Game day – time to right our replay record

Willie Joe

The latest chapter in our championship summer is set to be written at Croke Park today when the lads lock horns for a second time with Roscommon. Our All-Ireland quarter-final replay at HQ throws in at 2pm this afternoon.

We know plenty about replays. Each year since 2014 we’ve ended up in them in the All-Ireland Series. Kerry in 2014, Dublin in both 2015 and 2016. Each time a second chance at victory, last year a second opportunity to claim Sam.

Three replays, three defeats. All of them games that could have been won but all, in different ways, which went away from us.

Today – in our seventh championship match this year – we get the chance to right that record. Roscommon, thumped in last year’s Connacht final replay, have their own rematch woes to talk about but they’ll come back to Croke Park emboldened by their display in the drawn game eight days ago.

For sure, this is a match that could easily go either way. Our repeated near-death experiences this summer prove that point, while Roscommon’s verve and dash last week demonstrate their ability to do what needs to be done to claim a first championship win for their county at Croke Park since 1980.

But for all their youthful zest, we’re still the team with the greater HQ experience and, as we showed the last day, we’re also the team with the greater ability to keep going for seventy minutes and beyond.

In the dying minutes of the drawn games it was us who were pushing for the win, us who missed all those late chances to seal it. Some would claim that these misses were costly and that we’ll pay the price today. Maybe so but maybe not.

Getting a win today certainly won’t be easy for us – what has been easy for us this summer? – but it is still an outcome that’s well within our grasp. August in Croke Park is when this team really starts to motor and I’m expecting us to lift it significantly today.

If we do, then the win should follow. A replay win to boot, as well as a place in the last four. Time for action once more. Up Mayo.

75 thoughts on “Game day – time to right our replay record”

  2. I was just thinking the same thing last night it’s 2004 since we won a replay in Croke Park against Fermanagh the same year we beat Laois in a replay and we have lost a few replays since in Croker or at least one in an all ireland final and we won’t mention limerick so it would be nice to win one at HQ

  3. The Laois replay was in 2006, backdoorsam. I remember as I had to listen to local radio on Dublin stating that Mayo in the semi would be an easier fixture en route to the final ?

  4. Today is the day to rectify our replay outcomes,
    Croker in august, it’s where we want to be,
    I plan and having no voice leaving jones road , safe journey to all travelling ,
    Best of luck to our management and the lads
    Cmon mayo

  5. I was at that Laois replay game in 2004 and Mayo played brilliant that day , they raised their game that day and i can see this Mayo team of 2017 doing the same this afternoon .So every Mayo person heading for Croke Park today have a safe trip there and back ,bring the famous red and green roar to Croker today and support those magnificent Players and Management team .
    Come on Mayo

  6. I stand corrected “it means nothing to me” its hard to keep track of all these visits to Croke Park and may that long continue to be the case let’s hope for a good win today

  7. As supporters ,we need to put in a huge performance too … Let’s bring the colour and noise to a new level.. We owe this special group of players that and more …HON MAYO !!!!

  8. The replay defeats in the last 3 years were to eventual all Ireland champions. Roscommon will not win the All Ireland.
    No defeat today but for Jesus sake can we please see some consistency of performance over 70 mins and some smart incisive decisive thinking from the sideline!

  9. Best wishes to Stephen and the Mayo Team today. Let today be the day that we silence a lot of those critics who have been recently writing off our management and players.

  10. Today is the day to lay down a marker to Kerry and strike the fear of God into them. Win today and we are 2 games away from bringing Sam West. No surrender. Let’s roar the lads on. Maigh Eo Abu.

