89 thoughts on “Mayo 4-10 Tyrone 0-12: Tyrone trounced”

1. Superb stuff, lads. Listened to it on MidWest. Hard not to feel a bit giddy, even if its only the league. We’ll have many more good days out this year hopefully!

2. Was worried after 10 mins .. We didn’t seem to be putting a hand on them .
   Lads seem to be enjoying their football under Mcstay and Co.
   Lots of positives and equally lots to improve on .
   Goals seem to be coming easier this year .
   Depending on results. I’d be inclined to give more fringe players a run next week.
   Again .. Championship is our priority!!

3. If there’s a better pass this season than O’Shea pass to Carr, then it will be a miracle. That pass was truly outstanding. It had everything just perfect on it, the right pace, height and bend over the defender and down into Carrs open arms. The angle took the back away from the space Carr wanted to run into. If Sean O’Shea or Clifford or Kilkenny the place would be going berserk. I’ve been a critic of O’Shea but fair play to him, he’s a man reborn and that pass was beautiful.

4. We’ve had worse evenings.

5. Jason Doherty appearing out of nowhere and taking his point was the icing on the cake for me. Delighted to see him back in green and red. Good to get a double digit win too after Kerry’s late escape last week to rescue an 8 point loss!

6. Some nice scores…. and passing. Well done Mayo.
   It’s good to win a game like that. 2-5 in each half.
   I remember Tyrone taking a hiding from Kerry a few years ago and winning the All-Ireland later that year. You can’t count the chickens too soon. But a great performance and positive football from Mayo.
   Keep it going lads.
   Maigheo go deo.

7. Disagree with your assessment there Willie Joe about been cautious about the result tonight, last weeks yes tonight no, we were the better and stronger team than Tyrone and credit where its due. We cant be cautious about every win. There’s no perfect result you still have to be good enough to put teams away.

8. I 100% agree Pebble and if David Clifford or Messi prduced the skill to open up that goal opportunity……..having said all that Enda Hessiom is a legend in the making. Our defence has lost Barratt. Boyle. Caff.Higgins. Vaughan. Keegan. Mullin and yet we move on as if nothing has happened. Leys face it Coyne. McBrien. Hession. Coen. Loftus. Mc
   .
   .
   …

9. Pebblesmeller……I’m with you there…….that AOS pass was sublime !

10. Agree with what you said Edwin about looking like a league final whether Mayo want it or not.

    I mean, how do you not end up in the league final at this stage ?

    Very impressive performance again and long may it continue.

    Hon Mayo.

11. We should go out and win the league. Seriously. There is no reason not to. And I don’t want to hear anything about fans losing the run of themselves and this and that. You need to be going out to win every game, no matter the opposition and time of year. There is no good reason for essentially throwing the competition. This is a young team. They need to develop a winning mentality.

12. My favourite score of the game was Hession’s pass to Aidan O’Shea for his goal. He had vision to see better option. I loved it. I felt it changed the game, so important. For that pass plus his goal he got my man of the match.

    Diarmuid had great game also.

13. Final Whistle pod is up, which I’m really looking forward to listening to myself, seeing as I missed this one. Mike and Ger Flanagan are on it and Rob gets post-match reaction from selector Damien Mulligan.

14. Seriously impressed with Fionn Mcdonagh and David Mcbrien as newcomers as such.
    A confident mcdonagh brings alot of qualities to.our halfforward line and delighted for him , there’s more to come but great display.

    Mcbrien what more praise can you give him only tryone aborted their plan of lorring ball on top of mcshane .
    The same Mcshane who killed us many a time . Mcbrien was getting better of him and they changed plan.
    Well done to him , he grows each game .

    Loftus, Diarmuid and Hession were superb.
    Coyne tough and battle hardened, with return of Paddy Durk to corner back and integration of highly talented Sam Callinian we looking solid at the back .

    Matty Ruane is working hard to blow out dirty diesel but not yet there , it will come tho just like it did for Diarmuid tonight.

    Jack Carney done really well, I was looking forward to seeing Tuohy but Carney probably was a better fir for this game , either way great competition between two talented young men

    Inside line is tight, ROD playing a blinder, ÀOS have to give him Hugh credit, he playing great ball and what a pass yo Carr.

