Mayo 3-11 Sligo 0-7 Champions Dethroned

[ludermor]

From looking at both teams i think its fair to say that both teams weakest sectors will be facing off against each other (Sligo's attack and the Mayo defense) I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall. Therefore it is disappointing that we have no big man in the full forward line to test them out with a few high balls. Also the inclusion of Nallen is a surprise to me. He looked to be at the end of the road after been hauled off after 15 minutes in AIF 06. He was also taken to the cleaners against Dublin by Jayo. However have we got the forwards to exploit this.

Also both teams strongest lines with be facing off Sligo full back line and Mayo full forward line. Distribution into C Mortimer & co will be vital as Harrsison, Naughton and Donovan are tenacious in the tackle. The game will be decided on Midfield and this sector imo.

Im afraid a quick small man will cause conroy much more problems than a big fella

[SLIGONIAN]

Seeing that Sligoian is so confident how about placing a wee wager on the outcome. Because of your confidence (and the fact that ye are reigning champs and ye will have the hard ground and faster players and banished the past and the players have great self belief) i would expect you to give me decent odds of 6/4 or maybe even 2/1 for mayo. How would you feel about 100 yoyos?

With all due respect making a bet with you, would mean meeting you and no I dont want to meet you or any of the mayo lads . Or give away my identity, i would risk being a target for the mayo ultras on bebo ....

[blast05]

I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

[SLIGONIAN]

We used one certain player as target man (but he was needed elsewhere) and it did work to a certain extent during league so dont be suprised if we use that tactic at various stages during the game especially if the fb is 5-5(that is small for a fb). Must pass that on Jordan seeming as I ruined his advantage of naming a dummy team.  ..

[shapes]

History and previous results do suggest that we are up against it particularly going to Castlebar where there will be large support for Mayo on the day due to it not beng televised.
The last 4 meetings of Sligo and Mayo in the championship have been close, We do prefer to be the underdog where we can dig in and give it everything. I see in the last few days starting with O'Mahony he has been doing his best to promote Sligo as a team that will be hard to beat this has also been reflected with interviews with Dillon and Mortimer. I hope that the 'no qualifier game' is enough of a motivator for us to go and win it.
We need a big game from O'Hara with his football doing the talking, I don't understand Jordan naming a team that we all seem to no will line out with a few positional switches based on recent challenge games.
Definitely agree with Mano as I too am nervous that we didn't learn from Cork with the height of our forwards. Maybe Michael McN will go in full forward.
Roll on Sunday I can't wait!

[kevmy]

I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Jaysus a few Mayo lads are getting fierce bullish here. I know people might say that progress in 96 and 04 came from nowhere but as we stand at the minute we have a lot of questions marks

Is Conroy capable at full-back. We'll know a bit more after Sunday.
Is the full-back line as a whole defensive enough (two attacking wing backs and a midfielder)?
Can Jimmy Nallen, legend that he is, keep going?
Can Parsons impose himself in his first championship start and will the partnership of himself and McGarrity be 'too nice' for an imposing pair like Quinn and O'Hara?
Can we have enough guile and creativity from a half-forward line (who in fairness should have no problems getting on the ball)?
Can Austy carry league form into championship (I'd be thrilled if he could)?

We'll have a lot of answers Sunday evening. At the minute we're fairly uncertain because we've seen so little of anything close to this line-up.

[ludermor]

[With all due respect making a bet with you, would mean meeting you and no I dont want to meet you or any of the mayo lads . Or give away my identity, i would risk being a target for the mayo ultras on bebo ....

It wouldnt be on my list of priorties to meet you either but i never be as bigoted or bitter as not to have the craic with any sligo person if he/she was beside me in a pub. Where is the love gone?

[Mano]

I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

[RedandGreenSniper]

I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

The fact that one Sligo lad believed hook line and sinker that Mayo would have a 5'5" full-back and another would go and check it is hilarious
Well in Blast

[Mano]

I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

The fact that one Sligo lad believed hook line and sinker that Mayo would have a 5'5" full-back and another would go and check it is hilarious
Well in Blast

I didn't believe it you flute. I went and checked what we were up against. I saw hime once or twice on TV during the league and knew he wasn't small.

