The race for the Moclair Cup is coming nicely to the boil and, following last weekend’s quarter-final action, just four clubs remain in contention for the title. With reigning champions Ballintubber out of the race, as are Ballaghaderreen and Castlebar Mitchels, this year’s senior championship has been blown wide open and all four semi-finalists will harbour realistic hopes of lifting the cup.
In this latest episode of the Mayo News football podcast we review last weekend’s quarter-finals and we look ahead to the coming weekend’s semi-finals. Mayo News editor Mike Finnerty is the host for this episode and he’s joined by his Mayo News colleagues Ger Flanagan and Edwin McGreal as together they set the scene for the semi-finals after a dramatic weekend of quarter-final action. Special guests for this episode are John Maughan, who previews the North Mayo derby between Ballina Stephenites and Knockmore, and Martin Carney, who looks ahead to the West Mayo clash between Breaffy and Westport.
This latest episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify and Podomatic. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
The Mayo News football podcast has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you’re a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.
Pearce Hanley has retired from Aussie rules with immediate effect aged 31……
Good interview with John Maughan. Interesting that he singled out Naughton Tighe and Eogha McLaughlin as the players he saw most ready to make the jump to county level plus recalling Regan.
We are spoilt with forward talent imo but it’s a big weekend and there are others putting their hands up too.
In term of backs, it was no great surprise Kieran King made CHB position on Mayo News team of the week. Mullins is starting to look very good behind O’Hora. No room for Kev McLoughlin on that team, whom I thought had a superstar performance. Just shows the abundance of talent around.
Summer club football is giving great exposure to these guys. They are fully fit elite athletes that may well have gone under the radar were the confined to winter football.
Not sure I’d say we are spoilt with forward talent. These up and coming players that are regularly name checked here have a lot to prove. Senior intercounty is a major step up from club. As a forward you get far, far less space. The game is faster and more demanding physically and mentally. Many’s the high scoring forward at club level has failed to make any real impact at county level. So a long way to go yet for these young forwards…including lads who have already made recent intercounty debuts.
From what I’ve seen of the Mayo club championship so far, it’s exciting and competitive but it’s also been very open. Forwards on teams given acres of space to score flashy looking points.
IMO a mean and tight defence will win the Moclair Cup this year.
Mayonaze you are spot on. The honeymoon of action packed loose defences is over. The team that plays their defence as unit instead of this man to man stuff that has happened up to this point will win their respective competitions – junior, intermediate or senior.
Ontheditch, Kevin McLoughlin is a very interesting one. Agree he was excellent for Knockmore last weekend. Along with Paddy Durcan and Aidan he is the best player in Mayo club football currently. I know he is coming towards the end of his career but I still can’t believe the number of games he started on the bench for Mayo last season. I hope if/when the inter county season restarts that Mayo get the best out of him because he still has that electric turn of pace and is our most dangerous forward by some distance for me.
Well it’s a question of glass half full or half empty and I accept your point, county football is another level and not every player who can be outstanding for club will blend into a county team. Nonetheless the potential is there in abundance imo
I would be inclined to agree with you re best defence likely to win Moclair tho strength in depth is also a factor.
No great surprise that the Bookies have installed Ballina as favourites.
@GBXI. I havent seen anyone capable of doing the sweeper job better than McLoghlin in this championship. And the point he scored last sat was inspirational. McLoughlin looks after himself well, hasn’t lost any hunger for the game. I would not have him on my subs bench. He is very influential in setting out a pattern of play that has very reward to Mayo over the years.
Wonder will Hanley return to Ireland
Mayo36, very doubtful. His life is in Australia so cant see him returning. If he did however it wouldn’t be to play football. Pearce is retiring because he has been ravaged by injury for the past number of years (only played 40 times in the last 4 years). An injury prone 31 year old who hasn’t played GAA in 13 years isn’t going to be playing intercounty football again but im sure there are some out there who are getting their hopes up.
What would anyone get their hopes up for , he’s 31 , never showed any interest , love nor desire to play for Mayo since 2007 . If it was any other sport you’d be allowed say aragh f u k him but you can’t in GAA especially in mayo but you’re well within your rights to say it about one of the top forwards who ever played for mayo like Conor Mort .
Hanley still only 31?…..hmmm i wonder
Hanley opening a gym in Australia. Wont be seeing him anytime soon .
