Sligeach v Maigh Eo. 5ú Meitheamh 2010

[Foreverhopeful]

is howley gone aswell with injury?

[Dinny Breen]

Kildare played Mayo in a Senior Football Challenge in Longwood on Tuesday evening and won by 1-15 to 1-14.

Playing three periods of 25 minutes, Kildare lorded possession, amassing 15 wides to Mayo's 4 overall. The Lilies started the stronger, when Eamon Callaghan goaled in the opening minute, before points from Padraig O'Neill, Alan Smith and John Doyle helped them to a 1-5 to 0-4 lead after the first period. Mayo failed to score from play in that time, but recorded four Conor Mortimer frees.

Kildare continued to maintain their dominance in the 2nd period, finishing off some good flowing moves, with John Doyle and Ronan Sweeney seeing a lot of ball. Dermot Earley was introduced 10 minutes into this period, with no strapping on his knee & had a major influence on proceedings. Kildare led 1-12 to 0-8 at the end of the 2nd 25.

The Kildare management then made a number of changes. This allowed Mayo back into the game, and they racked up 1-6 in that time, but Kildare held on for a 1-15 to 1-14 win. Shane McCormack was unlucky for the goal. After making a great save, the rebound fell to Andy Moran to knock to the net.

Overall, Mayo found it hard to live with Kildare's forward movement at times, with James Kavanagh, Alan Smith and Eamon Callaghan to the fore before the latter two were replaced.

John O'Mahony's men were always chasing the game once Callaghan found the net so early. Gary White marshalled Aidan O'Shea well, but the big full forward made little use of the ball that went his way. Top scorers for Mayo were Andy Moran 1-4 (3f) and C Mortimer 0-5 (4f).


Kildare team:
Shane McCormack;

Hugh McGrillen, Gary White, Emmet Bolton;

Keith Cribben, Brian Flanagan, Morgan O'Flaherty;

Daryl Flynn & David Whyte;

James Kavanagh, John Doyle, Ronan Sweeney;

Alan Smith, Padraig O'Neill, Eamon Callaghan.


Subs: Dermot Earley for Whyte; Karl Ennis for Callaghan; Willie Heffernan for Smith; David Lyons for Flanagan; Aindriu MacLochlainn for Bolton, plus a number of others before the end...

Scorers: E Callaghan 1-2; A Smith, J Kavanagh 0-3 each; J Doyle 0-2 (2f); P O'Neill, K Cribben, M O'Flaherty, D Lyons 0-1 each

[Foreverhopeful]

It's obvious i was right that aidan o'shea is not for 14 this year and alan dillon is not an 11. Was told i had no football knowledge by soem idiot but i can see from other posts that i was right.

[criostlinn]

What posts would these be

[Foreverhopeful]

WJ - green and red blog

Alan is, of course, a certain starter in the forwards but it's far too late in the evening to start any kind of guessing game about what six will start and in what position.  All I'll say is that Alan definitely shouldn't start at 11 – the league final showed yet again the futility of placing him there

AOS needs time...hes only 19( maybe 20 now??). it will all fall into place for him. As i keep saying he is NOT a full forward. I think hes just lost his confidence after all the bad games hes had in that position. Stick him in CF and we'll see him flourish. He will add physicality around the middle of the field, is a good foot passer and can take a long range score.

Obvious extra bit of pace off the mark that Barry Moran brings has been evident in the challenges he has played.

Billy Joe was the most efficient no. 11 in terms ogf his ability to get quality ball into Moran. Obvious he is a clever footballer. Don't have to speed

[Zulu]

Don't think anyone thought dillon should be played CF and one other person thinking AOS should be played there doesn't make you right on that issue either. There is no right or wrong in these matters, IMO AOS isn't now nor ever will be an IC center forward and if he is played there this summer his performances won't prove it one way or another. We will have to see him play at least 10-15 games there over the space of 2 or 3 years before you could say if he has what it takes. For me he lacks a number of traits I would deem necessary of a CF and it is a position that requires a great deal of things if you are to be a success there.

If we actually see him play there we can judge him but it will take time and good number of games before any sensible judge of football will make definitive judgements.

[GBXII]

It's obvious i was right that Aidan o'shea is not for 14 this year and alan dillon is not an 11. Was told i had no football knowledge by soem idiot but i can see from other posts that i was right.

Just because WJP thinks A O'Shea should be 11 doesn't make either of ye right. It's a matter of opinion and maybe he could play there some day but your reasoning for playing O'Shea at 11 is what led me to question your knowledge of football. For example, saying he is too slow for 14 yet somehow fast enough for 11 and saying he has no natural ability.

Also, typical Mayo attitude of jumping the gun here. He has played one years senior football before this year in which he was an undoubted success. Scoring goals against New York, Roscommon and Meath in the chanpionship and absolutely roasting a full back of the quality of Conor Gormley in the league. Fair enough his league performances in 2010 have been a drop from last year and maybe he will turn out to be a top number 11 (imo he won't) but there is no doubting the man is/has been a quality number 14 in his time at senior level and (along with B Moran) is Mayo's only serious goal threat for the 1st time in ages.

[Foreverhopeful]

For example, saying he is too slow for 14 yet somehow fast enough for 11 and saying he has no natural ability.

It's about the initial burst you muppet. Have you ever ran. e.g. some players are better over longer distances. Barry Moran will beat Aidan o'shea over 20 metres but over a 100m it would be very close. Once O'Shea gets going at no.11 he won't be stopped.
Victor Costello (former irish rugby player who played as a no. was faster than dennis hickie (winger) over 30m.

