Here we go again. Back to Croke Park, back in the big time. But with a twist – our All-Ireland quarter-final this afternoon is against neighbours Roscommon. Joe McQuillan has the whistle today where throw-in is set for 4pm.
Even more than twelve months ago, it’s taken weeks of hard pounding for us to make up for our slip-up at provincial level this summer. Like last year, though, it’s been a memorable road, one we’ve ultimately negotiated successfully.
Our reward is a place in the last eight. With it, comes a shot at redemption by usurping the provincial champions we’re paired with in today’s quarter-final, pushing them aside to reach the semi-final stage.
The fact that this time we’re paired at the quarter-final stage with the newly-crowned Connacht champions adds a fair degree of piquancy to the contest. With Galway also in action today at HQ the stadium will, for once, belong to the West, making it a day like no other in Croke Park.
Like the fans from Roscommon and Galway who will also be converging on Croke Park today, we should savour what will in every sense be a special day for the province. At the same time, though, we need to remain clear-headed about why we’re there.
Like every year since 2011, we’re heading to Croke Park today for this All-Ireland quarter-final with one aim and one aim only. That’s to win. The local colour may provide a different background but that’s all it is.
Unlike the neighbours, we’re fully versed in what’s expected of us today. Our team comes into this contest with massive experience of days like this and what’s expected of them in front of a big crowd at HQ. We need to make all that experience count to the full today.
As a significant part of that big crowd, we know what part we’re called to play today too. And play it we will, as we’ve been doing all summer long.
Are you up for it again? Of course you are. Let’s do this. Up Mayo!
Safe journey to everyone going up mayo
Galway to beat 14 Man Kerry today after a double yellow!!
Mayo to give their first big performance of the year. Mayo to start well and keep the foot down.
Didn’t sleep much last night. Not sure whether it was nerves or excitement. Perhaps a mixture of both.
Which Mayo will turn up today? We’ve been so inconsistent and only played in patches. It’s so hard to know what to expect, but quarters in Croker have traditionally brought the very best out of us.
I’m not ready to see this end and I think the sight of the Rossies in Croker will ignite the real Mayo. Are we up for another tilt at the estsblishment? Damn right we are.
Hon Maigh Eo.
Vital we get a good start and show these Rossies who is in charge.Safe journey to all heading to croker.
On the road.not a rossie to be seen.Oh wait …theres one…
Cork by 4
Down by 12
Donegal by 16
Cork by 1
Donegal by 8
Tyrone by 1
Our quarter final record since 2011. These boys have been there and bought the t-shirt. Invaluable experience.
Up Mayo!!
Let’s roar the lads on. I had goosebumps from limerick with our supporters. Even Cillian said it. No Surrender. MAIGH EO ABU!!!
Looking forward to this one. Just think Mayo are too strong, physically and otherwise. Heavy underfoot conditions will probably suit them even more and, to be honest, I foresee a relatively comfortable win. Roscommon are on the up but lack of experience will prove crucial.
On a sidenote, I see Fergal Boland is back in the 26 ahead of Caolán Crowe. Good to see him back, surprised it’s Crowe who’s excluded but I guess someone had to be.
We go again!
We go to HQ today with very different mentalites to our neighbours.
This is the rossies all Ireland final and they haven’t even contemplated a semi final.
For Galway, they will have the smallest support of the connacht teams. Their supporters don’t trust them and that will be reflected on the pitch when kerry up a gear.
For ourselves, this is novel and only a little scary because of the dread of losing to the sheep stealers. In reality we know we will win and I expect we will be discussing kerry at half time.
Expect a massive game from Andy today. No shortage of motivation there.
And we off …. up Mayo
A lot of rossies onboard the Galway train
Not many from Galway
Cant wait for this now
Hope we don’t have any more injuries from last week
It is again a privilege to wake this morning in health and anticipation of the Green and Red preparing to grace the hallowed turf that is Croke Park. It is the stage and setting where quality will always find expression and that is my big wish ……we have it Mayo, let it fly!!!!