    Carr, if we can get an extra 20% confidence I to him , he be absolutely unplayable , he showing all his promise

15. I’ll never ever say we will an all Ireland again in my life such was the ejit I made of myself in 21 but tonight I’m in appreciation mode of the calibre of footballer we produce year in year out , outsiders can mock & traitors will sneer but they do not understand this beautiful Gaelic footballing county we belong to.

16. Jack Carney, look brilliant in that game, great battle performance. Look like he had all time in world, even with major heat on him. Enda very good again, and at last Fionn look like he belongs. And Aidan playing “head up” football. And seems like he could play every day, great for a man I thought be good to throw into a match for 20 minutes at the end

17. – Hard to argue with Diarmuid getting man of the match although Carney was very very good for the entire game. Shout out to Mc Donagh who also played well and Hession who is getting more influential in every game.
    – Mayo mixed it well with long kick passing interspersed with running off the shoulder, high ball in, diagonal ball etc great variety and adaptability
    – McShane and Dazzler anonymous even if 18 months too late
    – Plenty to work on and plenty of room for improvement
    – I know some people might want us to put out a second string against the Rossies, maybe the Rossies themselves might decide to put out a second string if they have one….
    – We should not yield an inch next Sunday and should therefore be putting out our strongest team aiming to win and to win well…

18. What a recovery after a very pedestrian opening quarter. I expected Tyrone to piss on our parade tonight and it looked like it was heading that way for 15mins but what a step up in play. It’s exhilarating to see a Mayo team playing such quick transition football out of defence. The quick and direct movement of the ball at speed is a breath of fresh air and I think it took Tyrone by surprise a bit as they couldn’t organise their defensive web quick enough at times. Have to hand it to McStay for not dropping players after average games. Jack Carney was back to his brilliant best tonight and growing into the total footballer at intercounty level that he has been for Kilmeena. Enda Hession is a serious baller. And as for that pass from O’Shea and finish by Carr…..absolutely sublime and an early contender for goal of the year !

19. Thought it was an awful game to be honest. Real league stuff where there’s no proper intensity. Tyrone, like Kerry last week, were abject.

20. Good man Sean Burke, I agree wholeheartedly. Also, Edwin, I truly loved the quote about Enda sending Morgan over to McHale Road because it did look like he was catapulting himself over that direction while the ball travelled a completely different direction. Great night, only February, but dare to dream, we come this way but once.

21. David McBrien is able to deal with physically strong forwards. He came strong and knocked away a ball that was only 30% his.

22. Jack Carneys performance was right up there as one of the best ive ever seen by a player in a mayo jersey. Showed for the ball, untiringly, distribution and ability to switch play into open play was magnificent. His fielding of high balls and athleticism in collecting low passes were of the highest order. He has been threatening a super performance for awhile now but he delivered tonight.
    It was another progressive performance. Four goals, none conceded, admittedly two balls dropping short into goalkeepers hands but they can be forgiven. Well done Connor Loftus too, one chance, one shot and one score…
    It wasnt that Tyrone were poor, Mayo were sublime

23. Well said Sean.
    We shouldn’t be embarrassed to enjoy great football being played by our county.

24. Agreed Dermot, Hessions pass to Aido was next level. Awesome stuff

25. Lads. That was a performance. This was football as it should be played. Direct, fast and skilful. Epitomised by Aidan’s pass to Carr. Football as it should be. I was entertained. If we keep this up we will lift Sam. Full of hope. A lot to look forward to.

26. I honestly dont think a league final would be a bad thing unless its against Kerry again whom I would never trust in any sort of final. If we were good enough to win the league it would be good preperation for Roscommon because players prefer games to training sure lets see what happens

27. *wouldnt be a bad thing

28. Fantastic performance. Looking forward to putting manners on the Rossies next week. Great to see Connacht teams going so well at the moment. Up the West

29. I never thought after all those retirals a few years ago that we would be in this position. Even less so after losing Lee and Oisin.
    Great credit to all those involved that we have produced another crop of players that can mix it at the top level. The under 20’s are going nicely so there will be even more off the conveyor belt.

    I thought we looked decent enough tonight defensively. McBrien looks the real deal. Good to see us not giving up goal chances tonight. A couple of tactical frees given away to make sure goal chances didn’t materialise. No harm in that at all.

    Mind the House at all costs.

