Photo: @MayoPPS_GAA
So it’s August and we’re still playing football. Today the attention switches away from the seniors and onto the county’s minors, who are in action in Tullamore this afternoon.
Every football match played in August is an all-or-nothing one and the challenge facing Enda Gilvarry and his charges at O’Connor Park this afternoon comes in the form of an All-Ireland quarter-final clash with newly-crowned Leinster champions Kildare. The match throws in at the Offaly venue at 2pm this afternoon.
Details of our team and subs for today are here. We’ve made three changes to the side beaten by Galway in the Connacht final, with Seán Kenny, Conor Stenson and Justin Healy replacing Cathal Horan, Ross Egan and Nathan McGee.
I’ve other stuff on up here today myself – where hopefully the rain will hold off for the bulk of the Bank Holiday – and so will only be following the action from Tullamore via the usual sources on the mobile. I’ll stitch together a match report of sorts on it, though, later on this evening.
Best of luck to the lads as they aim to secure a place in this year’s All-Ireland MFC semi-finals. Up Mayo!
Best of luck to the mayo minors to day
Important to keep the supply chain coming. Best of luck to the lads today in Tullamore.
Best of luck to our minors today, it would be great if they could get a win in this match!
Good luck to minors today,it would be great to have two teams in action in September
Good luck ladeens’s! Make us proud.
Good luck to the Mayo minors!
Just a thought on this Bank Holiday Monday – the dismal display by Galway yesterday puts in perspective how terrific Mayo have been in Croke Park over the past number of years!
What great value they have given their supporters!
What sickens me is when RTE pundits especially PSp.,JBr and CO’R keep on talking about Galway’s great tradition in Croke Park.
Sky Sports – and I never thought I’d say this is breath of fresh air!
I’d exclude Ciaran Whelan and Dessie Dolan from my criticisms!
For God’s sake Galway have not won a match in Croke Park for 16 years!
Mayoforever – I wonder if it’s the start of a Galway “Curse”!!??
I know it’s only Monday but I am absolutely BUZZING for Saturday already ! Massive game. The type of game players put in the hard yards for. Saturday was just a game to get through. It felt like that the whole time for me as a supporter so you can be sure the players were the same. Job done with eyes on Tyrone all along. Not disrespectful to Westmeath just realistic.
They probably did the same with Galway and in yesterday’s evidence were correct to do so but were caught out mainly due to being behind fitness wise and hunger . Anyway it’s been the best thing to happen. The sweeper system has extra games. Andy is back in FF. Cillian looks fit at last. Imagine if we had scraped past Galway and the Rossies and sleepwalked in to play that Tipp team …………..
It has been a funny funny year in many sports. I think the winner of these years AI comes from the B side of the draw ……. 😉
I’m nervous already about Saturday and it’s only 11 25 on Monday morning how am I going to get through the week ?
KEEP CALM
DREAM
OF
SAM
This would be a nice fillup today if we could get a win versus Kildare.
It seemed like we needed a bit more physical power on the pitch aganst Galway. Can’t recall who it was but one of the bigger subs came on up front and proved effective just through having that extra size and strength.
Best of luck to the minors to day,, only an hour from so going to tip over for a look .
I agree on the Croke Park thing usual shire lazy analysis ‘ Mayo can’t play in Croke Park’. We are the most consistent team always there always competitive. Dublin won both g for almost 25 years playing at home.
Stits and starts this year but still there. I was afraid WM might catch us. I was wrong!. This team could cut loose on Saturday and blow the shore out the valves!. Tyrone beat Donegal we took them handy last few years. If we can settle the signs are there we can (not conclusive) someone could in be in the wrong place at the wrong time!. They had a bit of time. This may come right….
Only decent side left are dublin and they are missing 3 all star quality backs! Hoping what we saw on sat was 20 mins of what we can do and 50mins energy conservation. Don’t recall winning sam after annihilating sligo and galway in recent years. Tyrone are ordinary and we will beat them by 4 or 5pts.
