Mayo v Galway - Connacht Final 13/07/08 14:00 McHale Park, Castlebar

[Mayo4Sam]

Any word on whether howley will be starting or not?

[rosnarun]

i dont think its effective as the games seem to be going about 50/50 and maybe now the boxer is gone galway will try to play a bit of football sunday.  though i have my doubts.

Are you any relation to or are you that Ball-Boy character on hoganstand.com?

err no but im just doubting why change what they think is effective. well know from the line out what way it'll pan out.

well done barney , you can keep your OVA's EVA's and OVICH's always liked the czech/swiss miss

[OirthearMhaigheo]

we know at this stage galway think the way to beat mayo is to beat them up . they are not a dirty team and dont try it on other team.

i know quting yourself is the ultimate in vanity but you only read the 1st bit . I agree Galway dont try the rough house stuff on other teams event leitrim. but ther seems to be a definite impression in galway that mayo are all about bleached hair and white boots. i dont think its effective as the games seem to be going about 50/50 and maybe now the boxer is gone galway will try to play a bit of football sunday.  though i have my doubts.

I think you've mentioned the important bit there ros. In Galways defence they used their rough house tactics while Forde was in charge, they weren't as dirty before him and I expect to see them playing to their strengths again now that he's gone. I have never associated Mayo or Galway with dirty football, that's why it was always such a shock when we left the province, only the Rossies used to roughen us up and prepare us for the more physical teams!
Galway did seem to play with more of an edge against us than any other team but I would put a good bit of that down to Forde, he knew what players to get at and he desperately wanted to get one over on the Mayo county board so he brought a much more northern style to Galways game (some Galway lads were more than happy to follow his lead ). I'm expecting a more open clash next Sunday, with Johnno and Liam Sammon both belonging to the purists camp rather than the glorified rugby league one.

[dodo]

Clarke believes in Mayo mix

GAVIN CUMMISKEY  CONNACHT SFC

AN INTERESTING point was made by Mayo goalkeeper David Clarke at yesterday's promotion for the Connacht football final against Galway on Sunday in Castlebar. How well can an amateur squad know each other?

Sure, there are the long coach trips to away games, but the iPod normally takes precedence. With careers or studies ensuring intercounty players' life are fairly hectic, they rarely have time to stand around after training.

Sometimes, it takes years to bond. Sometimes, it never comes. In the case of the new-look Mayo panel there was a natural teething process. John O'Mahony made a conscious decision this season to bring on the next generation. For Clarke, the main priority was to familiarise himself with full back Kieran Conroy.

"It takes a while. Kieran played the last few games in the league and Billy Joe (Padden) was there before that. I have known Billy Joe for a good number of years, I got to know Kieran only in the last number of months and that trip to Portugal was very helpful.

"You got to speak to people because when you are working you just go training and do your work and you could be working at night or early in the morning and don't have time to be sticking around chit-chatting. So the trip to Portugal was very beneficial because there were lads I wouldn't have known and got to know them and have a few pints with them."

So, it is an unknown mix that welcomes Galway to McHale Park. A rebuilding year, as christened by O'Mahony recently; a fusion of an All-Ireland winning under-21 team into a group that has twice suffered at the hands of Kerry with Sam Maguire in sight.

"You cannot keep looking back and killing yourself about what happened in the past," said Clarke. "Especially myself. I am disappointed with what happened last year against Derry I made an error and the game fell after that.

"That is in my own mind more so than 2006 (All-Ireland final), I got rid of thinking about 2006, I don't think about it anymore. I said we have a lot of new players, we are working together and we just want to see how we get on."

To many people outside of Connacht they are unfamiliar names. "Some of them were introduced last year through the qualifiers ...Tom Cunniffe. If you look through the team that is starting, Colm Boyle won an All-Ireland, Kieran Conroy is a young enough player.

"Colm Boyle made his debut, Kieran Conroy made his debut, Tom Parsons played last year against Derry. Mark Ronaldson came on the last day against Sligo to make his debut, as did Mickey Mullins.

"So there are a large number of players like that. Shane Nallen is another one on the panel. Aiden Campbell is on the panel, there are a large number of younger players.

"I don't think you can really say they are too young because the fact is a lot of teams that win All-Irelands definitely have 19 and 20 year olds. They are the people that have ambition and drive. Speed is a big thing in today's game and you have that in abundance when you are 19 to 21."

© 2008 The Irish Times

[IolarCoisCuain]

That's a fairly token interview with Clarkie from Cumiskey, isn't it? You'd think he could even let on he cared what David had to tell him. 

[Farrandeelin]

When will the teams be named?

[moysider]

Grumpy old Eugene McGee has some views in this weeks Western People. Found it strange enough. Unfortunately its not on the digital edition so I cant put it on here. Anybody else read it?