  11. If ever this team needed motivation they got it last night if they were watching the SG. The best part of 30 minutes was used to discuss and preview the forthcoming Dublin Tyrone match. As for the preview and discussion on today’s game…….not a single mention……nothing. Unbelievable. Cahill described the Dublin Tyrone game as a ‘clash of the titans. Tyrone are titans of the game now are they? For all this talk of the big 3 I seem to remember some other team that lost to Dublin by a single point after a replay last year and even managed to beat the ‘Tyrone titans’. Our track record over the past 5 years deserves greater respect and I cannot believe that RTE didn’t spend as much as 30 seconds on our match today.
    I hope that our team finally shakes off it’s indifferent form today and goes on to show the national media that they seem to be suffering a bit of amnesia regarding one of the real top 3 teams in the country.

    Just wondering, is anybody else surprised at the complete lack of a mention of our game last night…..I found it astonishing.

  12. We need a big improvement from our management today as they seem to get the starting 15 and match-ups generally perfect, but after that, I believe we lose track of things and our “in-game” management is not up to speed. Caution is always our managements first thought and that has got to change.
    I feel these young Rossies will go harder for longer today and it is going to take something really special for us to turn them over. We have neither form nor identity at the minute, we haven’t produced a good solid 75 mins of football since last years drawn All Ireland final. There is even a fair argument to be made that we have regressed under Rochford as we are only playing in fits and starts. But experience and muscle memory are powerful tools. So lads, Is it to end this afternoon, on the Croke Park pitch, to Roscommon?
    Will the real Mayo please come out to play. We can only do so much from the stands, ye have to go and win it.

  13. I couldn’t agree more spotlight
    ..the big 3 was nauseating I wouldn’t mind O’Shea and mcguigan but Whelan who’s won feic all! Yes today is our day.. we need Richfield to make some big calls though as well as big performance from lads

  14. Not surprised at all, Spotlight, but neither am I too bothered about what they say or, as the case may be, don’t say. The place for us to do our talking is out on the pitch. If we do that we’ll be noticed soon enough. For now, hiding in plain sight is fine.

  15. Lads – I wouldn’t be worrying too much about whether the Sunday Game or any other outlet places us in their top ten or not. We’re in the last five and as long as the lads play to close to their potential, should be in he last 4 by the time the day is out. Barring something very special, we’ll be written off again for the semi final.
    Expecting anything positive from mouthpieces in the media at this stage is an exercise in futility.

  16. I think it is great that we are written off. No pressure. Now lets just get Ross out of the way.

  17. Nervous but confident at the same time
    Be interesting to see what team lines out. Maybe he will just go as named ……….

  18. This Mayo team will only get respect from outside the county and in the media etc when they land Sam. Thats a fact. Do i care… do I f**k. I respect them and believe in them and so do all of their real supporters.. thats enough for me. Now lets go and do it.

  19. My daughter is After loosing a sum of money in apple green on route this morning, if a kind soul could keep an eye it would be appreciated. Hopefully the day ends better than it started.

  20. Guarantee you if we win today and I expect we will,there will be numerous Kerry pundits lining up to tell us we are the best thing since sliced bread and are a top two team and yerra Kerry will be lucky to keep the ball kicked out to them. A close unimpressive win today will do me go in under the radar as underdogs and if we still have it turn it on against Kerry

  21. Dont see why people are getting bothered about not been spoken about on sunday game, Mayo isnt being disrespected when not being considered as AI contenders this year. The fact is we havent shown any sort of form to suggest we are contenders. We lost by one pt to Dublin last year but that was last year. You can only judge a team on current form not on two games played almost a year ago and Mayos current form is not good. Dublin Tyrone and Kerry are efficiently cutting down anyone put in front of them and are rightly the favs. If Mayo were doing the same then we would be considered in the same light. A comprehensive win today and we will be spoken about. Mayo have to start playing like they are capable of winning it before they can be considered potential champions.

  22. I seen it mentioned earlier in the week about greeting the team bus as it comes in at Croker
    It’s not something I’d normally advocate but I think today they need every ounce of support from start to finish
    What time would it be expected in at Croker ? 1230?

  23. Great idea km79
    That’s not a bad plan at all
    I think it would give the lads a boast before they even get to the dressing room
    Where exactly do they arrive ?

