I will, please God, turn 55 later this year. I’m ashamed to say that it wasn’t until this evening that I first attended a Gaelic football match in Kerry. I’ve followed Mayo far and wide down the years but somehow, before tonight, I never managed to make it to see us playing in the Kingdom.
Tonight’s enthralling NFL Division One encounter at Austin Stack Park in Tralee was, then, a good one on which to add Kerry to the list of football-related trips. One that involved plenty of mileage (not yet completed – I’m tapping this out on the laptop in the car on the way back to Dublin, Rob Murphy at the wheel), some really good food (at the superb Allo’s pub restaurant in Listowel) and a cracking seventy minutes of football.
The ground was well packed and nicely humming when the ball was thrown in at Austin Stack Park this evening. We didn’t ever bother to try to get seats in the stand and instead went over to the terrace on the far side where we took up station bang on half-way.
Kerry started like an express train. It was their young lads to the fore too, with debutants Jack Barry and Adrian Spillane, as well as Tadhg Morley, Jack Savage and Conor Keane (who lined out at corner-forward instead of James O’Donoghue) all featuring prominently early on.
Barry pointed almost right from the throw-in to give Kerry the lead. Two more scores followed rapidly, one from play by Savage and a Paul Geaney free as the home side raced three clear.
A nice point from play by Tom Parsons got us going. It didn’t settle us, though, as a sweeping Kerry move ended with Spillane thundering a shot off the crossbar. At the other end, Andy Moran (who’d lined out instead of Alan Freeman, with Conor O’Shea replacing Evan Regan in our starting fifteen as well) dragged a shot wide.
Cillian O’Connor and Geaney traded frees but it was all Kerry in this opening period. They got the chance to push clear when we conceded a penalty for a jersey pull on Spillane. The Templenoe youngster still got his shot away, an effort superbly stopped by David Clarke and the All-Star keeper got down brilliantly to parry away David Moran’s spot-kick.
Another Cillian free cut the gap to a point. Paul Geaney departed the scene at this stage, Barry John Keane – not a bad replacement, you’d have to say – coming on for the Dingle man. Keane pointed soon after his introduction and Paul Murphy notched the next score to restore the Kingdom’s three-point advantage.
We made our first switch at this stage, Eoin O’Donoghue making his senior debut as he came on for David Drake. Old hand Andy Moran swung over a delicious score from way out on the right to welcome the young Belmullet man on stage.
Kerry then moved to take what looked like a decisive grip on the game. A second Barry point was followed by a goal scored by Barry John Keane. This came from a free in, with the ball hanging in the square, David Clarke coming to claim it but failing to do so, the ball squirting loose and Keane gathering it and thumping it to the net.
Six down now and off the pace all over the pitch, a sobering result was staring us square in the face. Kerry looked fresher, far better drilled and operating at a different pitch to us. It looked, to be honest, that we were in for a right thumping at that stage.
To the lads’ credit, though, from then until half-time we steadied the ship a bit. Kerry didn’t add to their total before the break as two more frees from Cillian cut the gap to four.
All the same, at half-time it didn’t look like we were in any fit state to get a result from this game. We’d struggled to contain Kerry’s high-tempo style and our ploy of leaving Andy Moran on his own upfront didn’t look like one designed to run up a winning score. Andy did, though, have the beating of Mark Griffin and he would continue to cause mayhem in the Kerry backline right to the game’s end.
The platform for our second half fightback came in our rejigged line-up at the restart. Stephen Coen – who I thought played really well tonight – moved up to midfield to join Tom Parsons, who was having a right old ding-dong with David Moran. Donal Vaughan, who’d struggled to make an impact at midfield, moved to wing-back and Paddy Durcan shifted up to the other wing, with Eoin O’Donoghue moving back to the corner.
Right from the moment the ball was thrown in we were a different proposition. We should have had a goal from our first attack but Conor O’Shea eschewed the opportunity to pull the trigger with his right, turning inside instead and firing over off his left. A Cillian free – his fifth of the evening – cut the gap to two.
Barry John Keane thumped over a quality score for them but, though we didn’t know it then, that was as good as it would get for Kerry this evening. It put them three up once more but after that score we began to turn the screw and the game’s narrative started to alter with decisive effect.
It began with a lovely flowing move, Fergal Boland wrapped up in there in the middle of it making it happen and Kevin McLoughlin firing over. The exciting young Aghamore prospect was withdrawn soon after – most likely given the tough Sigerson Cup shift he’d put in on Thursday – with Diarmuid O’Connor coming on to replace him.
Two more Cillian frees and now, suddenly, we were level and starting to mean business. Shane Nally came on to replace Donal Vaughan and his contribution to the win we were now fashioning was quietly telling.
Kerry got their noses back in front, another Barry John Keane score. Andy cancelled that one out but young Conor Geaney – a cousin of the other two, a Kerryman in front of me confided – whipped over a delicious point for them to edge them ahead for the final time.
Jonathan Lyne went on a black card for a drag down as we poured forward, Cillian pointing the free to level it up. Surveying the pitch now, what was striking was the gulf in experience between the two teams slugging it out. What was beyond dispute was that we now had a decisive upper hand in that department but what still remained to be resolved was whether or not we could bring this to bear to seal a dramatic comeback win.
We had and we did. Andy Moran, using all his guile and experience, wriggled into a scoring position and fisted over to put us ahead for the first time in the game. Two further black cards followed in quick succession, Foley’s departure for them cutting them to fourteen, while sub Evan Regan made an early exit for us.