Best wishes to Pearce Hanley in his new venture in Oz. We won’t be seeing him in a Mayo jersey it’s a shame we didn’t have him between 2012 -2017 he could have been the missing link. As the club championship is showing we have lots of good young pacy footballers coming through.
Well said Backdoor Sam. Pearce Hanley had an excellent and very successful career in Australia with the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Football Club in the AFL.
Best wishes to him in the next chapter albeit in Australia.
I’m willing to cycle over and give him a lift back.
Looking out today at the Irish weather, are we surprised that he is staying in Oz.
Seán Burke you are right.
Hanley hasnt a notion in playing for Mayo again. His interest was to play a pro game in Aus. In my opinion it was a terrible shame and a great loss to Mayo at a critical period. Waste of time even talking about him.
Kevin McLoughlin on the other hand is absolutely worth talking about. He may be in the twilight of his county career but with his physique and pace, he could easily play another 3 or 4 years. Like Dooher kept going and was effective for Tyrone. McLoughlin is tailor-made to play a sweeper role. Good defensive brain and perfect for counter attack football. Can saunter up a pitch and chip in with a crucial score. I’d be keeping Kevin involved for another few years at least.
And Doherty too. If he can get back to close to his top form. His best years for Mayo were 2016/17 and was showing very well until the injury last year. He is a superb ball winner (by comparison Regan always struggled in this department at county level) And Doc can take a score.
Best 15 in the County at present??
1.Clarke
2.Mullin
3.Crowe
4.Harrison
5.Keegan
6.Durcan
7.O’Hora
8.Aido
9.Diarmuid
10.McDonagh
11.Doherty
12.McLoughlin
13.Regan
14.Coen
15.Cillian
Interesting there TH.
What about?:
Hanley
Conor O’Shea
Naughton
King
All stand-out performers from last weekend.
If Harry can get back to close to 100% , I would love to see a fullback line of Harry, Oisín Mullin and Swaney O’Hora.
Hopefully in 2021 we can get to see what the likes of Naughton, King, Mark Moran, Cian Hanly, Aidan Orme, Paul Towey and Gerry Canavan in the Green and Red.
Swanny is an out an out half back in my mind, hes also the best performing player in the County at this moment of time and I think hes the man for Shane Walsh for Galway in October.Conor O’Shea and Evan Regan are playing the best football of their careers to date and are deserving of call ups for October.
I would consider O’Hora a half back too. Himself, Paddy and Leeroy is our best halfback line currently. IMO the full back line is where we’ve the least options. Harrison didn’t play a minute of club championship through injury. David Drake and Caolan Crowe should probably be starting alongside Oisín Mullin on form, yet neither are on the county panel!
Drake has retired but should reconsider it. We’re groaning under the weight of half-back talent, but O’Hora can play corner back very well, as he did in the league. Keith Higgins really an out and out half back, but held down corner back position for a long time. And, he’s not finished yet!
Zippy and Boyler will be used as more impact subs from now on , cant see them ever doing a 70 minute shift at Inter County again.Great men to see coming on with 20 minutes to go.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gygGVRqupUpexGdMCJinM?si=6CYADbUTQwS3rtIPkrYVbA
An alternative view to the weekends action.
Swanny has played a lot in the fullback line for the Stephenites and is just as capable there as in the halfback line and he is not too shabby as a wing forward too. I just think with the resources we have at half back Swanny could be a great cornerback for us but if Harry regains fitness and Chris Barrett keeps going for another couple of years then he would be brilliant at half back with Paddy and Leeroy.
Eoin O’Donoghue is supposed to be playing great stuff for Belmullet as well from what I hear so that is another body for the back six.
Thanks Crete Boom.
And talking of Belmullet, anyone tracking Ryan O’Donoghue’s progress at club level?
OHora best position in half back line imo. He is inspirational player and can be much more influential on players around him from the half back line. Future potential captain but definitely leadership capabilities
Any word if the games are on mayo gaa tv this weekend. There website hasn’t been updated. Usually would be advertising them at this stage
Wonder with the trouble streaming last few weekends are they looking at new providers or different hosts
Funny no mention Stephen Coen. A potential no.3? Huge strength. Great leadership. Good defensive brain. Pace is an issue but on form he is a good option in full back line. The guy gets a nose bleed when he crosses half way tho. LOL.
Would also be good to see a new orthodox midfielder come through. 6’2/6’3….agile, athletic and can dominate in the air. Anyone matching this, in any club? Senior to junior?