  25. Mayomad. Never a truer word written. You are spot on. Yesterday is dead and gone, and tomorrow is out of sight. Its all about today. Shit or get off the pot.

  26. Speed van parked on left just past m50 junction at palmerstown heading for town. Please let mayo fans know

  27. Team buses come in behind cusack stand I think
    I’ll be there around 1245 so will have a look but will possibly be just too late

    Mayo by 5

  28. Spotlight was thinking the same last night – on an on about the big 3 ……………………

    big performance and a win today and we will see – “we lost to the greatest team” of all time by one point last year

    Muigheo Abu

  29. Can ye stop with mayo by 4 5 6 7 lets get behind them I’ll take a one point win today and a good performance to day safe trip home every one

  30. Correct mayomad.
    Going by crowd so far in clonliffe it looks like we may be well outnumbered. So if we are we need to be louder. Time for the sit down supporters to stand up. Time for the team to finally stand up too. This team needs to prove to themselves that they’re still contenders. Confidence and belief will then follow.

  34. Lads, It’s August so it’s time to play football.

    Good luck to team and all who are traveling

  35. Anticipating today’s match and all…just planning ahead,
    Regarding the outcome, does there have to be a winner today? would there be extra time and/or another replay ? Surely this shouldn’t be ambiguous? If a replay where/when?

    On another note, a win today and we match on in the quest, however a losss and it’s likely this management team would resign. Then what…
    Like I said, just planning ahead.

  44. Oh lordee
    Hopefully good for 20 at end
    Parsons back is a big boost but nullified by losing Keegan
    That’s the end of caff so
    If he ain’t trusted against Roscommon …..

  45. The blind, lame, and nursing homes residents must be up from rossies fair play. They getting confident. 🙂

  47. Three reasons – aside from the obvious one – for wishing I was there and not watching on RTÉ via GAA GO. Brolly. O’Rourke. Spillane. Sweet Lord give me patience.

  48. Agree WJ, and Brolly stirring the proverbial shit with rumors and so on.
    Anyway, let’s play ball!

  53. Superb performance from the lads so far. Physically imposing all over the pitch and ruthless to boot. Could actually be further ahead as we’ve managed a few goal chances.

  54. Best first half at Croke Park since the destruction of Donegal in 2013. The amazing thing is that we should be further ahead, shooting slightly wayward. But those goals – pure class.

  56. Greetings from a sunny Hill 16.
    I said during the week that the Ros defence were average at best. Point proven.

    On the flip side we have lets not allow the scoreline pull the wool over our eyes. They’ve cut down our middle a few too many times and their point taking ability is matched by our own. Weak enough.

    Let’s see how the 2nd half goes.

  58. The only downside to that first half was the massive thump I got in the back from a fellow mayo “supporter ” .
    If you want to sit and watch for 70 minutes
    Stay at home

  60. Jesus even Tommy Carr is praising the Mayo intensitys levels ….Fair play to the lads they have obviously regrouped that Cork game must have taken more out of them than we thought….Lets see can we keep this going….great stuff…

  62. Brolly just had a cut off Andy for celebrating his goal. The man’s hubris is just boundless.

  63. Lads, it’s August…we don’t really play football till August.
    Perfect game for Loftus to come in.

  68. That’s some going on an empty tank with dirty diesel. As I said last day we are not finished. Thank you mayo. Two more wins please.

  69. Lee will be sleeping with pictures of James O’Donoghue for the next 2 weeks!
    The real Mayo came out to play.
    Welcome back lads.

  72. As good a mayo performance as anyone could have.wished for. We’re only warming up.

  73. I really do believe we are goin to take kerry down in 13 days. They have more to worry about.than we do. Aiden o’shea sounded enthusiastic about facing kerry when interviewed afterwards. Home James and don’t spare the horses.

  75. I didn’t thump him back Willie joe
    I told him to watch the semi at home

    He left with5/10 minutes to go anyway

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