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It’s been announced that Joe McQuillan will ref Sunday week’s Connacht SFC semi-final between ourselves and Galway. We’ve obviously had plenty of experience – good as well as bad, it must be said – of the Cavan official down the years.
The most recent match we’ve played that he’s reffed was our League match against Roscommon under the lights at MacHale Park back in February this year. The last time we came across him in the championship was last July’s Round 2B qualifier tie against Fermanagh. He awarded us penalties in both of those matches, by the way, with Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath still bitching close to Christmas last year about the one (correctly) given against them in that backdoor fixture.
Those of you of a more skittish mien won’t thank me for reminding you that Joe (no ‘Dublin Joe’ cracks by the way – it’s not them we’re playing on Sunday week) also took charge of that bad-tempered preliminary round Connacht championship clash between ourselves and Galway at Salthill back in 2007.
He didn’t get a very charitable assessment from me in my match report following that encounter. The Breffni official has got plenty of whistling done since then, though, and our lads have more than enough experience by now of playing in matches he’s taken charge of to know what kind of reffing style he’s likely to adopt in this one.
What do you call a Cavan man on the field in the Championship?
The referee.
Think this is an advantage for us, though I’d like to know which Galway matches, if any, he has reffed recently.
Bah humbug, sure we’ ll take what comes maigheoabu
No problem with him …he won’t win or lose the game for us
See the Rossies gave Sligo a good trimming in recent challenge 3.21 to 1.10 …but that’s for another day …Sligo seem to have full strength team out …let’s focus on Galway ..!
2007 is the last time Mayo lost in Salthill if i recall right.
“2007 is the last time Mayo lost in Salthill if i recall right.”
If I remember rightly, I got an awful burning there that day too, airshow on the same day too wasn’t it?
John that Cavan joke is in very poor when you consider that people in Ulster remind them that the last time Sam Maguire came to visit was 1952. The year Mayo said goodbye to Sam. They also have a superior championship record with five big ones.
Clarke
Barrett
Cafferkey
Higgins
Nally
Vaughan
Boyle
Keegan
SOS
Parsons
Durcan
D OConnor
McLaughlin
C OConnor
Moran
No Harrison Centrefield?
One major injury worry after training the other night.
No names on that, please, until (or if) any such reports are confirmed officially. Stories about injuries (real or not) are all part and parcel of championship campaigns.
I can confirm that it’s not me, I’m good to go…
I am worried about our full back line ….I think Cafferkey could struggle a bit Damien Comer is like a bull when he turns with pace with Shane Walsh and Danny Cummins Michael Daly could really truble us …..fingers crossed but with Cafferkey just back after a year out Barrett has been plague with ijuries and Higgins not the player he was im just a bit concerned …..
Jesus baconfactoryend thank God it’s not you, it must be John cuffe or mayo Mark so!
Did u see the line up of matches this bank holiday weekend. The 4 football matches are dire. Limerick v Clare in hurling is by far the best of a poor pick. Surely the June bank holiday weekends should be provincial finals weekend before the serious stuff of 2 tier championship in a fortnights time. 4 groups of 4 with top 2 qualifying for knock out quarter final.
Clarke
Harrison
Cafferkey
Higgins
Keegan
Boyle
Durcan
Parsons
S O’Shea
McLoughlin
Kirby
D O’Connor
Loftus
Moran
C O’Connor
Had a bit of a wobble on the ankle alright Wayne on Wednesday but I can confirm that I am indeed available for selection on Sunday week, so you can relax!!
Clarke
Barrett – Cafferky – Harrison
Durcan – Boyle – Keegan
AOS Parsons
DOC – Kev Mc – Boland/Kirby
Higgins – COC – Loftus/Moran
Higgins to play as sweeper/play maker.
Kirby and moran to come on as lads tire.
