Mayo 3-11 Sligo 0-7 Champions Dethroned

[the Deel Rover]

Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Davitt man explain to me why sligo cannot score more than 10pts?

They dont have forwards to kick more than 10 points thats why

  LMAO Galway Bay Boy

[SLIGONIAN]

Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Davitt man explain to me why sligo cannot score more than 10pts?

They dont have forwards to kick more than 10 points thats why

  LMAO Galway Bay Boy

We will see who gets the last laugh starting this sunday .

[Mano]

Lack of big men is a worry but sure who is there? Davey is shit in FF, Flannery too. Maybe Johnny Mac! But who else in the wntire county is there? I think this is why alot of teams play the FF out as a third midlfielder! Cos not only does the inside men work, but they have no Traditional FF to play there!

Well there is Sweeney and McPartland-both can score. Although Sweeney only seems to perform coming off the bench

[SLIGONIAN]

Lack of big men is a worry but sure who is there? Davey is shit in FF, Flannery too. Maybe Johnny Mac! But who else in the wntire county is there? I think this is why alot of teams play the FF out as a third midlfielder! Cos not only does the inside men work, but they have no Traditional FF to play there!

Well there is Sweeney and McPartland-both can score. Although Sweeney only seems to perform coming off the bench

I think you might of missed this post mano on page 17 (read below), id have mcpartland starting, and j davey coming from deep in HF line thus not having his back to goal... sweeney is a sub option alright but that goes without saying. Sligoper is right IMO we dont have a target man FF but mcpartland can add strength to keep the balance right between pace and strength. Remember I dont pick the team, if i did we'd definitly be in safe hands .

My team to start would be

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan naughton ohara quinn curran brehony j davey gaughan mcpartland kelly


The team i think Jordan will start

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan mchugh ohara quinn curran brehony gaughan j davey mcnamara/naughton kelly

[Teeling Gael]

Actually think John Mac is most definitely a half forward as well. I dont think he has the skillsets to play as a target man full forward at inter county football. He may line out on occasions in the full forward line but he roams around out the field.

At times I think Sweeney is much maligned. He plays for Geevagh as a half forward and all his inter county underage experience is as a half forward. He should only be judged at this level when he gets a run as a half forward.

Think the problem in Sligo is that the only natural players who play in the full foward line of anything near intercounty class are Flannery and Mc Gowan who both struggle at championship level. Stephen Coen has the potential to play senior intercounty football in the full forward line. Even D Kelly is probably a better half forward. If Mcnamara had played Gaelic constantly for the last 7 years as a full forward , he had the ability to be good enough but at this stage hasnt the skillsets either. Through no fault of his own , Eamomn O Hara took all the national limelight from as equally important player for Sligo in the 2001/02 team in Dessie Sloyane who no one has even came close to replacing in recent years on the Sligo team. Dessie would have greatly helped this Sligo team to be competitive at 1/4 final stage of All Ireland championship.

Therein lies the problem. Because of the lack of naturall full forwards , Sligo are playing a game based on 4/5 half forwards running with the ball. Agree with Sligonian in that Gaughan and Davey do provide a bigger threat than last year but in my opinion this gameplan is forced upon Sligo by virtue of the personel available rather than a tactical choice.

[StoneWall]

Mayo team...no Dillon...

1. David Clarke
2. Colm Boyle
3. Kieran Conroy
4. Keith Higgins
5. Tom Cunniffe
6. David Heaney
7. James Nallen
8. Ronan McGarrity
9. Tom Parsons
10. Peadar Gardiner
11. Pat Harte
12. Trevor Mortimer
13. Conor Mortimer
14. Austin O'Malley
15. Andy Moran

Something just struck me as I type that team. Gardiner V McDonald as a number 10, there really is no contest when you think about it!

[Tubberman]

No major surprises, but a couple of minor ones!

I didn't think I'd see Nallen start a game in the half-backs again, but there he is and fair play to him - most had him written off and he's back starting his 13th championship is it?
Shame to see Keith Higgins going back in the corner. I thought Aidan Higgins might get that spot, which would allow Keith to stay in half backs.

Apart from that, rest of the team is pretty much as expected, with Harte at CHF in Dillon's absence. I think he'll do well there. I'd be reasonably confident with that team.
Mayo by 4 

[furboot]

no BJP to start ....

[mayoman dan]

Nallen in the corner with Keith going to wing back? Heaney at number 6 with an eye on Galway and PJ?

[RedandGreenSniper]

Nallen in the corner with Keith going to wing back? Heaney at number 6 with an eye on Galway and PJ?

