So now we know. It’s the Leinster and defending All-Ireland champions Dublin we’ll be up against in this year’s Sam Maguire decider in three weeks time.
In the lead-up to today’s semi-final I couldn’t make my mind up as to which of the two I’d prefer it to be. The match was a bit like that too – Dublin so dominant early on, then rocked by an astonishing Kerry barrage shortly before half-time, Dublin then clawing their way back into it before Kerry pushed on again and then finally Dublin making it over the line with a last, decisive push.
I never had any intention of going to today’s semi-final. We were away on hols and zoned out when the tickets went on sale and, anyway it seemed a bit churlish to be looking for tickets when so many would be aiming to get to their first (and possibly last) football match of the year.
But one of the advantages of living within walking distance of HQ is that a late, late offer of tickets is something that can readily be availed of. I got the call at 2.45pm and, some quick afternoon rearranging later, was apologising my way into a cracking seat in the middle of the Lower Hogan shortly after the ball was thrown in.
As the saying goes, nothing beats being there and there was, for sure, an electric atmosphere in Croker today, where, as is the norm for semis, the support split roughly 75:25 in favour of Dublin. The other great advantage of being there rather than on the couch at home was that I didn’t have to listen to Moe, Larry and Curly on the box.
It was a strange game in many ways. Kerry took an age to get moving and it was gone thirteen minutes before David Moran registered their first score of the day, Dublin having put four points over by then. Ten minutes later Dublin were nine to four in front and threatening to disappear out of sight.
The Kerry comeback in the last ten minutes of the first half was as stunning as it was unexpected. Their lassitude up till then gave no hint that they had such an explosive burst in them, one that, when it occurred, stunned the crowd and the Dublin team in equal measure.
The two points they got before the first goal steadied them. From the kickout after the second point, Paul Geaney intercepted the short one to the corner and the ball was quickly transferred inside where Darran O’Sullivan applied the finish to the net. He ended up in the net too, courtesy of a hefty shove from Jonny Cooper, but surprisingly no card was flashed for this.
When Gooch swung the left peg out under the Hill to loft over another score, giving Kerry the lead for the first time, the air started to fill with all kinds of possibilities about how this game would go. Was this the moment when the bubble of those valiant Corinthian lads in blue had burst?
Such sentiments got legs soon after when Paul Geaney rose to meet a high ball in from Anthony Maher and fisted it over the line. Stephen Cluxton pawed it back out but the umpire was already jogging over to snatch and wave the green flag. A Cooper free just before the break stretched Kerry’s improbable lead – at the conclusion of a half in which they’d been fairly thoroughly outplayed – to a full five points.
As the stadium buzzed with conversation at half-time, much of it must have revolved around the astounding turnaround we’d all just witnessed. Could Kerry keep the foot to the pedal? Were the Dubs capable of wresting back ascendancy in a contest that had canted wildly out of their control?
I was disappointed with Kerry in the third quarter. Sure, Dublin were always going to come at them but it wasn’t as if they did so with all guns blazing. Kerry seemed to shrink back into themselves and invited the champions onto them. Bad move.
With twenty minutes to go, Dublin were back level. Dean Rock – who would end the day on twelve points, ten from placed balls (including two superb ‘45s) – did much of the heavy lifting on the scoresheet, with Kerry apparently content to concede scoreable frees rather than give up clear goal chances.
That Dublin leveller at last prodded the Kingdom into action. Three super scores from play – from sub Barry John Keane, Paul Geaney and sub James O’Donoghue – restored some breathing space to them. Ten minutes to go and now it was looking like it might be our boys in black against the Munster champions in the decider.
But back, once more, came Dublin. With six minutes to go they were level again and an incredible score from way out on the left from Kevin McManamon put them in front with the game entering added time.
There was still time for Kerry to level, which they did via Stephen O’Brien, but time too for Dublin to sink the dagger twice at the other end to claim the spoils. Two pressured, and precious, scores from play – from sub Eoghan O’Gara and Diarmuid Connolly – finally broke Kerry’s resolve and sent Dublin through to their second final in a row.
There was plenty of controversy about incidents in the game, with Kerry in particular incensed over the decision not to award Peter Crowley a free for a frontal charge by Kevin McManamon in injury-time. A free awarded there would surely have been converted by Bryan Sheehan (Kerry were one down at the time) and, in a game of tight margins, it could well have helped to push the outcome the other way.
Them’s the breaks, though, and I’m not wholly convinced that David Gough’s reffing had a decisive outcome today. Dublin looked the better team for much of the afternoon but they took an inordinate amount of time and effort translating this into victory.
Kerry, by contrast, seemed to be hanging in there by the seat of their pants for long periods, the miles on the clock of all those ageing titans all too obvious. It wouldn’t surprise me if up to half a dozen of them played their final championship game for their county today.
And so it’s now down to us to do what we can to stop the unstoppable blue juggernaut. Dublin under Jim Gavin have only lost one championship game since he took over ahead of the 2013 season and they’re unbeaten in League and championship for something like 26 matches at this stage.
It’ll require a herculean effort on our part to prevent them becoming the first county since Kerry in 2007 to complete back-to-back All-Ireland successes. But, as we know from last year, we’re one of the few counties out there with a team capable of fronting up to this Dublin side and I’ve every confidence we’ll do so three weeks hence. We’re surely in for one hell of an All-Ireland final contest then.
At least we can plan for Dublin now. They look good and will be red hot favourites but they have one or two chinks roll on the 18th September Kerry or Tyrone would love to be preparing for an All Ireland final let’s enjoy the build up
What was atmosphere like. If Mayo push up on cluxtons kick out s you half way there. Keegan v Connolly what a match up.
Cuxton seems to be the only week link. He really doesn’t like it when things start going wrong. I think Mayo have to make his day uncomfortable by annoying him before kick outs and have Aidan stand right in on top of him for dead balls.
Twin towers up front AOS and Barry. Put the full back line under pressure
One mistake from Cluxton and they got punished. He is still one of the very best at kickouts…so if he is the chink in the armour if be worried!
If you actually take the game, apart from that 8 minute blip before HT Dublin completely dominated. They were 9-4 up after 20 mins and won the 2nd half 13-5. Kerry fought like dogs out there and Dub still won.
The dub full back line was particularly impressive. Johnny Cooper was excellent. OSullivan untroubled. McAuley huge around the middle. Connolly, Rock and McMenamin had massive games. Flynn and Brogan have had better days but it shows the depth of the squad. O Gara was effective when he came on and scored an important point.
Not only do we need a tenacious 75 minute display on the 18th we need the best performance we’ve put together in over a year.
They’ve more than one weak link, from what I saw today. Huge challenge for us but if we can bring our A game – and I’m taking this as a given – then we’ve every chance against them.
Regardless of what people say Dublin came back with composure and Kerry really put it up to them…It will take some enormous effort from Mayo to win this one. But I hope the reaction I got in the pub doesn’t come true…sure another easy final for the Dubs…feck that lads…I want Mayo to do what Kerry couldn’t…finish them when you have them back peddling…Mayo forever!
Kerry lacked real pace and when 5 up at half time went back to the way they played at start of ist half.they gave Connolly mcmanemain and I Sullivan way to much room.we also need to be careful not to concede soft frees rock will punish those!!!
However Kerry did trouble Dublin .high ball in caused them problems at times.you can’t push up on cluxtons kickouts all the time but should push up on a certain number of them!
Pace is the one thing that will get at this Dublin team.dublin do not like a team that runs at them so our tactics will be very interesting!
That’s if a o shea gets the rub of the green with the refs.dean rock while good only got one point from play the rest are frees. K mc a better player then him.
I was the game too Willie joe, I got a ticket in the Cusack! You weren’t wearing a mayo baseball hat and Sunglasses by any chance??
I think Cluxton is a weakness in the Dubs defence if things don’t go his way he can be very flaky,
I taught Crowley give Connolly an awful lot a room in the first half, Lee won’t be guilty of that the next day!
Everyone in the media are starting to ask can the Dubs go on and do three in a row!! Suits us fine!
To be honest I think a lot of Mayo fans would prefer to be taking on Dublin on the 18th Kerry just seem to have a spell over us!
Bring on the big day!
#HonMayo
The Dubs have a habit of falling asleep. Against Mayo,Donegal ,Kerry, Westmeath. Do they get bored or what? We need lots of goals! Bring on FG Willie!
