The main focus of attention so far this year has been the county’s Senior team but Sunday’s Connacht SFC defeat to Roscommon and the six-week break that now kicks in ahead of the start of the new All-Ireland Group Stage mean that things are a bit becalmed on that front for now.
There’s still plenty of football to occupy us, though, as the action at underage level gets going. The U20s are first up in this respect and they’re in Championship action tomorrow night. The venue for this game is, like Sunday, Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, where they’re set to face defending provincial champions Sligo in the Connacht semi-final.
This match throws in at 7pm. It’s being streamed live by TG4 on YouTube, which means I’ll be able to embed the stream here on the blog, making it easier for all those interested – and who can’t make it to Castlebar – to watch it live.
If you are planning to go to the game, you’ll need to get your ticket in advance. The link for that is here.
This is the old-style Championship format, so it’s straight knockout and it also means (unlike the old days) it’s winner on the night. Because of this, penalties will be used to break the deadlock if needs be, an indignity that’s been visited more than once on U20 contests within the province in recent years.
Galway await the winners of tomorrow evening’s semi-final, with the Connacht final scheduled for Wednesday week. The young Tribesmen came through their semi-final match with Leitrim last week, winning by what was described as a flattering nine-point margin.
Details of this year’s U20 panel were announced last week by Mayo GAA. Anyone in need of a refresher will find those details here.
Mayo U20 manager Maurice Sheridan spoke to local media ahead of the start of this year’s Championship. A link to this audio from Midwest is here.
On the Mayo Football Podcast, we’re aiming to have a Final Whistle episode on tomorrow evening’s match. This pod will be available on Patreon not long after the game finishes at MacHale Park.
Good luck to the U20s tomorrow night. A very important grade for the future of Mayo football.
I find it hard to be hopeful for the U20’s given the philosophy of the management team and their preferred style of conservative football. But it worked for Roscommon I suppose…
I watched Roscommon v Sligo Quarter final last weekend, Sligo look so well coached while Roscommon was the opposite leaving themselves wide open defensively and zero kick out routines. It may not be pretty to watch under Maurice Sheridan but one thing for sure is they will be well organised defensively and do a good marking job on Luke Marren Mayo will win this semi final.
Up Mayo
The manner of last year’s loss to Sligo still grates. Is the manager going to change approach this year and play to the strengths of what is a talented group of footballers… or will another golden opportunity be spurned ?
Jesus Maurice seemed very pessimistic in that interview.I was thinking of going over but he sounds like we have no chance
Let’s hope we see these lads going out expressing themselves and taking the game to Sligo from the start.
Whatever the result, I hope that we are more enterprising that last year’s bore and that we play to our strengths i. e. our talented youngsters. It was a terrible watch and we blew a game we should have won comfortably.
That was the hardest defeat of the year for me. Absolutely blew it. Those two goals still haunt me.
Still not as bad as the U17s loss to Galway. If they play like last year under Maurice it will be a very hard watch.
Style has too improve from last year, Result after that, is secondary. Don’t get me wrong, hate losing, and Sunday loss still annoys me. But last year U20, played a ugly brand of football, and did’nt play to lad strenghts
I listened to the interview and thought it was very balanced. Maurice has won Sigerson cup with NUI/Oilscoil Gaillimh and is a proven coach. We are lucky to have such a talent surely? So let’s get behind the team and management. Hopefully a few of this team will graduate to our senior team!
Mhuigeo Abu!
All let’s be positive , get down and support the U20s if you can , these lads have been training since last Nov and many in exam year for what is a knock out game …I have watched some of the games and it’s been open free flowing football with plenty of talented footballers on display so let’s get behind them and give them our full support. Should be a great game of football if conditions permit …
Ryan Fadden is an interesting footballer tonight. A strong physical player who is a good shooter.
I hope tonight’s game is a decent game.
I think Croke Park need to get the refs together and tell them to stop going so easy on blanket defences. The blanket is allowed swarm with little half fouls. The same half foul 1 v 1 on the counter attack post winning the ball back is flagged for a free. The blanket really does rely a lot on soft reffing of crowded fouling.
Good luck to the under 20s ! @1889 oh really did he? I didn’t see it he should try and be more positive as that would rub onto the players and if he thinks they have no chance hardly giving the guys confidence.
Best of luck guys .
Whilst I wish the team the best is there a reason why 1/3rd of the panel comes from the home club and two neighbouring clubs of the manager including 5 from his home club. Is the talent really that good in these clubs?
Probably important to note this game has been switched to the Dome.
FW – I haven’t seen confirmation anywhere that this match is being played in the Dome. It’s been confirmed that the venue has been changed to the CoE but I think if it was being switched to the Dome then I expect that detail would have been mentioned.
Sinabhuil is Maurice not from Balla and living in Galway , what 5 are you talking about.
Sigerson really comes down to the players you have.He had the most talented Sigerson team by a mile last year, UL relied heavily on David Clifford.In my opinion no manager should get a Mayo managers job unless they have served time in the Mayo club scene in some function.
5 from Balla. Genuine question.