Right, it’s match day again, another huge one, another day when everything is once more on the line for us in this year’s championship. Like it’s been for most of this enthralling summer.
We all know full well this one could go either way. As I said right after last Sunday’s drawn game, these are two extremely matched teams. Very different in their own right but when pitted against each other there’s very little between them.
Because of this we have to expect another tense and tight struggle today. The extra match will, of course, have brought them on and we can expect a stiffer challenge from them today.
But it’s the same for us. Match by match, this team of ours have gradually been discovering what makes them tick and have now reached a level where they’re a match for anyone.
Replays rarely adopt the same narrative as the drawn encounter that came before so we need to ensure that we hit them hard right from the start today. We let them back into it last Sunday after that bright opening but today we need to keep the pedal to the floor from start to finish.
There’s a big prize there for us today. Not only a place in the final but also the achievement of having at last smashed through that glass ceiling we’ve kept coming up against over the last number of years.
What momentum that would give us heading into another decider. It’s an achievement that, as the last day showed, is well within our grasp. All we need to do now is get out there and prove it.
Safe travelling all – see you all in HQ a bit later on. The journey goes on, we’re in this together. Up Mayo.
Best of luck to the Mayo team and management today. You can do it lads !! UP MAYO
Safe travelling everyone. Dont forget the flags! My roaring volume might be a bit down today, sick as a small hospital since last weeks soaking ?
Safe journey to all. A day of providence awaits… UP MAYO
High pace from the start can win it for us today. Kerry to wilt with ten minutes still left. Mayo to seal it late on.
I’ll join JP in his assessment. Mayos fitness and will to win this one.
Dunno about the rest of ye but I’m fecken sick of talking and thinking about it. Let’s get it done and sit back and watch the other semi tomorrow
We’re masters of the 6 day turn around at this stage. Hit them often and hard. Maigheo go deo.
Best of luck to team an management
today, safe traveling everyone, Keep the Faith,
MaighoAbu
I would like to see the subs getting some warm up time. No one should be brought on pure cold. And there
is no need to bring them into the dressing room at half time for more sitting. It` s very hard to get to the pitch
of that`s been going full steam.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/must-this-beautiful-mayo-torment-end-with-success-457688.html
Very well written piece.
If the 0855 from Holyhead is anything to go by we’ll out number Kerry 20-1 a serious amount of red and green.
Come on Mayo.
He is as eloquent with words as his brother was accurate kicking frees!
Nice touch
@galwaygaa Best of Luck today @MayoGAA
The Will to win, the hunger to get the job done and the never say die effort of our lads should be the difference today. There is a hardness in the resolve to win this year by lads so let’s generate as much noise as we can from the stands and energise the lads throughout the game.
Never give up, Never give in
Never give up, Never give in
Never give up, Never give in
Let’s hope to God we can keep 15 on pitch. Think team that keeps the head will win. Hon Mayo!
Let’s all hope that today will be the day we finally put to bed the narrative of Innocence and Romance that has been linked to Mayo football for yonks. The patronizing crap we have to listen to is wearing a bit thin at this stage and it’s now up to the players who are so privileged to represent our great County, to go out there and send Donaghey and co, back home with their tails between their legs. Hon Mayo……
Vaughan to start at full back and Aido to centre forward
Completely rip into them from the start, ye have them rattled. Ffs dont let this go today. Ye owe it to yourselves to have one more criac at lifting the cup. Its our right to win this because we are better than.they are.
Safe travelling and Enjoy the game everyone. I would go with the general consensus all be it not on tbis blog that Kerry will win. It I wouldn’t be a certain about is as many are. Big games from Lee and AOS I their proper positions could be crucial.
However the possability is that it may be the end of the season and the end of at least one great Mayo players career. So even in that situation lets hive massive ovation to the team at the end…mhaigh Eo Abu.. .
Liquid intake and wise substitutions will be key factors today.
Great piece in the Times today by Keith Duggan. This is our day Come on Mayo as Willie Joe says we are all in this together.
Agree really nice article by Keith duggan, enjoy the match and safe travelling.
Lahanman…I don’t think anyone bar Dillon will hang up the boots at the end of this season. Andy doesn’t look like he’s going anyway, nor does Keith. However, regardless of how this championship pans out it is absolutely crucial that management give new guys serious game time in the spring. Reape. Akram, Irwin, Ruane (and scan the county for another young midfielder) O’Donoghue …maybe David Kenny or Harrison junior.
Always liked the look of Michael Plunkett too. Intelligent player
I think Rudyard Kipling’s poem is very apt today:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!
Started the job last week – bring it home lads.
Classic. Mark O Se on Newstalk. Mayo have been unlucky, last year and 2014, IN THE DRAWN GAME”!!!!
Must agree Limerick wasn’t luck
Hon Mayo Keep the faith
In drumcondra an hr and scant number of kerry jerseys visible..Mayo swarming the place..hope the same can be said on the pitch ..
Good luck to all the Mayo faithful, the team and the management today. Let’s finish it! Maigh Eo Abu!
Enjoy the game, everyone. I’m a hopeless optimist but I really believe we have them today. Was there in the rain last week but back in NYC with GAAGO on the laptop today. Another suprise from Rochford today? Roar yourselves hoarse. Mayo by 6 points.
In Cusack stand now and mayo must be3 to 1 in support here. Let’s sew it into them!
A sweeper it is for Kerry. Unsurprising
O’Donoghue out is a huge call regardless of how fit he is. He’ll be sprung though!
Where can we watch it if we are in the States?
5 up should be 10 nearly. Vaughan a huge loss. Its not over by any means but surely we ca t leave it behind from here..
I’m calling Clarke mom already. 10/10 kickouts is the platform here and under pressure too…compared to Kerry less than 50%…
Only HT mind
Heroes every single one..no more so than Stephen Rochford himself had the courage to fillow his convictions ….Well done all we should enjoy this victory 21 years is a long time 3 weeks will come very soon too.
Up Mayo
Brilliant performance all round. Cool, cool heads when it mattered most – very different to other years. Bring in Tyrone!
Yaaaaaaasaaaaaaah
Well done. Utterly dominant.
Fitzmaurice shit himself tactically – major own goal.
Rochford excellent particularly on kick out strategy.
Ref unbelievably poor. On balance ye got the rub in that regard – especially o Sullivan BC – but would have made little difference to outcome.
That was awesome some performance congrats to everyone involved all players and staff . Supporters were brilliant as always .Spillane said it was 5 to 1 mayo fans majority . That played apart .
I may be biased but it seems unfair to blame the referee because he didn’t let the game flow. I thought Kerry tried to impose themselves physically on the game but were unable to without fouling. They only have themselves to blame.
Very proud to be a Mayo man tonight.
Delighted for Stephen rochford.
Donaghy got away with it last week and got caught today.
Brilliant performance.
Take a bow, Jason Doherty.
Stepped up today when cillian went off.
Hope it’s the dubs in the final!!!
there was a lot of nonsense out there today but i thought the ref did OK.
a bit card happy but at least he was consistent and that is all you can ask for.