30. There are loads of positives like the depth of the squad and management are using experienced subs well but let’s not get carried away, this is the league and makes no difference where you finish. Tyrone could and should be 6 or 7 pts up before we scored. Every top county is building a big squad as the games will come thick and fast. The real football starts with the league format after the Connaught championship, then there’s 7 games to win Sam. Everything else is shadow boxing.

31. A result and a performance, nothing more, learn, move on, next game, improve.

32. We should all enjoy that for what it is. Much like the premiership the celebration police will be out in force, fuck them.
    Why do we play and follow sport if not to enjoy evenings like today? Nice and dry, no “rain rolling in from the west”there’s a bite in the air of the evening, the ball is hopping off the sod and the lads in green and red are playing champagne football.
    Matter a damn what happens next week or next July, we could all be dead in the morning. Go watch it again tomorrow and enjoy it for what it is, lads playing ball that is a joy to watch. Means no more than that for now. Some times, you just have to live in the moment

33. That scoreline tonight should have been the scoreline in the 2021 final. Looking at that tonight you have to wonder.

    Tyrone the worst team to win All Ireland in living memory.

    We are building nicely the only thing that could derail us is injuries.

34. We can afford to make a few changes for Rossies without weakening ourselves or throwing a match for example

    Hennely in goal
    Paddy Durkan a start at corner back
    Sam Callinin wingback
    Kevin mcloughlin wingback
    Bob Tuohy midfield
    Cillian for ROD

35. Good man @East cork exile. It’s nights like this we live for. Great display.
    Even when things weren’t going out way early on we were able to play our way in to it. That pass from Aido, similar to one last week in to Ryan for a mark which he also converted,was top shelf. I love him in around the goal but then he does things like that and how can you argue with him roaming a bit.
    We had been so reliant on Ryan, it’s great to see responsibility being shared, and seeing Tommy back was a tonic.
    Time to rest some lads now though and let the league play out as it will.

36. It was great to see the team enjoying their game. From watching the last two games, I get the impression that the team is very happy playing this type of football. This style has allowed each player to shine and it is very difficult after a game to pick one player, as so many of them play well but more important, they really play as a team. That for me is the change this year.
    The team seem to be set free.
    I thought Doc deserved mom as this was his best game in a long time. He was everywhere helping and finally getting a goal of his own. He looked like he was enjoying himself today.

37. Funny game, looked sluggish for 20 minutes and then turned it on. Great to see the players that stood up this evening and have already been mentioned.
    Of course there will be caveats but we have serious pace, each player is comfortable on the ball, our defensive structure looks good and we are going for and getting goals.
    We can experiment more in future games but this should not weaken overall. The couple of niggles picked up may lead to some changes and some players need a rest while others need to build game time. We have been around enough to know that things can change quickly but for now let’s go with the flow and enjoy the performances to date.

38. Great win, not payback for 2021 at all but enjoyable nonetheless. Shadow box the rossies next weekend – give the young/fringe players a chance to beat them. Crucially we must drop aido/give him a rest – don’t give them any blueprint on how to mark him

39. First time poster but a long time follower of the blog. A few observations.
    Saturday nights in Castlebar in conditions like tonight, are a gift. Such an enjoyable evening, the town can benefit, and the lucky among us don’t have to get up for work in the morning.
    The last time I felt this optimistic about what lay ahead was 2011.
    Enda Hession has some potential , he can create space like he has a dsg! Aidan is playing with the flair we saw in 2013.
    We need to stop looking for negatives when we win like this. Our opponents didn’t turn up, let’s not lose the run of ourselves etc, fair enough, but let’s give credit where it’s due. That was a decent day at the office.

40. Agree no standout for MOM as so many played well, at least half the team was 8/10 and the other half not far behind. For me the best thing was more the defense slowing down the number of goal chances we concede, in this case Tyrone had just one, the disallowed goal was technically correct call but almost never penalised and I didn’t see a Mayo foul before he got inside Mattie. Their other chance or 2 were met by a swarm of Mayo defenders. Hession’s goal was Brazilian stuff reminds me of zippy’s goal vs Ros in Croker. I agree with others not to get carried away but the competition for places is getting huge. No idea who will make Championship. Both the last 2 games had spells where we turned on the heat like a Dublin or a Kerry even though we had quiet spells too. It’s been greater efficiency combined with a more collective defense rather than dominating play that’s been getting the results. Hard to believe how quiet we kept the 3 Tyrone dangermen. Canavan started brightly and disappeared for a long time, Mcshane got his first 2 balls near the end of the 1st half. Apart from McBrien who can do a serious job 1 on 1, it’s been the collective. Only complaints are less points scored than most teams and conceding 3 or 4 unnecessary fouls, obvious pushes and the like with the other team going backwards and spells where we don’t score for an extended period. Also on the plus Paddy Ducran looked seriously pacey when he came on and Tommy C beat combined goalie and defender for pace once .. the defender by the skin of his teeth stopped one of Tommy’s trademark inside runs but he looks lively. Carr seems to be on a goal a game average, hard to see him dropped for either Cillian or Tommy C. McDonagh had one of his best games in ages and Carney silenced the doubters .. he’s back on song, very good passer. Diarmaid was nearly gassed before his goal but still ran his legs off to the very end, not the first time he’s done that.

