Game day – get in, get the win, get out

Willie Joe

So another game day has arrived for us in this scorching hot summer we’re having. This evening’s Round 3 qualifier is our fourth match of this championship campaign, our third in four weekends. Nobody needs telling what the venue is for this one – it’s St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge where Kildare provide the opposition and where Meath’s David Gough is the ref. He’ll throw in the ball there at 7pm this evening and the game will also be broadcast live on TV by Sky Sports.

There’s been so much brouhaha surrounding this fixture that the match itself has become a bit lost in the process. It’s a crunch one, of course, for both counties as only one of them gets to progress to the next round while, for the other, the 2018 inter-county season will be over. With everything on the line we can expect the players from both teams to give their all to help ensure that it’s their county that is back in the draw on Monday morning.

We’re favourites to win and, you’d have to say, deservedly so. Our form this year hasn’t been stellar – though our blistering finish against Tipperary last weekend showed we still have the capability to blow teams away – but Kildare’s has been far worse. One of only two wins we achieved in Division One this spring came at Kildare’s expense, a match also played in Newbridge, but while we snatched top tier survival at the death up in Ballybofey Kildare lost all seven of their League matches, falling back down to Division Two after just a single year.

It’s hard to know what to make of their summer form. The loss to Carlow must, for them, have been a crushing blow and it wouldn’t have been the biggest shock of the championship had they folded the tent after that in Round 1 of the qualifiers. To their credit, however, they didn’t and the wins recorded over Derry in Owenbeg and Longford in Pearse Park will have given them a renewed sense of self-belief.

From our perspective, we need to approach this test with some caution. Kildare have decent ball players, both out the field and in the inside line, and with the height around the middle that we’re now shorn of we need to have a well-worked plan in terms of how we get at them. Which I’ve no doubt we will.

The conditions will also be a factor in this evening’s match but today’s slightly cooler temperatures will surely be welcomed by both teams. Stamina will still be key and, if the Tipp match is anything to go by, it’s here that we could have the decisive edge on them.

With the venue packed out and all but a few hundred punters standing up on the terraces, the occasion is sure to have an atmospheric feel about it. It’s also an event to which we need to bring our numerical advantage to bear, in terms of noise and colour. Wear a hat, wear the green and red, bring a flag and wave it at every opportunity, shout, roar and keep it up right to the end. Thousands of Mayo fans would, had it been fixed for another venue, have been at the game this evening so shout for them as well.

Many of those fans are, for logistical reasons, too far away to take advantage of any tickets that become available late in the day. But that’s not the case of those who live closer to the venue. There are, for sure, Mayo fans based in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Laois, Louth, Offaly and Tipperary (have I missed any county off that list?) who’d leap at the chance to go and, by dint of the shorter journey time involved, could easily do so.

So, don’t let that unused ticket you have go to waste. If you have any friends and relations based up this side of the country make sure to check to see if they’re sorted. Or fire up details here. Do what you can to get those tickets into the right hands. Make sure we get as many Mayo supporters into the game as we can.

You’ll need to sort out the logistics of swapping tickets yourselves, as I’m on the road shortly myself. But sure that’s exactly what you’ve been doing on here and elsewhere for the last 24 hours.

As I explained yesterday, while this one should have involved a facile jaunt down the M7 to get to the game, instead I’m spending most of the day on the road criss-crossing the country. But at least this means that later today I’ll be approaching the game from the same direction as the hordes from the West. Heading east to see what these Lilies are made of, heading to Newbridge for what we hope and expect will be the win that gets us into the draw for Round 4.

Safe travelling all the rest of you who are on the road today. See you on the terrace for some serious shouting later on. Here we go again. Up Mayo.

175 thoughts on “Game day – get in, get the win, get out”

  1. Isn’t it unreal. I’ve three friends that are flying in from London at the last minute when they heard tickets were floating around! Now that’s Mayo support for ya!! Everyone who can get a ticket get the #SeaOfGreenAndRed to Newbridge!!

  2. Willie Joe – good point about the tickets. I’m looking for 2 tickets for my dad and me. Living in Dublin so will drive to collect them. Thanks and Mayo to get the job done by 5 pts

  3. Lets do this. As long as we’re in the bowl for the next round of the draw monday morning with no injuries, thats all we want. A good performance wouldnt be bad either. Kildare will be up for this, both the players and the fans. If Mayo can dominate proceedings in the early stages. Then that will knock the wind out of Kildares sails fairly quickly.

  4. On paper we should be winning this one as Kildare have beaten only Derry and Longford this year. But at the same time they were unlucky not to scrape at least a couple of wins or draws in the league, they look to be a confidence team and will more than fancy their chances today. We haven’t exactly set the world on fire this year either, losing all our matches to teams who would be seen as occupying the upper tiers of the sport. However their back line has been shown to be fragile so if our forwards put in a near-complete performance I think we will come out of this with the win. I would not like to be in Diarmuid O’Connor or Stephen Coen’s shoes today as they have a serious amount of work to do as a huge amount of running in the heat will be needed to make up the deficit in power left by TP and SOS’s absences. It’s finally time to put the hoo-haa behind and get back to playing some football.