[moysider]

Clarke
Boyle
Conroy
K Higgins
Cuniffe
Heaney
Nallen
McGarrity
Parsons
Dillon
Harte
T Mort
C Mort
Austie
Moran

[outthecountry]

One change - dillon in for gardiner. Do you think this will be the team to start - it nearly names itself by now which is rare for a mayo team.
Mayo to win pulling up................!!!!!!

[spectator]

but Johnno prepared and picked that defence. Mannion had conceded something like 2-3 before half time and I never thought I d see him in maroon again . He was to the best of my recollection replaced at ht. However Johnno knew better. Divilly was brutal as well and he decided to go with Mannion at CHB for the rest of the Summer.

Wasn't it was Divilly who was replaced at half time & then for the qualifiers Mannion's move to chb along with the introduction of Kieran Fitz to the full back line helped improve the defensive side of things.

As regards the  negativity and criticism? Well all I can say he would nt want to lose next Sunday after Celtic Park and Salthill last year if he does nt like criticism.

To be fair to Johnno, it wasn't him who was sensitive to the fallout from the Ros defeat - after all he was well used to severe criticism after his post 1991 Connacht final bashing while managing Mayo. However, senior players like Kevin Walsh & TM spoke after the Q-final of how they'd been derided as under-achievers, who'd be known as a one all-ireland team only. Given that the Ros defeat came on the back of their 2000 AI defeat, they both said the criticism spurred on the Galway players to achieve a second all-ireland win in order to answer naysayers amongst other things.

Johnno has always been credited with the 2001 revival and the myth has grown that there was some kind of masterplan in Tuam 01 to harden Galway up and rebuild the team through the qualifiers. Johnno drowned that day but managed to revive the situation. Many mayo people expect the same good fortune in Mayo. Johnno himself has admitted that he was nt sure how the qualifiers worked and whether they had another chance after Tuam defeat. He s on record as saying that he thought that only provincial finalists got a second chance  - as was the case in hurling at that time. Napoleon was right about his generals.

Yeah, I agree with most of that. Johnno thought Galway were out of the championship in the immediate aftermath of the Tuam defeat. He said neither himself or the players had thought of anything other than a victory when approaching the game. Any barstool chat about a pre-conceived 'masterplan' to rebuild through the qualifers is complete and utter drivel.

When you consider he was undecided on whether to continue as manager after his third year in charge, it's perhaps unsurprising that he encountered the hiccup in Tuam. Quite simply he hadn't been planning for a fourth year at the helm, imo, and made a fairly good job of sorting things out over the remainder of the year.

Perhaps he has luck on his side, but it's undeniable that he has great football acumen and outstanding managerial ability.  You make your own luck, after all is said and done.

[stephenite]

Clarke
Boyle
Conroy
K Higgins
Cuniffe
Heaney
Nallen
McGarrity
Parsons
Dillon
Harte
T Mort
C Mort
Austie
Moran

No real surprise from what most had predicted - getting excited about Sunday night. Are the other Aussie based posters staying at home for the comfort or heading out for the atmosphere, I've Monday off but can't decide.

[Bod Mor]

Clarke
Boyle
Conroy
K Higgins
Cuniffe
Heaney
Nallen
McGarrity
Parsons
Dillon
Harte
T Mort
C Mort
Austie
Moran

No real surprise from what most had predicted - getting excited about Sunday night. Are the other Aussie based posters staying at home for the comfort or heading out for the atmosphere, I've Monday off but can't decide.

Good to see Dillon back. Can't wait for Sunday, the butterflies are forming already.

Not sure what I am doing Sunday night yet. I may end up in PJ O'Brien's or Paddy McGuires.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Clarke
Boyle
Conroy
K Higgins
Cuniffe
Heaney
Nallen
McGarrity
Parsons
Dillon
Harte
T Mort
C Mort
Austie
Moran

No real surprise from what most had predicted - getting excited about Sunday night. Are the other Aussie based posters staying at home for the comfort or heading out for the atmosphere, I've Monday off but can't decide.

Good to see Dillon back. Can't wait for Sunday, the butterflies are forming already.

Not sure what I am doing Sunday night yet. I may end up in PJ O'Brien's or Paddy McGuires.

Aye I'm really getting excited about it now. Missing a great weekend at home but looking forward to a Conn final a lot more than a would have thought a few months ago.
I'll definitely be out - one of our crew's last night. Will there be commentary in Scruffys? Or anywhere?

[Bod Mor]

There's usually commentary in Paddy McGuire's, there was anyway at the last match I watched there (Cork V Tipp a few weeks ago).

[RedandGreenSniper]

Cheers BM. Paddy's it is so. There'll be a good gang of Mayos around I'd say and a few Herron Chokers too