Clarke
Harrison
Keegan
Barett
Durcan
Boyle
Higgins
Parsons
A IS
Mc Loughlin
DOC
Boland
Drake
COC
Doherty
Hennelly Coen Vaughan Nally SOS COS Regan Loftus Kirby A Moran Cafferkey that’s it now no need to be wondering all week who’s in or out Keegan to follow Comer wherever he goes Drake goes to 7 Higgins sweeper Doherty to stay near the goal help Cillian with the scores.
Team had a run out in Pearse Stadium at lunchtime
I see the Galway fans aren’t happy about the Mayo supporters group bringing a big flag into Pearce Stadium. I think they are being over sentitive…flags add colour and atmosphere. Maybe they should concentrate on their own support and trying to up the numbers.
When did Galway get supporters yew?
Looks like a minimum 12 week ban for Diarmuid Connolly after he pushed and verbally abused the linesman in this evening’s match against Carlow.
Let’s see the Dub’s legal team get him out of this one.
https://twitter.com/jholland79/status/871084921212764160
Connolly really is an awful ejit.
Dubs will accept short ban for Connolly as they wont need him in short term. Their legal eagles only work from August to September. He did the same as Tipp goalie Comorford who received 12 week ban. Doubt if Connolly will get that long as it would rule him out til end of August and the poor auld dubs couldnt be expected to do without him for that long. Maybe his exemplary discipline record will be his saving grace.
Will connolly ever learn? I suppose he doesn’t need to.
Wait for it!
Diarmo loves his family
Great young fella
Does loads with the young fellas in the club
Sure he will be dissapointed with himself because that’s not his form
Blah, blah, blah.
Two week ban and fiver in the poor box but sure the young fella puts a fifty in every week anyhow.
Did we tell Ya he loves his family….
Maybe what posters are saying is true and subsequently justified, as regards Diarmuid Connolly, but for me I didn’t even see the incident, so unless ye have seen the incident how can any of us prejudge?. I watched the champions league final, late on a Juventus player was sent off on a second yellow, Ronnie Whelan RTE ‘s expert at the match seen something (apparently that justified getting sent off for) But however after several replays from several different angles the camera did not pick up anything remotely worthy of a card of any colour . I cannot remember the name of the player sent off but for his second yellow he barely nudged the Real Madrid player after the ball had gone into touch and I’m sure that the camera dosent lie.. Let’s watch the footage before we judge!
Leantimes I watched the game live on Sky. It was mindless stuff – again – from Connolly. Clearly pushed the linesman and verbally abused him. If the GAA back off this then Tipp and Armagh are completely justified in seeking the quashing of their bans. And that will further undermine the displinary code.
Maybe his exemplary disciplinary record will get him off????
In all seriousness though it more then likely won’t be in the referees report and nothing will come of it. I’m not sure if they can retrospectively serve a ban in this case. It seems that player can do whatever he wants on the football field but it would be nice to see the gaa treat Dublin players the same as they do those of Antrim and tipp
Connolly will get off, as he has gotten off before, because Dublin have the resources to bring this all the way to the DRC at the end of the disciplinary process with solicitors and barristers who know the ropes, with sympathetic Dublin-based judges deciding on the case. He really is loose cannon? WJ, what’s the genuine feeling in Vincent’s about his indiscretions?
To win just once is probably right in that the Dubs will accept a short ban for this, say 6 weeks at most, as the timing works and it suits there modus operandi. They will put their hands up and say to the media and public.. “any Dublin player is not above the rules.. Diarmuid has accepted that, in the heat of the moment, what he did was wrong.. the refs and linesmen are one of the most important parts of our game.. Diarmuid has appologised to the linesman and will accept his punishment. In the background however the punishment will be strongly challenged “sure he hardly tuched the linesman”. This will suit them further down the line when it comes to the crunch end of the championship and a player from the opposition falls foul of the rule book then they will be heard from all quarters shouting again for balance and fairness in the discipline process.. “sure didn’t poor angelic Diarmuid served a 6 week ban for half nothing.. for what that other player did in comparison he shouldn’t be allowed play football this side of Christmas if right was right”. Dublin don’t need Diarmuid till August.. so there”s not a chance he will get 12 weeks
They mighnt need him till august but then their plan to take his one more black for lesser game is out the window . Dermos season could be in serious bother and he only has himself to blame , he’s a horrible character for such a talented player .