Have to say they are a joy to watch playing that game.
They have weak links and that’s not a great Kerry team. Mayo are far more dynamic and are far quicker than Kerry. Mayo have a chance, without doubt.
That being said, Dublin are an outstanding team and it will take an incredible performance to beat them. They dug that out today with some outstanding scores towards the finish.
The fawning over Dublin will suit Mayo. As will the extra week. But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking Dublin aren’t a class team. They absolutely are. They’re definitely not unbeatable but it will take one almighty performance to do it.
Dean got 2 from play, 2 45s and 8 frees. Missed one free. His running was excellent, and if Berno had been faster with that pass early on, I reckon he was in for goal.
If you think Dean is a weak point, you’re in for a bad time in 3 weeks.
Cluxton’s kickouts are certainly a weak spot in Dublin’s game plan. Those low kicks to the corner are begging to be intercepted. However I think that Dublin will anticipate that Mayo will target them so will probably introduce some kind of variation. We need players thinking on their feet. Their full back line seems vulnerable under a high ball too and the “new” square ball rule is to their disadvantage. I don’t think that Cluxton would appreciate Aido sharing the square with him. In the end today I thought it was Kerry’s legs seemed to let them down. They lost possession a number of times in the last few minutes which looked like tiredness. The break came at just the right time for Dublin, it allowed them to settle after they seemed to lose their nerve after Kerry’s goal.
Well its Dublin, don’t see much to worry us, plenty of weak spots, I am sure that our management are already planning to overwhelm them, up Mayo
Kerry’s pensioners ran out of legs it seemed in the second half, that won’t happen with Mayo. Whatever else happens, if we take our scores we will have every chance of taking Sam from them. Andy Moran will have to be on his toes and looking for runners once he wins ball, he is the key man for us in my view.
Finally, a massive Thanks to the County Board for postponing the club games, you have done Mayo a big favour because they can focus on the game and the management can focus totally on having the tactics and players fitness spot on for the game.
Kick outs kick outs kick outs, we need a plan for cluxton and a plan for our own, Kerry got great joy from targeting cluxtons kick outs but must halve lost 40% of their own, they also gave Dublin about 10 points from frees, something we have been guilty of ourselves which I assume is being worked on in training. Connolly will not dictate the game when he has lee Keegan hanging off him. Don’t get me wrong, they are a fantastic team but I stick by what I said they are not as good as last year. Kerry played well for about 20 mins and lost by 2 points.
Cian O’Sullivan caused ruck again today.. can he not be marked? Is there something in his brief for the day that says I am the zonal sweeper back here and I require 25 yards clear space all around me cause if the ball come in or breaks near me I have to be the one to get it without anyone coming within an assessment roar of me.
What a sensational game of football it was, you have to hand to both teams. Easily the best game of the championship..Just been listening to John Maughan with former Ref that John has good reason to remember Pat McEamany. Keith Barr and Jack O) Shea, you can almost smell the testerone of the the Radio, The Marty Squad. Interesting Stuff. Jack O Shea (former mayo manager) if any of ye remember. Just said that he hopes Robert Finererty son of Fat Larry is easier to use train than his father!
What did they not do the presentation after the match or did I miss something
Dublin battling through a tough encounter was probably the worst possible outcome for us (barring a replay) because the Dubs will have now gotten the game they really needed to get the heads and bodies right going into the final. They should be firing on all cylinders for the final. That said, they are definitely beatable and over the last number of years, we are the only team to properly rattle them. Kerry ran out of legs today and don’t have the physicality to go toe-to-toe with Dublin for a full 70 minutes. We can match Dublin physically, we are probably the only team in the country who can. Stephen Cluxton is a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown when put under pressure. Bernard Brogan can be marked out of it, as shown today. Getting a foothold in midfield is essential. There are areas that we can look to exploit.
By the way, did anyone hear Jim Gavin saying Mayo have not been “on our radar”?
Ara would people stop saying Cluxton is a weak point. dublins restarts are better than ours.
Dean Rock had a very good game today.
Kerry scored 2-3 in an 8/9 min spell. In the rest of the 67 mins (match was just over 75 min) they scored 11 points.
Powers go 5/2 Mayo to win, draw no bet. Time to get on, I don’t want to hear all the told you so after the game.
You can’t push up on every kick out…that’s the problem. I think today was the worst possible outcome for us. Dublin got a test and showed great character to come back. Mayo will need to produce a performance of the ages to beat Dublin. Can we do that…yes but evidence so far this years does not show this.
Dreamysleepy..That comment about Mayo from Gavin nearly had my shoe going through the TV…along with Brolly and Spillane actually sniggering at mention of Mayo in the final..Jesus what I would not give for us to do the job on them come the 18th..
dreamysleepynightysnoozysnooze, i heard that radar comment aswell, which is complete bull. Thought dubs got alot of soft frees that kept them in the game upto half time. I hope the management picked up on the holes in this Dublin team. Roll on the final. Maigh Eo Abu!!!
Thought ref gave some very harsh calls against Kerry that brought Dublin back into game in second half. Tap overs for dean Rock. Also that mcmennamin “shoulder” at the end will need to be seen on Sunday game tonight. But by far worst decision was the 50 Kevin mcmennamin demanded after umpire ruled wide. Ref literally caved into his complaints and precisely the same thing happened with Paul Murphy other end of the field 40 seconds earlier but his protests ignored…. A crucial 2 pt swing at the time.
@2 injured swans
Hold your money yet, we’ll hit 7/2 before the game once they analysis it properly.
Agree worst possible outcome for Mayo. Dublin win with below par performance which will focus minds and eliminate complacency for final . Kerry had chances to push on when 3 up in 2nd half but like mayo last year didn’t have the legs or belief to do it. Yes high ball into fullback line may trouble Dublin but it depends on 2 things. 1. Quality of ball it must be right height and pace for forward something Mayo have never perfected yet. 2. The receiving forward needs quick hands and release to support players before getting bottled up. Again something Mayo have not been able to do with AOS. Donaghy is excellent in that role with his basketball experience.
Well fair play you have to hand it to the Dubs. They were great. Apart from the blip before half time they would really have embarrassed Kerry. Weak links. Some are pointing at Cluxtons kickouts. You can bet your life he wont make the same mistake again He has been brilliant over the last 10 plus years and one bad five minutes doesn’t make him a weak link. Full back line. I thought they did well today under the threat of Gooch, Geaney who is an excellent player and Donaghy. Remember him Mayo. Midfield. Totally dominant v the big men Moran and Maher sometimes supplemented by Donaghy. Yet when Kerry goalie was forced to go long Dublin cleaned up. Most worrying of all was despite the fact that Kilkenny, Flynn and Brogan were poor enough by their own high standards, yet they scored 22 points, I was hoping they would win big, totally untested with all starters playing outstanding, but the exact opposite happened. Some didn’t play well but they showed great character and guts to overcome their problems. We can console ourselves by saying that a number of Kerry players are old, didn’t have the lega etc but lets face it, they have some great players and excellent forwards. So can we defeat the dubs. Well despite all I have said I think we can. They are human beings, not robots and will be crowned champions long before Sept 18. If they even are a small bit complacent, the door opens. This is a good, experienced Mayo team, who wont fear Dublin and who have put it up to them in the past, We have a clever managment team who hatch up plans for various opponents, one game at a time. The Mayo players need to play the game of their lives and we need to support them 100 per cent. Then anything is possible. Up Mayo
Agree with justoutsideballagh on twin towers, quick high ball and the rest of the team must have pace and give it a lash. If we go conservative we will get hammered. I fear that management may not gamble!
I really don’t think that a ref (albeit from Meath) that now lives and works in Dublin should have been reffing that game. It has to prey on his mind if he is required to give a call against Dublin in the last few minutes. He would take some flak in the week afterwards in work and socially. Where a ref actually works is important as well.
Couldn’t see Dean Rock as a weak point. He might not do as much from play as others but his kicking is gold dust!!. Makes them even harder to play against 45s in particular are great score to get.
Can anyone explain why it’s so hard to push lockouts for 70 minutes given players have to be somewhere why is marking men at kickout so exhausting.
Dublin good but not unbeatable. We can do it. We are good enough. UP MAYO
One hell of a game to echo your opening remark Willie Joe. I was nearly biting my nails towards the end so tense was it and the atmosphere was really something.
