Connacht U21 Championship 2010

[SLIGONIAN]

And here's the Sligo 15:

1.Brian McGovern (Calry St.Josephs)

2.Noel Gaughan (Tourlestrane)
3.Gavin Gilsenan (St.Molaise Gaels)
4.Johnny Kelly (St.Molaise Gaels)

5.Ronan McGarigle (St.John's)
6.Barry O'Boyle (Calry St.Joseph's)
7.Keelan Cawley (Coolera Strandhill)

8.Conor Davey (Drumcliffe,Rosses Pt.)
9.Cathal Burns (St.Molaise Gaels)

10.Paul Kelly (St.Patrick's)
11.Padraig Clarke (St.Patrick's)
12.Darren Gilsenan (St.Molaise Gaels)

13.Niall Judge (Castleconnor)
14.David Maye (Curry)
15.Alan Dunne (Tourlestrane)

They appear to have a lot of players from Sligonian's club which suggests they won't be short on confidence, if nothing else.

Absolutely no fear of anyone, which is what it should be.

Galway side is named aswell.

Galway (U21FC v Sligo): B Power; J Duane, C Forde, K Kelly; C Doherty, D Reilly, G Sweeney; P Conroy, JJ Greaney; M Boyle, T Walsh, J O'Brien; E Monaghan, M Martin, D Cummins.

[Cosmo Kramer]

Mayo unchanged according to Hogan Stand.

Robert Hennelly (Breaffy)

Pat Mulchrone (Burrishoole)
Shane McHale (Knockmore)
Michael Gallagher (Achill)

Lee Keegan (Westport)
Eoghan O'Reilly (Castlebar)
Sean Prendergast (Claremorris)

Ger McDonagh (Castlebar)
Shane Nally (Garrymore)

Cathal Carolan (Crossmolina)
Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)

Neil Douglas (Castlebar)
Aidan O'Shea (Breaffy)
Alan Freeman (Aghamore)


Still not convinced about the positioning of one or two of the players, impressive looking set of forwards though. I expect a close game.

So how many of those are senior player's O Shea &.............

nally,mcloughlin and freeman are all on the senior panel as far as i know.

Neil Douglas is on the senior panel as well. Not sure if Nally is still with the seniors.

Come championship time, I'd only expect O'Shea and McLoughlin out of the under 21s to start for the seniors, with Freeman on the bench. But if someone like McHale or Nally plays out of their skin for the under 21s, they could get a look in.

[Rossfan]

Kevin Higgins & Donal Shine is the only players on the Senior Team

& yes it's 100% confirmed for 4pm Hyde Park March 17th


official team
1 Darren OMalley Michael Glaveys

2 Jack Sharkey Kilmore
3 Neill Collins Castlerea St Kevins
4 Michael Higgins Western Gaels

5 James Mc Keague Creggs
6 Niall Daly Padraig Pearses
7 Eamon Bannon Fuerty

8 Niall Carty Padraig Pearses
9 Kevin Higgins Western Gaels

10 Paul Garvey Kilmore
11 Cathal Shine Clann na nGael
12 Brian Murtagh St Faithleachs

13 Alan O Hara St Michaels
14 Donal Shine Clann na nGael
15 Niall Kilroy Fuerty

Wouldnt be shockin confident with that lineout I'm afraid.
Anyway best of luck to them and hopefully they'll surprise us on the day although it's a tough task against Connacht's U21 specialists.

[Shrewdness]

Expect Mayo to win this at a canter. Roscommon Gaa is f''ked at every level at the moment. Last weekend, the Senior footballers, hurlers and camogie teams were all beaten, and the ladies team is now such an embarassment, they should be disbanded immediately. 

[Farrandeelin]

Jes lads, I don't know. I mean ye were blowing the trumpets of the 06 minor win for a few years, now everything is frigged up! I don't get it. I'm not expecting anything comfortable, any win would do I suppose, like the opener against Leitrim. We only won that by 4!

[Farrandeelin]

Scrap that, we'll beat the daylights out of ye tomorrow. I'm never going to say Mayo are going to lose games again, or win tight ones either for that matter.

[ross4life]

Expect Mayo to win this at a canter. Roscommon Gaa is f''ked at every level at the moment. Last weekend, the Senior footballers, hurlers and camogie teams were all beaten, and the ladies team is now such an embarassment, they should be disbanded immediately.

what have you not been following underage GAA football for the last 4/5 years? apart from the 2007 under 21 final we have more than held our own v the best at this level!

