The weekend that’s just gone by saw the first piece of silverware claimed at club level within the county this year while this coming weekend sees two further final line-ups decided. In this week’s edition of the Mayo News football podcast club series we review Sunday’s Junior football championship final, in which Balla proved too strong for Achill, and we look ahead to next weekend’s Senior and Intermediate championship semi-finals.
Host Rob Murphy and I get this week’s episode going by providing some overview thoughts on Balla’s fine win on Sunday. Next we take you into the heart of the action where Rob is joined at MacHale Park by Edwin McGreal of the Mayo News to describe how the JFC decider unfolded.
After the final whistle had sounded and Balla had claimed possession of the Pete McDonnell Cup we hear from a number of voices from the victorious side as Rob chats with team captain Conor Walsh and goalkeeper Matthew Flanagan while Mike Finnerty catches up with manager Pat Fallon.
Then another Balla player, centre-back Ger Flanagan, joins his Mayo News colleagues Mike Finnerty and Ed McGreal to look back on the key moments in the game. Balla legend TJ Kilgallon gets in on the act as well to provide some thoughts on what was in every sense a memorable day for the club.
Wrapping up this episode Rob, Mike and Ed preview next weekend’s Senior and Intermediate championship semi-final clashes and they pick the likely winners of these penultimate round ties.
This latest episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes and SoundCloud. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
The Mayo News football podcast club series is brought to you in Association with the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation. Support the Hospice’s ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign to help build a Hospice unit in Mayo – full details here.
According to Nigel reape in todays mayo news castlebar remind him of watching Dublin play and I’d have to say I agree. Like the dubs they are comfortable if you go at them toe to toe and equally so if you try and stifle them with extra numbers in defence. They are patient. However like the dubs also the only thing that makes them uncomfortable is quick high ball into the square. Against a claremorris team that sat back and admired them for the first 25mins the last day, castlebar conceded 2-3 either directly or indirectly from high balls. The second goal coming from a penalty when a foul was committed trying to deal with a high ball. This seems to be the only chink in their armour that I can see, however I don’t think ballintubber are the team that can cause them those sorts of problems. Breaffy could IF they get there and there’s no guarantee of that the way breaffy ran out of gas the last day. A more experienced team than westport would have finished them off.
A lot of players got mentions here after the quarters but I’d have to say most are in the potential category.
Was at all quarters and relegation semi between aughamore and davitts. Standout players for me were Colm Boyle, Ross Egan, Conor ó shea, Jason Gibbons with the absolute standout players being the 2 durcans for castlebar who were scintillating to watch scoring 7 points from play between them.
Bit annoyed that the relegation final is fixed for 4.30 in charlestown as would liked to be able to catch all 3 matches Saturday.
P. S Rober, sorry if I jinxed your lads, really expected them to come through.
@Ah now. I felt Conor OShea and a lot of the Breaffy senior players disappeared in that second half. With scores needed Conor OShea was back to his old habit of soloing out towards the sidelines away from goal. He clipped a few nice scores but standing 6’3″ and in around 14 stone should he not be able to run direct at Lambert Doyle McManamon etc. Conor Diskin was far more effective and runs much more aggressively and direct. Similar Brian Reape. They go direct at defences.
I take some of your points jp, and as I said breaffy ran out of gas and probably should have lost. However in their period of dominance he showed for every ball and won most and he along with Hennelleys frees were the difference between the two teams. Kevin Keane also picked him up the odd time and he’s not short of strength or experience. I’m not a big fan of his by the way and was probably on here wondering why he was still in the panel, but for me he did stick out against westport and was one of the best players over the weekend.
Thought reape was ok, in the potential pile to get a run early next year. Bit shy in the tackle though.
Conor diskin not a player I’ve seen too often but he has always impressed me and would loved to have seen far more ball sent into him the last day than we saw. Would love to see him get a run too.
Wouldn’t have seen Conor O’Shea as a stand out player in any of the games I’ve attended of late. Decent club player who has been getting on the end of a few scores in each game alright. But continues to be a heads down player who will most likely feel the pressure early next year among the up-and-coming pool of young talent that James Horan will have available to him for panel selections.
Yeah I think Conor has had plenty of chances but in my opinion I’ve not seen enough from him to warrant inclusion in the senior squad. I think he started almost every league game two years ago in a forward role and scored a total of 1point. Now I may be incorrect there and apologies if I am but at top senior intercounty level he hasn’t cut the mustard. If anything he looks like a guy who could be a defensive middle third player. Look it…maybe he’s improving and if continues to feature at senior club he’ll no doubt get another chance but for me he’s a bit behind quite a few others. But when you look at the Mayo senior set up over the past few years no one new has really come in to claim a starting place. Loftus threatens and shows glimpses of talent but hasn’t shown any consistency…has never grabbed a game by the scruff of the neck and owned it. Look at when Doherty first broke into the Mayo team…he scored a bag full of goals. The senior team is crying out for a new scoring forward…not a running half forward. Reape looks the only one right now with the potential to do this but from reading comments after Moy Davitts game he may need to work on fitness and conditioning. That will come.