There was nothing in it really. Wouldn’t expect much in regard to disciplinary action. I certainly hope there won’t. If there’s a ban handed out to Connolly for that, especially after him being let off the hook after punching Lee on the ground in the 2015 semi, then I give up all hope.
Will be interesting to see what Ciaran Whelan says on SG tonight – the linesman targeted Connolly and linesman should be suspended for 12 weeks for such targeting!!
The rule is very clear on this – minor physical interference of a match offical is a 12 week ban. It can hardly be reduced in this case for the players previous good behaviour.
Wtf 45, you cannot interfere with a match official , it’s not only against the rules , its completely out of order.
Not a hope Connolly will serve a 12 week ban. More likely not to serve one at all
The main aspect of last night is that Carlow really frustrated Dublin when they had 15 men. I know it’s very hard to judge on a game like that but based on last year and this year’s league Dublin definitely don’t look like the force of a few years ago.
Now we (likely) won’t meet them till a potential final but it may be the first year in quite a while there is no real juggernaut to contend with.
It looks like the hurling could be following the same pattern. Could be two fascinating Championships in store
Dissapointed in the officials themselves in this instance.. they need to be putting their own welfare first and stamping this shit out. They are loosing complete control and any degree of respect from the players. How do refs want this to go?.. in the direction of soccer or in the direction of rugby? Personally I don’t want it the same as either of these codes but definitely not regressing the direction of tuggish lack of respect soccer remonstration style which is where it’s going rapidly at the minute. I hope what people are saying isn’t right that no retrospective action can be taken in this case as the ref didn’t note the incident in his book.. says it all if he didn’t. I bet Ciaran Whelan will be dropped from Sunday Game and others lined up to give a non emotive response. SG should be interesting all though.
Do we not all know that it starts at underage and we all know that to expect a change of any worth here would require a whole ruthless comprehensive shake up of the foundations…..not on! The level of disrespect extant is found all over the place and sadly is a deeply ingrained, insidious and accepted part of the culture! C’est la vie..Rugby hasn’t the complete answer either but is worlds ahead of what ails the GAA at the present time.
He will miss a few games nothing more. In this instance alone I think 12 weeks is too harsh. If it was one of our own that did it would we be asking for a lengthy ban?
Mayo need to be really on their game to get a result in Salthill. None of the Mayo leaders stood up in Castlebar last year when Tom Flynn scored that goal. Mayo will need leaders next Sunday. Galway have extra players available to Kevin Walsh this year and the team has really improved, a lot of pace in the team. Galway underestimated Tipperary last year. I heard Galway had a big win over Kerry in a recent challenge game, Mayo have been warned.
What are the mitigating circumstances which would merit reducing the ban? The rule clearly states a 12 week ban for minor interference with an official.
There is no question that we will have to be on our A game to win in Salthill. An underbar performance will see us beaten
Looking forward to game next Sunday – so many factors to consider. From a Galway perspective, I feel we have talented forwards, but it’s our defence that puts my heart crossways at times. I think the middle eight will be where the battle/war will be won – you do have great physicality to call on. By the way, I see a few Galway lads getting into a twist about your ‘Spirit if 51’ banner. By all means bring it along – but mind the childer! Galway v Mayo games have traditionally been good humoured, family days out, and this one will be no different. But don’t you know the dry b..ls turn up everywhere….