Hoping Mayo can turn it on next Saturday , performance was at the required level again for 10 to 15 mins in the first half. I think it’s a mental problem at this stage . We have given our best performances as underdogs / 50:50 over the last 6 years so Saturday is the first time this year we have that scenario. This Mayo team can beat Tyrone if we get the basics right..
1. Pick the correct 15 to start and have plan B to close out the game
2. Task each player to win their individual battles first
3. Trust each other to deliver and show some ruthlessness when on top
On train to Tullamore. Best of luck to our minors. It’s going to be difficult but not impossible. Up Mayo!
Good luck to the minors today. I assume mid west are covering it ?
Match is live on MidWest
It’s on Kildare radio. Kfm radio
Nice neutral venue again i see.
Same mileage from Mayo to Tullamore as it is from Kildare to Tullamore.
The only fair way to do it.
Well done to whoever agreed to this venue.
Oh wait a minute.
Tuned in to Mid-West to listen to the match and after about 5 minutes they switch over to the Bonniconlon Heritage Fair?!!
Thanks Michael, tuned into Kildare radio. Surprised at mid west.
OK we’re going from miniature ponies and donkeys to the last 15 minutes of the match now. Come on Mayo!
hard luck to the Minors. Kildare too strong in second half and won by 6 points
Minors fairly well beaten by the looks of it, unfortunately. The three black cards cant have helped but it has been a very disappointing year for us at minor. Overcame a weak Leitrim team but then beaten soundly in the Connacht final by a sharp looking Galway side.
Pity.
Anyone know what talent is coming thru from u17/16?
Mayonaze. Are ya going into the Hill on Saturday? Saw on here that you got a Hill ticket.
Will ya have big bertha? Hope ya fly her high and proud on the Hill fella.
She must be about 20 years old by now.
Hard luck minors.
On the senior front, I see David Gough is the ref for Saturday. I rate him fairly highly – so far!
I see James Horan in The Western is querying our fitness – he guesses we are not as fit as Tyrone and guys are wilting with 15 minutes to go. I am shocked if this is the case, but JH is one who would know.
Jim Flag,
That’s what you get with a piss poor county board. Working in the UK and I am involved with a county board over here and as a delegate I go to congress. At congress, for the last 2 years, every time I mention I am originally from Mayo all any other county delegates from around the country want to talk about is the Limerick issue in 2014 and how the Mayo county board let everyone down, players and fans alike.
Mayo county board has no respect around the country either, something I did not realise until I started going to congress.
So Jim save your breath as the Mayo county board never stand up for the senior team there is no way they would stand up for a minor team.
I didn’t see our. I or team in action this year but from what I heard it was far From a vintage Mayo minor team. Hard luck to our minors.
I read what Horan said r.e fitness….interesting and what I picked up from him, because I had been thinking about it myself was our intensity in the tackle. It’s gone….completely. We used to tackle the man in possession with 2/3 men and turn over the ball, then run at speed. That was our trademark and it’s gone. Players look a little heavy footed. Either we are just in bad form or or holding something back?
Jim Flag…I am..and yes Big Bertha is in year 20!! It’s been a long journey…
On the fitness, freshness thing…we really don’t know for sure til Saturday. We very noticeably ran out of juice in the last quarter v Dublin last Autumn. Fortunately stuttering along in 2nd and 3rd gear with very brief moments hitting the higher gears has been sufficient against ferm, Kildare and Westmeath.
It’ll be hugely demanding to beat Tyrone. In short, if our lads aren’t pitch perfect we we’ll be beaten. We need a dramatic change in form..form we handy has in almost 12 months. I’d love it if we can suddenly produce the goods on Saturday and jaysus I’ll be roaring them on from Hill 16 but truthfully I’m not so sure we can rediscover our form of years gone by.
You never know… We can only hope.