Can’t figure those who are dismissing Kerry. They had plenty of pace and troubled Dublin greatly. Dublin came back from 5 down to equalise, but Kerry went 3 ahead again. Hop of a ball really.
Felt a lot of Dublin’s big names went missing for a long time including St. Bernard; should have been hauled off much earlier. Dean Rock really kept them in touch through the bad patches – shows the value of a dead eye dick.
Dubs have 2 players who excel on deadballs – Hammer the hammer
Our jobs for the next 3 weeks is to hype Dublin to the High Heavens – only going up for the pints lads – sure it will be a nice day out for us etc etc etc .
Yis all know the drill – get to work
IS JOE MAC BOOKED BY THE DUBS FOR THE FINAL YET ??
That wasn’t me, Paddy, I was in a very nice seat in the Lower Hogan today. No county colours on show from me either!
We have a good free taker in cillian too so would not be to worried bout frees. I am sure the dubs will be hyped up.
Regina, I found the behaviour of Brolly and Spillane quite disrespectful too. Brolly in particular is regularly very unprofessional on the Sunday Game and his carry on on that programme is often extremely dismissive and disrespectful to any team that isn’t Dublin. The way himself and O’Rourke conducted themselves during the Munster final when Tipp were playing Kerry was out of order too.
This might sound funny but when Kerry were having their purple patch I really thought they would beat us if they got to final , simply because if Kerry won we would probably to deal with Donaghy and that would mean big Barry as sweeper and think we are far more dangerous with Kevin mc as sweeper . So much to look forward but this feckin ticket Craic would wear ya out .
I think the weaknesses we seen in Dublin today (kick outs and high ball) will be a factor on the 18th but if we can see them then they can see them and they will be working on it over the next 3 weeks.
Rochford will need to bring something that they are not expecting to upset their flow.
They are rightly favourites but there is no doubt we can do it.
Thankfully the game didn’t end in a draw. Once 5 o’clock came today, Stephen Rochford and his management team could start planning for the Dubs. You could actually say that this past week, once the club games were called off, it was the first time since Stephen became manager that he could press the pause button and asses where we are at.
I don’t think that the Dubs are playing as outstanding well this year as they have in the past few years, which is good news for us. Some of their players are not quite hitting the heights of previous times, like Stephen Cluxton, Paul Flynn and Bernard Brogan and they are missing two of their defenders from last year too. It’s all to play for really.
It’s very hard to put two very big performances back to back. For us we played really well against Tyrone and then dipped a bit against Tipp. In 2013 Dublin put in a big performance against Kerry but didn’t play as well in the final against us. Let’s hope the same thing will happen in the final against us again and that we can pull one hell of a performance out of the bag. Dublin have won the last three finals that they have played in so maybe they are due to lose one. Roll on the game!
I hear gough got hassle walking off after the game, bit rich Kerry people giving out about a ref but I remember he was booed walking off after the Tyrone game too. I really can’t think of one good ref in the country at the moment but I guess that says more about the game of football then the individuals who police the games. I really think when the ref is announced for the final he meets both managers and and explains how he’s gonna call the game because everyone of them does it differently.
Dublin looked really good today but only scraped by. Kerry had the football to beat them but were not physically strong enough to prevail on the day. There were a few big brutal hits on Kerry fellas towards the end that swung the game. And those crucial decisions on the 2 45s ensured a two point swing which was vital for Dublin. We don’t have a good record against Kerry but I was hoping they’d steal it even though they didn’t look great. Mayo have a monumental task ahead of them now in 3 weeks time. We need to tackle like demons but not pulling or dragging and we need to meet the physical challenge all round. Still they can be rattled and we need to rattle them. We need a good start to give them a fright and then play ourselves into it. Cmon Mayo
That was an aged and poor kerry who got two lucky goals when they were being well beaten dublin were as expected-good going forward and comfortable when allowed to relax into their system . Are they beatable? Yes,but not by a team playing in fits and starts which is what we have been all year. To win we will have to be up to speed for 75+mins and be intelligent on the pitch and the sideline renembering that the quest for revenge, though stirring the blood can blunt the brain. Lets hope for 3 quiet weeks waiting ib the long grass.
personally I would park the bus against them. Absolutely no hope of beating them in a shootout.
We need to do what Tyr did to Kerry in 03
Clarke
Harrison
Keane
Higgins
Vaughan
Mcl
Keegan
Boyle
Durcan
SOS
Parsons
DOC
COC
Andy
AOS
What;s the bets *Dublin Joe* will get the gig?
Pushing up on the Dublin kickouts worked well for us in 2013 and we were comfortably ahead early on. Unfortunately that approach is a real test on fitness and we quickly ran out of legs. I suggest it’s something we should do at different phases of the game and maximise the return during those phases.
Mayo Mick..he’s nailed down for the job with gough and coldrick having reffed the semis if I’m not mistaken..
Put Cluxton under pressure and he will win ya the game. We had him shitting himself near the end of the drawn semi final last year but we let him off the hook.
Nice work from Brolly and Pat. Hope everybody else joins in and sniggers at the prospect of poor owl Mayo taking on the best side of all time (ever). Ya right. A better side than the Kerry 4 in a row team from 78-81. Ya right.
Remember today was the real final. Dont know why they didn’t climb the Hogan at the end and receive the cup. The game on the 18th Sept is just a charity match which Mayo have agreed to play just to fulfill the owl fixture list.
I really think it’s time to have video ref helping for decisions. It’s not fair to one man having to control the whole game in real time when the critics benefit from repeated viewings in slow motion . Everyone on the pitch makes errors players and officials there needs to be the level of support technology can deliver if we are going to scrutinise decisions in the way that technology allows
Why should we be worried,we have beaten all teams apart from Galway,easily playing about ten minutes,so I am sure when we put in a thirty five minute shift we will be un beatable
Mayo fans = eternal optimists!!
As was pointed out earlier. Dublin got two wrong decisions at a crucial period of the game that gifted them 2 points. The winning margin was?
In fairness to their full back line, it’s not a weakness. They’ve two serious operators in there with McMahon and Cooper, two thugs mind you, but excellent players also. I don’t think we’ll set up with Aido in full forward as we just won’t get the return. Their weakness is their half back line and we simply have to run at them, that’s when Kerry got on top.
How Galway going Marybeau???? At least the minors will give ye a day out in Croker in September.
ah Corick bridge…I like your thinking…i’d push it out to 40 mins though…just to nail it dead certain…Maigheo go deo!!
Agreed..dublins full back line is tight. Watch today’s game again and you’ll
See that Kerry got little or nothing out of the long ball in in the first 20 mins. Dublin mopped up everything. Once Kerry started to carry it further they got some change…
Just saw that kmc tackle on joe.ie
A red card never mind a free wouldn’t have been amiss…how the jaysus could ref 10 yards away let that go and it a free to equalise game. Draw would have been the shot for Mayo too.
Looking forward to final. Good luck lads!
No, no thirty five minutes will be more than enough, seriously though, I am sure that Stephen, and tne rest of the management team had this one on the radar from day one, certainly they will have plans for anything Dublin can trow at us
I think we can’t really be giving out about refs in the build-up to the final, as we have had a good few decisions go our way this year. It was Joe McQuillan who awarded the penalty to us against Fermanagh and he could have sent Aidan O’Shea off that day too for two yellow card offences. In saying that he should have awarded Cillian a penalty that day as well and the Fermanagh goal could easily have been disallowed too as Colm Boyle seemed to be fouled in the build-up to that goal.
We were also awarded a penalty against Westmeath after their goalkeeper was penalised for overcarrying in the square. The black card call went our way last week too, while today we seen black card offences been ignored. Westmeath, Tyrone and Tipp all had players sent off as well, against us, so decisions have went our way this year, which is great to see as decisions have often gone against us in the past. So for one year we can’t complain about refs and about whoever will be reffing for the final. Joe McQuillan actually gave us a good few more frees than he gave to Dublin in the 2013 final as well. So whoever refs the final, I wouldn’t be getting too hung up about it.
This is what we are up against folks Just one of the many self congratulations type posts on da dub site. THE REAL FINAL WAS TODAY. LOL
Sorry WJ if I’m in breach of the house rules by pasting the below from a true blue.
