AISF Mayo v Dublin

[Mayo4Sam14]

Is any one else worried about the form of Cillian O'Connor?

[muppet]

Is any one else worried about the form of Cillian O'Connor?

He was fine until he took the free from the right side-line. After that he went a bit quite from play but he set up Keegan's goal remember.

If we had a reliable left-footed free taker we might have an All-Ireland by now. I think it affected McLoughlin's form badly, having to hit them and maybe Varley too. If the percentage return from frees from the right is poor (we were 0 from 2 against Donegal) why not drop them on O'Shea on the 6 yard line, or go short? Watching a player deflate and go out of form, because he doesn't fancy them, is a drum we should stop beating.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

Dublin 8/13
Mayo 13/8

We've shortened slightly since Sunday

That'll be down to our  shrink-ray specialists .

That's grand, we'll use it to stay under the radar.

Not with Hawkeye around...

[Ohtoohtobe]

I just don't think Dublin are playing as well this year as they were in 2013-14. They were playing football from another planet last year and if Connolly or Brogan had taken those goal chances against Donegal they'd be going for three-in-a-row.

Contrast Flynn and Macauley's form this year to those years. If they have a big game in them Dublin could win but I'd fancy Mayo.

I also don't think Dublin are any more solid defensively. Indeed I think they have robbed Peter without paying Paul because they're slightly less fearsome going forward and no more solid at the back.

I mean as much as a mismatch as Dublin v Kildare was, we scored 0-14 and could have had 1-20 with even reasonable kicking. Contrast to how utterly Kerry shut us down.

If Mayo don't concede stupid goals I'd expect them to win a close one.

[Bod Mor]

Right, the dust has settled on our quarter final win over Donegal and it's time for a reality check. There seems to be quite a few up and down the country jumping on the Mayo bandwagon after beating the 'evil', impure Donegal team. Mayo can apparently do no wrong. Aidan O'Shea and Lee Keegan ride majestic, translucent steeds, shooting flaming arrows across the bridge of Hemdale.

Nobody, and I mean nobody knows more not to get carried away with the sort of talk we have heard over the last few days than Mayo folk. Those same journalists and experts who are so quick to heap praise on us wouldn't be long twisting the knife into us if we aren't able to overcome Dublin and the ultimate prize on the third Sunday of September. I have never heard so many kind, almost condescending drivel in all my life. Here and over on the HoganStand forum. There's a famous quote from Keith Duggan after us losing the '06 final: 'Don't pity Mayo, because they will be turning up and beating you before too long'. I think we have come a long way since then. We no longer seek out pity. We have become ruthless and yes, contrary to popular belief, dabble in the same dark arts that have seen Tyrone come under so much scrutiny in the past few months (Maybe not on the same scale). Just ask Galway and maybe Roscommon if they think we are a 'nice' team to play against.

That extra layer of skin is down to the good work that James Horan put in for four years. There is only one thing that will satisfy the hunger of this Mayo team. They will not be getting carried away with the talk of 'Mayo for Sam 15'. They won't be looking beyond the Dublin game, don't you worry. I read something yesterday that one of the Dublin backs hadn't seen Mayo play this year. Dublin are raging hot favorites going into this game and with very good reason. As Moysider points out, they have the important home advantage. They are reigning national league champions. They hammered us in Castlebar earlier this year. Our free taker had a howler the last day (by his standards). We don't have a left footed free taker. We beat a tired Donegal team in the quarters and should be looking to shift up at least two gears if we are to beat Dublin.
There are an awful lot of Dublin fans trying to claim that we're actually the favourites going into this. Dublin will have regained their appetite for Sam after the loss to Donegal last year. They'll be hopping off the dressing room walls before the match ready to get at us and right those wrongs.

We always play better when we are against the odds. We should be using the loss in '13 as motivation to knock seven shades of sh1te out of Dublin. It's going to be one heck of a game and the feckin thing is still a week and a half away!

[Syferus]

Right, the dust has settled on our quarter final win over Donegal and it's time for a reality check. There seems to be quite a few up and down the country jumping on the Mayo bandwagon after beating the 'evil', impure Donegal team. Mayo can apparently do know wrong. Aidan O'Shea and Lee Keegan ride majestic, translucent steeds, shooting flaming arrows across the bridge of Hemdale.

Nobody, and I mean nobody knows more not to get carried away with the sort of talk we have heard over the last few days than Mayo folk. Those same journalists and experts who are so quick to heap praise on us wouldn't be long twisting the knife into us if we aren't able to overcome Dublin and the ultimate prize on the third Sunday of September. I have never heard so many kind, almost condescending drivel in all my life. Here and over on the HoganStand forum. There's a famous quote from Keith Duggan after us losing the '06 final: 'Don't pity Mayo, because they will be turning up and beating you before too long'. I think we have come a long way since then. We no longer seek out pity. We have become ruthless and yes, contrary to popular belief, dabble in the same dark arts that have seen Tyrone come under so much scrutiny in the past few months (Maybe not on the same scale). Just ask Galway and maybe Roscommon if they think we are a 'nice' team to play against.