A final Cillian free pushed us two clear. Into stoppage time and now only a goal would save it for what was now a totally spooked home side. A shemozzle broke out on the stand side, following which Tom Parsons walked on a straight red and then it was all over.
That last-minute sour note aside (Tom will definitely miss the Roscommon game and could also miss the Dublin one if he gets hit with a two-game ban), this was a hugely uplifting win. We’d been thoroughly outplayed in the first half, by the end of which the result could well have been beyond us but our increased workrate after the break was hugely impressive and yielded what could yet prove a very important win for us.
Last week, when the game was there to be won we showed ourselves incapable of applying ourselves to the task of doing this. Tonight, away from home against Kerry, the lads stepped up to the mark when the opportunity to claim the win presented itself and it was truly uplifting to see them do it.
Several players stood out for us tonight. David Clarke showed, yet again, why he’s the best goalkeeper in the country. Donie Newcombe had another fine evening at corner-back, while Eoin O’Donoghue slotted in nicely in the other corner after he came on. Keith Higgins, Colm Boyle and Paddy Durcan all played prominent parts in driving us forward in the second half. Shane Nally slotted in well too when he came on.
Tom Parsons put in a really big shift at midfield and Stephen Coen added further to an encouraging start to the year by first performing well at centre-back and then filling in nicely at midfield after the break.
Fergal Boland provided a few more flashes of brilliance in attack, where Cillian O’Connor really came into his own at centre-forward after the break. Diarmuid O’Connor made a number of decisive contributions to the cause after he came on.
But it was Andy Moran who stole the show. A constant menace, still buzzing round the place furiously deep in stoppage time, Andy almost had the beating of the entire Kerry backline on his own. His performance alone was worth all today’s mileage.
So, after last Saturday evening’s unexpected setback against Monaghan, we’ve now righted the ship with, frankly, an equally unexpected win down south. Next up it’s a home fixture against the Rossies, a game that gives us the opportunity of getting another win under our belts before renewing acquaintances with Dublin the week after.
One game at a time, though – MacHale Park has been anything but a fortress for us of late so no better a test than Roscommon to help us put that one to rights. Tonight’s great comeback win should send us into that one – bolstered too by the return to the panel of Lee Keegan and Kevin Keane – in the right frame of mind. Yes, it’s starting to feel like our League campaign is starting to crank into gear.
Mayo: David Clarke; Donie Newcombe, Keith Higgins, Paddy Durcan; Colm Boyle, Stephen Coen, David Drake; Donal Vaughan, Tom Parsons (0-1); Fergal Boland, Kevin McLoughlin (0-1), Jason Doherty; Conor O’Shea (0-1), Cillian O’Connor (0-9, frees), Andy Moran (0-3). Subs: Eoin O’Donoghue for Drake, Diarmuid O’Connor for Boland, Shane Nally for Vaughan, Evan Regan for Doherty, Michael Plunkett for Regan (black card), Danny Kirby for O’Shea.
Post-match audio report is here and the Man of the Match poll is now up as well.
Who was our MOTM against Kerry?
- Andy Moran (57%, 390 Votes)
- David Clarke (18%, 126 Votes)
- Tom Parsons (6%, 39 Votes)
- Cillian O'Connor (5%, 36 Votes)
- Donie Newcombe (3%, 24 Votes)
- Fergal Boland (2%, 12 Votes)
- Kevin McLoughlin (1%, 9 Votes)
- Paddy Durcan (1%, 9 Votes)
- Stephen Coen (1%, 8 Votes)
- Eoin O'Donoghue (1%, 8 Votes)
- Shane Nally (1%, 7 Votes)
- Colm Boyle (1%, 6 Votes)
- Keith Higgins (1%, 5 Votes)
- Danny Kirby (0%, 3 Votes)
- Donal Vaughan (0%, 2 Votes)
- David Drake (0%, 2 Votes)
- Evan Regan (0%, 2 Votes)
- Evan Regan (0%, 1 Votes)
- Jason Doherty (0%, 0 Votes)
- Diarmuid O'Connor (0%, 0 Votes)
- Michael Plunkett (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 689
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Well done to Mayo, a real team effort by the sounds of it. When you have quality to bring in to the game like Mayo have them there’s no reason to fear any team. Roscommon will bring a hard game with them but I see Nial daly has left the panel which cannot bode well for them, perhaps 2 more points for Mayo in that one?
What a releif!!!!!!! Glad I got that one wrong. 2 massive points in the bag, great stuff.
As i predicted during the week.
A handy one for Mayo.
Great result. Delighted I called this one wrong. There is no reason now why we can[t use this second half performance to kick on and win the League. It would be a great boost and Dublin and Kerry have shown over the years that league success can be carried over to the summer.
Does anyone know who got man of the match.
Great to get the win, well done to all involved!
Well Back of the Net, I know there’s probably a few of those given out from different media outlets but Nigel Reape on MWR gave it to Andy Moran. He was very good by all accounts.
Andy deservedly got man of the match back of the net!
Thanks joet1480 and Jennifer k
Great comeback in the second half,ref gave us nothing,Tom’s red card at the end a complete joke.Two well earned points on the road and great traveling support again.David Clarke proved once again how vital he is to this team.