[Cosmo Kramer]

Expect Mayo to win this at a canter. Roscommon Gaa is f''ked at every level at the moment. Last weekend, the Senior footballers, hurlers and camogie teams were all beaten, and the ladies team is now such an embarassment, they should be disbanded immediately.

Liking the reverse psychology, but the shitness of your senior teams (and by god they're rubbish these days) has no bearing at all on your underage sides. 3 years ago the Roscommon minors easily won this fixture by 1-11 to 1-5, Dempsey was managing and a lot of the lads playing today for Mayo were playing back then too.

[Cosmo Kramer]

From the Western People -- June 2007

GAA: Mayo hopes dashed by regal Ros'

ESB Connacht Minor Football Championship Semi-final
ROSCOMMON 1-11 MAYO 1-5

WHEN Roscommon forged a path to All-Ireland Minor glory last season, that outstanding success caught many of their own officials by surprise as it was widely believed by the judgers of emerging talent within county circles that manager Fergal O'Donnell would have a stronger crop of players at his disposal in 2007. How true that notion could still prove to be.

Ros' looked less impressive in their defeat of Mayo at McHale Park last year yet still mounted a victorious assault on national honours and on latest evidence, few would back against them seeing off all-comers in the defence of their crown.


Saturday's six points win was far more comprehensive than the score-line suggests and Mayo, for all their effort, looked a broken team by the finish, with both midfielders and centre half forward replaced before the long whistle. The locals were 1-7 to 0-1 in front before Mayo managed to land their second point 19 minutes from full-time, over half an hour playing time having elapsed between the green and red's pair of scores. Also, when Jason Doherty's second half goal reignited Mayo hopes, it had taken all of 48 minutes for any player other than Alan Freeman to score.


When last these sides clashed in the Connacht Minor League on St Patrick's Day, Ray Dempsey's team romped to an emphatic 1-8 to 0-4 win, however, the turnaround in fortune that occurred at Dr Hyde Park last Saturday suggests that the Provincial and All-Ireland holders enjoyed a far better preparation in the interim, aided no doubt by two championship encounters they were afforded courtesy of their participation in the inaugural round-robin series with Sligo and Leitrim.


There was hardly a sector of the field in which Roscommon conceded the advantage to their opponents and in powerhouse midfielder Colm O'Neill, playmaker Donal Shine, marksman Darren McDermott, inspirational centre-half-back James McKeague, corner-back Conor Boylan and lively sub Alan Duffy, Fergal O'Donnell's team boasted players of which Mayo had little or no success in curbing their influence.


An early downpour meant for slippy conditions but Roscommon, backed by the breeze, began brightly and by the third minute had managed to do what it would take Mayo 41 minutes to achieve - the scoring of two points. Darren McDermott was first to raise white when converting a free awarded for Ruairdhri O'Connor's pick off the ground while Kevin Cummins blazed a goal chance over the bar after Donal Shine's long ball caused confusion between both full-back Kevin Keane and corner-back Kevin McLoughlin.


Alan Freeman did eventually dissect the posts after the fouling of Mark Tierney in the 10th minute but little else was to go right for the Aghamore man, or his Mayo colleagues, for the rest of the half. Alan O'Hara, after McLoughlin blocked Donal Shine's initial point attempt, Paul Garvey, after Cummins brilliantly kept the ball in play, Darren McDermott from another free and Shine from a '45 all pointed as Ros' moved 0-6 to 0-1 ahead by the 23rd minute.


Alan Freeman had planted the leather to the opposing net just shy of the quarter hour but that score was ruled out because Niall Prenty was adjudged to have carried the ball over the line in the build up. Other scoring chances also passed Mayo by; Freeman's delay of kicking a close range free resulted in the awarding of a hop ball and the post denied the same player a third point from a first half injury time 35 metre free.


By now Mayo had done with an unsuccesful 7th defender tactic --Caoimhin Carty the fall guy when making way for Damien Keane late in the half - but their problems were many. Sean Morris was gathering lots of ball, Ruairdhri O'Connor was attacking from deep and Mark Tierney was showing for deliveries in the corner, but too often a Roscommon hand was able to overturn possession - though there was an early wayward tendency about many of Roscommon's clearances, none of which Mayo were able to better punish.


The hosts were forced into a first half change also, after captain Paul Garvey sustained a facial injury when in collision with Kevin McLoughlin, however, his replacement Alan Duffy was to prove a central player in Roscommon's continued dominance after the restart.