I thought about that too MD but one of the Sligo lads makes a good point about David Kelly's pace. That's probably the biggest reason Keith Higgins is back there and Nallen in the half-back line.
Still worried about Conroy, worried about the fact that that half-back line has very little experience AS A UNIT and the same can be said for the half-forward line.
Harte and Trevor Mort and Gardiner could take off and have blinders. Time will tell

[blast05]

Sligonian - you're posts remind me somewhat of a lot of Armagh posters in the aftermath of when they first won Sam ... in this case perceiving Sligo to be thee number 1 team in Connacht becuase the Connacht championship only commenced last year. More power to you in thinking that ! but there is lot of stuff in your posts that has me smirking to myself for a variety of different reasons. Like the one below i just read before posting this:

I know gaughan, kelly and j davey can win 50/50 ball going in IMO so arent as dependant on quality supply going in as people think, we all know huffing it in high wont work

Like which is it ? Winning 50:50 ball suggests they should win half of any high ball going into them

Or this:

With this current crop of players as ive pointed out theyve broken all kinds of hoodoos so therefore is it unreasonable of me to suggest that the mental side of things MAYO WILL HAVE NO ADVANTAGE sunday over us on that.

I can almost hear the noise of you beating you chest in shouting that. Anyway, I can name 2 hoodoos - winning a Connacht title obviously, but i guess getting relegated to Division 4 could be considered as another type of hoodoo / 'achievement' and thus only having 1 crack in the championship

Well with all due respect, if the build up is quite anywhere its Sligo....waiting in the long grasss for its prey . Look at this board we arent giving away too much either  .

The one above from a week ago  ..... by jaysus a lot seems to have changed in the last week !!

So when I say sligo will be better in CSFC than league is that not a fair asumption based on the fact that most of our players especially along the wings and forwards mainly would excell more in better conditions.

And this one .....  ahhhhh, how do i put this? Lets just say, i too prefer playing on hard fast pitches but wouldn't fancy my changes if i came up against Keith Higgins  cos hes like grease lightning regardless of the conditions, i.e.: you are only considering 1 variable in your conlcusion that Sligo are a better team in summer than winter. There are a least a dozen other variables that would need to be considered before that conclusion could be reached.


Anyway, enough. I'm gone too cynical

[stephenite]

Also on Mcstay article it says HISTORY is the main reason he thinks Mayo will win . Absolute jibberish. The past is gone. Its all on the day.

As Kevin Heffernan famously said to Robbie Kelleher  - " History, do you understand it now?"

[Barney]

I think the team is along expected lines but shows how we have fallen in the past 2 years. Now changes were needed, and a team needed to be rebuilt but have we really embraced the future? I personally feel that in 2 years teh management have not made one change to the starting line-up that you can say - yes, that is a positive move, a good solution. In fact in every line we look an average team.

James Nallen is a legend - but has taken many runnings-around over the past few years. Howley is a huge loss.

The half-forward line offers plenty of hard work but where are the scores coming from? Dillon is a massive blow. A lot of responsibility now in the hands of Austin O'M and that worries me.

We're up against it on Sunady I think.

[Tubberman]

I think the team is along expected lines but shows how we have fallen in the past 2 years. Now changes were needed, and a team needed to be rebuilt but have we really embraced the future? I personally feel that in 2 years teh management have not made one change to the starting line-up that you can say - yes, that is a positive move, a good solution. In fact in every line we look an average team.

James Nallen is a legend - but has taken many runnings-around over the past few years. Howley is a huge loss.

The half-forward line offers plenty of hard work but where are the scores coming from? Dillon is a massive blow. A lot of responsibility now in the hands of Austin O'M and that worries me.

We're up against it on Sunady I think.

I'd agree about the half forwards Barney - Dillon is a big loss there. Gardiner is a converted wing-back and let's be honest, his kicking is poor. Harte has played as much at midfield as he has in the half-forwards for Mayo, but should still come up with a couple of scores. Trevor seems be in great form and I'd expect a big game from him. However, I think it will be more as a link man to the FF line and winning breaks around the middle. He's never been a heavy scorer.

But I also think you're being a bit overly pessimistic Barney.

I personally feel that in 2 years teh management have not made one change to the starting line-up that you can say - yes, that is a positive move, a good solution.

Would you not consider the emergence of Tom Parsons and Seamus O'Shea as long term midfield prospects as a major plus considering Brady is now gone and we couldn't see where the next midfielder was coming from.
We also have Trevor Howley/Tom Cuniffe for CHB to replace Nallen.
The full back line is still a problem, but at least things are being tried, and he's not just resorting to sticking David Heaney in there.

[Barney]

Would you not consider the emergence of Tom Parsons and Seamus O'Shea as long term midfield prospects as a major plus considering Brady is now gone and we couldn't see where the next midfielder was coming from.
We also have Trevor Howley/Tom Cuniffe for CHB to replace Nallen.
The full back line is still a problem, but at least things are being tried, and he's not just resorting to sticking David Heaney in there.

I agree things are being tried - but the young talent was there.

There is no solution yet, or even a hint to many of our problems. If you consider the management have had 3 championship teams in 2 years, look at the line-ups there is no consistency to them. I think the only constant is Mort Junior and Moran in the FF line.