    Safe journey to all, Up Mayo!

  5. Make sure that Newbridge remembers for many a long day to come the day the Green and Red Army came to town.

    Shout Loud
    Stand Proud
    Be the loudest supporter
    In the Mayo crowd.

    Hon Mayo, drive her on to round 4 this evening.
    Go on yea good things.

  6. Safe travels Willie Joe and that missing roar… enjoy the Gaeltacht. Safe travels too to our massive support. We can’t be there but know your voice will represent us. WJ you forgot Carlow… maybe our colours will spook Kildare… like Carlow colours. Hope we are ready for a battle but surely Kildare will be. Maigheo go deo. Have a great day and up Mayo wherever we go!

  7. I have few worries about Diarmuid at midfield. He might not rule the air like Tom or Seamie, but he’ll cover every blade of grass in the middle third.

  8. Midfield will be the making of Diarmuid o’connor.
    Steven Coen has been a great leader at underage. With Tom and Seamie gone now we really need him to stick the chest out now and I’m backing him to do just that.
    We were electric for a period of the Limerick game and for the Tipperary game and we’ll see another devastating period in today’s game that will win it for us. I have no doubt about that.

    Kildare have had the limelight all week but their week is coming to an end. The main act, the headliners are about to take the stage.

    Go on yea good things.

  10. Top o’ the morning to ye..
    Looking forward from my hospital bed to this evenings game. I was admitted to Mayo Gen on Thursday witha a dicky ticker, so i’ve been advised about the excitement levels for later!
    I like the look of our side, although i fear we may be a little lightweight around the middle third compared to the Lillies, so i’d expect Aido to pull back a bit and help in this area, i’m sure he will. Kildare aren’t the team they were a few years back, and even though they are at home and may have their tails up after ‘newbridgegate’, i still expect our superior class and majority support to pave the way to a win for us by 5/6 points. My prediction – Mayo 2.13, Kildare 1.10.
    Good luck to Stephen and all the team.
    Maigh Eo Abú!

  11. Top class again Wille Joe, Ur a busy man, and do a excellent job on here, trying to accommodate and look after everyone, many thanks indeed, it can’t be easy at times, Anyway have a great day at the game, hope we get the right result, can’t see why not, Up Mayo.

  12. Adult season ticket and 2 juvenile(boy and girl)available in Sligo.
    Text 0862955824 if anyone wants to use them.

  14. Should be a great atmosphere for those lucky enough to have tickets – let’s make the biggest uproar of the week in newbridge the one we give at full time!

  15. Subs: hennelly, Crowe, drake,nally, o donuhue, Kirby, cos, Regan, Vaughan, Hanley

  20. Best of luck to the Mayo team today. A very tough assignment today to try to come away from there with a win given the groundswell of positivity surrounding the Kildare squad this week. Anything less than a ruthless attitude and high intensity performance and we are likely to see Kildare dominate for long periods. Hopefully we can find a way to grind out a win in what is likely to be a very very tough match. Up Mayo !

  25. Have 2 adult tickets due to unforseen circumstances
    Travelling up so can meet up there

  29. When is the last time that conor o shea played any championship football. Has his form dropped or has rochford got a job in mind for him. Seems to always make the bench. A useful midfield sub if on form.

  33. RP, do you have access to this evening’s game at the hospital? If not, I have an account where you could watch the match so long as the internet connection is decent. Let me know and I’ll happily send you on log-in details etc.

    A speedy recovery to you!

  34. Look it, Kildare lost 7 games (some of them by fine margins and due to a strange red card for gumshield) in the league plus to Carlow in the championship. They fell over the line v Derry and Longford had chances to make that game tighter. They do have areas of their game that could hurt us but, and this is a big but, their form in games where anything is expected of them is poor. Had this game been in Croke Park no one would have expected anything from Kildare but a defeat given our performances in that ground. Now however, there is an expectation on Kildare to perform. Theu won their battle with GAA HQ, made their point and their supporters have rowed in behond them (more than they have this year to date if their attendances are anything to go by). There will be more pressure on Kildare to perforn now, plus, their batrle with HQ is bound to have been a distraction to their preparations, no matter what spin they put on it.
    O’Neill played it well. He is gone at the end of this season anyway, if he is not pushed, he has a job lined up with Munster rugby. This was a wildcard play to try and circle the wagons, from the old Sir Alex Ferguson “siege mentality” playbook. It worked off the field and in HQ boardrooms. Now let’s see if it works on grass!
    We have the weapons to nullify their threats although I expect us to struggle in winning clean ball. To combat this I hope and expect AOS to come to midfield for their kickouts as I expect them to go long down the middle to exploit our lack of size in that area. To help conbat this we should retreat to the middle third and make them go short and try to run it out from their full back line, they won’t want to do that and especially in this heat.
    Cafferkey did well on the aerial ball in Thurles and was in control throughout (Clarke being at fault for coming out to win a ball he should have left, and, our midfield/half back line not putting real pressure on the Tipp runner who eventually clipped a great ball in, unchallenged, for their goal) and deserves a jersey. Barrett and Boyle were poor and I would question if Boyle has 70 mins in his legs anymore, especially in this heat.
    Looking at our bench, the weather and the smaller pitch, I expect a change or two from that which is listed to start. I would keep a little more experience on the bench (Boyle/Barrett/Moran?) to bring them on at the 45 min mark and drive for home. It will be attritional on a small pitch, hard ground and warm day so our bench should reflect this. We have the stronger squad so we should use it wisely and pre empt the likelyhood of men dropping through injury and exhaustion.
    Having said all this, I exoect a performance similar to Tipp but with our periods of “absence” being shorter. I expect us to be controlled and to take the wind out of their sails throughout the first half. By half time they will know that these matches are won on the field of play and not in GAA HQ.
    Mayo by 5.