We have had a lot of injuries. Every week you miss sets you back. I don’t think there is any fitness issue. We should avoid a running contest with Tyrone. I’d like us in basketball terminology to go big for this one. Tyrone are one of the shorter teams you can face. Finishing out the last 25 mins with maximum amount of big men on the pitch would unsettle them if they have racked up a few yellows.
A high mileage contest suits Tyrone as they’re smaller. Our primary defence of the centre should involve big tall players. Similar late on love to see strong guys like JDoc, Barry Moran, COS, Freeman coming in.
When I was at the game Saturday evening some Donegal man said when he heard the mayo ones he said come on mayo to louse one more all Ireland not long after I said to him if u think ye will beet Dublin with what I have seen u are off your head he said I could not care less I am from Tyrone I said I was thinking because all Donegal will be behind mayo I just hope mayo can pull it out of the bag Tyrone are good but not as good as people think
Fitness is crucial in the type of game we play. We have depended on high intensity and work rate in recent years. Our success has been founded on our willingness to out work our opponents. So far this year we have been just about fit enough to survive. This may account for the drop off in intensity at times. If we could manage to get by tyrone we have a great chance to bring our fitness levels up to maximum for the semifinal and perhaps further. I’m not sure if this was the plan but whether or which it could work out for us this year.
Makluse,
interesting stuff. A sad state of affairs.
Mayonaze. Good man. Fair play to ya. I remember seeing her appearing through the smoke during the parade before the 97 final. A long journey indeed with loads more to come we hope.
I just hope nobody tries to run the legs off them this week ! No one can make them
fitter now. But they could be made tired. Zero leg work required. We need to be fresh
and will require respite not run them into the ground.
If the team is not fit enough it would explain a lot of things. Except why?
Good points being made about fitness and size. Let’s use our bench at the first sign of tiredness, sooner rather than later. They’ve had a major impact in the last few games.
I’d be surprised if there was a fitness issue, Barry solan is still there along with Gavin Duffy if I’m not mistaken. Why would there suddenly be a problem this year?
I’d agree with our last poster, we have a very good bench and need to use it. I thought Rochford has been very quick on the line up to the Westmeath game and was a bit disappointed he didn’t make changes earlier on Saturday.
JPM you ask WHY about fitness, and others are saying much the same. I quoted James Horan, and felt if he was saying it, there must be something in it.. But I am at a loss, to know why this should be an issue at this stage of the season. Sure some have had injuries, but I feel it was the guys who have been injury free he was referring to.
Six subs allowed. Three should be used with no less than 20 mins remaining every game whether ahead or behind. Should not wait until you may be in trouble. This leaves 3 subs for black cards and injuries.
Our bench is going to win it for us at the weekend
The first half goals kept Mayo minors in the game this afternoon but a one point lead was never going to be enough to win against that 2nd half wind. Kildare 6 point margin of victory probably about right and I can’t see Kildare toppling Kerry next.
So after two good Mayo minor teams in 2013,14 the next two years produced average teams. Mayo EW play Galway CW in Ted Webb final on Friday so at least their should be more talent coming through there.
I see the minor management are still relying on bringing injured players in to try and rescue games. Bringing on an player who is not fit to start ahead of 5 other for forwards is crazy. These lads have trained as hard as the next man and should be given a chance. Why tag them along just to make up the numbers.
Which player was injured? Subs all played well today from what I saw.
Just had a look at reports from 3 games minors played vs Leitrim, Galway and Kildare today. Counted 24 different players used from a squad of 30 I presume…seems about the norm.
I don’t want to list names but the player I refer to is from an east mayo club and played the other two games. Granted he is a talented footballer but my point is, so are the other members of the panel. We seen the same scenario in croke park two years ago where a young talented player (we could do with him now!!) was left on the field for about 15 mins when it was obvious he could not even stand up. He was eventually replaced and spent the next year recuperating.
This is minor grade and how often have we seen a ‘raw’ young lad sprung from bench and turn a game with that youthful exuberance and determination.