41. I thought Mayo management made a very basic mistake taking off our 2 corner backs when we were 6 pts up.
    Never mess with a dominant back line.

42. One of those good nights where i struggled to keep it down to 3 in the poll as we had so many strong performances but had to go with hession, diarmuid and carney

43. Grea performance this evening it took a while to get into the grove but when we did realistically it didn’t look like we were going to loose it but their is no one running away with themselves especially the players and anyone that nos how the league develops we could have a heavy training block this week and might be stuck to the ground next weekend but we should handle things and a win against the Rossi’s would be sweet, but the most positive thing is the depth in the squad with the likes of Doherty,cillian and Tommy coming on it’ll be needed for the condensed championship and a lot of great performances tonight but was wonderful to see diarmaid play well he’s getting back to where we no he can be so on to the next game a league title would be lovely why not did Kerry no harm last year so keep the train moving on

44. In the first 25 minutes of the first half we scored one free

    In the second half 17 minutes no score

    We are nowhere near where we need to be for knockout championship football

    In 2021 Kerry hammered Tyrone in the league but they won the AIF

45. JR Both corner backs were injured

46. That was thoroughly enjoyable.

    Lots of highlights tonight but Aido’s kick pass to Carr for the goal and Enda Hession turning Niall Morgan inside out are moments that will live long in the memory.

    The lads look like they are really enjoying their football and I think we are too. I think Mayo fans, having been around the block and through the wringer so many times have finally, finally found that sweet, sane spot that lies between taking good performances and results in our stride without getting carried away, but still taking joy in them, and not losing the plot when things aren’t going so well. And it’s bloody great. 2021 might have done us all a big favour.

    It’s late here but I can’t sleep for worrying about whether the mutiple mobile phones, the wedding ring, the pair of white converse and little Zoe O’Malley found their way back to their owners tonight.

47. Right….and Dublin and Kerry are where exactly?

48. Kevin’s winning matches.

49. Enda Hession has been brilliant in the last 2 games, and has really put it up to the men he was marking. It must be a nightmare for a forward to see him charging up the field.
    Not a perfect performance tonight, long stretches with no scores in both halves, but plenty of positives as well, like taking goal chances, the return to form of players like Jack Carney and Fionn McDonagh, and Tommy Conroy back on the pitch again. Interesting to see Jason Doherty replacing Loftus at 6 at the end.
    Roll on the Rossies!

50. Go on mighty Mayo men, delighted to see the young backs & goalie scoring as well as defending stoutly.
    So dislike goalies coming out field, that they may be caught out.
    Absolute hats off to Jason Doherty to come back to Mayo, traveling from Dublin, fit n strong as ever, & scoring to boot. Same for Tommy Conroy.
    J Carney, Fionn McD, McBrien, McDonagh, Aido played so well, Enda Hession sublime.
    As for the DOC, he doesnt know when to stop, did u see the run from goalmouth up the lenght of the pitch, he played in every position tonight, warrior.
    Well done to Conor Finn & back room team, team looks so fit.
    I hope the players know & feel the pride, love & excitement we the supporters have for them. Nobody deserves success more then those guys & their families. Thank you.

51. Well said East Cork Exile. We have had a lot of tragedy and sadness in our family past 2 months and this Mayo run has come at a great time for us. Given us all something to look forward to week on week and many 80 mins to lose themselves and forget. It’s fucking great and going to enjoy it League or not and dare to dream again. Live in the moment.

52. Hession is the heartbeat of this team.

    Carney is a midfielder.

    Diarmuid is a number 6. Rotate with Loftus.