  35. Drake must not have been too badly injured in club game if he is in subs, I had heard he had pulled the hammer

  38. Pebble I think you’re on to something there although I see our winning margin being greater. It’s not that long ago since Kildare were beaten by Carlow. 2 wins in 12months is nothing to write home about.
    Mayo are by far a vastly more experienced and simply better football team with the performances over recent years proving that.
    Mayo by 9. Safe travels to all. Bring the colour, bring the noise!!

    Maigh Eo Abú

  40. If we can avoid any black or God forbid red cards, then we should be alright. And even though we will be outnumbering them two to one the ref despite being a Meath man could still be on their side for this one. With all the games in this back-door, the team and bench seem to be coming together nicely and regardless of what 15 take the field at the start, the guys coming in will like last week, do the job.

    Anyway here’s hoping for a great game with a Mayo win and hopefully no more injuries.

    Up Mayo.

  41. Lovely day here in Kildare, nowhere near as hot as the last week and a nice breeze. Should help our running game. Into it from the start Mayo.

  43. Have spare tickets and can’t get rid of them, maybe not much more than 8k actually wanted to go to the match

  44. I have one adult Season Ticket available and possibly another will know in a couple of hours for sure about the second one. I’ll be in Newbridge early so can meet up with someone who wants them outside the stadium.

  51. Some people are never happy I suppose and with all Dublin’s recent success you’d be right to say any of us Dubs have a cheek to be grumbling… but on days like this, some of us are looking on with just a little bit of jealousy! There are few better places to be than in a provincial town soaking up the colour and noise and upbeat atmosphere of a knock-out championshop game on a sunny day. And with the added drama of this week’s shenanigans you have the perfect mix for a great day out.

    We used to have days like this, following the Dubs to Navan or Tullamore or Wexford and even a rare few qualifer trips further afield, Carrick, Clones … but mostly nowadays we spend the early part of the summer, kicking around the terrance-end of half-empty Croke Park waiting for the serious challengers to arrive and for the real show to get started.

    Would I trade any of Dublin’s recent successes for a few spins through the qualifiers that end in eventual disappointment … no, of course not but still, we Dubs are missing out on some of the craic that makes the championship special.

    So good luck Mayo! We want to see ye steaming into Super-8 land with the cobwebs well and truly shaken out and with your unrelenting team in fine fettle for the main event that starts in a few week’s time.

  52. Hi TR Mayo I meet you in Newbridge for them tickets Martin P Healy Mayo supporter resident in Mullingar Ph no 087 6663626 looking forward to a reply Mayo Abu

  54. Well said Loreta Road.
    Best of luck to all involved and all travelling.
    As Van the man says there’ll be days like this!

  55. I wonder will they be playing any.Tom Petty in Conleith park today.
    I won’t back down.

  59. Even though I live in Dublin and have now for almost as long as I lived at home (much to my from Dublin wife’s annoyance I’ll always call Mayo home) my estate has significantly more Mayo flags and jerseys on proud display than any Dublin colours. Granted they aren’t playing but still it’s s great site. Even when they are the Green and Red wins over.

    People from all 4 corners of Mayo living here. It’s great.

    Now to get the car set for Newbridge and ensure we are in R4.

    Again by 4 plus.

  60. I’ve 2 adult tickets spare! I’m collecting them at st conleths. First come first served. Hitting the road now so ring me. 087 7793077 – Lisa

  62. I wouldn’t worry too much about David Gough I think he is the best and fairest of any ref available
    If we don’t do anything stupid he’ll let it flow
    MAIGHEO ABU by 6.