It’ll be an interesting winter for players and I’m looking forward to the league to see who puts up their hand.
Darren Coen of Hollymount scored 4-6 against Claremorris and Jack Reilly scored 10 points against Ballintubber in the League last Saturday evening.Surely both players will get a call from Horan in the next while.
Anybody know if the Mayo GAA Christmas lunch is going ahead this year
@TH, I would think Darren Coen has created a seasonal scoring record across league and championship? His per game average is also a record I would imagine. He used to be an erratic shooter, but with the totals he has been putting up it simply wouldn’t be possible to be kicking many wides while racking up such totals.
I believe it is, Ger, but I don’t think anything has been confirmed on the event as yet.
the officers of Mayo GAA will now meet with James Horan to discuss his management team and plans for 2019.
Any idea of timeframe on this ??
I’m curious to see the backroom team
Thanks Willie Joe. Good news. Great afternoon and superfundraiser
Ger – what is your email and I will send details once everything finalised
Tim/Ger – I can put you both in contact if you want, rather than posting email addresses publicly.
Yes please WJ
Sounds good Tim. Thank you
I too am wondering about white smoke…….
Things should be clearer this time tomorrow…
It seems Horans nomination will be put before the club delegates to ratify, or not, at tonights county board meeting. The story is he hasn’t yet confirmed his backroom team so it seems there is one rule for Rochford, where he was given a deadline of the end of August to have his backroom team confirmed, and another rule for everyone else! Regardless, if Horan goes through, it is safe to assume that whoever goes with him will be of the highest quality.
I see Buckley has gone to the Kerry backroom set up.
Is the Buckley to Kerry officially confirmed Pebbles? Does it not depend on whomever he is with being a successful candidate in any case?
Think Buckley is going to kerry regardless of who the manager will be.
Buckley had to be convinced to stay on this year, never mind staying on with a new manager. Buckley had decided that 2017 was going to be his last year with Mayo, regardless of the outcome. However, after some interventions, he was convinced to give it another year. It was no surprise that he stepped down at the end of this season.
The new Kerry manager, almost certain to be Maurice Fitzgearld, has been told that Buckley and Eamon Stack will be in the backroom team.
Jesus, imagine if our CB told Horan who was going to be in his backroom team!! There’d be war – how come the animals in Kerry are so quiet about it? Maybe because Buckley is so highly rated, but it’s a very out-dated practice.
Imagine if Mike Connelly tried to pick James Horan’s backroom team… How would people react?
We need a fresh coach. Players will have learned all they can from Buckley–surely there are good coaches in Mayo.
Wideball, that’s effectively what Connelly did with Rochy.
Was it not Rochford that chose Forde/Conway this year and McEntee previously?
Not good that a major rival has a coach that knows our team inside out.
Kerry’s tackling needs a lot of work and Buckley will improve them immensely. That coupled with the fact that he will know mayo and Horan inside out makes him a massive loss. I still don’t know how or if we can replace him.
Buckley will be a big loss but really think a different voice will be know harm . Confident Horan will surround himself with good people .
I feel Buckley is over hyped by the media, he didn’t event the wheel in all fairness. Sure he’s a good coach, but we never got over the line with him. Yes he improved our tackling something seirious, but surely Horan and the players have retained that knowledge and tips. You never hear anything about the Dublin coaches, or they’re methods, yet they’ve won 4 in a row?. Buckley and that Paddy Tally is all you’d hear about in the media. Fresh voice and ideas will do no harm at all.
Very sad to hear of Gina Carney’s death. A true Mayo stalwart.
Irish Times reporting that Peter Keane will be the Kerry manager, recommended by Chairman, and most likely to be approved.
Yes Catcol . With Buckley and Maurice Fitzgerald with him .
Yes it seems so, but he seems to be Keane’s nominee as is Fitz.
Why are we chatting about what is happening in Kerry?
If reports are true then we’re keeping it very in house under JH.
Midwest reporting on Twitter, the great Ciaran McDonald going to be part of the Mayo setup announced tonight
A real local feel to JH management team the best of whats available i’d wonder?
Why are we obsessed with people outside our own county.
I feel this is where Kerry start their rise back to the top. Have we missed our chance?
Exactly, don’t worry about what we cannot change. We cannot change Kerry or Dublin but we can change our team and tactics to beat them both with a bit of luck thrown in. Please let’s hope that there’s good news from the county board very soon.
Btw, great podcasts while and co. Keep up the great work