Andy was superb , ran the lines v well
Lets beat Roscommon now and the Dublin match will be interesting
I thought Kiltoom was good! I don’t know where they pulled that second half performance from but what a display of grit, verve and will to win. Funny thing is, with 5 mins to go we never looked like losing, there was only one winner! Kerry had shot their bolt and our regigged defense had slammed the door shut on them. Where in the first half they ran straight down the middle for handy scores and missed goal efforts, to the second half where we forced them wide and out of the scoring zone. Their wides were not good luck on our behalf it was a great defensive structure and shape to our credit.
Plus, what an introduction for Newcombe, Boland and O’Donoghue to be involved in that game, they’ll learn so much from it. Finally, Andy made the Rossies cry, and now he’s done it to the Yerras! Still none cuter.
Yeah, Definitely Andy MotM. Ref was Very Very Picky, didn’t see what half the frees were for, never mind card’s, penalty, phantom foul or what. Didn’t see Tom Parsons do anything that deserved a Red card.. But in the end Mayo were deserving winners, 2 great points, hope the Mayo contingent enjoy themselves in the Kingdom!
Didn’t see us getting out with a win tonight after last Saturdays display. .A great win ahead of a 2 week break to re group..I’m sure all who are on an overnight in Kerry will have a great time tonight and it will surely shorten the journey home tomorrow.???
Great two points . Really will make survival in division much easier. Improved performance on last week but Kerry were dreadful. Our forward play was very poor again only 6 points from play and a couple of passengers in the forwards. Lack of killer instinct in front of goal. T Jason Doc is not delivering and work rate is great but forwards need to score. Disappointed freeman not played again. Reminds me of Austin O Malley 10 years ago or so another natural scorer who didn’t get a decent chance.
Very good, hard work rewarded. Best league win for my money in a while. Tom parsons sending was unfortunate , he played well. Well done , happy with that
Terrible defensive display in the first half. They cut through the middle with effortless ease. They should have had another 2 or 3 goals .. Granted we are missing harrisson, cafferky, barrett and lee .. keith was half asleep for the goal but he had a stormer in the 2nd half and drove us on .. as did durcan .. newcombe was much improved in the 2nd half also ..
Mgmt rejigged things a bit at half time .. and we upped the workrate dramatically .. coming from 6 down to win by 2.. again this team are never beaten until the final whistle blows
Cillian was very good from open play from out around the half forward line .. Andy is just ridiculous .. at 33 gave griffin the run around all night .. he was immense ..
Tom was very good too .. dont know why he was sent off..
Great win .. granted against a skeleton kerry team as it turned out ..
We have the win .. vital now to blood regan, boland and irwin in the comimg matches
Where did Durcan play?
First we were very poor but I wouldn’t be overly concerned by our defensive frailties in any league game, we all know we have a very strong defenders so it’s as much about our defensive structure for the summer. For the most part our defence improved as 2016 went on so no reason to think that cannot be the same for 2017.
Our movement from defence to attack is more important than most other top tier teams because of the fact that we have less natural scorers than Kerry, Dublin and arguably some others.
We have some very good attack minded defenders in Lee, paddy, Kev, Vaughan,..even Boyler and Keith too. No shortage for us on that front. What we need is the lad who can consistently kick 4/5 points per match. At the moment Cillian and Andy are our only reliable scorers. I really hope management just stick Regan, Freeman or someone else up in the final 3rd of the pitch and give them a proper chance, a consistent run of games, not token appearances here and there.
No good just leaving Irwin to warm a bench. Give the lad a proper run.
What’s the situation with Loftus?
Centerfield, from what I heard on MWR, I sounded like the full back line. Not sure exactly but they sounded annoyed that he was back there and not attacking more.
Thanks Mayonaze.
beggars beliefs that Durcan is moved back there if there experimenting it should be into the half forward line we have few enough players who are able to score without moving him back to the FB line
We’ll done, Mayo, not easy to get a result in Tralee! This will give the newbies a great boost in confidence. Unfortunately, Corofin failed to turn up in Limerick earlier. Still it will allow their players join the county panel now. Safe driving to all.
Andy deserved MOTM for his outstanding performance. Looking back on it David Clarke should be applauded also. Saved a few, came off his line a lot to close down. Guessed right for pen. Just about kept us in it.
Well centerfield, it would seem that yourself and the fellas on the radio share the same view. Personally, he’s a creative fella…let him create!
Surely Durcs is there as cover until we get a few players back lads. I wouldn’t panic.
My good friend Paddy has paid for my weekend after offering 11/4 on us this eve! Yipee!
Good second half. Thank feck Andy didn’t retire when there were calls for him to pack it in 3 years ago xD by a country mile our best forward, and needs to start from now on. Looked superb tonight. His movement is incredible
And what more can we say about Clarkey? Am hugely disappointed that Byrne got one opportunity in the FBD league and hasn’t made either panel in the league.
Not looking to knock Conor O Shea at all however it was apparent that he was out of steam by half time, he faded further in 2nd half. I reckon the sideline should have noticed this much earlier , he stayed on until almost the end. You would have to feel for Freeman not featuring, we badly need to shift the burden off Cillian.Cillian dropped two relatively handy frees (by his standard) into keepers hands. He still scored 8 or 9 frees. Who will stand up when he has an off day.
I believe Rochford and his management team deserve huge credit for this victory. We were a completely different side right from the throw in for the second half.
Defensively much more solid and a better shape which meant Kerry were forced wide and away from goal, our supply to the forwards was much better and in a much better position for them to work with. We had more direct runners coming in support in central areas and our handling in tight areas was excellent given our lack of training.