Rock, I have since seen the incident on YouTube, I hadn’t realised that the match was live on Sky! , No doubt he Connolly has a case to answer, it was a minimal push, none the less a push on the linesman,. Verbals as well, I’d say allot depends on the Referees report,. The GAA will not be able to ingore disciplinary issues so early in the Championship season, or it will be open season later on.. Any inter County player is only a good as his strengths and weaknesses, Connolly has so much talent, but is temperament and discipline would now seem to deprive Dublin of an otherwise superb player… In 2008 Paul Galvin the then Kerry captain received a lengthy suspension for something similar, a little more physical interaction with the Ref in a match versus Clare where he knocked the notebook out of the Refs hands. Like yesterday’s incident it was one of the early match’s in the championship. Paul Galvin was unavailable for Kerry until the All Ireland final, when he made an ineffective appearance from the substitutes bench. In 2009,Galvin won the PotY award!. Interesting times recently in the GAA, with a failed drug test, that they somehow managed to keep quite for over a year in Kerry and the Connolly incident from yesterday…. Imagine what the media would make out of that if it related to a Mayo player.. They got some mileage from the non incident of AOS and ‘Selfiegate’!
Is there any truth in the rumour that Lee Keegan was to blame for last nights incident between Dermo and the linesman. And worse still I am almost sure I saw some dub players pose for selfies with fans after the match. What do you think of that Bernard Flynn.. Surely the dubs cant win AI now. On a more serious issue I would be concerned about next sunday. I expect Galway to defend in numbers knowing how poor we are against blanket defence and then hit us on the break and use their talented forwards to punish us. Thats exactly what Cavan did to us in league. We need to play the game on our terms, not theirs. We need to use our physical strength, and hit hard, It may require a performance like the game v tyrone last year. I certainly dont expect a cracking game. I think it will be tight niggly and nasty but I dont really care so long as we come out the right side
Hold on to win just once – poor against the blanket?
We scored 15 times against cavan this year and beat both other ulster teams in the league. In fact we have beaten every blanket in front of us since 2013! I don’t think that’s a fair assessment at all.
Incorrect MayoMark. We lost to a well organised Monaghan team.
And we lost at home to Tyrone in the league not so long ago when one of our joint managers famously said something along the lines of he wasn’t expecting Tyrone to bring the blanket.
I should have said I meant in championship since 2013!
I only alluded to this year’s league games as they are the only measure for this year.
More often than not, we are effective against the blanket
On another note, I’m not sure there is any way out for Connolly. He could be gone for 12 weeks
Cork’s “blanket” gave us all sorts of bother in 2014. Could well have lost that day to the worst Cork side in generations.
We haven’t really faced one in Championship since. Donegal were quite attacking in 2015 to be honest, it was a good open game. Last year Tyrone were defensive in a sense but still had plenty of men forward.
It’s only really the lower teams who use one these days. It’s unfair to say Donegal have played that way since that abomination in 2011
I’m sure we’ll be fine next week. Have zero idea at all where people are getting this “Galway are much improved” stuff from
We bet Tyrone last year and Donegal in 2014 and 2015. Not to mention every team we played in the qualifiers last year played very defensively.
I’m surprised the Sunday game highlighted the Connolly incident so clearly. Might be no way out for dermo this time.
Galway are improved because last year they beat us with a load of rookies. They had a good game plan and implemented it. Yet playing poorly enough apart from one purple patch we conspired to be 5 up. Then went flat and when they goaled they went for it and got their reward.
This year they have a new find in Daly and their best forward in the league final by a country mile was Armstrong. With Comer back in and their pacey but clueless wing forward from the league Brannagan likely dropped they will have firepower.
Their 1-7.. none would make the Mayo team. Meehan may or may not be on form, if he is and takes the field we have more than a handful of potential headaches.
Whatever about McQuillan, Lane made a bucket load of mistakes in 2nd half of Down vs Armagh today. Luckily best team won. Saw him blessing himself at half time and thought to meself this lad is superstitious about having a bad game. Whatever about players it’s worrying when ye see refs doing it.
Ps statement above that none of our leaders stood up in last year’s game is untrue. Boyler did and was acknowledged by most here.
Of the teams named above I see no AOS in those 3. If recovered from groin strain I would start him midfield with the brother and use Parsons as 1st sub there. That frees the use of Kirby as a forward. Bar 1 hot day in 2013 the OS bros is last time we had a really dominant midfield. I would take one sizeable risk dropping either Andy or Cillian to appear in 2nd half and starting Loftus who remember is also a right footed free taker. I would play Barrett and use Higgins as sweeper with a forwards number on his back dropping either COS or Boland or both (J Doc or Nally coming in). Does Nally take the left footed frees for his club?
