The GAA have now confirmed that this year’s National League Division One title decider, in which we’re up against Galway, will take place at Croke Park next Sunday. The League final throws in at 4pm that afternoon and it will be preceded by the Division Two decider between Derry and Dublin, which throws in at 1.45pm.
Excellent.
Full speed ahead now for two of the top teams in country. We are lucky to have such skillful, dedicated and committed footballers in the west.
Galway appear to have moved forward from last year’s final defeat and this will be a great test for Mayo to find out where we really are.
Roll on Sunday.
Out of all the options I didn’t want to get Galway.
However,I think along with ourselves they are the best team in the country right now so it’ll be a good test of where we are.
I’d be a bit worried with both Cillian and Tommy out that we might lack a bit of killer instinct up front. We didn’t make use of the wind in the 2nd half yesterday
A Saturday match couldn’t be considered??
I would say Conroy was just rested FW. Hopefully he is back for the league final.
I would think the biggest problem facing the GAA was contractural obligations re TV rights in particular.
Without knowing the politics, and whoever does please tell me if I’m incorrect, but to me the fault here doesn’t lie with national cccc fully.. I would think whomever from Connacht didn’t clearly point out to key decision makers that having the first round of the Connacht championship a week after national league finals is absolutely crazy stuff, and they should be made answer that from delegates at meetings.
I would think key people such as provincial sec had at one stage a draft document that they were working off with the other committee members.. so it was at that point in the process that this should have been spotted and planned for.. no point in picking on Larry Mc Carthy, Joyce, GAA HQ.. we have elected reps in our own counties and provinces who’s job is to make sure our asses are covered!!!
@FW,..I don’t think that will know for a fact that either Tommy or Cillian are definitely out for Sunday. Hopefully all are available for selection, if not it’s a pretty straight forward full forward line up, Aiden, O Shea, Ryan O Donohue and James Carr (Carr just loves scoring goals v Galway) ..All 3 have impressed during the league and would be pretty hard to shift in any event, however Cillian and Tommy both really impressed in their only league starts v Roscommon.. Either way we should be able to keep the Galway full back line and their regardless of the weather ever present Shawl honest at least. One worry would be the counter attacking ability of Sean Kelly, he scored a very good goal v Mayo in the first round of the NFL. Hopefully everyone will be available for Kevin McStay to pick from, including Cillian, Tommy and Enda Hession . , One of Mayos veterans who got a rare start yesterday for Mayo was Kevin Mclaughlin , don’t know if he picked up a slight knock or not as he came off early in the second half, but I taught that he was having a decent game at the time, the taught occured to me that he could be minded for a part in next Sunday’s League decider.
Just another reminder that this isn’t the place to be posting comments providing updates on players when this information hasn’t been made available publicly. FW – I’ve deleted your comment in that basis and would ask you not to post comments like this again.
Just tried to redeem my ticket there. Absolute shambles of a site with no sense to what is asked and I use computers 8 hours a day.
Galway should be favorites to win the league final but that doesn’t mean people on here won’t trash Mayo if they lose “ another final “
It’s a one off game and Galway have more momentum, have a slightly bigger team, and a well coached system of play. They have serious individual performers too and they’re a little older,more developed and maybe wiser than our younger heads.They have the best defense in the country, a serious middle eight ( maybe the best in the country)and Shane Walsh and Comer up front.
In the past we had serious man markers to curb Galway’s influence but we have lost two of the best man markers in Lee and Oisin.Our current,more collective,defensive system is reasonably good ( just not as good as Galway’s yet)Our middle eight as a unit is very good (just not as good as Galway’s yet)and our forwards are dangerous( just not as dangerous as Galway’s)
It is a two out of ten proposition that we win. Can we put in a big performance ? Yes ! Will we ? Yes ! Will we win ? It’s more likely that Galway will win.
If Matthew Ruane , Aidan O Shea and Diarmuid O Connor ALL put in a great game then our chances improve.
Others who need to put in a huge shift if we are to win are Fionn,Jordan and James Carr.
Sinabhuil, I feel your pain.
The entire season ticket is an unmitigated disaster and is not fit for use. As bad and all the old season ticket website was, this ticketmaster thing is a joke. It’s really not good enough. Log in, redeem, go to a cart, claim an invoice, download and then still spend another 10 mins trying to find where the hell the tickets have gone to!
I still think it’s also unacceptable that tickets cannot be purchased on the day, even cashlessly.
Season tickets on sale
Betting is even money Galway and 6/5 Mayo, so Galway ever so slight favourites with the bookies.
However much we admit that Galway may be deservedly slight favourites for Sunday there will be much gnashing of teeth both online and off if we do not pull a win out of the bag..
Feels like literally overnight they have become world beaters in the eyes of many..Or am I missing something?
A fully fit Mayo side will be a force on any day this year.
So I’m discarding my rose tinted glasses for bullish ones.
They’ll be needed..
The bookie take is interesting. Mayo will present a much different challenge to Galway. Keeping Clifford quite was the focal point for Galway. Mayo present a much more balanced set of forwards, you cant lock us up by tieing down any one player. And the open space of Croke Park will give us way more scope than McHale Pk for the game we play.
If i were to select a model no 6, it would be Kevin Moran, he could read a game, had the physicality to stand up to anything thrown at him, and was shrewd enough to take calculated risks going forward. But there are many great no 6s who have been hughly influential to team performances.
DOConnor is such a good midfielder, it would be a pity to see him tied down to the position but he certainly is capable. Eoghan McLaughlin probably hasnt enough football under his belt but i wouldnt rule him out.