Hope we remain it down Thier throats
Having red over 1000 posts here and agreed with the majority I kept the powder dry until the outcome. I was always confident of a Dublin win without hindsight but today in Croker the cauldron was epic. What a game what a performance what composure. I certainly didn’t have the same composure when losing my voice shouting for my beloved Dubs. This team will do back to back titles no more nonsense excuses. The yerras have no more excuses. Gough was malogen today but we kick 22 scores to their 16 game over. Rolling the final where we’ll beat the perennial underachievers.
Today we say the real final and Dublin remain top of the pile. COYBIB
Is it just me or is Martin Carney a HUGE fan of the Dubs.
In fairness the Dubs were superior but Kerry came close. I can’t help but think some of the Kerry tactics didn’t help their cause. Cian O Sullivan doesn’t seem to be challenged and was left to sweep. It made no sense to substitute Paul Geaney who was having a good game in FF with a corner back when the game was in the melting pot. Dublin were better but not unbeatable
@My Ball, he sounded like he was wetting himself with all the gushing lovefest with Dublin. It sickened me *having* to listen to it, sorry today I don’t have sky sports. I’d usually stream it but connection poor today.
Concession of goals at crucial times last year in the replay cost us the game
I genuinely believe with Clarke in goal , this should not be an issue
With Rochford and mcentee on the line I genuinely believe we have a great chance !!
We’ll be underdogs going into the final. But to be honest i can see stephen rochford and the lads coming up with something very different for dublin in three weeks.
I can see this game being like the kerry donegal final two years ago.
We could play Aidan o’shea with barry moran or tom parsons up front with cillian playing off them.
I could even see us bringing all 15 men behind the ball to frustrat dublin. And we are well able to get turn overs and break at pace. Playing this game would mean not playing Andy moran.
Can’t wait for it though
Stop on about referees….we have got decisions go our way this year too remember.
What is the story re tickets for the hill, we need to have a significant presence there. Roll on the 18th, I know we are only showing up to fulfill the fixture!!! (Tongue firmly in cheek) but wouldn’t it be great if we created a cauldron of our own, and chewed them up and spat them out grrrrrr
Martin Carney is terrible at being objective. Everything the Dubs do is “spellbinding” and “sensational” and other superlatives. We should all just be grateful that we get to share the same venue as them on the 18th.
As the game unfolded was hoping for a Kerry win as Donaghy and O’Sullivan would definitely have been out for the final. However, the Dubs it is and with no major injury worries it would seem. All we can hope for at this stage is that the preparations all go according to plan over the coming weeks.
The lads on the Sunday game have emphasised the need to push up on cluxtons kick outs … Crucial
Kerry are an old team and going through transition and they had them on the ropes
My ball is right I was just thinking that Martin Carney was nearly as bad as Tommy Carr.
I have no sympathy for Kerry even though I found myself rooting for them at times during the game. But the hit on Crowley by McManamon near the end was a clear foul and with Sheehan on the field …
So dubs score 22 and win by two getting a lot of softish frees. Unbeatable? I don’t think so.
Now, back to those Cluxton kickouts, I believe cluxton has been in decline from his admittedly dizzying peak for at least three years. It’s time to blow him out of the water.
Finally, Colm Orourke has this down as the best match he has seen. What a b—–x.
– Dublin won well on the pitch but only scrapped by on the scorecard.
– If the Dublin Full back line was so great then how did Paul Guiney score so much.?
-Flynn has been below par all year let’s hope he does not improve between now and the final. Andrews also quiet and surprising Mannion did not come on earlier.
-Absolute crunching tackles from Dublin at times.
-Bye bye Donnaghy, OShea and OMahoney who should have finished his intercounty career on yet another red card.
-Is that any chance Mayo will be allowed to field 18 players so at least we have some chance against the ‘controlled’ Dublin 15.
-Marybeau seeing as u cannot even remember who won the 2016 U21 football final I suggest u rewind to 1983 All Ireland football final and start from there.
It’s beginning to look like David v goliath on the 18th..we all know how that turned out ..
A bit worried to be honest! Dublin are very good and will punish any mistakes ruthlessly. And we cannot afford to give away frees either with Dean Rock around. I hear talk of weaknesses in this dublin team but I’m afraid I canot see them. Cluxton screwed up two kick outs. He is unlikely to do so again. Very worrying also was how many Kerry kick outs dublin won. We will need to ensure this doesn’t happen on 18th.
I’m always optimistic and you never can tell what might happen but I’m not hopeful this year.
You don’t sound very optimistic
Kerry throw away a big half time lead. It was a great brave attempt. Mayo do the same thing they bottled it. F××× sake shut these are areseholes up!
No Niall I’m not optimistic I’m afraid and I hate the feeling. I suppose we’ve been through a lot over the years.
I’m not sure we should even bother showing up based on what the lads said on the Sunday game tonight. Brolly and Spillane laughing at us earlier as well. Complete lack of respect shown towards Mayo.
Would be the sweetest win ever.
We need a good, solid defensive performance, the likes of which we have never seen from a Mayo team before. And then, maybe, just maybe, we’ll keep within 15 or 16 points of the Blue Wave.
There’ll be bonfires burning all the way home if we manage that!!
WJ is there a reason why my comments do not go on this blog??
@diehard..based on what we’ve seen so far we’re probably all afraid!However,there are those I know that remain steadfast in their view that we have the beating of Dublin…tactical nous being used as the reason for their optimism..time will tell..
Remember in sligo in u21 final. Roscommon supporters shouting ole ole with every pass. Then our lads show their true mettle. Akram shoulders a Rossie over the sideline and game is on. We are a proud football county. Let them laugh.
My blood is boiling watching the pundits today. No respect and laughed at all day. As I have read numerous times on this blog, this is war. If the Dubs stand up in the cusack shouting again like they did before I expect the Mayo supporters to do the same. We need to push as much motivation and positive energy onto the pitch as possible. Rochie will not let us down!
We are massive underdogs and will be talked down and dismissed over the next 3 weeks but that’s ok. In fairness we have done nothing this year to suggest we can beat Dublin. The one positive…we are there, in the final. Nothing is impossible in sport. Is amusing when I see comments on other outlets by Galway and Roscommon fans claiming they have better player players than Mayo.
We are being laughed at.
I thought Eamonn Fitzmaurice had a really poor game today on the Kerry sideline. Like what were Kerry’s tactics were for the second half. They neither went defensive or offensive and seemed like a team that didn’t realise they were 5 points up.
Also there were some strange substitutions he made not least bringing off Paul Geaney to be replaced with Marc O Sé.
I dunno, after being 5 points up with a half to play – well Kerry blew it in my opinion.
Don’t think Spillane and Brolly were laughing at us just joking with Whelan building us up
@Sinabhuil in what way do you mean you are being laughed at??? you or Mayo football? I don’t follow what you mean.
Marybeau….crawl back to where ever your from….only reason why your on here is cos your own county are eternal underachievers..be that at hurling or football…so does us all a favour an do one.
Really enjoyed the game today.nice to actually sit back and watch the game knowing we await the winner in the final.dublin will be a formidable opponent that is for sure.they are very good all round.they have chinks in their armour though which i will go into more detail in a couple of weeks time.i am quite happy to watch everyone write us off now for the next 3 weeks.i feel dublin will be the only ones trying to talk us up,i don’t think it will sit well with them being so over hyped.if we had beaten tyrone in the semi instead of the quarters,things would be different,people would be more optimistic.if i spend the next 2 weeks focussing on how good dublin are,i would’nt sleep a wink come the last week.so i will do what i have done all year and focus on what we will bring to the table come the 18th.the biggest fear people have is fear of the unknown,i think that’s our biggest asset this year.mayo have’nt shown their hand yet.dublin don’t know what’s coming,so as good as they are,with all their confidence,i think a few dublin boys will sleep with one eye open in the run up to the 18th.
Bob. I mean Mayo football. I am saying this as an ardent supporter who goes to all games. Watch the TV. Read the papers. They are laughing at our county.
I was very critical of Kerry in last years final and I still believe I was justified. They have not beaten any significant team so far, but today they were at the pace of the game and played really good football. They put it up to the Dublin machine and with a bit more good fortune they would have been in an all ireland final. I thought Dublin were excellent today. Anybody saying Cluxton is a weak link do not know what they are talking about. Dublin full back line very strong against some top forwards. Connolly was good also. Kerry can take a lot of positives from this, but their lack of competitive games before the semi final was the straw that finally broke the camels back IMO.
On a positive note, looking forward to this night 3 weeks hence floating on air celebrating a momentus win by the Green and Red brigade
With Davy Clarke in goal and an optimistic mental attidude there is no stopping this juggernaut.