It was Duffy's pass at the end of an excellent move that played in Alan O'Hara for a 38th minute goal chance, the hauling down of the corner-forward presenting Darren McDermott with the opportunity to kick a close range free after half-backs Micheal Jennings and Ruairdhri O'Connor both kicked wide of the target at the opposite end in the opening exchanges of the half.


T he major Ros' had threatened was not long in arriving. When Kevin Higgins switched the direction of play from right to left, an unmarked Alan Duffy fetched the ball at the edge of square and hand-passed to McDermott whose finish not only gave Josh Tierney no chance of stopping, but the home team a 1-7 to 0-1 lead. Within 60 seconds Alan Freeman scored Mayo's second point when gathering Jennings' long delivery and with management seeking to inject new life into their team, Aidan O'Shea and Gary Loftus were summoned from the bench with Kevin McLoughlin moving from defence to attack.


McDermott and Freeman traded frees before a lifeline presented itself to Mayo in the 48th minute. Quickest onto the break from Sean Prendergast's long ball into the Ros' dangerzone, Burrishoole's Jason Doherty composed himself to shoot the O'Neill's into the bottom left corner of Darren O'Malley's goal. Somehow Mayo now found themselves just five points in arrears, 1-8 to 1-3, despite having been outplayed for long stretches.


The Alans, Duffy and Freeman, exchanged points, however, the former could have really ignited hopes of a complete recovery had he managed to guide his kick under the crossbar when superbly fetching Damien Keane's skyscraper. With McDermott and substitute O'Shea swapping frees, the margin remained the same until Roscommon's sytlish All-Ireland hero of last year, Donal Shine, pointed from distance off the ground, deep in injury time.


Their brand of football being pleasing on the eye, there was a swagger about Ros' - but there's substance to back their style. The losers struggled to keep with the pace set by the reigning champions, however, there were wholehearted contributions, most notably from Kevin Keane, Kevin McLoughlin, Ruairdhri O'Connor, Sean Morris, Niall Prenty and Alan Freeman.


ROSCOMMON: Darren O'Malley, Conor Boylan, Neil Collins, Paul O'Grady, Darragh Lennon, James McKeague, Eamon Bannon, Colm O'Neill, Kevin Higgins, Kevin Brady, Donal Shine, Paul Garvey ©, Alan O'Hara, Kevin Cummins, Darren McDermott.


Subs used: Alan Duffy (Garvey 28-inj), Niall Carty (for Cummins 53), Eugene Stritch (for Brady 57), Ger Brady (for Bannon 60).


MAYO: Josh Tierney, Michael Gallagher, Kevin Keane, Kevin McLoughlin, Sean Prendergast, Micheal Jennings, Ruairdhri O'Connor, Sean Morris, Michael Nestor, Keith Glynn (c), Caoimhin Carty, Niall Prenty, Mark Tierney, Jason Doherty, Alan Freeman.


Subs used: Damien Keane (for Carty 24), Aidan O'Shea (for Tierney 42), Gary Loftus (for Glynn 42), Ronan Warde (for Nestor 50), Donal Gallagher (for Morris 59).


REFEREE: Michael Duffy (Sligo)

By my count 9 of Roscommon's starting 15 today and 6 of Mayo's played in this game.
 

[Cosmo Kramer]

And I suppose the other match of relevance would be last years game.


From the Western People -- March 2009

GAA: A great escape but fully deserved   


Cadburys Connacht U-21 Football Championship - quarter-final
MAYO 4-14 ROSCOMMON 2-15

OH where to start. Eighty minutes, six goals, twenty nine points, injury time equalisers, shocking misses, super subs, sacrificed bodies ... to try and find a game replicate in entertainment and quality to Saturday's epic Connacht U-21 semi-final would be a task almost as difficult as that which requires this reporter to limit the match summary to this space alone.


First the synopsis; a goal steered home from the last kick of normal time by Jason Doherty, via the flailing leg of a Roscommon defender, earned Mayo's U-21s extra-time, a period where they finally staved off the determined challenge of the visitors.


First-half Mayo goals by Niall Douglas and Jason Doherty were negated after half-time by Fintan Cregg and David O'Gara, as the Green and Red let slip an eight points second-half lead to trail by three in deepest injury time. However, scoring 2-9 in the second half alone was not enough to allow Roscommon advance to a provincial final showdown with Sligo, and buoyed by their great escape, Mayo dominated extra-time with three points by substitute Conor Jordan preceding a second Douglas goal a minute before the final whistle. It brought to an end a game of absorbing drama. Now for the unedited account!