53. When was the last time Connacht football looked so strong? Maybe the late 90’s or early 00’s? Could make a decent case that 3 of the best 5 teams are from Connacht now.

54. Certainly a lot of positives to take from that performance. Not conceding a goal is the biggest one for me, there is a structure and defensive shape that is improving game to game with a clear emphasis on blocking the central channel. Players are flooding back and helping to protect the D, there is also a move towards avoiding one on one defending and ensuring there is back up to support the man tackling.

    The forward play is also progressing nicely, we weren’t as sharp as against Kerry I felt, despite the four goals, as Tyrone really fell apart badly. There is still room for improvement in the decision making and in players now understanding the rotation play between front six.

    The engine room is really taking off nicely, Ruane, DOC, Carney, Flynn and McDonagh are all rotating nicely and get through a huge amount of work. The cohesion between them in picking up runners, knowing when to drop, when to attack is improving game on game. McDonagh and Carney had huge games for us, I was delighted particularly with McDonagh, some commentators here only last week were writing him off. I think McStay having basically three midfielders at half forward forms a big part of his tactics in terms of pressing the opposition but also allowing options from our kick out. They can all kick a score as well and I expect that to continue to improve as they get use to the attacking play and get more and more confident.

    McBrien, Carr and ROD I feel all deserve a mention as well (Carney, Doc and Hession well covered by others above) for the sheer amount of work they got through. There is an element of sacrificing your own game for the greater good of the team. How often Carr and Rodd appeared on our 21 helping out was terrific to see.

    Tactics and the panel is taking shape nicely. Still plenty to work on, not least a poor start today but it’s a nice position to be in. Hopefully no serious injury to Coyne and Hession.

    Plunkett and O’Hora to get game time and K and E Mc also to get more minutes too in the coming weeks.

    You’d wonder is there glances from Westport and Geelong towards what looks a happy panel?

55. The game has got very rigid in the last decade. Great to see players allowed to take a few calculated risks and this can only be positive going forward. This management team has depth and seem to be working well together.

56. So that’s two wins back to back. Absolutely Fantastic. The guys are playing with confidence.
    I admit I was apprehensive in the 1st 15mins or so. I thought Tyrone were going to stretch ahead but the 2 1st half goals had us jumping from our seats. The lads just seemed to throw of any proverbial shackles and let loose. The wides seem to be creeping back in. Hopefully the management will work on this and by championship it will be reduced.
    What a goal by Enda Hession..my motm. And his pass to Aido.
    Hope is definitely creeping back in. Then you think it’s only February. Can we sustain this to go on and win the elusive Sam. Dare we dream. One game at a time, enjoy last nights win and we go again on Sunday against a much improved Rossies team. Much earlier start next week. 12.45 throw in. Roads will be busy.
    Great to see Jason Doherty and Tommy Conroy back in the fold. Delighted for them both. When Mayo get going they are playing lovely football. Maigh Eo Abú

57. At what point does the outfield goalie become ridiculous ?

    A couple of times last night, all 30 players were in the mayo half of the field. What exactly is the point of the goalie coming forward if there are already 29 players in that half ? Pure madness.

    Is the goalie trying to draw the last Mayo player out of the Tyrone half or is there some other reason ?

    Surely that was the time for Mayo to move one player up in front of the Tyrone goal to ensure any turnover ended up in the Tyrone net.

58. Full credit to Rob Murphy for trying manfully to get Damien Mulligan to make some big claim about the Rossies or league finals but Damien wasn’t being drawn out. Bet he’s a bloody good poker player! Just finished watching the game again and although it was one of ROD’S quieter matches on the scoring side he got through a power of work and seems to always make the right decision.

59. How simple is that Revellino. Surely these outfield goalies have to be targeted. Looks good if it works but very dangerous craic.

60. Another big win in Castlebar but here we go again as fans losing the run of themselves already – the word S.m should be banned til Mayo actually win All-Ireland.

61. Anyone know what time the homecoming is at ?

62. Guys, this year is different than others as the Season is very condensed, no real time for teams to get up to speed.
    The hard training would need to have been done at this stage.
    The change of management has rejuvenated the players, particularly the older guys, a real freshness in the air.
    As I have always said I am a firm believer in the smash and grab, win it in first year.