That extra layer of skin is down to the good work that James Horan put in for four years. There is only one thing that will satisfy the hunger of this Mayo team. They will not be getting carried away with the talk of 'Mayo for Sam 15'. They won't be looking beyond the Dublin game, don't you worry. I read something yesterday that one of the Dublin backs hadn't seen Mayo play this year. Dublin are raging hot favorites going into this game and with very good reason. As Moysider points out, they have the important home advantage. They are reigning national league champions. They hammered us in Castlebar earlier this year. Our free taker had a howler the last day (by his standards). We don't have a left footed free taker. We beat a tired Donegal team in the quarters and should be looking to shift up at least two gears if we are to beat Dublin.
There are an awful lot of Dublin fans trying to claim that we're actually the favourites going into this. Dublin will have regained their appetite for Sam after the loss to Donegal last year. They'll be hopping off the dressing room walls before the match ready to get at us and right those wrongs.

We always play better when we are against the odds. We should be using the loss in '13 as motivation to knock seven shades of sh1te out of Dublin. It's going to be one heck of a game and the feckin thing is still a week and a half away!

Even now Mayo are wallflowers compared to the likes of Tyrone and Donegal. Maybe a little tougher (mainly conditioning than a massively changed attitude to winning at any cost) than ye were before but at times ye can be as naive as ever. The worst I can recall is AOS in his reckless youth swinging arms and elbows about, he gave Donal Ward a serious head injury back in 2011. It was like a child that had watched a video of Conor Gormley and figured it'd be a good idea to try it himself, there wasn't much rhyme or reason to it. I've seen plenty of ulster teams play up close in recent years and Mayo are still like innocent babes compared to most of that stuff, and thankfully so.

[Hound]

Bord Mor, the game is still 2 and a half weeks away!

Big disadvantage to the Dubs having 4 weeks between games!

[Il Bomber Destro]

Right, the dust has settled on our quarter final win over Donegal and it's time for a reality check. There seems to be quite a few up and down the country jumping on the Mayo bandwagon after beating the 'evil', impure Donegal team. Mayo can apparently do know wrong. Aidan O'Shea and Lee Keegan ride majestic, translucent steeds, shooting flaming arrows across the bridge of Hemdale.

Nobody, and I mean nobody knows more not to get carried away with the sort of talk we have heard over the last few days than Mayo folk. Those same journalists and experts who are so quick to heap praise on us wouldn't be long twisting the knife into us if we aren't able to overcome Dublin and the ultimate prize on the third Sunday of September. I have never heard so many kind, almost condescending drivel in all my life. Here and over on the HoganStand forum. There's a famous quote from Keith Duggan after us losing the '06 final: 'Don't pity Mayo, because they will be turning up and beating you before too long'. I think we have come a long way since then. We no longer seek out pity. We have become ruthless and yes, contrary to popular belief, dabble in the same dark arts that have seen Tyrone come under so much scrutiny in the past few months (Maybe not on the same scale). Just ask Galway and maybe Roscommon if they think we are a 'nice' team to play against.

That extra layer of skin is down to the good work that James Horan put in for four years. There is only one thing that will satisfy the hunger of this Mayo team. They will not be getting carried away with the talk of 'Mayo for Sam 15'. They won't be looking beyond the Dublin game, don't you worry. I read something yesterday that one of the Dublin backs hadn't seen Mayo play this year. Dublin are raging hot favorites going into this game and with very good reason. As Moysider points out, they have the important home advantage. They are reigning national league champions. They hammered us in Castlebar earlier this year. Our free taker had a howler the last day (by his standards). We don't have a left footed free taker. We beat a tired Donegal team in the quarters and should be looking to shift up at least two gears if we are to beat Dublin.
There are an awful lot of Dublin fans trying to claim that we're actually the favourites going into this. Dublin will have regained their appetite for Sam after the loss to Donegal last year. They'll be hopping off the dressing room walls before the match ready to get at us and right those wrongs.

We always play better when we are against the odds. We should be using the loss in '13 as motivation to knock seven shades of sh1te out of Dublin. It's going to be one heck of a game and the feckin thing is still a week and a half away!