The Great Hunger of 65 years is comming to an end on 18th of September 2016.
‘Keep the Faith’
After watching the game today I fear for Mayo , However Dublin are not unbeatable , I would prefer if Mayo are 1 or 2 points behind at half time as Mayo seem to play better when they are behind then just go for it from there , if they prepare well and are focused you never know , I have this gut feeling they have a good performance in them let’s hope that’s in the final.
There doesn’t seem to be too much panic around this year about tickets thanks to the season tickets. The vast majority of supporters who go to games all year round are looked after.
Jaysus Bob Conlon I’d hate a trailer of ‘hollow’ turf to arrive in the yard
Is Martin Carney a fan of the Dubs? “Very Much So”.
Don’t know which is worse , complaining about pundits disrespecting us, complaining about potential bad refs for the final or reading some of the unbridled optimistic comments telling us about Dublins weaknesses and how we will beat them. The fact is that Dublin were excellent today and have been for years. The fact is we have been poor this year and haven’t won Samuel for 65 years. The fact is brolly and spillane are assholes and should be ignored. Also we should stop making excuses by blaming refs. Yes we have had idiots in the form of McEneany and O Reilly but I am sure other counties have had their share of them as well. To win in 3 weeks we will have to produce a mighty performance and hope the dubs are not quite at it. I absolutely, desperately want us to win but I have had so many bad AI Final days that I genuinely am worried. We are playing a really good team who are unbeaten for something like 26 games. We have not been playing well all year. It will be an absolutely fantastic achievement should we do it but on all known form we are rank outsiders
Folks,
Let’s do a MEDIA on this
Three weeks – build them up
One day – take them down
Its now or never, I believe Dublin can be beaten but we need all our ‘big guns’ delivering and now is the time for Aidan O’Shea to stand up and prove to everyone that he really is the man to lead us to the ‘Promised Land’.
I think we can do it, it is mind over matter..
18 of Cluxtons 21 kickouts were successful today so it’s a mid-perception to say that it’s a weak link for Dublin.
The final can be summed up as follows; “the team with the winning habit in finals is playing the team with the losing habit in finals”.
Still Dublin struggled to put away a Kerry team with a lot of old stagers and if Kerry had got the free at the end…..
Remember also that Mayo could well have beaten Dublin last year and defensively we have improved.
The tribes are lamenting in Kerry tonight, we tried our best and now please take the broad sword from our bloodied hand and take this challenge to the Dubs. We had them on the ropes at two or three points today but they showed why they are a great team.
I will give my view of the game when clean and sober, so I won’t test the spring of the scribes diving board tonight, the water is distant and I could make an unpleasant splash if I tip toe to its edge. This was a great game if you were so lucky to be sipping on a well pulled pint of Guinness on a sunny summers eve in the west coast from cork to Donegal (outside of Kerry). In Croker it was a very different atmosphere as the best trained amateur athletes in a field game spilled their guts for the colours of their County skins. Sometimes in loss we forget what these guys give to sport in the pursuit of achievement for their Club and County. Today the mighty Dubs won the spoils but we came so so close to putting them out. Out kick out strategy was the major flaw in our game plan in my humble opinion. We suffered at least five scores as a result of long kick outs when simple short options were clearly available to secure possession, this frailty lost us the most blood and ultimately cost us. Mr Gough won’t get Christmas cards from Kerry and probably cost us a few decisions. Ultimately the loosing of the game was a combination of age, poor decision making when on top with possession in non pressured situations and kicking the ball to Dublin hands when runners were available but more importantly those runners were in a better position than the intended receiver of the kick pass. I could smell the fear in the stand but we bolstered belief by kicking them direct possession from an elevated position.
Cluxton is the ultimate chocolate head, when the heat is turned on he melts,, I can only imagine how many guys were around him at half time trying to convince him that Clucko you are on planet earth, stick to what you are good at,,, every time he makes a mistake he falters and his kick out strategy should be targeted. If we had a better kick out strategy today we would have won the game, the hill was silent when they were on the back foot and we gifted them an opportunity to turn us.
Look overall I am a proud Kerryman tonight as we came to Croke Park and we gave our all, as I said earlier we died with our boots on and we could have won it, forget about dodgy decisions as they are in every game win or lose, they become a factor when you lose but when you win they are a footnote to all except to those licking their wounds, where I come from that only drives on the next group of youngsters that are handed the jersey, you can’t change history but you can influence its future with memory.
Good luck to all involved in Mayo and I hope against hope that ye turn them over but if Rochford doesn’t develop a more strategic kick out strategy well then I would go in search of the dodo, he may be thriving on Achill Island or farther west,, shit I think I just hit the water!!
Try posting something sensible, BazHam19 – there’s never any problem when you do. But you have, as you well know, been sin-binned in the past for posting stuff that breaks the rules and that defeatist moan you posted after the game wasn’t worthy of being allowed on the site.
7 hours after the game and not one poster or the media has mentioned the deplorable behaviour of a large section of the Hill….
Fat Larry – there’s no need for that and no call to be making direct attacks on others. I’ll do the moderating round here if it’s all the same to you.
Nobody was ever going to give us a snowballs chance in hell of winning this.. whether it was Dublin or Kerry.. and especially now that we know it’s Dublin. And you know what, their right, because we simply have not performed this year compared to other years. We have managed games out with tatical know how.. some stellar periods of play but little else.
So one of two things is likely to happen the next day out.. (1) we continue with the same form of football that we have played up to now and get shit bet out of us.. or (2) we seriously go for broke with nothing to lose, last chance for some of these guys, let us at least say we died with our boots on approach. It’s not a nice place to be, not knowing if our boys still got it and more importantly can they bring it to the table for a ‘roll up, roll up’ one day performance coming to a city near you on the 18th. But ya know something.. it’s not a nice place for the Dubs to be either because they haven’t a clue what we’re going to bring and by god if we can finally bring our A game to All Ireland day it’ll take a lot more than few Corinthians to stop us. So keep the faith.. we’re underdogs with nothing to lose.
Folks we’d do well to remember our last 10 years’ competitive record against the Dubs in Championship football…….Beat them twice in AI semi-finals, drew another semi and lost an AI final against them.by a solitary point…..Forget the poor mouth approach and awe-struck respect for the men in blue……We are Mayo…..the most resilient county of them all……Look at the sheer hunger and performance of our squad in taking it to Tyrone a few weeks back and ensuring we won…..If that togetherness and performance can be rolled out again in three weeks tome, we’ve a massive chance of taking the Sam……Fuck this pessimism…….We can, and I believe will, do it…….
[Deleted].
Liam, what was going on in the Hill?
Welcome back to Planet Earth everybody,! Us posters or readers of Willie Joe’s Mayo Gaa blog post cannot effect the outcome of the All Ireland final. We are an emotional people and I for one hope that never changes. Last week’s winning lotto numbers don’t count, what the pundits think dosent count. What happens between the white lines of Croke Park on the 18th of September is what counts, nothing else! , As for Sam all that counts is who has scored the most at the end of the next 70″mins+of a football match. It’s neither Armagadon nor Eternal Life,! BUT, we have the second best chance in Ireland to land Sam. Evidence is against us. But,. The Rest have no chance!. ‘You miss all shots you don’t take’ “Who said that? I don’t know exactly, or even if he or she said it exactly like that, but it is undeniably the truth. We ‘” Mayo, “this great collective of’ Players, Management, Resilience, Supporters the best in the World ‘. will give it everything. Now be truthful to yourself, If you were asked at the beginning of the Championship, would you be happy with’ Mayo ‘having the second best chance of any of the teams to win Sam,at the moment end of August, would you take it?. Can it be done? ,! Well now we all know the answer, It Can, be Done,!
It seems I dont see this the way many others did. It was a strange match in many ways. Dublin should have been out of sight on 20 mins but for some reason couldn’t seem to pres the advantage, then Kerry jumped on a mulligan from Cluxton and got their tails up.
I love how the Kerry media mafia are playing up the “quality” of the match and “fighting spirit” of this Kerry team.
Can someone tell them they lost and they are OUT of the championship! . 5 pts up at half time and went on to lose by 2! That’s a collapse in my opinion! Certainly if it were mayo the pundits would be calling it so.