63. I didn’t have room in my 3 picks for Carney who was immense. Lots to enjoy from yesterday. Personal favourite was Aido’s ball into Carr – similar to Aido and Flynn being on the end of ball into Kerry last week, the fact that there’s such quality ball coming into serious fielders in the danger area is great. Carr’s momentum for goals is great. If Hession is OK grabbing one of those a week that would be nice too.

64. Delighted to see Conroy and Doherty back on the field after their horrible injuries. Great to see that both were very lively too. As another poster pointed out, it was interesting to see that Doherty went in at 6 instead of Loftus when he came on. I believe that Kevin McLoughlin is probably our best option at 6 having played there successfully with the club. Best kick passer of them all too. Hopefully Hession’s injury isn’t too severe, he was mighty last night again.

65. Great result from the fortress. Look it! It’s early days but our young lads are starting to come true. Carney, ,McBrien, Hessian , Carr , Fionn Mcdonagh and Jordan Flynn to nsme a few. They have arrived. It took them years to get here. They didn’t just drop out of the sky. The influence of Buckley is evident in the intensity we bring to our tackling. We imposed our game on Tyrone rather than reacted to Tyrone’s style of play. It’s a strange league campaign which I think is a reflection on how quickly night follows day in terms of championship football. Overall I have no complaints and it’s great to see those young seeds planted a couple of years ago starting to bloom.

66. -) they mayo supporters know how to come out and support their team . 15k 13k in 2 weeks . No other county can do it . The hairs on my neck went up when the kids started shouting Mayo,Mayo. Could this be the start of another decade or dream land .
    -) I don’t see a team as fit as this team in the country at this stage . I don’t know how they are doing it but it is frightening.impressive.
    -) I’d like to see game management better . Dublin would have sucked the life out of Tyrone of it was that score at half time .
    -) Cillian, Tommy, paddy , toughy , etc etc need game time .
    Impressive stuff .

67. I think the trip to America has stood a lot of the players in good stead. There was a real group of players that are now becoming the core of this team that went away and were able to get away from Mayo football and have a well earned break. It probably allowed them to recover from various knocks and come back strong and ready for the year ahead.

68. Great team performance all played well. Subs were as good as the lads that came of! I thought McDonagh, Carney, McBrien, Carr were solid! McDonagh poor in last match but given a second chance! Great to see this! Diarmuid best game for awhile abd the man from Garrymore Hession the new Keegan!
    Huge competition for places but early season. Something different about this team hopefully but Tyrone v.poor!
    Onwards and upwards
    Mhuigeo Abú!

69. Very positive so far…I’m sure first 15mins will be discussed 0 from 4, no score, so a better opposition would have built up a score that may have been the winning of the game….we did loose a number of all irelands in first 15 mins…

70. Cant repeat often enough, Leave The Bear in the Square. There is no need or sense in Aiden going to midfield for throw in or running around the field after younger players. Around the square he keeps the keeper and full back in that area and a sweeper occupied, leaving plenty of open space out the field for our new system of kick passing. He can catch ball going into that area and his quick pass on to team mates is perfect. However I have to say his kick pass from well out the field to Carr for the goal was a thing of beauty.

71. Only worry for me was going 17 mins without a score but then hitting 2-4 without reply.
    Jack Carney’s best game in a Mayo shirt, out around the middle where he shud be. Enda H excellent and Fionn did really well. Great that the management backed him after a poor performance last week, and not bench him for the season. McBrien solid again and Conor L growing into #6 roll. Diarmuid was everywhere must av ran 20km. Roll on the trip to the Hyde.

72. What a night . So many positives and team looks so different but working well together.

    Positives
    Carney and DOC in top form last night , Flynn/Ruane were quieter of four so makes a definite change. Sign of our strength in middle.
    Coyne bedding in nicely . Mcbrien just looks like a monster back there. No fear of high ball if he’s there.
    No more getting caught out by breaks when our backs are trying to help out attack.
    Hession looks like a man reinvented. What a performance.

    Negatives
    Took 20 minutes to get into the game , did see mcdonagh and another player getting called over by management during that period so we may have changed tactically.
    We let Tyrone back to within 5 at one stage , that was far too close and another team could have pushed on .

    Ref performance
    I struggled with some decisions from ref , like carding Tyrone players after a play but not actually giving us the free at the time. Could not see what mcbrien did wrong when he dispossessed ball from last Tyrone player in 2nd half for a certain mayo goal.