All our substitutions worked, bar Regan who was sent to the line, and Newcombe and Boland impressed again. Credit also to the S&R lads because there was a very visual improvement in the ferocity and intensity of our hits, and our ability to take them, plus, the legs were still full of running and it seemed the longer the game went on the more we were powering over the turf.
This was a big win for us make no mistake. We hung in when we were badly on the ropes taking all sorts of hits. But we hung in. We dodged and weaved and got our breath back. We landed a couple of shots of our own and grew into the game. It seemed the more we refused to buckle the more Kerry grew frustrated and realised that we were not going anywhere, we were up for the fight and that anything Kerry were going to get tonight was going to be hard earned. We wanted it more.
As you said WJ, we expected to be on 2 points after two games and we are. We just didn’t get them where we expected to.
Hon Mayo
Great win Fair play, but dont get carried away. The kerry team which finished the game bears no resemblence to what we will see in summer. Really good result. What of our team. Probably risking execution here to say anything negative about Clarke. Yes he did well but was at fault for goal and some dodgy kick outs. Still think hes a great goalie but if Robbie had done similar there would be some moaning. Still think Clarke is great but lets be fair. Andy just super but doesnt it reflect so much on the other forwards that we are so reliant on him. People moaning about Freeman not playing , but Andy simply better. Other than Cillians frees there was little to shout about up front. Few Mayomen stood out, our defence was ripped apart in first half but very heartening to see them all stick at it and get good but unexpected result in the end. Well done again to a great bunch of players.
That sure was sweet.
To win just once – I have to see what happened on TV again to make a proper call on it. First reaction for me was it was a ball he had to come for and our 3 defenders didn’t react quickly enough, although he could have punched the ball farther
The difference between Clarke making a mistake and robbie doing so, is that when robbie does it, it’s not a big surprise, and it’s generally at the same time as when a better goalkeeper is sitting on the bench. If robbie was our best keeper and making mistakes, then that is just the way it is. But he is not. Clarke is. And his record is far better than Robbie’s, because he is quite simply a far superior goalkeeper, and has been throughout the entirety of their careers. I can’t speak for anyone else on here but I’m pretty sure nobody has a personal vendetta against robbie hennelly
Well. Done. Lads! The only words needed tonight, although I would love to know what was said in the locker room at half time!!! Great win, Mayo truly ROCKED the Kingdom tonight. A special thank you to all the Mayo fans that made the long trek to Kerry, saw you on the live stream and heard you on the radio, once again you were the 16th man! Yes, we can start saying Mayo 4 Sam 17, had faith we would win tonight and here is to 17/9/17….gotta love those numbers! Maigh Eo Abú!
That showed real resolve and guts tonight. I can gladly say I was very wrong about the outcome. A lot of positives to take from tonight, when the gun is put to mayos head and they lift the tempo there is very few teams who can stop our running game.
In the same time we’ve blooded Boland/Newcombe/O’Donoghue. Particular credit to young O’Donoghue first game for the county and stepped in seamlessly in to the backline. When you look at the start of the league you look to blood a few new players and develop a game plan/structure. We still have work to do on the latter but some much postives to take.
Looking at the other side of the coin I don’t think Drake/Conor O’Shea are up to it. We got torn apart in the first half. Our forwards are still too reliant on Andy/Cillian. We also have to decide if we are going to be a team to play a sweeper or not, instead of employing it in the latter stages of the champo. The players need time to get used to a system instead of deciding to play it when needs be.
If we had given up the lead like Kerry did tonight we’d be called bottlers/toothless like the so called experts have labelled us in the past.
Now to give the rossies a good beating and to give the dubs a good rattle in Croker.
Up Mayo
To win just once; I think you’ve misunderstood me. I don’t believe Freeman is a better player than Andy. Far from it Andy showed the rest up tonight on intelligence along. What I’m suggesting is ‘use them or lose them’. As in how many seasons has Freeman (and a few more) been tried out in FBD/League to proceed to never coming within a fat chance of starting c’ship. My feeling is he’d be better off released to his club so that he can develop his confidence etc. The panel needs to be freshened up….some have languished there far too long.
Lahan Man….
I don’t think it’s fair to say that Freeman hasn’t had ample oppprtunity over the last 6 years to nail down his place. He has so much talent but unfortunately he very seldom produces performances in line with that. The frustration is in knowing he can offer so much more than he consistently does
We’re away again. The psychological roller coaster that is mayo support is on the up. The new, agenda driven posters that arrive after every loss are gone back under the bridges where they belong. Your never as good as the say you are and your never as bad. The disrespect shown this group of players by posters here after last weeks loss is staggering.
These 2 points give us some breathing space for sure. Let’s try and get to 6 as fast as possible. Andy is super but if we are to reach the summit this year we need another new forward or two. Plenty of workhorses alright but we can’t be hoping for an Andy show every game.
Liam Irwins name is mentioned here a lot. Is Brian Reape and Conor Loftus still injured?
No e of us here are at training sessions so we never have the full picture. A great win in Trelee but like last weekends defeat it’s no time to be getting carried away.
I see Enda Varley put in a massive shift for St.Vincents in the all Ireland semi kicking 5 out of their 10 points. He seems to have been playing very well up there judging by match reports (can’t say I’ve seen him play).
Although he didn’t set the world on fire for us before and few will mention him could this stint in the big smoke bring him to the next level?? Just a bit of food for thought.
