When the team for yesterday’s Connacht SFC quarter-final against Leitrim was announced on Friday, most of the focus – understandably – centred on the significant injection of youth into the starting fifteen. In tough playing conditions on an extremely heavy playing surface at Carrick-on-Shannon, however, it was the impact of the more experienced players that proved key to the eleven-point victory we came away with.
Particularly noteworthy in this respect was Cillian O’Connor who put in a real barnstorming performance for us in the full-forward line. The Ballintubber man weighed in with 1-9 on the scoreboard, a personal tally that exceeded Leitrim’s total for the game, and he was involved in the action all over the pitch from first ’till last. There was hardly any point in holding a poll on this one at all but, for the record, with a whopping 47% of the vote, Cillian O’Connor is our Man of the Match from yesterday’s game. Congrats to him.
The all-time top scorer in the football Championship could be in line for another accolade too as he’s in the running for the GAA’s Footballer of the Week award as well. If you want to vote for Cillian for that gong, you can do so on Instagram – details on that here.
Others to feature prominently in the poll on yesterday’s game were Oisín Mullin, a young gun who has become so integral to the team so quickly and who garnered 14% of the votes, Paddy Durcan (9%), Tommy Conroy and Aidan O’Shea (both 8%). Well done to all of them.
Cillian looked very sharp yesterday. He kicked two difficult 45s yesterday – he hasn’t done that in a long while.
I can remember that first Connacht title under James Horan when he really announced his arrival to senior inter-county football with a nerveless display against the Rossies on an awful day in the Hyde.
Cillian is motoring well. Coming into nice form at the right time. It’s a big weekend for Ruane and Diarmuid. Need both to step up.
If he is playing, I’d like to see ROD get more on the scoresheet. Good for showing for the ball, tigerish and linking up but needs to increase his tally of scores. Get into the danger zone a bit more.
Indeed you’re right Rock, the last time Cillian converted more than a single 45 in a game was 3 against Dublin in the 2012 Semi final. I have think his total of scores from the 45s is 14 in all.
Above detail is for championship only, he may have done so in the league, I vaguely recollect him doing well from 45s on a final league game vs Cork one year, but I don’t have those details.
He kicked two massive sideline kicks in cork in the league , one each side .
Feast of football on RTE2 next Sunday, Roscommon v Mayo @ 1.30 and Cork v Kerry @ 4.00
Congrats to cillian. I don’t think people will really appreciate his worth until he’s retired. Still only 28 and hopefully 4 or 5 more years left in him yet. His record is phenomenal. Top scorer at the age of 27 and to break record having played 20 or so games less than Gooch at the time says it all. People say it mostly because of his frees but every team over the decades had freetakers but never went close to his scoring. A standout game for me was the ’15 draw against Dublin. I don’t think he missed a placed ball that day. 10 shots at the posts scored 1_9….8 frees 1 45 and pressure penalty. OK no score from play…. Top player.
Those two points Cillian got from sideline balls were from a Round 7 league game against Cork in the old Pairc Ui Chaoimh on a wet, windy and perishingly cold April day back in 2013. With ten minutes to go we were headed for Division Two but Cillian’s two points won it for us and we ended up in the semi-final instead. My match report on that game is here and a video I took of Cillian’s second pointed sideline free, the score that won the game for us, is here.
I remember that. it was some score. Cillian was very impressive against Galway as well. If he was playing against Tyrone id say wed still be in div 1. but that’s gone now unfortunately. One word of caution though. Rossies will target him big time on Sunday. If they can nullify him they’re a long way to winning the game. Bottom line is we need others to step up as well.
Cillian also hit a monster free off the deck under the Hogan Stand from out on the 45 against Dublin in 2015 after we had fallen about 4 or 5 points down which lifted the roof when it went over!!
Impressive from Cillian….needs to keep it going. Looks like on the other side of the draw, Galway could get a walkover as the Sligo camp is unfortunately riddled with Covid cases.
I remember cillian played a master class performance at centre half forward against galway in 2013 and was one of the main reasons we bet galway by 17pts on that beautiful summer’s day with the form his showing we could be rolling back the years.
Just seeing that yew tree. Depressing. Hard to see their match going ahead now.
The outbreak of Covid in Sligo camp shows the risk county football panels are taking on by continuing to train and play – and all for the love of the game.
All county players deserve great credit for training and playing under the current circumstances. I hope people will keep this in mind before they going criticising players before and after the game next Sunday.
Between the pitches now and the virus it’s getting difficult to say the least. Most importantly I hope everyone involved makes a full recovery
Hear hear. Its admirable what they’re all doing. If it all comes to a halt so be it. We’ve got the taste for it now and I hope the championship continues til the end, but naturally its all up in the air.
Congratulations to Cillian a masterful display of scores and also from general play, great to see him in this form again, also think Conor Loftus deserves to keep his place ahead of Ruane as he is giving better ball into the inside forwards.
There are reports coming out that Sligo may not be able to field a team v Galway due to Covid.
Report in the Examiner.
Didn’t the Gaa receive big funding from the Gov just to hold some type of Championship, is this really all for the love of the game or some means of receiving a payment for lost gate income ?
A bit of both mayo 88
I hope this will be ok to share here but if anyone would like to get a copy of that excellent photo of Aido sailing through the air in the Galway game and donate to a worthy cause of the Mayo Roscommon hospice you can do so here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/26l74j6sw0?d=:signedDonationId&utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=p_email_m_pd-5332-donation-receipt-adyen&utm_content=internal
If the gaa decide not to reschedule Galway and Sligo game and Galway go straight into Connacht final, what would happen if there was an covid outbreak in the winners of the mayo roscommon game and they could were unable to field a team would Galway become Connacht Champions for 2020?
@Donedeal – that is my understanding. Not sure at what point the GAA would simply abandon the championship, but a provincial champion via default sounds about where you might draw the line.
There’s 3 weeks between Connacht final and all Ireland semi-final so there would be no issue pushing it out a week. Can’t see them moving the Sligo Galway game though.
Why would they move the Connacht final other than to allow an extra week for the Sligo Galway game!?
There’d be no other reason to move it other than to give our lads a rest if we get over the Rossies, but I don’t think that’s a good enough reason ;).
Tubberman – The reason would be to give the sligo players time to recover and play the game against Galway.
Any news Jason Doherty? Is he still not available?????
Jason did his cruciate for a second time a few weeks back, FhiftyShixty, so sadly he’s out of action now for several months.
We are always much better when Cillian is on the field – a great performance. That is tough on the Sligo team – wishing them well. Independent reports today that Dublin GAA are buying land to build 2 Centres of Excellence – even in a pandemic they are pushing forward with their plans.
The last time we played Ross in Connaught we were over confident and Ross got in our faces and were more up for the game. Also our captain on the day did not allow Loftus to take the last free kick to level the game, same thing happened in the 1969 AASF against Kerry
Galway Bay FM reporting this evening that the Galway Sligo game is off and Sligo have conceded the game