Anyway, Dublin dosed for periods in this game as they have in other games. They tend to do that. If we can capitalize on those periods of Dublin boredom we can and should beat them. But we have much work to do between now and then. Carry on.
If Tyrone played Kerry, I’d expect Tyrone to beat them, so that’s something for us to think about. For us to beat Dublin you’d think that we will have to score goals. We seen Laois and Kerry do this and we can do it as well. Our U21 team had to score five goals to win the All-Ireland title. You notice that the Dublin backs love to play from the front so for us we’ll almost have to play perfect balls into our full-forward line to put the Dublin defenders on the back foot. Best of luck to all involved on the big day.
Thanks for confirming my suspicions, Bob Conlon – that’s your fun over with here, I’m afraid.
Note to all others planning on trolling here (and there’s been a marked increase in this inside the last 24 hours – funny, that): don’t waste your time. Life’s too short, it really is.
The deafening silence from the Hill for most of the game pocaimora
We’re going to have to endure a wave of patronising [at best] and demeaning sh’te over the next three weeks. There’s a Senator baiting us already.
Really need to ignore this nonsense and just focus on ourselves. We’re right where we want to be and know exactly what we have to do in order to deliver.
We’ve been written off already in most quarters. That’s no harm at all. Embrace it.
Dublin gifted Kerry two goals and still won the match, 22 points is a serious score to rack up. Kerry’s legs went early in the second half. We have a chance if every player puts in a big shift. They are a little vulnerable at full back and we will probably need goals to win. That game will definitely get our lads focused. I think we have one huge performance in us and that game today showed the dubs can be rattled their heads were on the floor at half time.
Dublin it is, surprise surprise.! 22 pts and at least six that should have gone over if they were a bit more bothered.They needed no goal or two on this occasion …. did they opt for points to make things interesting for themselves! We ll take our points thanks…. the day is long and look at the E we are saving up for emergencies! It was plain to see the superiority of the Dubs footballing belief as they proceeded to chip away at the K half time lead, a lead which many point to as having resulted from some wonderful K football. Well I didn’t see it. In fact for most of the first half I was worried that my prediction of a 5 to 8 point win for D would be embarrassingly low such was the anaemic nature of the K challenge.
What a pair of slip ups by Cluxton and Co. They ll not forget to do the same on the 18th no doubt! AIt does point to possibilities for us though.
We will win this one with our superior movement. AOS’s odd venture to the square will be terribly productive.Our off the ball running will be an eye opener. Our tackling will be surgical and our score taking will be regular and just good enough to better theirs. This will have to include two/three goals at some time during the game. It doesn’t matter who gets them but the cards indicate Regan Aido and Cillian to be hot candidates .
It’s not an impossible task but but but…..it would be greatly facilitated by not bringing ball into contact, into holes.D don’t do it and M shouldn’t either.Only time D do is one on one with serious intent and what happens? Free… how many yesterday for the young Barney? It’s central to their success. Is it how other teams can’t do it or they don’t see the importance of it?
Is it how there’s an extraordinary amount of skill required or athleticism or just heads up!!. look around !!.They pass the ball around for fun it seems …even when tackle is not imminent to keep each other in the game and have contact with ball.They keep in touch with each other and the game.We can do it if we want to for without it Big Sam will most likely be extending his sojourn up along the Liffey and down along the canals rather than in lovely Belmullet and Ballina !
To think that there is a sizable amount of people who would rather see the most well funded team in history with every conceivable advantage from population to geographics beat us is reassuring, you only feel that way about someone you fear.
To the media, neighbours and anyone else who thinks we care what you think, fuck off, we don’t. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Carlsberg don’t do All Ireland build ups.
We can’t cough up the number of frees we’ve been conceding of late in the final. Our tackling inside the 50 has to improve is something Buckley will be working on over the next few weeks.
Clubs will get less tickets this year than they did in 2013. No minors this year and there are 2000 extra cairde maigheo tickets which unlike croke park season tickets come out of the counties allocation.
How is there 2000 more Cairde tickets than 2013 tommy? The total uptake is 1800.
Liam – there is a difference between the croke park tickets and the cm ones.
Please, please, please Mayo supporters ignore what the media/pundits/former players/managers etc are saying about us and Dublin. Grow up and please stop this craving for everyone to like us and compliment our footballers! None of that matters. Don’t even listen to them. The only place we have to make ourselves heard is in Croke Park on Sunday 18th of September.
Control the controllables and don’t waster time and energy on the stuff we have no influence over. We have nothing to fear, we’ve been here loads of time before. We have pushed this Dublin side to the limit before and beaten them in the recent past. We know we have to put together a more perfect performance than we have done all year and we will.
Yesterday changes nothing.
I know tommy. I’ve heard the same rumours myself but I don’t understand where they’re coming from. We have had the same amount of Croke Park season tickets since 2012 i.e. sold out. We have the same amount of Cairdes as 2013, slightly less in fact or so I believe. So the only differing factor is that the minors aren’t involved as far as I’m aware.
Dubs it is as right and they look a classy act but I think we will win a greater % of breaks and have that physical presence to stick with them for longer.
If our forwards are on top top form then we can win this game but if they arent then it will be tough to do so.
I think a line up of
_____________Clarke
_____Harrison________Barrett
____________Kevin Mc
Keegan______Boyler____Durkan
_____________Seamie
_______Parsons______Vaughan
Diarmuid____________Higgins
____________AOS
________Andy____Cillian
I think we can chance playing with a fullback and have Kevin Mc as cover a running sweeper just like COS for them and what we worked on for most the year to date . Harrison on Rock, Barrett on Brogan, Keegan on Connolly, Boyler on McManamon, Durkan on Flynn, Higgins on Kilkenny. They are all fair match ups and are 50 – 50 either way . being biased I would say if our lads played aswell as they can we’d be fine but we all know the super powers oppositions forwards take on in Finals against us .
Vaughan to go man to man with MDMcA and Parsons v Fintan, Seamie to sit at Centrehalf back as McManamon will look to run to the wings and open the middle for runners from deep so Seamie holding his ground, being an option for longish kickouts from us, winning breaking ball and general hard hitting around the middle ensuring MDMcA, Fintan or McCarthy dont get down the middle easy .
They are such a fine team its hard to definitely say who will line up for them or how they will lineup, unless Flynn is dropped and they start O Gara or Mannion at Fullforward with Rock going to wing its hard to say .
Its a risk starting Parsons, Seamie and Vaughan but we cant be chasing our tail we need a good start and with Barry, COS and Jason Doh all options to play around the middle/ adding fresh legs for breaking ball I think we should go for it and start the trio .
Kilkenny is a big option for them but by putting Higgins on him we dont only shut him down but also put him on the back foot.
After that its up to the inside line and hopefully they have their shooting boots on .
Another plan would be to push Diarmuid up on Cian O Suillivan but that would take from our bag foraging options and Diramuid will get plenty of ball off John Smalls .
what impresses me most about Dublin is their resolve. They just keep going. Keeping playing their football and keep putting in those big hits. They will be Very difficult to beat in the final.
Before yesterdays game, I was hoping they would hammer Kerry and be a little complacent in the final, this obviously didn’t happen and had Kerry been awarded that free near the end, they may not have won that game.
So, I’m not expecting complacency from Dublin in the final.
The positive form this is that Mayo players will be under no illusions what is required from them. 100% effort & concentration from every player lucky enough to get on the pitch and this may not even be enough. Throw in a large dollop of lady luck and we are there.
That was not a Kerry team of old but an old Kerry team. Beaten to the ball on a few crucial occasions. Taking off Geaney was a huge mistake. Trying to play for a draw.
Kerry giving out about he ref: Karma. We are in the final so at least we have the opportunity to win. Can we do it? Yes. Will we? We will get the answer on the 18th. Everything else between now and then is BS.
For Cluxtons Kickouts and his preference to kick out to his right I think we should pressure him and gamble on us winning it out the middle .
_____________Cluxton
__philly Mc____cooper_______byrne
————–CILLIAN—–ANDY
____________O’Sullivan
———————-AOS
McCarthy______Kilkenny__Smalls
-KEVIN MC———-HIGGINS—DIARMUID
——-PARSONS————VAUGHAN
_______MDMcA______Fenton
———————SEAMIE
DURKAN———BOYLE—–KEEGAN
Put it up to Cluxton, if your good enough kick it over Vaughan and Parsons to Fenton and MDMcA, we have Seamie there to mid house and Halfbacks uptight on their man, Kevin Mc pushing right up from sweeper on their kick out but returning to sweeper after.