Thought we’d win based on the teams named. Though they’re probably ahead in training it was encouraging we dug it out.
Would have liked to see Freeman and Irwin get game time. I think Freeman important to the panel as he’s a very reliable free taker and we’re very reliant on Cillian. Freeman is a natural scorer but Andy is the player able to get the most out of himself. All other forwards should use him as inspiration. A lot of it stems from his mental attitude. Irwin also a very reliable left footed free taker and would like to see if he gives us something Regan doesn’t. Not saying Regan isn’t improving, he probably is and he could could come good yet come this summer or next. But Irwin deserves a chance or 2 and let’s see if he can leap frog in the pecking order. Kirby might also be more useful in FF but would mean dropping either Andy or Evan.
Kirby will probably get another chance in midfield cause of Parsons red. Better distributer than the O Sheas. Question is can he dominate. Game time giving him time to adjust to midfield. Is big Barry around? Might need him vs the Rossies.
Douglas unlucky again as he needed league games to put himself in contention.
Good win and important 2 points in the bag.
If Kerry hadn’t picked up those injures to their key players prior to and during the game I doubt whether we’d have come back into it in the manner we did. I only recognised 3 or 4 of the kerry players on the field at the end of the game. Even if Kerry had taken another of their 5 goal chances in first half we may have been in serious bother.
Our lads stuck to the task and experience won out in the end. Usual suspects in Andy’s cuteness and Cillians free taking got us over the line.
Result was all that mattered after losing first game. To be honest it would have been a big disappointment if we hadn’t won taking into account the Kerry line out.
That penalty, there was no way in hell it was getting past Clarkey! (Did they have to replace the ball after? He’d that tight of a hold of it I thought he burst it!!)
Didn’t see that result coming but badly needed after last week. Always nice to beat Kerry regardless of who they have on the pitch. Listened to it on Midwest and we were lucky to be only 4 down at half time. Clarke excellent again. Andy brilliant at the other end and a massive shift in intensity in the second half. The number of turnovers was incredible. Tactical switches at half time got us on the front foot. But we still stutter in the forwards. We have to push more players forward to support Andy who was often 30+ meters from goal when getting possession.
Ref was way too picky and his favorite colour is yellow. Straight red for Parson’s was harsh as second yellow would have been fair. At least he let them know we would not take their crap. The league is about collecting points and blooding new players. Looking forward to Rossies match and having a few more “old timers” back in harness.
Great result.. I did fancy us for this one but like Mayo you just never know with Kerry this early in the league. Tom P will be a big loss because (we really have become so reliant on him) if you can dominate Roscommon around midfield, hold their forwards with a good defensive structure then you are a long way along the road to 2 points there. Hopefully AOS, SOS and Barry will be back to some level of fitness to give 20mins or so in that game. Two weeks now to get legs ready and its crucial to start getting as many players back and able to deliver a decent level of performance. I see the goal keeper issue raise its head yet again.. there is no issue.. not only is Clarkey the best goal keeper in Mayo.. he’s the best in Ireland.. sure his game is not perfect.. he needs to work on his kickout and that’s why he is playing all games ahead of Hennelly to develop this further. Any talk, at this early stage, of competing in the league final is nonsense.. let us beat Roscommon first, see what the other results are like and then I will start to feel more comfortable. I saw a little of TG4 and Varley.. the quality of ball in to him was very good.. the marking poor and you would expect him to make the scores.. it’s a different ball game come Championship.. even league nowadays so no I’m afraid he’s not the answer nor is Regan or Freeman (from what I have seen so far this season) although I was a great advocate of both in the past.. I’m getting fed up of them not taking their chances and they have had enough chances. I really like the cut of Boland so far.. maybe it is time to give the young guys a run and I think management will when they are ready. If the newbies do make the right impression.. people on here have already said it.. there could be a cull in the summer and remember Rochford has said the door is always open so if someone like Padraig P from Louisburgh starts to light up midfield in Intermediate football you never know. Time to rest now.. and then focus on the Ros game.
Would people agree that was our first full half of football under Rochford. It was the first time we put a solid 35 minutes plus injury time together.
Encouraging is that we are doing this while Newcombe, Boland, Coen, COS and Kirby are getting game time. It’s still very much a Mayo 1.5 team. Hopefully they can maintain a steady level and the idea of us finishing with some strong subs is more possible.
We’ve never been able to do that as in truth we have had about 17 players championship ready each year. This might be shaping up that someone like a Diarmuid SOS or Aidan start this season very effectively as subs. A fresh Diarmuid was helpful in closing out that game yesterday.
Liam, ” I am 76 years of age. would you call me an “The new, agenda driven posters that arrive after every loss are gone back under the bridges where they belong”. You are really personal and sarcastic here. Willie Joe would have my guts if i answered you in the manner you deserve !!
What you are saying that if players are not performing to the best of their ability they are beyond constructive criticism. That , in my book, would be called stupidity. I also believe that when players are playing well they should be praised. There are two sides to the coin.. Oh for a gap in the rules where i would not be beaten to death!!! 😉
Your not a new poster Joe. I’m talking about the new user names that appear after a defeat and propheise doom for the team and county. I’m not talking about constructive criticism and well you know it.