Showing one change to the team that defeated Galway, with the introduction of corner-back Eoghan O'Reilly, for Michael Gallagher, meaning goalkeeper and all three full-back line positions were filled entirely by 2008 minors (a total of six started), Mayo stormed out of the blocks to lead by 0-4 to no score after 14 minutes with points from Cathal Freeman, a free, Jason Doherty, two, and Tom Parsons. Both teams incurred significant early losses however, with corner-back Peter Domican, one of the Roscommon starting team's 13 survivors from the 2006 All-Ireland winning minors (all 15 were used by game's end), and Mayo play-maker Freeman both forced off by injury on 12 and 20 minutes respectively.


Dominant around the middle where Cathal Carolan partnered Tom Parsons, with Aidan O'Shea assisting from centre-forward, Mayo relinquished that hold for a brief spell midway through the half and Roscommon were able land their first points through Donal Shine, a free, and Kevin Higgins, but outscored between the 24th minute and half-time by 2-1 to 0-2, the Shannonsiders were to turnaround seven points in arrears. A Jason Doherty free preceded two Mayo goals - the second of which he scored after Frank Burke and Niall Douglas combined cleverly up the right wing - and the first belonging to Douglas after Doherty himself had walloped the ball off the crossbar in the lead up.


Mayo's tactic of running off the shoulder from deep, with Donal Vaughan, Lee Keegan, Carolan, Parsons and O'Shea linking particularly well, was causing maximum destruction. Showing for everything, Doherty was playing the target man role to perfection, and the home side's 2-5 to 0-4 half-time lead was richly deserved. Roscommon, popping over two late frees through Donal Shine, looked shell-shocked as they headed for sanctuary.


Quite why Conor Devaney, who kicked four second-half points, was held in reserve until the start of the second half dominated post-mortem discussions among Roscommon supporters, as it was the Kilbride man who almost single-handedly inspired a most stunning fight-back. Looking more than just match-fit despite a recent bout of bumps, just 80 seconds of the new half had elapsed when he forced Mayo 'keeper Robert Hennelly into a fine save. Doherty did point Mayo eight clear a minute later but by the 40th minute just a single white flag divided the teams. Points by Roscommon's Fintan Cregg and Conor Devaney, a self won free, were met with a Donal Vaughan fisted point in response, but two goals in the space of 60 seconds turned the game on its head.


Kevin McLoughlin's adopting of the well-tested John Broderick's duties had no immediate effect in quelling the threat of Devaney who drilled the ball left to right into Cregg who gathered and fired past Hennelly on 39 minutes. The Breaffy man was picking the ball out of his net again almost as soon as he had kicked it out; Donal Shine kicked high towards Mayo's goal from 45 metres and David O'Gara rose above defence and the advanced Hennelly to fist to an empty net.


Their lead whittled dramatically, 2-7 to 2-6, Mayo's initial response was positive with Carolan and Hennelly, a 45, easing them three points ahead with 17 minutes remaining, but glaring deficiencies in defence had now been exposed and Roscommon, like hungry lions, looked for a kill. Driven on from the rear by excellent centre-back David Flynn, points by Fintan Cregg, Kevin Higgins and Conor Devaney, a free, levelled the game before Higgins kicked the visitors in front for the first time, followed by a Devaney brace from play which had them 2-12 to 2-9 ahead with five minutes left on the clock.


Between all that, sub Sean Prendergast would have restored Mayo's lead had he not driven the leather off the Roscommon crossbar when cutting in from the left wing. Mikey Sweeney, quieter than normal, did weave some magic to point from top of the left for Mayo's first score in 13 minutes, but when O'Shea missed from dead-centre, and the hardworking Higgins immediately popped over the bar at the other end, it looked game over for the reigning champions. Their players thought different though, and when 53rd minute introduction Conor Jordan lobbed in the free that Niall Douglas offered his body to win, one second over the allotted two minutes injury time had passed when Jason Doherty swung a leg in the jampacked Roscommon goal-mouth to direct the loose ball off an unlucky defender and into the bottom right corner of Mark Miley's goal.