Wouldn't be surprised what ye played at full back-ye had Heaney at full back and Nallen at centre back for all-ireland 06-2 of the cleanest ball players in the country trying to keep the Kerry forwards at bay. So nothing would surprise me. When was last time ye had a proper full back-back as far as Peter Ford probably

[kevmy]

I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

The fact that one Sligo lad believed hook line and sinker that Mayo would have a 5'5" full-back and another would go and check it is hilarious
Well in Blast

I didn't believe it you flute. I went and checked what we were up against. I saw hime once or twice on TV during the league and knew he wasn't small.

Wouldn't be surprised what ye played at full back-ye had Heaney at full back and Nallen at centre back for all-ireland 06-2 of the cleanest ball players in the country trying to keep the Kerry forwards at bay. So nothing would surprise me. When was last time ye had a proper full back-back as far as Peter Ford probably

I'd say Kevin Cahill. We had a pretty mean defence around '96 '97

[AbbeySider]

A few observations...

13. Conor Mortimer  14. Austin O'Malley   15. Andy Moran
I wouldnt worry about the above forward line. Austin is playing the football of his career so far and should be brimming with confidence after good displays in the league. Moran and Mortimer are also seasoned at this stage and should not have too much trouble getting a few scores.

10. Peadar Gardiner  11. Pat Harte  12. Trevor Mortimer
Dillon is a huge loss as a play maker and setting up the attacks so the attack will change a bit with more running. One word to sum up this half forward line is honesty. Trev and Gardiner always run themselves into the ground and Harte always trys hard. I expect the two wingers to run at the Sligo defences because they have the legs for it. I would worry about Harte a little because I have not seen him play with confidence and take scores.

8. Ronan McGarrity   9. Tom Parsons
Im really looking forward to seeing what Parsons can do at this level. I like his work rate and he is great at coming forward and can take scores. Great athlete and has a good spring and is a good fielder of the ball. I have often said that I was never a fan of McGarrity because he doesnt perform on the big day. Any time I saw him against a good mid-field he flops because he doesnt have the body strength for it. I have said that as a footballer he wastes winters on the basketball courts instead of the gym. I have often seen players tear the ball off him in possession which shouldnt be happening at this level. Hope im proven wrong but he will have his hands full with O'Hara.

5. Tom Cunniffe  6. David Heaney  7. James Nallen
My main observation with the half back line is that JOM is changing Mayos old tactic of attacking wing backs. This will be very interesting as donates that Mayo will be using long first time ball into the forwards. We dont have the pace on the wings for the running game we played in the past. Heaney is a little worry at CB as he sometimes gets caught out of position. Nallen has a great head but a fast wing forward could cause him trouble. Im glad Cunniffe is finally at wing back because I was never a fan of putting him in the corner.

1. David Clarke  2. Colm Boyle  3. Kieran Conroy  4. Keith Higgins
The fullback line is very unproven apart from Higgins. Glad to see Boyle in the corner rather than wing back. Im not sure if Conroy has been tested with good fast forwards so that question mark is there. We need a big game from both Boyle and Conroy. Hopefully Higgins wont wander too far up the field exposing the FB line. I think its here that the game will be won or lost.
Clarke is solid but he should be more commanding in the square and sometimes his kickouts go astray.


Summing up im not overly confident going into this one. I think it will be closer than people think but we might have enough in the tank regarding fitness in the last 10 minutes or so to pull away.

[INDIANA]

surely mayo as a team that contested 2 of the last 4 all-ireland finals would be raging hot favourites to beat a team that has been relegated to div 4?

[AbbeySider]

surely mayo as a team that contested 2 of the last 4 all-ireland finals would be raging hot favourites to beat a team that has been relegated to div 4?

Teams always lift it for the Championship. You cant take anything for granted