Sundays game is fascinating and we are not out of it by any means..
i had to laugh when I heard what Padraig Joyce, said about the option of playing league final on saturday, He was saying that Galway would be there @4 o’clock on Sunday. Good to see our neighbours been understanding as usual. On saying that sure we be the same
I’d agree with you Leantimes, McLoughlin was linking play very well. The team lost all it’s shape when he was withdrawn. For any of the season ticket holders, while tickets for the final are free, you do need to log in ASAP to get the best seats. You are not designated seats like on previous years. You have to purchase the free tickets and click on your preferred section and seats. It’s messy as other posters have commented on earlier.
Could anyone kindly offer assistance-Has anyone had difficulty in trying to Exchange a Season ticket on Manage event page in order to purchase additional tickets for 4 persons to be seated together.This option was previously available for Croke Park games but no longer seems to be accessible?
Kevin Moran wasn’t much of a kicker so I don’t know about that.
Really think we need to look again at the backup for Conor Loftus. I don’t think it’s JDoc.
Our game is based around having lots of pace all over the field.
Not messy – broken. Got email to say there was problems with the site, to log out and login again. Tried but still the same problem. Hard to please the boss (myself) and try to get work out whilst also trying to get a decent seat.
Good post @leantimes. I thought Kevin McL had a good game too . He rarely makes a mistake with ball in hand … I’d have him in the 26 for Sunday
Galway very impressive defensively against Kerry and, based just on that, you’d have to make them marginal fav’s. There’s nothing between the teams fitness wise, I’d venture we’re a little more mobile and by that rationale, suited a bit more to Croker? A great opportunity to lay a marker down regardless, with lots of people “whispering” that Mayo are the real deal. A HQ defeat to our neighbours would be a real momentum killer, potentially quite demoralising. Its a real tricky one, go all in and risk losing to Ross at home a week later? Or, is the 4 week break, that a Ross defeat would create, a blessing in disguise potentially? I sense Kevin and the brains trust are very much of the mind to go for it, and that’s good enough for me. H’on Mayo!
Just wondering what price are the tickets for final are kids free thanks Willie joe your a mighty bit of stuff great info and updates ?
@jp. Kev Moran, 1976, 20 year old, first year championship, defeated Kerry to win all ireland man of the match and all star. Remember his goal?
Cast your mind back to the opening minutes of the 1976 All-Ireland football final between Dublin and Kerry. Moran, who had lined out at centre half-back, moved into midfield, took a pass from Brian Mullins and soloed towards the Hill 16 goal. He worked a ‘one-two’ with Bernard Brogan and as he reached Kerry’s 21-yard line, took a drop kick that whizzed wide of Paudie O’Mahony’s goal.
Independent reporting that Enda and Cillian likely to miss the final but could be available for the Roscommon game.
Let’s hope we don’t lose any more
@mind the house . Mcstay did say that they should be back for championship but we won’t know till Sunday who will be togging .
I’m sure every team in the country are hoping to not lose anymore .. reality is, we could lose our next 2 matches and still end up in an All Ireland final ..
But I’m with ya in not wanting to lose on Sunday.
Great test lies ahead
The choice of tickets up for grabs right now on general sale are not exactly fantastic looking at them this evening. Are they likely to gey better ya think? Or should we just go for it?
Yes, Galway are favourite. But that is understandable considering we have championship six days after. This year championship is a complete shambles. I can’t believe there wasn’t more made of this at the time.
If the GAA tried they couldn’t make more of a mess of the fixtures, it ruins the integrity of this league final. I know McStay said he is going to go full at it this Sunday. But I don’t think he could come out and say we are going to take it handy against Galway!
Anyways back to the game, I know the teams haven’t been picked yet. But a few match up’s I can see happening are; McBrien on Comer, Coyne on Culhane, Callinan/O’Hora on Finnerty and Duncan to take Walshe.
Galway are going to have a big physical presence around the middle of the park with Conroy, Maher, Cooke and Tierney. Matthew Ruane has been motoring well during the league, but this is were he has to lay down a marker. Conroy had a field day up in Castlebar last summer, Ruane has to go and dominate against him, Conroy is 33 about to hit 34 he has come back from a double leg break. This is were Ruane has to show if he is really one of the top mid fielders in the country.
Maher has improved but DOC should have the beating of him. Cooke and Tierney will be hard to handle.
The Galway goalie situation is still their main weak spot, Gleeson was dropped off the squad last week and Power was brought in. Power has been there before and has had his shaky moments. He is dodgy under the high ball, I think this Sunday we need to be hitting high ball into the square, O’shea has a big height advantage over Kelly, and Carr is not bad under the big ball either.
There is all this talk over the weekend that Sean Kelly is the best full back in the country. If he was really that good, he wouldn’t need two sweepers in protecting him!
I think if we can win the midfield battle and the game opens up a bit, I don’t think they will be able to handle, O’Donoghue, Conroy, Flynn, Carney etc
Maybe to win by four cruising in second gear…
Don’t think Walsh, Finnerty, Comer and Culhane will start. Only 2 of them started vs Kerry with Sweeney (a wingback) also named in the FF line.
That was probably with David Clifford in mind so I assume 3 of them will start on Sunday, with either Comer or Culhane coming off the bench.
For ourselves I think the team is fairly predictable. Unless Enda Hession is actually fully fit and raring to go, which is unlikely.
Reape
Coyne
McBrien
Callinan
Coen
Loftus
Durcan
Ruane
Diarmuid
McDonagh
Carney
Flynn
Aidan
Carr
O’Donoghue
Sounds about right Wide Ball, I’d imagine that be very close to what he selects
We might see Bob for Fionn…other than that I’d say it’s spot on.