  64. 2 adult tickets going spare. I’m collecting them at st conleths. First come first served. Hitting the road now so ring me 087 7793077 – Lisa

  67. Mayo too strong mentally for Kildare. Build up to game will be excuse Kildare have. Mayo used to pressurised build up and perform when they have to. Midfield pairing more mobile half backs bombing forward will destroy. Kildare long ball to decent FF is biggest threat like last week

  68. A lot of here are seem to be very confident, what is that based on? (we have no Tom, Seamie, Brendan or Barry)
    Well, I’m going for Monaghan, Armagh, Tyrone( but only just about) and Kildare(after everything going against them if they have any pride in themselves and their jersey….they will never get a better chance to ambush Mayo! also they need that lad D. Flynn to be at his best)

    katser (Galway) – Posts: 66 – 30/06/2018 10:49:57 from Hoganstand predicting round 3 winners. I believe Kildare will be really up for this match, we will have to match their intensity (no black or red cards) or it is the end of the road. Wishing Stephen and the Team every good wish to day.

  70. Great post Loreto Road, honest and insightful. Now on to Newbridge…cant wait. Think this will be alot closer than some are predicting. If we keep a clean sheet we should do it. Hon Mayo!!!

  71. Good luck to our mighty Mayo warriors, management and all involved, Best wishes to Seamus, Tom, and R P McMurphy, on a full and speedy recovery, Enjoy the mach ye lucky people, and safe travelling to all, Come on the Green and Red, show them how its done, and Up Mayo.

  72. Going good to firm in Kildare !!! Have no doubt those of you have tickets will do us proud .. Strange feeling in my gut today not being able to go . Somewhere between sadness and determination … Safe journey .Hon MAYO !!!!!!

  73. Good Luck to the red and green army from Geneva. Tension building now and it’s worse when you can’t go to the game.

    Start strong and don’t relent. MAIGH EO ABU!!!

  74. Tough conditions for football. I understand the pitch gas been hosed, but it will still be rock hard. Hope no serious injuries on either side. Noone wants to see that, and we certainly can’t afford any. Safe travelling to all, and hope there are no weather casualties either. But it will be a tester for the old and young especially. Keep an eye out around you for anyone in difficulty. And don’t spare the water.
    Mind the cars!!

  75. Jeez my nerves are shot to bits here . Horrible feeling we are going to come up short . Hope I’m so wrong which I usually am.

  76. Another owl stroll in the owl sun for Mayo.

    Indeed won pulling up in front of another owl “home crowd” in owl enemy territory. Ah yeah.

    Into the owl bowl Monday morning for the owl draw no doubt.

  77. Nerves well and truly setting in aswell, was the same last week. Hopefully the fb line will be protected better, otherwise we are goosed. Hoping for a big game from Cillian and Andy after last week…if they fire then we win I think.

    Jim Flag- Very hard decipher that post, are you taking the mick out of the confident supporters on here?. Looking forward to seeing all these owls in the home crowd 🙂

  79. Watching the World Cup in Sydney at 12.46am. The Mayo game starts at 4am. Counting down the minutes, come on Mayo

  80. Have 2 juvenile tickets free to a good (Mayo) home. Not ideal butvif no ticket an cheeky adult could possibly get in with them. Will be Newbridge from about 5

  82. Just parked up in Newbridge, 435km clocked up today. Really up for this game now. Loads of parking available in the multi-storey at the Whitewater. Apologies all first-timers and others caught in moderation while I was on the road, all comments up now. Best of luck to everyone still trying to source tickets – it looks as if there are plenty floating around even if the logistics might be getting more problematic by the minute! Up Mayo.

  83. Just arrived. Came in the m7 and got off at the Ballymany roundabout. No traffic and loads of parking in the whitewater shopping center beside the ground.

  85. Feeling tonight is a night when the younger lads step up. The beginnings of forming our next team for the next 5-6 years.

  86. There is lots of tickets for sale here in newbridge. Tbh it proves my point a percentage of season ticket holders only get them in case we get to a final. I’ve a spare juvenile here if anyone wants it . In Johnston s bar newbridge

  89. Lads, ya seriously hot up here. Ya’d worry about our older lads out there!

  90. Catcol, Lost in London and Mayo Viking, thanks a mil for the kind wishes. I had a bigger post put up b4 i went for a nap there, but no sign of it! (It might have got lost in moderation WJ – if so, discard it).
    Thanks for the kind offer Lost in London, i’ll decline as i’m under instructions to relax today, thanks again. I had been thinking of nipping across to the TF, but i’d better behave! (I might sneak a listen with the headphones to mid-west tho!).
    Drive safe all, i’ll be on the road with ye next week God willing.
    Up Mayo!

  95. bit concerned we’ll end up down to 14 here again with Boyle and Higgins booked, would be a disaster in the heat

  97. God help us if we lost Aido for any reason
    And yes Boyle needs to be subbed
    Poor again yellow card not withstanding

  99. Good half of ball. Was worried when we have five down. Aidan having a huge game. Coen and Diarmuid doing well too.

    Boyler struggling and on a yellow. Might be worth slipping O’Donoghue on shortly.

    Low ball into Andy not working so far.