Just at Holyhead now waiting for ferry. Just hoping we turn up and do a professional job today. Up mayo.
Upper Hogan Section 724 Row E seat 11 for sale. My friend just wants to get rid of it so would take €25.
Keegan to bring his thinking head ,Cillian his kicking boots and Clarke’s safe hands job done
Just in a day’s work, Bolton Exile! Fair play to you.
As I said on another thread- I would love to see Mayo do with Andy Moran what Tyrone used to do with Peter C in his latter years. Start him, take him off at half time, rest him, rehydrate him and then put him on for the last 20/15 mins to close it out !
Safe traveling everyone.
Sinead37 … It would add to the day immensely but will be on the water…. throw in a few roars for me and my gal.
Oh I will! Enjoy!
If anyone is interested, I have a spare ticket:
Hogan Stand 326, section H
Mobile no. 087 2255017 if anyone wants to contact me.
Feeling very excited Willie Joe. You set the scene beautifully. I’m on the Costa Brava but my heart is in Croke Park. I’ll have to settle for The Currach in Palamós. What a day for Connacht! Up Mayo ? ?
Not the Costa Brava but the sun is shining in Cardiff as well , hopefully booking my flight for the 2oth this evening , Crokeparkfever.
On the dart in from maynooth , car park at dart station was wedged at 11.25 am ,
Big game needed from the 16 of us ,
Lads to do their talking on that pitch , us in the stands, roll on 4 pm
Cmon mayo
En route from Lusk today, an easy journey compared to what most of ye face! Portmarnock now. Getting closer. Unbelievably nervous.
Drove up through galway..Ross had taken over applegreen …..was a bit worried but massive mayo crowd up here now! Cm on the red and green
I’m away In Phillipinnes for this one but will be glued to GAA Go and mid west for this one. Not too worried about the Rossies I’m hoping last weeks extra time didn’t take too much out of the lads. Up Mayo
Belting rain here in Drumcondra at the minute.
All this talk of the Rossie crowd and excitement. Where were they in Salthill earlier in the month? Attendance was c 18,000, about 4,000 less than the Mayo v Galway semi final
Mayo supporters need to shout even louder today. All the Kerry Galway and others will be hoping Roscommon win.
Siege mentality time
UP MAYO.
Best of luck to Mayo today, I have no doubts as to the outcome if we are tuned in. Good luck to Galway too, it will be needed I fear.
Watching from the USA.
Trains in are nice and calm.
Willie Joe I’m sure there’s a brolly around somewhere.
Enjoy the game up Mayo.
Best score last day by Diarmuid and then off….!!! Hope we get things right today a bit more.
MAYOMAYOMAYOMAYO !!!!
In the south of France waiting for Gaago to kick into action. Pretty warm here but would give anything to be standing in the pissing rain near Drumcondra.. with or without an umbrella 🙂
Really a very.naive and tepid performance from Galway. It’s clear they peaked to beat us.
It’s time now for the big boys
Kerry are certainly beatable in semi final. Come on mayo
Disastrous so far.
Time to bin the black card
So inconsistent
God bless Keegan
Caff doing well too when Higgins decided to start sweeping after 2 goals went in
Seriously Caff doing well? Second goal direct result of him NOT winning possession and clearing. Take the blinkers off lads, Donaghy would have a field day.
In the meantime, let’s hope the rossies forget how they got those two quick goals! Still work to do here.
Moran being roasted. I hate this feeling. C’mon mayooooooo ffs!!
Cafferky not doing well. He’s shouldered off the ball far too easily. Taken for three points so far in the second half.
We have it now lads!!
Foooooooook
Can we play as bad next day?
A disgraceful second half performance. Ger Cafferky taken for how many scores and stayed on the pitch?
Could have as easily lost it…..a lot like the Derry game where we missed a boatload of chances, yet somehow managed to stay alive
Please drop Cafferkey the next day and give Loftus and Kirby some proper game time Kerry would destroy us if we can somehow beat Roscommon the next day
The booing of Andy every time he touched the ball was disgraceful.