Give them nothing soft, if the corner backs split then leave Cooper to be marked zonally by AOS between he and Cian O Sullivan , I dont think they will gamble with putting the ball in the air around AOS.
Yeah it is true that CM tickets come out of the CB allocation.
Reason is that it is a scheme sold by the CB. Purchasers get a guaranteed ticket and that is the only way that Croke Park will agree to that allocation.
Croke Park sell the season ticket and those tickets from their own season ticket allocation.
Remember though that there are loads of Mayo people in Dublin clubs that will be picking up tickets. It all balances out. There probably won’t be a massive demand from Galway for their minor tickets. Many Mayo people will get those.
So no need to panic. Hoover up as many as we can. We’ll be outnumbered but not by much
Lads, one point for you to consider. Your tackling has not been up to scratch this year and you’ve coughed up an awful lot of frees which cant all have been down to refs. If there isn’t a big improvement on that score ye are in trouble as Rock doesn’t seem to miss.
Would anyone be of the thinking a wet day might suit us better? 2013 we were out on our feet in the heat. Maybe a cloudy cool day would be the ideal forecast.
yew tree
Add in a few well directed bolts of lightening and were well on the way!!
Not sure I’m going to be able to cope with three weeks of this.
I think we have a right good chance here. Tipperary were better than anyone gave them credit for and Kerry are alot worse than anyone pointed out. Their legs are gone they currently don’t have the players. Don’t forget also they lost both Donaghy and OSullivan to injury you take those two out of any Kerry team and they will feel it!.
Brogan is not firing up front and Keegan can cut out Connolly. They struggled under high ball all day and we have the tools for that job!. Dillon can supply perhaps?? and either OShea or Barry can collect with Andy to support and give an option to vary the play with the kinda ball he likes. Also Cluxton can be pressured. We have young legs as well and a better bench than Kerry. Dublin are magnificent but this Mayo team have the ability to win this game.
I was nervous at first after watching yesterday’s game.
I’ve changed this morning though, I hope we bring the game to them & go for them & lets just see what happens then.
Carpe Diem. Maigheo go Deo.
Imagine if one of our keepers made the same mistakes against Tipp as Cluxton did against Kerry. We’d be still talking about it on here, sur we’re still talking about the one Robbie Hennelly messed up in the 2013 final! Cluxton makes mistakes but he gets away with them because Dublin win. I would think that the no. 1 priority on Stephen Rochford to-do list for the final will be to put Cluxton under pressure. The ideal ball we have to try and play into our full-forward line will be to try and get the ball between Cluxton and his full-back line. Very hard to do but should pay dividends if we can get it right.
Stephen O’Brien caused a lot of problems when he came on, running at the Dubs, Diarmuid O’Connor should be well able to do that as well, as he did last year. Killian Young the Kerry corner-back seemed to be on a lot of ball, especially in the Dublin half, if Keith Higgins gets on the same amount of ball he can cause them problems. There are reasons for us to be positive!
Very interesting to see no media backlash on Kerry. We have lost valiantly in the past…..lost to better teams….. Died with our boots on etc etc. Regardless we were battered in the media the next day.
Bar a fairly unconvincing all Ireland in 2014 Kerry have not been up to much since 2009. That’s 7 years. All these Kerry greats we have herd about have done very little for 7 years.
Let me add, they did win in 2014 and fair play to them. My point is that that one win has covered up for a relatively poor period in Kerry football.
Dublin me arsh!!!
Kerry died with their boots on? The lost match analysis in the media has been very kind to the losers and the winners. Kerry coughed up a five point half time lead and lose by two in the end. Mayo have done things one that in the past and have been skinned alive for it. For sure Paul Durkans gift to Kerry is in ’14 has spared a lot of these fellas earlier retirement. Anyway, enough about the losers. I have no doubt that SR and Co. will be hatching a plan to deal with Dublin and it will push them to their limit. We have a better, more dynamic team than Kerry and can we all remember that Dublin are a great team BUT they only won by two yesterday. In 2011 by one, in thirteen by one , last year by three against a badly misfiring Kerry. They’re not wiping the floor with anyone at this time of year and in this competition. They are there for the taking. And only one team can do it.
We’re not on Dublin’s radar since last Feb (per Jim G yesterday).
Well we’re on it now and coming for you and the BIB Jim!!
It’s worth taking the time to read Malachy Clerkin’s match report in today’s Irish Times (here) on Cluxton’s kick-out (isn’t it great – we can talk till the cows come home now about this very topic, one that was going hot and heavy before the Galway match but then abruptly ceased!) which led to the first Kerry goal. Not only is his description of what happened wonderfully lyrical it’s worth noting exactly what the Kerry lads did to make sure the maximum pressure was applied. I could be wrong but I think this was the first time they put pressure on the kick-out to the corner.
That’s a very good suggested team outside of the boot but the unknown quantity there is Barrett’s form as we haven’t seen enough of him to know. Least year he was good though. So the question for me is Higgins in backs or further up. Also I think Durkan a good match for following Kilkenny around the place as he has greater pace and can stick with him. I would add Parsons to midfield but fit in Donie probably in Corner forward working back to help midfield as his form this year has been good. His workrate has been very high and he seemed to improve late in the game against Tipp so whether he starts or not he definitely should be on the pitch near the end.
Few people here underestimating Rock and bit overconfident that Keegan will snuff Connolly as in fairness he’s a top player. Keegan has done well in the past but in truth it’s the performance of the backs as a unit that matters. People also underestimating Cluxton (kickouts) though the other facets of his game he is in decline for a few years now as we saw from 2nd Kerry goal.
Outside of the boot your tactics for Dublin kickouts wouldn’t work cause it would be 5 vs 6. We need every Dublin player from our 45 up marked and sprint back if we lose the ball. As Spillane says speculate to accumulate.
And yes it can’t be sustained for 70 but most teams don’t sustain it for near long enough. The more often team push up the more mistakes they will make while at the same time the more exposed your backs will be.
Mayo have won semi finals and left Croke park looking unbeatable…we know the score. Dublin are a group of lads trying to make themselves immortal…but they are well matched in Mayo. We have nothing to fear. I hate when people are so disparaging towards Mayo but in all honesty we probably deserve it…even from a crowd of Carlow punters…who are they to laugh at the eternal bridesmaids… t’s between us and Dublin. Hunger counts for a hell of a lot and belief is the key. No matter how nervous we supporters may be I believe our lads have the belief in themselves. They haven’t played football yet this year and their big day awaits. I look forward to seeing the demolition squad in Green and Red…anyone and anything that thinks they will come between Mayo and Sam this year is deluded (as some people think I may be!!)…I am not an eternal optimist. I know when I am beaten…and I know when we are going to do something special…this is the time for Mayo…forever!
Cracking game, have to give credit to Kerry who kept it way tighter than it ought to have been and never threw in the towel
Dublin were on another planet for most of the match though and could have been out of sight early doors. What a team, quite possibly the best I’ve seen in my own lifetime or certainly up there.
On form and from what we’ve seen they’re justifiably roaring favourites for the final and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t fearing a pasting. However, we’re still there and you just never know on the day. maybe for once the intangibles will swing our way for a big match. But yes, up against it to say the least.
One thing is for sure, we have seen and know more about them than they know about us.
It will be difficult for them to prepare for us and if we can spring a few surprises we could get handy scores before they are able to react. Then we change tack again, try to get them chasing their tails a bit…. It’s obviously easier said than done.
People have already said it but we need to cut out the frees, given all the media focus on lee this year the ref will be watching him closely so much so I’d consider putting someone else on Connolly.
I thought ref was very strict on lee in the tipp game and it was because of the Sean Cavanagh fall out.
Been saying it all year, you were the overalls to get to the final, but you put on your Sunday best when you get there. We will produce our best performance of the year on Sunday 18th. Just watch.
Dublin won’t know what hit them when we get a hold of them. Mark my words, we have their measure. The famous hill was as quiet as a morgue when they got rattled and their players were scattered. By the way, Dublin didn’t play themselves back into the game in the second half, Kerry sat back and let them! Just as they did for the first 15 minutes of the first half. The truth is that Kerry were delighted to get out of there within a couple of scores of Dublin.