  100. Hard to know how how Kildare manage the second half with that heat, I know they are a well conditioned team but mayo are warriors in both sunshine and rain. Mayo need to protect their back line as the game progresses as a tiring Kildare will go long to test mayos back line and to conserve tired legs. Great game hats off to all and the crowd are buzzing,,

  101. Have we no subs 55 gone in that heat and no change madness…boyler took for 3 points

  102. And so endeth the journey!! great game and a wonderful performance from both teams I was praying for a draw but it wasn’t to be.
    Warriors are ye

  103. Congratulations to.Kildare.
    A massive win for them.

    Thought the pitch seemed to be tiny.

    Some brilliant performances for Mayo.
    Diarmuid o’connor was unbelievable.
    Paddy Durkan brilliant.
    Aidan o’shea had a huge game.

    Commiserations to everyone here on the blog and to all the team, managment and fans.

  104. Positioned ourself to win but it was to be. Ran out of steam at the wrong time. Can’t but think we didn’t trust our subs as the lack of fresh legs in that heat was hard to understand.

  107. End of an era. Don’t want to single out any individual players for criticism tonight but some players were just pale shadows of their peak. The long break might do them no harm, Kildare were simply the better team. Fully deserved their win and Cian o Neill was fully vindicated tonight. Congratulations to them. Thanks to Mayo for all the great days but it’s time to build a new era now

  110. Congratulations to Kildare ,we tried everything but came up short wonderful team,perhaps a year out will help recovery

  111. End of an era there. God bless them boys, they gave us some great days out. Over and out!

  114. They tried their best but time has caught up with this Mayo team, no quality subs to bring on in that heat. Time to reflect & rebuild for next year & give the team and well earned rest.

  115. Heart is broke…..no other words. Thanks lads for the journey, given me some of the best days of my life……

  116. We needed fresh subs …didnt get them. Dont know why Rochford persisted with some players who were out on their feet.
    Poor game plan too…lofting high balls into a crowded midfield.
    Cant fault the lads and we are as well to be beaten now. Just ran out of steam.You have to trust your bench …we didnt.
    Fair play to Rochford and all the lads and all supporters.We will never go away.

  118. We have been on a wonderful journey since 2011 even if we never reached our ultimate destination. Thanks to all these wonderful warriors for all the great memories we will treasure forever. For some this will have been their last outing , for others they will come back refreshed ready to go next year. The reality is that we have not put in a single convincing performance this year and having to go through four rounds of qualifiers was always likely to catch us out. We were never going to win the All Ireland this year so maybe going out at this stage is not the biggest disaster, although one more outing at Croke Park would have been nice. A lot of harsh things will be said about management and certain players over the next while but please lets not go to town turning on our own.

    As for the match has any player ever given so much of himself as Diarmuid O’Connor tonight. he is one of those we need to build a new team around in the next few years. Did not think the ref did us any favours but that was not the reason for our loss. There will be more time for post mortems but for now I just want to say to this team from a very proud mayo man Thanks

  120. Heart breaking to bow out but can’t have any complaints. Feels like the end of an era. 🙁

  121. Hard luck lads, yeve given us some great days out. I feel we’ve missed our chance at sam but it wasnt from lack of trying. Time to cut a few of the long term subs that have been there for many years and contributed very little and focus on bringing through youth into the panel. Its gonna be a long summer now without this team to support. They have spoiled us over the last 7 years. We’l be back again in 2019.

  122. JC
    Wont there be enough criticism without you adding to it? Yes Rochford may have made mistakes in not trusting the bench but he did bring us within a point of an All Ireland.
    Maybe a lesson that can be learned is to stand up to Croke Park more and refuse to go to Limerick which was an unfair ask.
    Anyway nothing but gratitude for these lads.Nothing wrong with leaving it all on the field.

  123. Not to be today. This team owe us absolutely nothing. Probably a few retirements now and chance for the rest to recharge the batteries

  125. Well said J J Kelly, pretty much summed the situation up.
    It’s been a hell of a ride over the past 8 years. This defeat does have the sense of being a watershed moment.
    It may well be the end for a couple of players, but we still have the nucleus of a very good side with a decent age profile.
    We’ll be back again next year, it’s what we do. Hopefully we’ll be well refreshed and looking to blood some new players through the league. Should have been done during this years league, but is now a necessity for next year.

    Well done Kildare, fully deserved their win.

  126. Stand up for the boys in Green and Red. Stand up for the boys in Green and Red. Seven great years of championship
    I wouldn’t be surprised if Galway go all the way this year. It’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

  127. Even though we never got across the finishing line Thank you one and all who has wore the Mayo jersey in the last 6years The most enjoyable years of my sporting life.

  128. Fair play JJ Kelly. Sickening. Let’s not forget the injuries we’ve had this year. heartbrreaking for such a fantastic group.

