' player anyway. That s what made Boylan a great manager. He could spot a player who could do a job. Getting back to Nallen a lot of people will laugh it off and say it was only club game blah blah, and the difference with county, blah blah and blah. Its as if Archimedes and Pythagoras never existed. We ve our own ways of doing things here and logic has little role to play it seems.

  In Mayo club football  X[ Nallen] and Y [McDonald] is > Z [take your pick]

Therefore for county team Z must be > X orY .

Didn't realise you were a maths teacher Moysider 
I agree with u regarding McLoughlin - he's going to be a regular for years to come if he wants to be. I guess the problem is he wasn't given enough exposure at Under 21 and therefore a big step up becomes huge. But having him in the panel would do absolutely no harm. Same with Ger Cafferkey.
Nallen has plenty to offer too but think he's going to plumb for O'Malley.
McDonald? Well I wouldn't rule out a return if we get over Sligo. Thats still a reasonably big 'if' imo

I m not Farandeelin. But I remember that stuff from a great football coach and math's teacher and an uncle of a fella in the county panel still. Ar dheis Dé go rabh a anam dílis. He would as a Cross. man be appalled by Mac s exclusion from the panel and rightly so.

[stephenite]

You've got me thinking now Moysider - would that teacher have been at Muredeachs?

[moysider]

You've got me thinking now Moysider - would that teacher have been at Muredeachs?

Yeah. A while though. Would have finished up mid- eighties.

[stephenite]

Bit before my time alright - old brothers might know it - but was it James Nallens Uncle that you are refering to?

[moysider]

Yeah. That s him alright.

[mannix]

Lots of folk are disgusted by macdonalds omisssion from the scene, its not like the other star forwards are setting the place on fire is it?
I was in st muredachs too, finished in late eighties.Favourite teacher was willie followed by dicey.I remember punk as a tough cookie,some crack in them days, annoying teachers until they exploded was a favoured pasttime for most of us and it shows with the jobs we work today,still I loved to see willie steaming and forde spitting with temper when annoyed.