    I think it’s important now we don’t try and shoehorn big name players back into team unless they can play like we currently do. Going too attacking by adding back in durcan /mcloughlin etc could be a detriment . As I said defenders should defend first and if they get a score it’s a bonus .

73. People getting a bit exited here I feel, a good performance but ultimately it’s a league game in February, two points is all it is. Apart from the opening 20 minutes, Tyrone looked fairly abject and have been in a tailspin since they won the All-Ireland against us, which makes our performance that day all the more galling tbh.

    I would have been all for a bit of experimentation in the last few rounds of the NFL, giving game time to players coming back to fitness etc., but it’s the Rossies up next, and whether we play them in the FBD, NFL or Connacht SFC, those lads can’t be beaten enough or by a big enough score. And they look very sharp thus far with their usual contingent of very decent forwards. We definitely don’t want to give them a psychological advantage before April 9th.

    Paddy Andrews (who I like) often mentions on the Football Pod how they targeted Mayo in the league during their glory years. Personally I would like to see us do the same against our rivals in Connacht; we seem to have gotten into a groove in the last six or seven years where we’d always beat them in straight knockout games and at HQ, but seldom in the Connacht SFC when there’s a safety net, and particularly Galway. Can’t fathom it really.

    Would be wary about us making a league final, possibly also against Roscommon, the week before we play them in the championship. 2019 and 2001 were great days for us as supporters but did nothing for our championship prospects in those years, and last year’s dire display also seemed to have a bad effect on our championship.

    Send out the stiffs against Donegal and Monaghan, who will be in a relegation battle by the looks of things.

74. Like a couple of posters have said here take enjoyment from that game yesterday. Don’t be talking about a team not showing up remember every team will “show up” if they’re allowed to play. If the attitude after is nothing here move on then we’re all as well off going to the bog for the day. Most people go to the games for enjoyment so when a good performance comes along enjoy the moment God knows there’s enough going on around us without sucking enjoyment out of football. Regarding the game i thought carney was very good defenitly his best game for mayo. Here’s hoping…

75. Jack O’Connor was chomping at the bit last year as it was clear to him that there was a gaping hole in the Kerry defence that for some reason had never been properly addressed by the previous management. Plug that hole, and he understood what that could mean given the forward threat they possessed. We had the same defensive frailties as well in recent years, but it looks like this K McS is now going about addressing this while defenders can still pose significant attacking threat. Must admit I didn’t understand Loftus at 6, but beginning to see it now.

    The variation in play and use of the long ball has brought a welcome new dimension to our style of play and we have many fine fielders throughout the team.

    On the scoring front, the first 18 mins were more than concerning at the time, and as mentioned already, no doubt will be heavily analysed. That start though makes it all the more remarkable that we ended up with 12 different scorers on the night… and unbelievably no Jordan Flynn in there (we know what he can do). Not withstanding Tyrone were a spent force for a significant period of the second half, it’s incredible to have that range of scorers (wonder when we last saw anything close to that) and you’d hope that will give confidence to all players of their ability to score, something which has been in short supply all too often in the past.

    Hope I’m not putting a hex on things, but it seems like for the first season in some time we are not talking about bad injuries picked up by players even at this early stage in the season.

    Well done to all involved last night.

76. @Revellino we do not want to end up in another league final this year as they are a nightmare another game that dosnt have any impact on the season and could injure a very important player

77. Hi Willie Joe, It seems to me that Aidan doesn’t win the throw ins anymore. Perhaps he should be in at the edge of the square getting acquainted with the full back at the start of every game!

78. Definitely we do not need league final.Don’t see anything wrong with Reape and I think Aidan is Aidan..a class footballer.
    McStay needs to have a plan for championship..those goals will not be on offer in July.

79. I see David mcBrien is on 2% on the vote!

    Just goes to show we need to take this voting with a pinch of salt. Or at least recognise it’s a measure of forward play but not reflecting reality of who the team is depending on.

    In my opinion, MeBrien has developed into one of the crucial ones. A beast of a player. We don”t see him wandering up the field.. That’t a massive plus. We don”t see him pulling and fouling.with the posts within arm’s reach. Another massive plus. I”ve yet to see him been pushed aside and left for dead on his backside.. So far, he just seems to have all. Playing with great confidence and authority.