He's not a natural footballer in the alan dillon/stephen o'neill mode. Natural footballers can bring others into the game with ease [no matter of age]
But he has the abilities to be a brilliant footballer but he wouldn't be considered as naturally gifted. It's not a bad thing saying that - there are very few naturally gifted footballers in Mayo. Ciaran mcdonald was, kevin o'neill to a slightly lesser degree. David Brady wasn't a natural footballer but he was a brilliant footballer!  He probably had more impact than those two because of his physical attributes and his sheer desire rather than his skillls.

Ye don't have to be so narrow-minded about replying to my comments re: Aidan O'shea at no.14. There is validity to my comments. I am keeping him in my team at no. 11.

[Foreverhopeful]

If we actually see him play there we can judge him but it will take time and good number of games before any sensible judge of football will make definitive judgements.

Not waiting another year to challenge for Sam because we are leaving players in positions that isn't working. Everyone could see Trev Howley wasn't a no.6 and we waited until he was roasted in a national final in Croker to change him out of there. Not fair on the lad because he is game for it. Aidan O'Shea is game too but leaving at 14 is madness for this term. Last year he did alright there but i think we need his presence in half-forward line

[GBXII]

All right? He was excellent at FF last year and is still a serious threat at FF now. If you move him out to 11 you remove the threat that he poses at 14. Do you genuinely think Mayo will be better if A O'Shea is moved from 14 to 11?? Mayo's problems are elsewhere anyway, like Trevor at 10/12 and who to play corner back with Keith Higgins.

[ross4life]

I'm Surprised Mayo don't use Aidan O'Shea as a midfielder his height & great fielding of the ball would be a ideal position for him

Maybe in a few years he will be switched there?

[ballinaman]

Seems like Howley is out for the Sligo match. Leaves Chris Barrett to slot into the corner now i suppose.

[Chimley]

Seems like Howley is out for the Sligo match. Leaves Chris Barrett to slot into the corner now i suppose.

Or more likely it will be Liam O'Malley taking history into account.

[Lar Naparka]

For example, saying he is too slow for 14 yet somehow fast enough for 11 and saying he has no natural ability.

It's about the initial burst you muppet. Have you ever ran. e.g. some players are better over longer distances. Barry Moran will beat Aidan o'shea over 20 metres but over a 100m it would be very close. Once O'Shea gets going at no.11 he won't be stopped.
Victor Costello (former irish rugby player who played as a no. was faster than dennis hickie (winger) over 30m.

He's not a natural footballer in the alan dillon/stephen o'neill mode. Natural footballers can bring others into the game with ease [no matter of age]
But he has the abilities to be a brilliant footballer but he wouldn't be considered as naturally gifted. It's not a bad thing saying that - there are very few naturally gifted footballers in Mayo. Ciaran mcdonald was, kevin o'neill to a slightly lesser degree. David Brady wasn't a natural footballer but he was a brilliant footballer!  He probably had more impact than those two because of his physical attributes and his sheer desire rather than his skillls.

Ye don't have to be so narrow-minded about replying to my comments re: Aidan O'shea at no.14. There is validity to my comments. I am keeping him in my team at no. 11.

Your point about speed off the mark vs speed over a set distance is a very valid one.
Mick O'Dwyer once said that whenever he took over a team, his first priority was to fix on the fullback. To do this, sez he, he would line the lot of them up along the endline and get them to race out to the 21, turn and come back. First over the endline again was the new fullback!
I'm not sure if he was 100% serious when he said this but Micko rarely, if ever, said anything just for fun.  I think he was referring to the need to have a no. 3 who could get out to meet a ball being pumped in from outfield as he went on to say that a FB didn't need fancy footwork and the first priority was to have him keep the ball away from the area in front of goal at all costs. Micko wasn't a fan of complicated inter passing in the full back line- jus get it out to midfield as fast and as direct as possible. Maybe Aidan O'Se would wind up at no. 3 on a team managed by Micko!
Maybe Victor Costello would as well.
I'm told Vic was a useful sprinter as well as an Olympic shot-putter but I doubt he would have the other attributes needed to be an IC Gaelic player. On the other hand, I think Aidan has quite a lot but I honestly can't see him as a top class centre forward now or ever.
He will sink or swim at full forward unless I'm very much mistaken. He is tall enough and strong enough to make life difficult for any full back and should be able to outpace most in a race for the ball. He is also extremely hard to dispossess and is one of the very few current players who is willing to aim for the net. No matter how badly he might be playing, I doubt that any FB would risk letting Aidan out of his sight for a second.
The same could be said for Conoreen and Kevin O'Neill was another who needed minding at all times. Ronny is the only other of the present set up that is composed enough to have a cut when given half a chance.
I think Aidan is not playing as well as is expected of him right now because he is being asked to take over the leadership of the attack when he is only finding his feet at IC level while he has to be distracted by the Australian connection.
It may well be flattering to be looked up to by some around him who are 10 years his senior but they don't seem able to play to his strengths and he has to attempt to forage on his own. It's a bit like leaving Conoreen isolated against Gormley and then slating him for his crap display as happened in the game vs Tyrone in 2008. Aidan won't pose the same goal threat if he is moved out to the 40 or indeed when pushed into a corner either. Because of that alone, I'd prefer to see him where he is and get others to play to his undoubted strengths; then I'm confident he'll be able to live up to the 'leader' tag.
BTW; I think GBX11 has put his points very well.

[Farrandeelin]

Seems like Howley is out for the Sligo match. Leaves Chris Barrett to slot into the corner now i suppose.

Or more likely it will be Liam O'Malley taking history into account.

Both could be accomodated though if O'Mahony wants O'Malley to play. Barrett at no 5 and O'Malley in the corner. Any takers?