Mickey Harte is a master in reshaping his team sometimes out of the blue in AI finals to great effect. Our management should try to emulate that. Galway reshaped their team last year and got some good results in Connaught. Mayo needs some bit of reshaping. League indicates Mayo will play with Boyle as sweeper with a midfielder covering the half back gap. Hope not as Higgins is our best playmaker.
Terrible stuff from Connolly against Carlow, lets hope the CCCC will deal with this in the same way they have dealt with Kieran McGeaney and Davy Fitzgerald.
It should be noted that Paul Galvin got a hefty ban for a “lesser type of conduct”.
A match official can never be pressurised or physicially abused while on duty.
It would be good to hear “former Dublin players” opinions on this especially those with a media platform.
Reservoir Dubs gone into meltdown after the Carlow game. Cian OS can’t cope with big men running at him, 3 or 4 forwards in decline, the Dermo incident and said player being a distraction, new players not yet good enough, their midfield problem, the loss of Deegan in the backroom team and questions around the constant running on the field with instructions by Jayo (were instructions being ignored). Talk of peaking in semis before and being flat in some finals and Gavin’s policy of consistent high performance.
Of course they still have a strong panel but is it unthinkable that Meath or Kildare could take them this year or at least run them close. A good game plan combined by opposition with a flat day for Dubs much like Mayo Galway last year and the unthinkable could happen.
Shuffly, young Brannigan gave Boyler plenty of it last year, scoring three from play. When Colm went with him it left a massive hole for the direct ball over the top to Comer and when it sat off him Brannigan came late from deep to pop massive scores. Galway will try and isolate him again. Brannigan will start as he has a massive engine, covers ground and picks up breaking ball.
Maybe so.. I didn’t recall him doing that much damage to Boyler as he had such a storming game that day in terms of bravery and leadership when the team as a whole was a bit flat. However against Kildare in league final Brannigan’s decision making was poor. One point from 4 or 5 shots and running into cul de sacs. On a good day he could damage any defense because of his pace if he makes better decisions. I was being unfair based on one recent performance.
Yes shuffly deck ye never see that here . All rational analysis , no paranoia about the media refs etc
Was just gonna say something similar Ger71
In fairness, lads, I would hope that the discussion here is a bit more informed and slightly more even-handed than what passes for debate in that place. That’s not true in every case, I know, but there’s plenty of rational analysis provided by contributors here and not too much in the way of paranoia either.
It doesn’t matter “how much was in it”, in relation to Connolly, he crossed a line by the way he treated that linesman. If The GAA does not deal with this in an assertive, even handed way and protect its officials, a few chickens will come home to roost. No matter how big or otherwise a player is, it is completely unacceptable. The fact that he has had history with some Mayo players is neither here nor there. It will be unfortunate if the GAA takes the cowardly way out. A strong signal must be made to players at all levels that officials cannot be abused.
Disappointing to see some of the commentary in the wider media around the DC pushing incident. The GAA have made a rod for their own backs, not with the regulation, which is eminently sensible, but with giving Evan Comerford the 12 weeks already. No matter how high powered the Dubs legal team is, anything less than 12 weeks for Diarmo as well, irrespective of being provoked by the linesman and Diarmos years of good work with the street children of Calcutta, will show complete hypocrisy.
The rights and wrongs of the 12 weeks are irrelevant, the when is a push not a push arguments that have already come from some commentators who all have to sell papers/get podcast downloads/get gigs booked/get votes in future dance competitions, are irrelevant and are probably more aimed at not alienating the largest target audience in the country “de Dubs”, than being their actual opinions. I would hope that is the case anyway because if it isn’t we’re in a sadder state than I thought.
The precedent has already been set, if they falter now the whole disciplinary system has to be considered not fit for purpose.