Mister Mayor, yes we can. We haven’t played well in about 18 months.
When is the replay? Two weeks time or next week?
The vile abuse hurtled from Rossies young and old at Andy Moran was an absolute disgrace. I’ve been going to gaa games for 35 years and I’ve never heard anything like it. It was sick.
It would an absolute disgrace if the replay is next week. Mayo County Board need to step in and make sure these lads get 2 weeks. They were dead on their feet out there today.
Mayo county board should petition to have the replay in McHale park Saturday week!
McStay made a great call moving Keegans marker in forward and Keegan followed effectively taking him out of the game as a scoring threat. Why didnt Rochford see this??? I despair. I’m so frustrated.
Cos Rochford hasn’t a clue and is making it up as he go along and I’ll back this up by saying Caff got roasted and he left him on Boyler was having a good game and he took him off Seamus O Shea was struggling with the pace of the game and wasn’t substituted until about 5 minutes to go Diarmuid O Connor hasn’t played well since against Kildare last year and is an automatic pick I could go on but what’s the point
Our lads were dead on their feet,
If replay is next weekend , that will be a disaster
Our lads need a rest
Seamie was gone in the 2nd half, Aido had a very quiet 2nd half. In fact, we were just poor after half time, apart from a few of the backs, like Keegan and Higgins. Cillian was way off. We had no danger up front. I thought our substitutions made us weaker.
Overall a 5 out of 10 performance.
Mister Mayor – Why would they have the replay in McHale park. That’s a ridiculous suggestion.
Mayo looked dead out on their feet in a very disjointed lethargic second half performance.
Maybe the extra time of recent games caught up – hard to know – or is that only a smokescreen for a deeper malaise.
We all know that Mayo will need to move up to another level if they want to beat Kerry.
We were really struggling to score in the second half today – looked tired / jaded – and COC was nowhere near the level of his performance against Cork and lacked his place kicking reliability.
I still think we will beat the Rossies and with Mayo’s heart and resilience there is always a chance against Kerry,
Keegan was my MOTM but I also though Higgins was very good today. Why was Boyle taken off so early – injury ?
Keegan was taken out of the game after half time when he followed his marker into full forward. It changed the game as no one else in the team was posing any scoring threat.
Diarmuid O’Connor should be benched. He has completely lost form. Was dispossessed how many times throughout the match and made terrible decisions.
Ger Cafferky. Not going to labour the point, but I cannot stand to see him play another match. He was cleaned yet again.
Seamus O’Shea anonymous. Aidan not much better.
Cillian had very little impact.
It was an abysmal performance all over the pitch with none of the big names showing up. Serious improvement needed, but I don’t see it happening. Don’t remember the last time we actually had a good match.
Bank holiday Monday replay! Time tbc
Also worth mentioning that Kerry were not very good today and still won extremely handily in third gear.
Agree with backdoor sam. Rochford is really struggling badly with his game management and his substitutions are consistently appalling. Thank God for lee keegan. Our forwards after 1 good game were zero threat. Booing must have got to moran as he had some uncharacteristically poor shot attempts. Thought Higgins and boyle fought like pirates in the rigging. DOC must be really disappointed with his game and his form for the past year. CoC was unusually wasteful. Amazed at how long SOS stayed on. However I just can’t see mayo being that poor again, even if replay is in a week.
Some old failings were on show today, poor shooting and atrocious final pass, id put this all down to tiredness which is a problem as it aint going to get any better next weekend, 3 high intensity games in two weeks is a massive ask. Rochford has to have a serious look at his bench as fresh legs are required. Coen, Loftus and Vaughan must start. AOS was dead on his feet all day and Cillian was simply doing too much.
I think Mayo can win next weekend but I believe the AI slipped away today. Its virtually impossible to challange a fresh Kerry in Three weeks after this amount of games.
Having witnessed that today, I find it stunning to read above that some posters are already discussing beating Kerry.
Have ye learned nothing today. Today we came nearer to defeat than any of us thought.