Photo: @MayoGAA
Right, there’s no need to drag this one out any longer: by a large margin (some 54% of all votes cast) David Clarke is officially our Man of the Match from last night’s National Football League win over Roscommon. The big Ballina netminder was also chosen last night as MOTM by live broadcaster Eir Sport.
Although our scoring exploits were eye-catching at MacHale Park last night – with 17 points coming from play, twelve different players getting on the scoresheet – so too was David’s vigilant custodianship at the back. On no fewer than four occasions in last night’s match he prevented the conversion of a clear goal-scoring chance, proving in the process that he remains the best shot-stopper in the business.
This is David’s second MOTM award in three League outings for us so far this year. While much of his prominence may perhaps be put down to the often leaky rearguard minding the house in front of him, his excellence in preventing marauding forwards from capitalising on over-generous defending is down to him alone. Congrats, David, on another excellent showing last night.
Others who featured prominently in the MOTM poll on last night’s game were Fergal Boland, Cillian O’Connor, Jason Gibbons and Diarmuid O’Connor, all of whom put in strong performances last night. Well done to all of them.
Here are the details of the votes garnered by the leading contenders in this week’s poll:
Well done to David, keep up the great work! Fair play to Fergal Boland as well, he is a lad with a big future. A special mention for Jason Gibbons also, he looked very sharp after his long lay-off.
Fully deserved … a class act ….. no 1 keeper in Ireland now
Have been really impressed with Fergal Boland
Fair play to Clarkey. He has lead by example this season. That’s two games out of three where he had won our MOTM, twice he’s bailed out our defence!
Time now to shore up those goal chances!
A well deserved award for a true gentleman. On to the battle with another great keeper Mr Cuxton next…whoever comes out on top may be on the winning team!
Should David be our captain for 2017?
Hopefully the likes of Boland and Loftus can add some extra craft to the attack come the Summer. I’d like to see COC stationed on the 40. He probably doesn’t have the pace for an inside man but has the craft to pull the strings further out. He’s tended to drift out anyway so maybe leave him there.
Let’s hope Clarke isn’t dropped for the Dublin game! This is one game I am really looking forward to, Dublin unbeaten in over 2 years, they gave up a 2 point lead near the end against donegal today and ended up with a draw, not what Gavin would have wanted even thought he was ” delighted with the performance”.
We will have parsons and Kirby back and I hope that Rochford throws the young fellas on at some stage and tell them to run the legs of themselves and give dublin something to chase.
There will be some battle for MOTM awards if Anna Geary is handing them out each week!!
Clarke is a better keeper than Cluxton who I believe is a little over-rated by the national media. Dub fans were a bit stung that Cluxton didn’t get All-Star last year – too bad!
Well done Clarkey.. very much deserved. A strange game in many ways.. we were the better team, we dominated the oposition for most of the game and yet we needed our goal keeper to make the final result comfortable. I think Roscommon were very naive in the way they set up against us.. fantastic open game to watch but a turkey shoot out none the less that we were always odds on to win as it suited our lads running from deep. The most thing I was impressed about was the accuracy of the long kick passes, the close interlinking passes and the sheer movement all over the field. One player I’d like to see get as much football as he can this year is Conor O’Shea.. he works his socks off, does a lot of the hard graft, and gets into great positions but but he just needs to do the simple stuff better. I have a concern about Evan Regan.. the trajectory of his shots are too low, his movement of play easily read and he struggles to beat his man (granted Joe was givin nothing to the forwards on sat night).. I would just like for him to get inside his man and bury a goal (I know he got a penalty but..). If Loftus or Irwin grab the opportunity in the next few games Evan could find himself down the pecking order fairly quickly. Really looking forward to the Dublin game now
Just watched the game back on YouTube there and Regan was better than I thought at the game. He won plenty of ball out in front of his man, won the penalty & a free in the second half and was unlucky with some of his shots. No disrespect to Andy, but it was great to see our attack functioning so well despite him being fairly well marshaled. Boland was really composed on the ball but his defensive work rate is also impressive. He won a great turnover in the first half. Although Roscommon were poor, there were still a lot of good signs going forward.
No reason why we can’t beat the Dubs next week. I’d bring Parsons, Lee and Harrison back into the side and really go for it. Kev Mc may need to spend periods as a sweeper in order to stop the goal chances. Full back would be a concern as it looks like the Dubs will be starting Eoghan O’Gara. Such a shame Kev Keane is out as he would have been the ideal man for the job.
Who will pick up Scully for Dublin think if him and Kilkenny are well marshalled we will have a great chance.
Let’s hope coen and vaughan can find form for this game.
Can’t wait to see Boland and loftus in the wide space of croker,Regan needs another start and I hope he lights up on the night a few daisy cutters past cluxton would be great.
Well done clarkey keep it up a great goalie and a pure gentleman.
Wideball, Mc Dermott should have got the line over the attention he was giving Andy. Pulling and dragging the whole game. Think Mc Stay took him off when he was on a yellow and still at it.
Thought Boland was very good, and looks like he will be a permanent fixture as he chips in with a couple of points a game aswell as his turnover of ball.
Well done Clarkey – quelle surprise. However, I voted for Gibbons. Was really impressed by him; he showed great fetching skills and was very mobile and full of aggression, particularly in the first half. It was some performance after a layoff of nine months.
Yes Fergal Boland is impressing, but I have a query on his stamina. He seems to be very good in the first 20/25 minutes but then fades somewhat. Thought I detected this in the U21 latter stages.
Re:Boland.
This is his first season with a proper S&C program. … it is not surprising he is tired after 45/50 min.
Give hime time …. but the he looks to have talent and an excellent attitude.
Good points there RiseAgain, and talent and attitude are there in abundance.
Clarke is now no 1 Keeper in Ireland
Hi Willie Joe can you tell me if the match next Saturday is live on TV
It’ll be on Eir Sport
Fergal for me has shown huge ambition. I keep saying this I know. Ambition is king. Ambition leads to hard work, intelligence, accuracy in passing and scoring. the whole show. Considering he has come to us through his underage club competitions to playing senior inter-county Div 1 league football overnight marks him as one for the future. Forget about fitness levels, S&C, and inexperience. There is a push button solution for all these issues in the future. Without huge ambition we are going nowhere.