Dublin tonight named their team for tomorrow night’s NFL Division One Round 2 match against our lads at MacHale Park (throw-in 7pm). It’s an extremely experienced side, laden down with players who have plenty of Championship experience and loads of All-Ireland medals in their pockets.
The team they’ve picked is, to all intents and purposes, a full-on Championship one. Here it is:
Dublin (NFL Division One v Mayo, 1/2/2020): Evan Comerford (Ballymun Kickhams); Eric Lowndes (St Peregrines), David Byrne (Naomh Olaf), Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes); James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams), John Small (Ballymun Kickhams), Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna); Brian Fenton (Raheny), Brian Howard (Raheny); Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street), Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes), Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock); Kevin McManamon (St Jude’s), Paddy Andrews (St Brigid’s), Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams).
The above team shows two changes from the one that started against Kerry last Saturday night. In come Rory O’Carroll – the former All-Star making his first League start since 2015 – and Paul Mannion, while out go Philly McMahon and Conor McHugh.
Given that pick, there’s no question but that Dublin will field tomorrow night with a vastly more experienced and battle-hardened team than we will. This will make our lads’ job of trying to end our long-running dismal spring record against Dublin all the tougher. Were we to do it, it would, to be honest, rank as a fairly monumental achievement.
The two teams for the women’s LGFA League fixture at MacHale Park that throws in at 5pm tomorrow evening were also named today. Details on Mayo’s team are here while Dublin’s pick is here.
Just lit a candle in the hope of some fog
Its going to be a long night!
This is gonna be torture…
This is a great opportunity to develop our squad.
We have alot of good players and this will help them progress. We shouldn’t give up the game before we start either!
We are going to get clipped.
Ye of little faith, this is the one to win.
This is when we learn who is good enough and who is not
Realistically a win is out of the question. I would be hoping we stay close to them throughout losing by a respectable 4-5 points.
These comments would make you want to burst out crying. Mayo by Two with two to spare.
That’s some team Dublin has names in fairness. An embarrassment of riches we have out work cut out for us tonight. Whatever happens we have an unlikely point in the bag from Donegal and four more will probably see us safe. A win away to Meath is vital and I’m sure a Horan will be targeting that game once we somehow manage to get over tonight
A win is probably a long-shot given the respective line-ups, but it’s important Mayo are competitive for as long as possible.
We’ve been wiped off the pitch in a few of these league games recently.
Fair play to Horan for sticking with some young players and giving them some game time regardless of the opposition. A test like this will stand to them in the future. No harm for some of our more senior players to be given more time to rest, many of them are in their 30s and going full tilt from January til hopefully late summer isn’t an option anymore. A win against the Dubs is unlikely but hopefully we give them a decent game.
I have to agree we could be in for a trimming alright looking at their team but we are in transition and need to face nights like tonight. I can imagine looking on between my fingers for a good portion of it.
Dessie taking no chances as to lose to Mayo would be a huge blot on the copy book. I am delighted that it is almost a full strength Dublin outfit as it is the sort of test the new lads need. It was very unlikely that we were going to get anything out of this game whatever team Dublin played except the experience of playing the best.
Weather will be crap so not expecting a classic. Losing to Dublin in February is not the end of the world. Hopefully the ladies will do the business.
At least it’s a shorter spin than last week!
Just saw the Dublin team, it seems that they want to destroy Mayo tonite, a very strong line up. Remember the league matches of 2018 and 2019, they made a statement and demolished Mayo.
The Dubs main man is Fenton, surely Mayo can plan for him.
Mayo kickouts will be important, go long but keep it away from Fenton.
I’m hoping O’Hora picks up Mac Manamon. Worth the entrance fee alone. There will be sparks…
I was the one who reignited the Mayo GK debate which I partly regret doing. However regardless of who plays there, we had in the past 2 rabid ball poachers in Kevin Mc whose versatility means his role keeps changing and Jason Doherty who’s out for a while. Galway beat us the last time we met in Connaught championship not just because of Heaneys goal but because of the ammount of mopped ball he more than any other Galway player won. Against Kerry in 2017 SF replay we had an excellent strategy devised by Buckley and executed by Clarke so it can be done by both players. The strategy needs to rotated to avoid predictably and there’s also a sense of lottery about it.
We all reminder Jason Sherlock running onto the pitch in a recent AI final telling Cluxton to abandon long kickouts as Mayo were winning them.
Also we increase the chance of winning kickouts substantially whenever AOS plays there. Quite simply he’s our biggest physical presence and usually bigger and stronger than our opponents biggest.
On that note I hope AOS is on if Carr not recovered and goes to midfield for the kickouts.
Dublin team very strong for sure and they have a great panel but Macmenamon and Andrews might just be past their best. A big test for Mullen and O Hora all the same.
Also we don’t know if O’carrol still top notch or like Donegal’s McGee is no longer the dominant player of the past.
The forward I’d be most worried about is Mannion. Worth putting O Hora on him.
What an occasion for the likes of OHora. Whatever happens it will only bring them on.
Remember Paddy Durcans first outing against Dublin in McHale park a few years ago when he struggled, so we need to give our lads a chance.
I actually think we can win today! Just a feeling…
Meath have named a forward – Barry Dardis – in goal for their game tomorrow.
Great piece by Keith Duggan on JH in Irish Times today. Duggan is without doubt the finest Irish sports writer and has been for some time now. And he has always given Mayo a far crack unlike some hacks I could mention but won’t.
Best of luck to both Mayo teams this evening. Hope Aidan starts as we need his strength in midfield. Great to see the newbies perform so well last weekend and hopefully even better this evening as there confidence grows.
Could someone post the subs please as I am at edge to know who they are. Mayo by 3 points for me.