  129. Lads, not the time to start slating players/management. They did their best, but unfortunately when the game presented itself – at several times, they were just not able to push on. I know Mayo supporters are good sports, so please give those magnificent players a time to reflect and consider their futures. Supporters can be selfish and might not consider there is more to life than football – and these lads deserve it all.. Finally, I thought there were one or two dubious decisions – but not enough to deny a team if they were indeed good enough to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I’ve always thought, WJ, this blog is a huge part of Mayo football, and as long as this blog continues, it is a sure sign that Mayo football will rise again- and fairly soon too.. Keep the faith, Mayo…

  130. The next question that will be asked is Rochford gonna be in charge year,were all thinking it,may as well throw it out there

  131. Nail on the head there JJ, good man and thanks for putting that so well.
    It’s a loss of a game and a good bit more than that all things considered but this is not the time for harsh criticism and “told you so” and all the usual set of responses. Just for a minute think how some of the older lads feels…. Imagine after all they’ve given that this is the last time they’ll have played for their county, pulled on that jersey and ran out onto a pitch to hear the roar of the crowd? Imagine that. Most of the rest of us are gutted but really our winters were spent watching telly and drinking tea at the fire. As I said before, put away the knives.

  132. Diarmuid. Class act.

    We need forwards. We haven’t yet found one who can naturally pick off scores. FACT.

    We need a full back and another midfielder.

    This hurts but we were never gonna win it this year with 1st choice 8 and 9 gone amd it was obvious we were struggling up front. A break will many of these boys no harm. Whoever is in chsrhe of the team in spring MUST give youth a chance. If it means relegation so fucking what. Donegal don’t seem too bothered.

    Target for 2019. Win Nestor Cup. Get to super 8’s and take it from there.

  133. Sitting on a bus, waiting for a few stragglers!… Been reading the comments….Seems like a few weren’t at the match… No point in blaming anyone… I can recall a few things that we should have done differently and several things that we done magnificently… Have to praise the performance of AOS, especially first half, and Diarmuid and Paddy Durcan

  134. Well done JJ Kelly, you summed it up very well. Whether it is a water shed or not time will tell, but it is awful disappointing. I think we were riding our luck particularly in the league, and the injuries since the all Ireland probably caught up with us, especially the midfielders, although in fairness Diarmuid O Connor left nothing after him on the field today.

  135. Heartbroken for the lads. They will always be our heroes and need to rest up and take a break.
    God bless them all for given us great days and for what they’ve done for Mayo football.
    Let’s get saving for a great w’end in New York next May. Mayo forever.

  137. This is all about injuries.
    Lose 8&9 in any team and you can’t keep going.
    It’s a tough night but we seen tougher.
    Fantastic days following this Mayo team

  138. D O’C brilliant today. Fitness not up to standard of younger teams. Got away with it last year just about. We needed to get another easier game to make the kind of progress we are capable of. End of an era. They gave us great great years.

  139. Very well said Joet1480.
    Who are we to criticize this group of super amateurs who gave us everything for so many years.
    Tough tonight but Mayo football will rise again – C’mon Mayo!

  140. Oh gawd . Feel so empty and really sorry for our gallant heroes who have given so much these last few years. There is lots to be considered moving forward but perhaps tonight is not the night.

  141. Well done Kildare. Fair play to Cian for fighting to keep the game in Newbridge. It certainly made our job harder. Lads gave everything, not just today but through the years. I’m heartbroken for Mayo but feel we need to rest and replenish. Nothing went their way today but that’s how this game is. Thought Diarmuid O C was amazing but shattered at the end. Thank you Mayo for the passion and heart. I’m proud to be one of us and look forward to seeing a new beginning next year. Always Mayo- heart and soul!!

  142. Hard to realize this is the end of the road. At one level its a release from the anxiety and at another, the ‘what ifs’ abound. However while its fanciful to think this would go on and on – life is not like that. So lets take time out to applaud our boys and leave the post mortems for a more respectful time.

  143. realistically you can’t keep going down the qualifier route and expect to come out of it. when you keep getting into these dogfights you going to come unstuck at some point

  144. Forgot to say, Congratulations to Kildare, worthy winners… If this cloud has a silver lining…. It might not be as easy for Dublin to play. every game in Croke Park in the future…. But in fairness it was a great game even if it did end in heartbreak..
    Some magic days following Mayo this decade!

  145. Congrats to Kildare. Much the better prepared team.
    Again we had some real heroes.. Diarmaid O C was brill, + AOs+ PD’
    But too reliant on Frees and Backs for scores.
    We might have scraped through with TP and SoS.
    But we were only postponing the inevitable.
    Not scoring a goal against Kildare is revealing.
    And no subs brought on until too late! AGAIN!!

  146. Best side on the day won no question and Kildare wanted it more as simple as that. Their manager fought for home advantage as was their right to do so and his players responded today. Still a kick in this Mayo team next year but its the end of the road for Rochford now he got 3 years nothing won i think its time to bring James Horan back in.

  147. Tough luck guys. A good long rest and recovery needed, get the bodies rested and minds refreshed. There’ll be 1 or 2 retirements but that’s life. Some guys looked jaded today, I’m sorry for all of them but kerry and Dublin would have been too much without Seamie and Tom anyways I’d say.