A great result for sure, and like a lot more didn’t see it coming. Now to try and make MacHalle park the fortress it should be for visiting teams. Don’t know what it is about our home pitch but we seem to struggle there in recent years. c
MacHale Park is a heavy boggy surface. Low down in comparison to the surrounding ground. We are a team that play well when we move the ball at pace. Could be why we play to a higher level on better surfaces?
We never play well in bad conditions.
More evidence (as if it was needed) of what a monumental mistake was made on 01st October with the goalkeeper selection. That decision will surely haunt Rochford all the way to the grave.
Bit of a worry that they could have scored 5 goals in the first half. If they get them chances in August in Croke Park, they will take all of them and the fuckers will be out of sight by half time.
Anyway, lookit, its great to have the 2 owl pints in the owl bag. Now we need to improve our awful recent record in Mchale Park and collect 2 more pints next time against the relegation fodder.
I don’t think it will haunt Rochford. Assuming Rochford stays a few years he strikes me as a guy willing to not play safe. We probably lost one All Ireland because of him taking a calculated risk, long term it might deliver two All Irelands. He took off a defender yesterday in the first half. A move that worked out.
I agree JP management must be happy with the second half display with that mixture of youth, experience and hunger. It’s good to have a solid 35 minutes like that and bodes well for the future. We saw with the forced substitution of Lee Keegan last year that Coen came in to replace him and did a fine job on Connolly. I’m not saying Leroy wouldn’t be a first pick starter for everyone but can you image if Coen was able to start and run the legs off Diarmuid Connoly and then a fresh Lee to come in and run at Dublin down the middle with experience and skill to finish out a game. Boland to me looks in a similar mould to Keith Higgins so the more players we have like for like replacements the better.. makes us less reliant on one individual.. gives older players more time to get up to the required fitness and so less chance of injuries. We do need players like Vaughan to continue there good vein of form (most improved player for me last year) and Diarmuid O’Connor to play bit parts and be fresh and ready hopefully to play a big role later in the year. But ya any year you are looking to improve the standard of the panel overall and this year will be no different
Fair comment Liam.. 🙂
Great result last night and great to see so many newbies getting plenty of game time….they will freshen up squad and create competion ffor places at same time…some of the regulars will begin to realize they have to fight for their jersey
Last night the new players will really begin to feel part of the squad and remember those lads know what its like to win all Irelands The u21s and minor winners do not have any mental fatige and should really energise the older lads….noted to how well Coen done in midfield when switched there…
The Ross just lost to donegal, this will mean that we can expect a battle from them as they will be on shaky ground if we take the 2 points from them.
Does anyone know if that jersey our bucks were wearing last night is in the shops yet?
With two draws over the weekend the other results were also good for us if we are serious about making a run at the league. After two defeats we can expect a big effort from Roscommon in two weeks so whatever the reason is we need to put our home pitch blues behind us and get a good win to leave them on the brink of relegation and set ourselves up nicely for the visit back to Croke Park on the 4th.
Last week was not a total disaster and this week was not a complete triumph. Good to get the 2 points with plenty still to work on. When we upped the intensity in the second half they couldn’t live with us. The pressing particularly from our forwards was immense. Our forward play was better then last week but still part from Cillian and Andy nobody wants to take on the shot. We’re very reliant on. Andy Moran, who was fantastic once again, won nearly every ball that went near him. The speed Clarke gets the ball out for his short kick outs is excellent but his long kick outs are 50/50 balls at best. Could be a problem later in the year if teams press-up on us. I like Cillian at centre forward. He’s a good passer but at it stands we need him closer to goal.
I agree with previous poster. COS was out on his feet in the second half. Sometimes not even looking at the play. He should have been subbed earlier. Do Mayo have spotters in the stand to point these things out? Great trip to Tralee. Though found the Kerry fans to be very patronising. Can’t wait for the day when they dislike us. Much easier to take!!
Was freeman in the subs bench last night
We definitely need Cillian closer to goal. That’s a certainty. I said it a few weeks ago, we need him scoring much more from play snd particular bagging some goals…like he was doing a few years ago.
Yes he’s one of our leaders and does a good job around the 40, but it’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. We have enough players to play in the middle third and who can do a decent job there…quick ball into Cillian, Andy and others, freeman, Irwin, Regan etc is what is required.
Our structure in the 1st half last night was woeful and as others have pointed out Kerry in Croke Pk would have killed us for our sloppiness. When Paddy was moved to the wing (he’s wasted in the corner) and EOD put back and Vaughan put at wing back our defence looked far more stable, granted against a 2nd string Kerry attack. But what was also key was not leaving Moran isolated up front. Quick ball in, good support…and we can beat most teams. Disjointed defence and slow lateral build up play and anyone can beat us.
Galway has a very good win in Enniskillen. Michael Daly was very impressive by all accounts. I hope Michael Solan has a plan for keeping him quiet in the u21 championship. He is Galway’s ‘go-to’ guy.
I thought clarke was very good last night again , we had no options for him when he went long
– Two points well earned and plenty of issues to address
– Pitch in great condition, biggest Mayo crowd I have ever seen at a match in Kerry and perfect playing conditions and yet we were basically dire in the first half.
– We were destroyed at mid field in the first 30 minutes with Jack Barry cutting through our defence like a laser. Kerry should have had easily two more goals by half time.
– McLoughlin, Parsons, OShea and Durkan moved forward with pace and purpose in the second half and with Coen making Moran it freed up Parsons to subdue Barry.
