I’m heading out the door and down the shiny new motorway to the west in a few hours so this’ll have to be a quick one. I’m taking in the Blog Awards bash in Galway city tonight ahead of the match at Castlebar tomorrow, which means that tomorrow’s mileage won’t be as big as it normally is when I do the home matches as a daytrip from up here.
Everyone thinks we’ll win tomorrow (I don’t have time to do the links but that seems to be the consensus) but I think we’ll need to be a whole load more focused on the job than we were the last time we played at McHale Park if we’re to do so. Monaghan are a serious outfit and are a bit unlucky not to have a few more points on the board at this stage. The match-up between our often generous backline and their often lethal forward division could make for interesting viewing (from the blue seats in the stand, y’hear – no wimping out and watching it on TG4!) tomorrow afternoon.
With all the other three matches in Division 1 being played tonight, we’ll know exactly where we stand prior to throw-in at McHale Park tomorrow. Although Dublin and Cork face tricky enough matches this evening, I’d expect both to rack up winning scores and so we’ll need to win too to stay in the hunt for a final place. If both of the other two win tonight then I think we’ll also have to go to Cork and win a fortnight later to be sure of making the final. I’ve heard more than once that direct results count this year before points difference (i.e. the Dubs beat us and so, if we’re level on points, they’d get the place ahead of us regardless of our respective points difference) but I don’t know if this is the case and my online research into the matter has drawn a predictable blank. If anyone has any definitive evidence on this point, you might post it here in the comments.
There is one story worth linking to before I finish up, which is this uplifting piece in today’s Indo about Aidan Kilcoyne, who is now nearing a return to action. He has an appointment to see the specialist the day after the Cork game so he won’t be making any appearances in the NFL but it’ll be great to have him back again for the championship. A frivolous thought just struck me – with all that competition for places in the forward line, maybe Killer (or, indeed, one of the other forwards) could, in the mode of Martin Carney all those years ago, reinvent himself as a particularly sticky corner back?
Right, better get cracking. Back tomorrow evening with a match report on the Monaghan game but I’ll also be doing the usual at-the-match post-match audio babble too, which should be uploaded (on the Twitter panel) a bit after four tomorrow. Now, where’s that feckin’ tux?
Here is yesterday’s press release on direct results – if two teams finish equal it goes back to the game between them, more than two teams and its points difference, so we are likely to need a win and a draw from the two games to make the final…
26 March 2010
Press Release
The GAA wishes to confirm that where Teams in the National Leagues finish on equal points the tie shall be decided by the following means and in the order specified:
(i) Where two Teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two Teams in the previous game in the Competition;
(ii) Scoring Difference (subtracting the total Scores Against from total Scores For);
(iii) Highest Total Score For;
(iv) A Play-Off.
Exceptions:
In relation to means (ii) and (iii) above, if the accumulated scores of a team, so involved, are affected by a disqualification, loss of game on a proven objection, retirement or walk over, the tie shall be decided by a Play-Off.
Thanks for that, Declan, even if it’s the wrong answer! As you say, we’re likely to need a win and a draw to make the final because of this ruling.
Lost out again at the Blog Awards, I’m afraid – art continues to imitate life! Oh well, we’d better paste Monaghan tomorrow, then.
Unlucky WJ – stick at it, your time will come!
Galway have done us a favour tonight (they must be improving though), Dublin in trouble now – they have to go to Omagh next week and Tyrone badly need the points to stay up having lost to Monaghan earlier on. A win (or draw even) tomorrow might well end up being enough for us.
5 teams in the relegation scrap going in to the last day now, nice to be out of that.
Thanks, Declan – the Guinness is already easing the pain! Galway gave us a nice leg-up alright and I reckon Tyrone will finish the job in two weeks time (my little Dub won’t be pleased, though). All we have to do is win ourselves tomorrow.
Hard luck willie joe. you will feel better tomorrow around 4 o clock when the green and red have powered to the league final.
WJ. You’re the winner in our book here on the Green & Red. I think you should feel proud to have been selected to the final round. Dont know anything about the winner or what his category was. But I suspect the adjudicators dont know the passion and pride that are the currency on this site. I think your day will come.
Willie Joe. It is at times like this that I usually come out with my catchphrase. But of all Mayomen, there is no doubt that you never lost the Faith and are unlikely to do so.
And as well as that, I’d say all your hard work over the last few years has helped to rekindle the Faith a little bit in all of us.
Rewards eventually come to those who continue to toil!
I have read through this site many times without leaving a comment. I think it is a fantastic site, very informative and real comments in comparison to a certain GAA forum where there is a lot of messing.I think it could be tough for Mayo tomorrow, don’t think we will get much time on the ball, it will be interesting to see how we deal with Monaghans style
I’m sure it was in here you had some pics up from 85 in the hyde, they brought back some memories, it was my first memory of us lifting nestor.
You didnt lose Willie Joe. You and your Mayogaablog.com is our winner. It is our voice and forum to express ourselves. Thats down to your good self. Keep up the good work and it will still be the first thing I look at when I turn on the compressor in the morning.
Thanks for that, lads. Now, does anyone have a good cure for a hangover?
Orange juice, coffee, hotel breakfast, s#@t, two
paracetamol with a litre and a half of sparkling
ballygowan.
And one hair of a small dog.
Hard luck WJ.
I have just looked at the match thread on GAA boards and there seems to be a lot of optimism among the Monaghan posters that they can spoil the party today. I said there that I believe the reason for this is that they will try to do a ‘Meath’ on us today. I think we will know by this evening if we learned anything last August.
Hard luck WJ, there’s allways next year.
A few pints of guinness in mc hales before the game and a few more after to celebrate and stay over an extra night!
Did anyone read the piece in the Sunday world about the new rules as per the top of the table. Hadn’t realised it doesn’t go on points difference. Say ourself and Dublin were in second place on level points pushing for a league final. Score difference doesn’t count, it depends on the result of the game between the two sides, which means Dublin would go to a league final and not us as the beat us on our meeting.