  148. best team won on the night but thanks to Mayo players for 6 or 7 great years. Plenty of talent there to rebuild new team, but Management should have acted faster on the night.

  149. Just want to thank the team for the last couple of years. They are a credit to the county and gave us supporters wonderful days out.The championship wont b the same with out us. A wonderful group of players. Thanks so much.

  150. Well said JJ Kelly. Gutted for the lads but they’ve given us great days, and more to come I’m sure. Was worried Newbridgegate would galvanise Kildare (living in Naas 23 years – knew they were not a bad side) but thought we’d do it in 2nd half. Needed subs earlier I think. Diarmuid is a warrior. Ref, what can you say, no side is ever happy. Not the time to slate players or management, they always give their all. Galway loss and midfield injuries caught up with us. Willie Joe, you’re some man and thanks for everything over the years but keep at it please!! Rise again for 2019. ABDorK!!!

  151. It’s always hard to take when the summer ends. Post mortems are as bad as they sound. Carving up something that has given it’s all…. but is no longer with us. Mayo are no different that Tipperary in hurling. Fine team knocked out too early. Long time to stew over the summer with anger building. They’ll hit the ground running with FBD and League for the first time in a long time. But my whole point is different to all of this. As a Galway man if Rochford is surplus to requirements in Mayo I’d take him in the morning in Galway. Better the devil you know and all that. Heads up summer goes quick enough.

  152. We were going to get badly found out eventually without our first choice midfielders. We were playing on borrowed time.

  153. A qualifier too far, Thanks for the best rollercoaster ever, we’ll be back!
    Maigho Abu!

  154. I don’t want to say too much when I’m in this mood but really this was lost on the line, Boyle and moran should not have started and then only giving Loftus and Hanley a few minutes was criminal and why was keegan man marking not even one of their better forwards

  155. All things come in cycles. Unfortunately we didn’t take our chance when we were at the top.

  156. I feel like we have just come to the end of the greatest 7 years of my life. My heart is broken.

    Thank you gentlemen.

  157. Well said JJ, yes great days out following this team, feels odd and will be a quiet summer, they will rise again they always do. Up Mayo !!!!

  159. Well it is a sad evening for all followers of Mayo football but my heart truly goes out to all those footballers on the pitch, and to the injured guys, to their families and to their Managers and to you Willie Joe. The effort involved to keep us all together on this journey has been phenomenal and the regret of not achieving the ultimate goal of a final 2018 AI is hard to take. But on a positive note the journey has been so inspiring in the nature of humanity that I do think it’s worthy of a psychological study. It’s given me comfort in dark days and I’m not from Mayo ! Well done to all you good people

  161. This, with certainty, is the end of that 2011 team. We now reform a new team next year with quite a sizable injection of youth.
    It was actually defence let us down tonight. 19pts should win most games. Conceding 21pts is a wide open defence.
    I do think it needs Mike Solan over the seniors next year. A fresh team is needed and new energy injected into the Mayo mgmt, Mayo media story and supporter enthusiasm.
    I just feel Rochford has never shown a steady hand in terms of managing the influx of new players. Eoin ODonogue was one of our finest defenders all year, aged 22, flying fit and reduced to a late bench role on a day when it was really hot.

  162. Well done kildare.
    We rode our luck to often over the past few years in the qualifiers.
    Think the rest will be no harm to many injurys.
    We will be back.
    Thanks for the great days mayo.

  163. This team has given me some of the most enjoyable days of my life. I couldn’t give a fuck what anyone says if they had got that little bit of luck required they’d have at least one all Ireland. I spent all of last year waiting for the end only for them to keep proving me wrong. Unfortunately in the qualifiers there wad always a risk they were eventually going to come out the wrong side of a close call and thats what happened tonight..

    I remember looking at D O C two years ago against Kildare and thinking we had found the missing link. I saw him today and saw a young man we can build a team around. I have no doubt some of the older guys will go..that is just the way it is. It genuinely hurts me to think lads like Keith and Andy may never get their celtic cross.

    Our success in recent years has been unprecedented and was never going to go on forever however there are still a.lot of fine footballers there and the future is not all bleak. I don’t think it will be too long before we are back where we belong.

  164. I don’t know was it the cameras, or what – but there seemed to be loads of spaces available on terraces and quite a few on stands? Was the game a sell-out at all??!!

  165. The greatest bunch of players from any county never to win an all Ireland, but all is not lost. The All Ireland competition 2018 has lost something tonight. A group of players who sacrificed all and gave everything to the green and red cause.
    On the positive it will hasten the rebuilding process, maybe in time to give some of our great warriors another chance….. Thanks for great memories, great moments and keeping us proud to be from the county of Mayo.

  166. Given the age profile of the team a major rebuild is now needed, probably a new management team and at least 10 new players. This could take at least three years
    So I can’t see too many players over thirty staying on,however I believe we have the core of a team and enough talent coming through to be back at the top in that time

  167. JC Hard to take your criticism seriously when you are giving out about James Loftus. Maybe you mean Cian Rochford but who ever you meant could you show a bit of respect for all these great men.