– Mgmt way too slow to make changes, Vaughan should have been moved from mid field after 20 mins, Conor OShea was burning oil with 20 mins to go
– Andy best player on the Pitch for the full game, he is still the best forward we
have from play.
– Croker next weekend to support Westport…come on the COVIES.
Great stuff there posters – giving us stay-at-homes (or stay-aways in my case) a great feel for the action.
A couple of things strike me:
Clarke was immense last week and by all accounts last night. I did note last week that though some kick-outs cost us a point or two, he’s definitely getting a lot better at the short ones; he’s worked really hard at it, and Peter Burke has obviously had an input. And, though I didn’t think the management should play him through the league, if it hones the kick-out skill, this will be well worth it.
Secondly, Andy. Oh Andy!
This guy is just getting better and better. It seems as if that cruciate recovery is now complete and he is back to where he was in 2012. That is some testimony to dedication, resilience and a Federeresque ability to seize every moment to play at something he loves. And how!
But, but, and this is the worry. Do we need to be playing him full on in February? I feel Rochy and the lads should be wrapping him in cotton wool at the moment and sparing him for the rigours of the Summer, by sparing him the rigours of the Winter.
What do posters think?
One thing that struck me last night was the Mayo support. It was huge! Great support yet again and a mighty lift for the players who seemed to appreciate it.
On the field I think the fact that Freeman didn’t get a run and that Regan and Plunkett got in instead as subs does not bode well for him. I fear he could well face the chop. Contrary to what others seem to believe I actually thought Conor O Shea did ok. He caught a few good balls and could / should have scored a goal. I thought young Boland did well and strangely enough was taken off just after he upped his game. Coen is certainly a good player and I was impressed with Nally and O Donoghue.
I dont know who was supposed to be up front with Andy in the first half but I saw no sign of them. Talking of the first half I couldn’t believe how easily Kerry tore us apart. We were absolutely awful and indeed we were dead lucky not to have been 10 down at half time. The change in the second half was astonishing! And great to see that there is something left in these lads.
Lets beat the Rossies and the match with Dublin will be interesting, was in Croke Park last night and Dublin were lucky to get a draw. Tyrone are certainly improving and its obvious that Dublin do not like playing them.
Rossies game in 2 weeks is a big one now. Win it and we are in a great, and safe, position. Lose and we are back in a dog fight
I wonder will we appeal Tom Parson’s red card as it looked to be a bit harsh. It would be great to get it reduced to a second yellow card to have him available for the next game. It would be sickening if the red card is upheld as then later in the year it could come back to haunt us. For example if he got a black card in another match then he would be one more black card away from a suspension. Remember last year when Colm Boyle had got two black cards we had to take him off early etc. in some of the games. Tom didn’t do a lot really, he just seemed to barge into David Moran more than anything, there wasn’t a lot in it.
I thought I saw an arm swing after TP entered the shmozzle but couldn’t tell who it was.
Definitely appeal! There was nothing in what Tom Parsons did that warranted a straight red card. That said he needn’t have bothered doing anything at all. The game was over – nothing to be gained.
Now Crowley is a different matter – he attempted to head but a Mayo player during the scuffle. The Kerry men next to me were very glad it wasn’t spotted by the ref (who was just awful!)
They might show it later tonight on League Sunday, that could give us a clearer picture of what happened and if we have a chance of winning an appeal. Maybe Peter Crowley might not want to see it shown though!
A great result,a well deserved win ,no doubt it will give the squad great confidence going forward,I was discussed with red card issued to Tom Parsons it totally uncalled-for,I was quiet close to that incident and didn’t see anything that warranted a red card,a bit pushing and shoving,this should be appealed it was a very harsh decision
Is there any mileage in the notion that management are looking to finish games in the summer (last half hour) with stronger 15 than the 15 that started? Like toe to hand mentioned above about Coen being well able for Connolly last autumn. That Boland starts but Higgins replaces him and Leeroy Coen. Donie Vaughan starts midfield but we finish with Aidan or Tom or either of them on at 11. We really are so close to the big one Kerry and Dublin have had to be asked twice to shake us off. Can I remind us all again that the combined total of Dublin’s winning margins over us in three All-Ireland finals is two points. The best team in a generation we’re told!! I don’t think Rochford is trying to revolutionise Mayo football because he knows James Horan already has but he’s moving the pieces a little differently, tweaking it, taking the edges off just enough to take us up the steps.
Great to win but won’t get carried away. . Pretty ordinary mayo outfit but showed lots of heart . Let’s be honest that Kerry team was there for the taking yesterday . Job done ! Honestly think we should start stronger team against the rossies and secure win. They are not playing poorly and will not be easy .
Rossies should have beaten Donegal today, so let’s not be getting over excited after one good half of football. We should beat them but needs a performance similar to second half last night, not first half!
It was a bit strange that at times Jason Doc and Kevin Mc seemed to be playing as our corner forwards. We managed to get the balance right in our defence and midfield in the second half, getting the balance right up front will be the next key element for us. At various stages we had Fergal Boland, Diarmuid, Jason Doc, Kevin Mc and Conor O’Shea up front. Hopefully in the coming weeks Loftus, Irwin etc. might get to see some game time as well to see if they can lift the scoring burden off the shoulders of Andy and Cillian.
One of the good nights, thought we were going to get hammered after 15mins. Kerry did lose big players but we really lifted it in the second half. Andy had a stormer, Keith & Boyler came to the fore in the second half. I thought Conor had one of his better outings and Fergal Boland had some good moments.