From the throw-in of extra-time, you sensed there would only be one winner; Mayo were not about to waste their reprieve, even if Doherty would again do everything right except smash the ball off the Roscommon crossbar when picked out from distance by Aidan O'Shea. Corner-forwards Sweeney and Jordan, two, lofted over terrific points within five minutes of the restart, and either side of the short-whistle, Roscommon's Higgins exchanged a point with what was Jordan's third in nine minutes playing time.


Cregg did reward another creative play by Conor Devaney with a point, this reducing the arrears to two with six minutes to play, and Devaney and fellow sub Cathal McHugh threatened more Roscommon goals on 76 and 78 minutes, but Mayo stood firm and when extra-time sub Niall Prenty combined with Tom Parsons to carve open the Roscommon defence one final time, it allowed Niall Douglas the happy task of rattling home his second and Mayo's fourth major to confirm their entrance to the provincial decider. Anyone for a four-in a-row?


SCORERS - Mayo: Jason Doherty 2-4 (0-1f), Niall Douglas 2-0, Conor Jordan 0-3 (1f), Mikey Sweeney 0-2, Cathal Carolan, Cathal Freeman (f), Tom Parsons, Donal Vaughan and Robert Hennelly (45) 0-1 each. Roscommon: Fintan Cregg 1-3, Kevin Higgins 0-5, Conor Devaney 0-4 (2f), David O'Gara 1-0, Donal Shine 0-3f.


MAYO: Robert Hennelly; Eoghan O'Reilly, Kevin Keane, John Broderick; Donal Vaughan, Lee Keegan, Kevin McLoughlin; Tom Parsons (c), Cathal Carolan; Frank Burke, Aidan O'Shea, Cathal Freeman; Michael Sweeney, Niall Douglas, Jason Doherty.


Subs: Brian Gallagher (for Freeman 20-inj), Sean Prendergast (for Broderick 50), Conor Jordan (for Gallagher 53), Niall Prenty (for Burke 73), Colm English (for Vaughan 77-inj), Brian Gallagher (for Parsons 80).


ROSCOMMON: Mark Miley; Niall Carthy, Neil Collins, Peter Domican; Donal Ward, David Flynn, James McKeague; Donal Shine, David Keenan; Keith Waldron, Paul Garvey, Kevin Higgins; Fintan Cregg, Mark McLoughlin, David O'Gara. Subs: Stephen Ormsby (for Domican 12-inj), Conor Devaney (for Garvey h/t), Paul Gleeson (for Collins 34), Cathal McHugh (for McLoughlin 43), Cathal Shine (for Waldron 69), Colm Garvey (for McKeague 73).


Referee: Ray McBrien (Leitrim).








Nine of today's Mayo 15 and seven Rossies involved in that one.

[magpie seanie]

Heading to Tuam in a while in hope. Will be a proud day for our club as a lad from our club leads out a Sligo team for a Connacht Championship for the first time in ages (actually don't know the last time but not in my lifetime anyway). Its a mugs game to predict anything with how little I know about our team never mind Galway. 3 years ago is the base for a lot of it when we really could have turned them over. All I hope is that if things are going awry that our strong subs are used quickly if lads are not performing. If they're doing the business then great. Record in Tuam has to improve some time, doesn't it?

[ross4life]

Fair Play to you Cosmo Kramer trying to play down Mayo's chances  you should have included the 2008 u21 Game while your at it! judging by your posted reports Jason Doherty is the main man

Ray Dempsey used those tactics after the First connacht minor final last Summer & it worked

the Fact remains Roscommon are huge outsiders in Today's Game!

[Cosmo Kramer]

I didn't bother with the 08 game as theres not much similarity between that team and today's one (only Doherty and Neil Douglas involved in both on the Mayo side) but ya, its another example that theres rarely been more than a kick of the ball between the two teams at underage level in recent years, and the one time there was, was when Roscommon handed us a kicking in that minor game three years ago. I think it's 50/50 today at best for us to be honest, and home advantage could be a factor as well. I might have to change my avatar signature after this one, and I'd rather not because I quite like it!

[ludermor]

Question for ye rossies, Is Alan Lavin still involved with the U21 setup?

[GAA_Punter]

Cadbury Connacht U21FC semi-finals
Galway 0-03 0-02 Sligo, Tuam, 4.00pm
Roscommon 0-01 0-03 Mayo, Dr Hyde Park, 4.00pm

http://www.sportsnewsireland.com/2010/03/17/gaa-live-scores-fixtures-results-wednesday-17-march-2010/