Pushing up on Cluxtons KO isn’t a new tactic, we did it in a league game one Saturday night in Croker and Cluxton hit them all over the place. He was so rattled he lashed out at McLoughlin and got the line for his troubles. Big fat Charlie Redmond saying that this is the greatest Dublin side there ever has been! That’s what I want to hear over the next 3 weeks. Big them up, tell everyone we are chokers, no forwards, played nothing all year, blah blah fucking blah.
For our part I hope the policy is say nothing and keep saying it. Get the media duties out of the way early, no Madwesht “Up for the Match” bullshit interviewing every former player and manager from the last 65 years! No painting sheds/bales/sheep/gables/cars/ etc green and red. We’ve had our fill of all that, thank you very much. The quietest pig does the most hoking.
Nothing to fear, I’m telling ye. Nothing to fear.
Pebbles any chance of you giving the team talk? You’re posts always leave me feeling confident!
HILL 16 FOR MAYO ONLY HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think it would go down as the greatest victory ever, if we manage to beat them..
Good man Pebbles.
@pebbles..loving the pig talk..you’d nearly have me believing!!
Pebbles..not only did I enjoy your post but the Dubs must’ve too since they took the time to post it onto reservoir dubs..
Tomás O Shea last May identified Cluxton as the key player for Dublin. He was right. At the time I proposed a way to put his kick- out under pressure. (I WAS in the bog at the time, saving real turf, as many of us still do here in Mayo and trying to think of things to occupy my mind to overcome the dreadful tedium of footing turf.)
“Push all your players up inside their 65m line bar goalie and two backs” I thought to myself. Low and behold didn’t kerry do exactly that yesterday on a few occasions and boy did it work. The wonder is why they didn’t do more of it. There are risks of course but if we practised it and in particular how to contain them if they win possesion then we might cause them real trouble. They are absolutely used to gaining posession in their own 20m line and building from there. Disrupt this pattern and would they be as fluent and comfortable? I doubt it.
Good piece by ‘Outside of Boot’, I think it would be a good idea to put Higgins on Kilkenny as I think Keith would put him on back foot straight away and whilst Kilkenny is an excellent player I do think he is a bit one paced and may not like following KH if he makes bursts to go forward.
The match ups are key.
I think we will beat Dublin. We do very well when we push up. Kerry did not have the legs but I think our bench is the strongest in a long time. This team has the ability and the balls to beat Dublin.
Just on a supporters note……I know the blog is not in favour of too much hype or ‘song’ but do you think it would be a good idea if we had a signature chant like the Icelandic team at the World Cup. One that would capture the imagination and counteract the hill. I think we lack punch with just the Mayo Mayo chant. What do you think and have you any ideas or is it too late at this stage. mid west radio might be able to help here by running a competition for the best chant with a ticket for the game as prize…….maybe I’m daft…..
Muckle….keep Midwest as far away from any competition as you possibly can. Some granny in Bougadoon (there is actually such a place) who’s never been to a match in her life would probably win with some combination of Our Lady of Knock and Righ Boys Fight Boys from 1989
Regina, thanks. Somehow I don’t think the comments on their website would be as complimentary as on here so I think I’ll pass on reading it 🙂
Mind you, if they’re spying on us here they must be worried.
They should be.
Pebbles, I read it (reservoirdobs) from time to time for a laugh. They take themselves far too seriously for a crowd of fans that get to celebrate so much due to the advantages they enjoy. That old saying ” through a chink too wide there comes no wonder” is so true.
Meanwhile, the killer for both dubs and Mayo fans is not knowing what version of Mayo will show up on the 18th. Dublin could get overran and lose this game quite easily because we know what Mayo are capable of if the humor takes them, on the other hand Dublin may still do their amateur supermen routine and just keep running at 100mph like they have (nonstop, league and championship) for the last 4-5 years and win by a few points.
fair enough WJ, i accept the tone was not great
will keep in mind in the future
Pat u deserve a star for talking ur self into a positive mindset. Tipp far better than anyone gave them credit for and Kerry far worse… Except Kerry barely broke sweat sweeping aside Tipp….c’mon now!
If Mayo management are smart they will start asking questions in the media how Dubs got so many crucial decisions, that refs feel over awed by them – like Kevin mc having been waved wide by the umpire but ref responded to his pressure and gave 50 etc… This is the type of thing Alex Ferguson was great at and he was no fool. If Mayo are to have any hope they need at least a 50:50 shake on refereeing decisions…. And possibly better!
That’s grand, BazHam – same rules apply to you as to anyone else. If what you have to say is okay on that front it’ll be posted.
Agree with facetheball about the Ref.
Throw into the mix the venue we will be playing Dublin in. Imagine the reaction you would get if the Dubs were asked to come down to McHale park and play us on the 18th, and BTW the ref is a sound ould skin from wherever but he has been living in Castlebar for the last 10 yrs but sure he’ll be grand.
Level playinig field my ****. Makes my blood boil.
Have to say some of the comments on here are laughable. Given your form in the championship this year , your all-ireland final record over the past 20 years and the fact that you’ve a rookie manager going up against the shrewdest mind in the game , I wouldn’t be sharing your confidence. If you turn up on the day, and I think you will, you can no doubt trouble Dublin , but everything will need to right for you and Dublin will have to play below par.
The Dubs run in to the final has been perfect preparation and give me 3 weeks over 4 weeks lead in anytime.
One final thing, people seem to be under the impression that Gavin was disrespecting you when he said Mayo weren’t on his radar when it is obvious to the non-paranoid that what he was saying was he wasn’ looking beyond Kerry until that game was won.
After going to see all the top 4 / 5 teams this year and being at the game last Sunday as a neutral, The Kerry forwards are technically better than Mayo’s, but, Mayo make up for that with intensity and tackling. Cluxton wasnt at fault for the initial Dublin mistakes, The Dub defenders were not paying attention to the kickouts they fell asleep. Kerry played some beautiful football but it just wasnt enough the Dubs never panicked they were methodical and accurate.
Look, if the lads leave every thing out on the field, play to their potential, we could have one hell of a classic on our hands.
Tactically, direct running is something Dublin did not react to very well and a lot of ground was made by Kerry, recycling the ball back to where a there will be a few men coming in should allow us to have room for reasonably distanced shots.
The big man in the box worked well for Kerry. Should they go down to 14 men and in all likelihood this game will not finish 15 v 15 Mayo might well consider putting Parsons or Barry Moran into the square with Aiden O’Shea.
I would imagine a lot of this game will have movements built up from short kick outs. Kerry’s tackling won them a lot of turnovers the last day. We need to be going in with just as much force.
I think Alan Dillon is better to have from the start of the game.
Kerry V Dublin:
– Dublin in kick outs from the opposition remind me of a volleyball team. Its not necessarily about catching but about punching the ball out of the other lads hands in the directing of his on coming partner. They were not winning the Kerry kickouts from catching but from the ground.
– Kicks of the length of one fifth of the pitch wont allow Dublin to employ their system that they use for their kick outs. On a counter attack there is definitely scope for straight forward kick passing from the mayo lads, when Kerry did this it killed them.
– In the first 7th of the game Dublin had 40% success from five attempts to score. They are not massively special accuracy wise.
– In the first quarter of the game Dublin scored once from Play, 3 frees and a 45 accounted for the rest. Our tackling will be important to get right. This once more illustrates the importance of not conceding too many frees.
– Dublin set up narrow when on the defensive, probably to allow them selves to position the second man to get the ball from the Ariel beat down. kerry running from the wings did them well (20min)
– Neither Dublin or Kerry stopped to draw breath on either conceding a free or gaining it. the faster the ball got into play for the attacking team the better and both teams knew that.
-Kerry were getting under Cluxtons skin from the 17 minute. Two of their lads were shouldering him and pushing him after getting a free. Kerry planned to rattle him.
– On five mins the Dublin defender NO.2 sprints the length of the pitch just as the long foot pass was played forward to a man outside the box. No.2 ended up with a very good goal chance there. No.2 had not been a part of any of the moves after the Dublin free prior to this. But as soon as the trigger ball looked like it was about to be played Philly was off like a bullet up the field, this was not a straight forward run either, with every turn of the play of the ball the angle of No.2’s run changed to account for this. This is something we can both replicate with the likes or Leroy and be aware off also.
-Dublin are actually quite predictable going forward, they do a lot of peeling off and having them selves ready for layoff. There has to be space opening up in typical areas of the pitch as a result on a continuous basis. I will bring this onto the next point.