Donie really needs to work on his fitness levels and was by a distance our weakest link. David Drake getting injured was a mercy for him, he really struggled to come to terms with the game. Jason Doc, again made very little impact. Would really like to see Patrick Durcan starting at Wing Back the next day.
Great crowd down from Mayo who were very vociferous particularly in the second half. Onwards & Upwards,
People say Kerry were short a good few players but to be fair we had a lot of young players playing also ( including subs).
I would be concerned with Jason Doc for one reason – not scoring.
Overall the reality is that we’re as good as Kerry and Dublin but it would be great if we could find a scoring corner forward.
Is Brian Reape injured and btw was there not a lot of talk about an O’Reilly lad from Charlestown during the club chip?
Finally, it looks like the Hyde pitch has been given a makeover – looked firm and dry on TVs.
Conor O’Shea work rate was immense last night he’s also big, strong, and mobile,the ideal replacement for JD a player who has sarcificed his natural game for the benifit of the team.
I think I could’ve swanned around Tralee for the next week. Great team effort after the changes for the second half.
Agreed diehard, Conor did okay contrary to a bit of negative consensus. I spent the first half to the left of the main stand and then switched to the opposite long terrace after halftime so was close to him all game and generally thought he worked his bollocks off and put in a decent shift. Perhaps that’s why he was so wrecked down the home straight. That said, he’s down the pecking order.
Delighted to see Kevin staying in an advanced position. He carries so confidently and puts the shits up opponents. Not many of our lads up top really do that but Kev does. I’d keep him upfield.
Andy? What can you say. TP too. Coen, Clarke, Keith, Cillian and Boyler A1 when it mattered.
Well done to Eoin O’Donoghue especially and Fergal again, keep it up lads.
Did anyone notice when the PA called out the attendance the crowd broke their shite laughing in unison.
As for all our folks in the main stand, fair play to yee getting there good and early and taking over.
Dublin are some team. Never say die attitude and a great kick by rock at the end to keep the unbeaten run going…that said no way was that a free in…ridiculous.
The Hyde pitch surface did look very good.. it cut up a bit and a few players were slipping and falling but that’s to be expected with a new surface which will probably take a few years to bed in. When we played Roscommon last year we were desperate for points and the two O’Shea’s were very important for us as they dominated the middle of the field and we dictated the game from there. People calling for Irwin, Loftus etc., and yes they should be given there chance but we really need people back in midfield for the Roscommon Game who competed well with Donegal there. The Ros game is not the be all and end but it would make life so much easier for us and allow us to give the newbies more game time.
Donal Vaughan was well off the pace. Early days yet, I know, but he was left on his arse a couple of times. Bit of work to do there. Fergal Boland did well enough and the young O’Donoghue lad seemed to fit in quite seamlessly. Would like to see more of him. Diarmuid O’Connor really makes a huge difference. Both in Tralee and against Monaghan last week, he brought a lift when he came on.
Anybody…What’s the story with Loftus??
I agree with a previous poster…we should play Andy sparingly during the league. I wouldn’t start him in 2 weeks.
We already know what he can do. It’s time for others to show their worth up front.
Did anyone else notice the drone in Tralee above the pitch for the entire match.
Mayo man in Dublin, that would be Jim Gavin’s drone spying on his main opponents.
Can any wise soul shed some light on the current fitness or availability of Neil Douglas and Conor Loftus???
Giving Varley a few league games to make an impression must be worth a try, we don’t have many forwards who can score from the angles/range he is capable of doing. Definitely a better option to have off the bench than Regan! Competent enough free taker in the event of CO’C having an off day or not fancying one from his bad side which has hindered us in big games. Can recall DO’C trying a couple from CO’C’s bad side that a decent left footed free taker would slot. And many from Cillian’s bad side have been worked short where once again Varley would make a better attempt at it.
Saw that, Mayomanindublin, but only at the start before the throw-in. It had a loads of lights on it. Didn’t realise it was up there for the whole show though.
Just listened to the podcast. Excellent as ever. Kudos to Rob Murphy for driving Willie Joe to Dublin post-match before catching a redeye and still having it all up on Soundcloud by tonight.
Just saw the highlights and though I’d be positive of the guts shown I heard we’re well behind on fitness training as the players needed rest. The way we finished you would think otherwise and Paul Geaney said on TV recently that Kerry started early this year so the win is pleasing but they had a lot of rookies especially after losing a few players. Expect some tough games including the Rossies who will be getting worried. Their team cohesion may be unravel though with another defection.
Ps Dublin showed a lot of guts but Tyrone red which started the comeback looked nothing at all their player ran into the Dublin lad and fell over, wasn’t even a yellow for either player… and their late frees were completely wrong calls though Rock executed them really well.
Fair play to them for not giving up but very dodgy reffing kept their record. Mccarthy injury looked pretty bad. Expect the record to fall soon.
According to Wikipedia the capacity of Austin Stack Park is 15,000 wiith 5,000 seated. That seated capacity is about what I estimated on Satuday night so if there were somewhat less than 4,000 on the opposite terrace I am, as the saying goes, a Dutchman. And there were a few hundred behind either goal as well. Could those cute Kerrymen be holding back a few bob from the takings for their own use? Surely not? I am assuming that non paying kids are not included in the official figures but, saying that, I have rarely seen so few kids at a game. I was in the stand, which was almost full at 6 pm.
great result roll on the rossies even though it will be a big test .