  168. We’ve blooded two or three new players this year. Eoin O’Donoghue looks to the manor born. Slightly unlucky to be dropped to be honest and made a huge impact when introduced last week and today. I have absolutely no doubt Cian Hanley will only improve and is going to be a big player for us. Was disappointed not to see more of Conor Loftus. To be fair, maybe he’s not going well in training but there’s still a decent player in that man. Jimmy Durcan struggled tonight but he’s come a long way very quickly.

    No doubt we need one or two more to come to the fore – maybe Mathew Ruane, Akram and one or two of the U-20s can step forward.

    Don’t agree that a massive rebuild is on the cards. Andy may decide this is as far as he goes, but the rest of them are likely to keep going.

  169. To win just once, meant James Durcan- who wasn’t in the game, and loftus who should have been in the game . Which men were criticised by me seen as you read so well?
    James Durcan wasn’t in the game, Coen wasn’t in it in midfield either and if you read back I highlighted diarmuid as outstanding.
    Hardly harsh criticism of the team .
    Management is where the criticism is pointed and if you think they have done good job this year then fair play to you

  170. We never once turned them over in our defence. Our hallmark tackling and ability to strip ball was not there and everytime they attacked they scored, or, won a free in a very scorable area. 19 pts conceeded, plus 9 or 10 wides and 2 goal chances missed from a team that was relegated, beaten by Carlow and won only 2 games on 12 months! It’s alright being sympathetic towards the lads and I am, bit those stats are terrible. That savage intensity was absent and maybe this was the game where irrespective of the mind being willing, the body just wasn’t able.
    I was surprised how well we did in the middle third and AOS and DOC were outstanding in a fiercely competitive battle. DOC was man of the match and literally ran himself to a standstill.
    We lost 60% to 70% of the ball that was fed in to our full forward line and were guilty of 3 or 4 terrible misses. In a game where our defence was not “at it” that performance up front was never going to do it for us. When we pushed 2 points clear we missed the next 2 chances and momentum swung back to them.
    All in all we can have no complaints as the sharper better team won and fair play to them. I felt when we lost Tom we were not going to be in a position to win the big one. When Seamie went, in my opinion, it was only a matter of time before we were picked off. It happened tonight but we went down fighting.
    For us? Well, I hope all concerned take a break and don’t make any rash decisions. Drink a few pints (if that’s their choice) eat some shite, relax and unwind. Enjoy the Summer and start afresh next January. No one died. We’ve been in much deeper holes than this and we will bounce back. The only niggling fear I have had since last September is that our greatest side just happened to coincide with a truly great Dublin side (who I believe are not as strong as they were and will be taken out this year) and someone else (Kerry, Donegal or Galway) will come in as Dublin fade, with us, and scoop a handy All Ireland. We could not have done anything more last September and yet still oit the wrong side.
    Anyway. The heart is low but the darkest of the night is just before the dawn.

  171. Heartbroken tonight, but congratulations to Kildare, a very spirited performance. Even though there is now a massive vacuum in my life I honestly think it is for the best, this team needs a break, and then rebuild over the next couple of years. Very proud of these lads and really feel for them tonight.

  172. I honestly hope there are no retirements . I believe The final script has not been written yet for this team of warriors . But they have already changed Mayo and it’s people. Our collective story has changed to one of “ warriors just and brave “. It wasn’t always like this .

    The aging players would make a helluva bench to bring in next year proven, battle hardened , and wise.

    We need to take the direct route to super eights. We need a second team at almost the same level as the first . We need to blood loads of young fellas in the league. But we have a great nucleus still . It’s time for youth and speed . But I’ll never write off any of this team. They have changed Mayo . Changed it utterly.

  173. The intensity wasnt there at the end which usually Mayo can summon but perhaps this team just couldnt afford those injuries which were more damaging than many realised Vaughan, Keegan, O Shea, Parsons all out or not able to perform to 100% due to previous injuries. It appears something new is required and a period of rebuilding and probably a few retirements but that will happen to all teams eventually.

  174. A word about the non playing Mayo . We have the best blog in Ireland – in any category . We have the best fans by a million miles or so . We have the best medical team on the sideline ( seriously they are incredibly impressive and always so composed and in control ). There are so many things I’m proud of . Most of all I’m proud to say I’m from Mayo when someone can’t ubderstand my love for this team and our people.

  175. Here is a song for Mayo that has been forming itself in my mind for ages.
    Sweet home County Mayo to.the tune of Lynard Skinnard Sweet Home Alabama!

    Sweet Home County Mayo

    Sweet home County Mayo
    With a green and red hue
    Sweet home County Mayo
    Sam is coming home to you

    Well I heard Brolly talk about us
    I heard wee Joe talk us down
    I hope Joe Brolly will remember
    A western man don’t need him around any how

    Sweet home County Mayo
    With a green and red hue
    Sweet home County Mayo
    Sam is coming home to you

    More later, as the mood takes me

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