80. Match review pod is online on Patreon. Looking forward to listening to this one myself!

81. That was absolutely dire stuff up in Donegal. Are Walsh and comer the difference in moving Galway from this mediocre level to all ireland contenders? Because for all their talent they have shag all else standing up in their absence, with the exception of Tierney

    Are Kerry going to lift it or will it be a terminal second season slump? What about the Dubs?

    If mayo can sort out some of the awful shooting and keep on this trajectory, there is – amazingly – an all ireland potentially for the taking this year

82. What would be so wrong with winning a league title? I don’t think any team will be gearing their training to suit championship this time… there’s no time for heavy training at this stage,or else you risk going in to it heavy legged and drained. We seem to be at championship level, fitness wise. So more games to iron out on field issues is the most important thing imo.
    Credit must go to the lads and to management for the shape they’re in.Not to prioritize it but we shouldn’t fear a league final if it happens, especially if our opponents were to be the Rossies.

83. Its only late February Ciaran. Do you really think Mayo can keep up this intensity for the next 5 odd months. Donegal were always going to battle for their survival and a point is a point. If I was Mayo I would be delighted that Conroy is back but worried that McStay has ye peaking while everyone else are still playing catch up. Time will tell but it looks to me like Mayo will blaze through the league and then come under some pressure as other teams meet the drying ground so to say. Can ye rise to that test is the big question of course and who is to say ye wont.

84. I’ll only say one thing about last night’s game as everything else has been said already. Seeing Tommy C get a 15 min cameo was enough for me.
    On to The Rossies and this is my team…
    1.Robbie
    2. Jack Coyne
    3. Mc Brien
    4. Swannie
    5. Sam Cullinan
    6. Paddy D
    7. Donnacha Mc Hugh
    8. Bob Tuohy
    9. Jack Carney
    10. Fionn Mc Donagh
    11. Michael Plunkett
    12. Jordan Flynn
    13. Cillian
    14. Aido
    15. Paul Towey.

85. Any particular reason you are dropping Enda Hession ? Or Stephen Coen for that matter ?

    I don’t think O Hora will be up to speed by then
    The way McStay has his keeper playing out the pitch im not sure Reape will be too easily dislodged either

    I’ve stopped replying now as I’ve seen midfield and forwards and assume this is a wind up

86. @Chesneychet dont agree with that at all. It’s early days but yes I do think we can keep up the intensity till the summer. Mayo are a very fit team and work hard behind the scenes.

    Sure kerry where blazing this time last year knocking teams out the gate during the league and kept it up till summer so why do you think that we can’t do the same? Or maybe you are just hoping that we don’t :p ha

    This is only early days and I am not even thinking about the summer yet I’ve learnt my lesson after 21 so have many in mayo. It’s great to see we have our mojo back &energy and we can for sure keep our intensity up don’t think we will cross the line this year but we are still one of the top teams in the country.

    Moment of the match for me was seeing Tommy conroy come back after his awful injury such a talent !

    Do not think we are ‘peeking ‘ to soon. Bring on the Rossies next week onwards& upwards for this young mayo team!

87. I’m not peeking… Eyes wide shut!!
    Time will tell whether we have peaked or not.
    Maigheo abu.

88. Km79. Rest assured, this is not a wind up. We are 95% safe in Div 1 and our panel needs game time. Robbie and Paddy needs game time in the new system. Enda Hession went off injured, so I’d rest him for a week. Jack the same but I’d give him a half and bring in Brickenden for the 2nd half. We all know what Stephen Coen can do already so why not give Sam 70 mins exposure. Plunkett is a natural forward hence him at 11.

89. Lots of room to improve despite the good result
    Still only kicked 14 scores and 10 wides
    When the air gets thinner, that needs to be 22 scores and 8 wides. So a bit of a way to go yet.

    Still, all looks promising and that’s all you want in February
    The Mayo bench (and injury list) still contains
    1.Robbie Hennelly
    2. Michael Plunkett
    3. Padraic O Hora
    4. Brendan Harrison
    5. Sam Cullinan
    6. Paddy Durcan
    7. Eoin McLoughlin
    8. Bob Tuohy
    9. Frank Irwin
    10. Kevin McLoughlin
    11. Jason Doherty
    12. Conor McStay
    13. Cillian O Connor
    14. Tommy Conroy
    15. Paul Towey.

    Surely we’ll get a decent 22 for most Matches
    Horan never like to use subs early, I’m hoping McStay isn’t afraid to use them