Even now Mayo are wallflowers compared to the likes of Tyrone and Donegal. Maybe a little tougher (mainly conditioning than a massively changed attitude to winning at any cost) than ye were before but at times ye can be as naive as ever. The worst I can recall is AOS in his reckless youth swinging arms and elbows about, he gave Donal Ward a serious head injury back in 2011. It was like a child that had watched a video of Conor Gormley and figured it'd be a good idea to try it himself, there wasn't much rhyme or reason to it. I've seen plenty of ulster teams play up close in recent years and Mayo are still like innocent babes compared to most of that stuff, and thankfully so.

Do you get your mother to tuck you into bed and leave the light on for you after you watch the big bad Ulster teams play? I'm just glad the teams from our province have a bit of heart and resolve about them and aren't afraid of their own shadows.

For what it's worth Mayo are well able to handle themselves and well able to be cynical and lower the blade when they need to, just like all the other big teams. What has gone against them in the past few years is that they have lost composure and concentration at key times, nothing to with the fact they play a more innocent brand of football. I think they would be my favourites to win it this year, seeing the absolute dominance they had over Donegal in the middle of the pitch on Saturday was startling and they also seem to have tightened up at the back and are no longer playing the naive all out pushing forward football that let them rife fro coughing up goals at big moments

[Farrandeelin]

Donegal were tired. That's why we beat them.

[ballinaman]

Good post Bod Mor.
Very reminiscent of the '13 final the way journos are all over Mayo. Dublin are hard beaten in Croke Park. It was McMahon who said he hasn't watched Mayo this year and might not even matter, he'll do well to hold his place. I'm not sure if Dublin particularly rate Mayo...'12 semi is often mentioned with going asleep 10 minutes either side of half time and Mayo players time wasting .
'13 bypasses Mayo midfield easily and had about 13 lads able to run for last 10 minutes and still got job done.
Cluxton sent off and a rake of points down and still managed to get a draw in the league in Croke Park last year and then the clipping this year in Castlebar.

All of which is fine as previous games don't matter a shite when you step out onto the pitch.

[heffo]

Going to be the first sellout game of the year

[bucko]

And Joe McQuillan gets the gig....

[guy crouchback]

it has just occurred to me that  30 years ago this year  mayo played Dublin in a semi final. it was my first trip to croke park to see mayo play. i was 8 years old and at the time it was the greatest experience of my life. i remember it like it was yesterday. the flag sellers, the fans, walking out into the stand and  the pitch looking immaculate.  as far as i recall we walked up  to the hogan stand and bought a ticket on the gate.

as i write this i realize that i still get a little bit of that feeling every time i go to croke park and first glimpse the pitch, it's just magical. i was there for the replay that year as well and Padraig brogan's goal is still the greatest i have ever seen. my father and i were sitting in the first row of the upper hogan, when the goal went in he lifted me up and held me out over the edge of the stand,  shaking me as a kind of sacrificial offering to football greatness, i have a fear of heights ever since.

i love going to croke park and by god have we been spoilt over the last few years. most of all i love when we play Dublin, the games are always massive and the buzz cannot be topped, to hear the hill roar and then to hear it silenced!!
also in my opinion Dublin fans  are the best of the best, magnanimous in victory and defeat, good craic and decent.

my oldest lad is 5 this year and i am mad to bring him but he has his first day of school the next day so it might not be a good idea, its a long drive home when your 5.

i cant wait!!

[macdanger2]

it has just occurred to me that  30 years ago this year  mayo played Dublin in a semi final. it was my first trip to croke park to see mayo play. i was 8 years old and at the time it was the greatest experience of my life. i remember it like it was yesterday. the flag sellers, the fans, walking out into the stand and pitch looking immaculate.  as far as i recall we walked up the hogan stand and bought a ticket on the gate.

as i write this i realise that i still get a little bit of that feeling every time i go to croke park and first glimpse the pitch, it's just magical. i was there for the replay that year as well and Padraig brogan's goal is still the greatest i have ever seen. my father and i were sitting in the first row of the upper hogan, when the goal went in he lifted me up and held me out over the edge of the stand,  shaking me as a kind of sacrificial offering to football greatness, i have a fear of heights ever since.

i love going to croke park and by god have we been spoilt over the last few years. most of all i love when we play Dublin, the games are always massive and the buzz cannot be topped, to hear the hill roar and then to hear it silenced!!
also in my opinion Dublin fans  are the best of the best magnanimous in victory and defeat, good craic and decent.

my oldest lad is 5 this year and i am mad to bring him but he has his first day of school the next day so it might not be a good idea, its a long drive home when your 5.

i cant wait!!

Great post

[INDIANA]

Dublin 8/13
Mayo 13/8

We've shortened slightly since Sunday

That'll be down to our  shrink-ray specialists .

That's grand, we'll use it to stay under the radar.

You do know Reek Sunday was cancelled this year and the last time that happened .................................

You're well over the radar and the planets are aligning for you.