Interesting news on Pearse Hanley…..
Mikey Murray playing well at midfield for Ballina the last few games. Eoghan McLaughlin for Westport is another interesting one. Not a typical high fielding midfielder but covers the ground really well.
Mayonaze
How do we know Hanley has no notion of playing for Mayo.
He is 31. Used to playing top level sports. Why would he not want the opportunity to play in a final in Croke Park in front of 82,500
My chosen defence based on club form and previous form over last two years at county.
Oisin Mullen Caolan Crowe Eoin ODonoghue
Paddy Durcan Lee Keegan Padraig OHora
Caolan Crowe at county in his brief appearances showed me more than other candidates.
It was a shame he didn’t get more credit for doing well on Paddy McBrearty, the same McBrearty who badly bosses Keith Higgins.
I can’t see how we can be going with Chris Barrett, Keith Higgins and Donal Vaughan. They are very frequently injured, they are not in form at county level now for 2-3 years.
It is a long long time since Keith Higgins did well marking a division one forward.
It’s time to give youth the seasons to develop. Yes, seasons. Btw there was a very interesting discussion by Enda McGearty that the players who were fringe panellists stagnated but have now being reenergised by club games. This makes sense. I don’t see how you would do anything other than lose form sitting on the bench as a Mayo fringe panellist.
A snooker player would do what if he only played on the practice tables? He’d fall apart in the first round qualifying rounds that’s what.
You have to be playing games. Training games don’t cut it.
Good stuff there JP. Yes, there’s a freshness about a lot of players. County players seem re-energised too by the look of things.
On impact subs, mmm; I seem to recall posters shaking their heads early in 2017 and suggesting the best way to use Andy was as an impact sub.
It’s been confirmed that both SFC and IFC semi-finals will be streamed by Mayo GAA TV this weekend.
Hi, apologies if this has been covered but I’m having trouble getting a code for the action this weekend.Chairde Maigheo emailed to say I can email clubplus@mayogaa.com for code but that email address doesn’t seem to exist.Anybody any ideas or help on this,thanks!
Forget about Hanley lads. Watched him a few times thus year for the Suns. The reason he retired is that he is cooked – massive injury problems the last 3 years or so and a pale shadow of the player he was from 2012-16.
Interested that Caolan Crowe is now seen as the answer at full back by a few people. He must be 30 years old at this stage no?
How would we have shaped up at u20 level this year?
@Larry Duff, Caolan Crowe is an u29 minor in 2009. I actually have all players learned off at this stage haha.
Caolan is a young u29 in my view as he didn’t feature much for Mayo, Garrymore were not usually reaching semi finals or finals moreso quarter finals. He’s had some niggling injuries but nothing major to prematurely age. Also it’s not like his game relies on Jonny Cooper like pace. He’s a big unit with long arms who’ll go hard into 50:50s. We actually never replaced Tom Cunniffe in that regard. The best defence we had was with Cunniffe, Barrett and Keegan.
I just don’t think we can be togging without one bigger defender comfortable over six foot and plenty muscle. It just leaves the defence vulnerable in match ups. In the chaos of GAA on a croke park surface sometimes it’s just about having a few big physical players at the back, especially in the upcoming winter football.
We’ve never got to see physical and fast David Drake at corner back. It was unfair trying him st half back and half forward at times. He’s not a high impact player counter attacking. But in my view he’d have been much better matched up on Dublin, Kerry and Galway bigger forwards in the full forward line. He has done remarkably okay on the unstoppable Aidan OShea in games.
If Mayo want to win Sam they won’t do it without a pacey bone crunching defence.
I would he open when matchups allow to the idea of Paul Lambert from the bench late in games. He has a fantastic ability to counter attack and pass from wing back. He’s also a good man marker on forwards up to 5’10” before he hits his limit on being overmatched size wise. He is tremendously strong despite his small stature
Cant see Crowe starting for Mayo at FB, he has been around for years now and didnt manage to break into the team. Before lockdown Oisin Mullins had made the FB position his own, he is a far more dynamic player than any of our other options and I would expect him to continue there when play resumes. Personally i think the days of the big FB are long gone, forward players are more mobile and skillful than ever ( very few top teams play the big FF where balls are lobbed into him), it’s all about pace and movement and defenders need to be able to match it.
FW, my code was in the trash folder.