The team and subs for tomorrow evening’s Connacht minor football semi-final against Galway at MacHale Park (6.30pm) were named a bit earlier this morning. Here’s the full list named:
MAYO (Connacht MFC semi-final v Galway, 4/7/2015): Patrick O’Malley (Westport); Donovan Cosgrove (Kiltimagh), Tommie Keane (Mayo Gaels), John Maughan (Castlebar Mitchels); Paul Lambert (Westport), Rhyne Collins (Castlebar Mitchels), Dylan Cannon (Breaffy); Barry Duffy (Balla, captain), David Hanley (Burrishoole); Sharoize Akram (Ballaghderreen), James Lyons (Aghamore), Ross Egan (Aghamore); Liam Byrne (Moy Davitts), James Carr (Ardagh), Gerry Canavan (Mayo Gaels). Subs: Paul Walsh (Breaffy), Cormac Reape (Knockmore), Jonathan Burke (Swinford), Darren Quinn (Garrymore), Jack Irwin (Ballina Stephenites), Oisin McLoughlin (Westport), Colm Moran (Westport), Kevin Quinn (Ballinrobe), Patrick Lenehan (Charlestown).
From what I can see four of the starting fifteen for tomorrow were also involved last year: Barry Duffy – who lines out at midfield and captains the team this year – was at centre-back on the 2014 team while Sharoize Akram lines out again at wing-forward. Wing-back Dylan Cannon and corner-forward Liam Byrne were both subs on last year’s team.
Best of luck to the lads tomorrow night in this do-or-die championship showdown with the young Tribesmen.
All the best to the lads tomorrow eveningh Hope to see them going for 3 in a row Connaught Titles on the 19th.
Small correction WJ, a club man of my own Liam Byrne was a used substitute in a couple of games last year including the semi final loss to Kerry. Decent player aswell.
Nice to see the roll out of the newbies. Best of luck to them . There appears to be quite a number of strong footballing names there. I was under the impression that there was a back door for us here?
Thanks for that correction, Peewee09 – I’ve amended the post accordingly.
No backdoor for losing semifinalists. Win the semifinal and the backdoor and front door are both open.
One player from North mayo on the starting team. Just 2 more on the bench. Delighted to see a small junior club like Ardagh represented, but it’s really concerning how football in North Mayo has declined in recent years. The trio of Ballina, crossmolina and Knockmore should be contributing more than 2 substitutes between them to the county minor team. No players at all from Erris. I think we have a serious issue with the way talent in North Mayo clubs is being developed. I can see a time in the near future when Mayo will field a senior team for a competitive match with all players hailing from south of an imaginary line between foxford and Westport. It won’t be because the players in the northern half of the county are being overlooked. It will be because they are not good enough. A decade ago some of the finest footballers in the country played for the aforementioned North Mayo clubs. Ultimately it’s bad for Mayo football – we can’t rely on producing footballers from the same few clubs all the time. I’m not suggesting there are players in certain clubs being overlooked- those bad old days are surely long gone.
As a final point – kerry will this weekend field a side from I think 13 different clubs, many of them junior and intermediate. Divisional sides playing senior football have been like the goose that keeps laying golden eggs for them – allowing players from small clubs get exposed to high level football. In contrast 14 of the fifteen Mayo starters in the galway game were senior club players. Most of the Subs were too. Therefore with a couple of exceptions we are picking our team from effectively 16 clubs. Tough ask to win an all ireland with such a small pick I reckon.
I saw James Carr play a couple of Junior Games this year with Ardagh and I have to say he looks a very impressive player at this level. Big, fast, accurate off both feet.
Hopefully he can carry that kind of form into the intercounty scene.Hope to make this one.
@Macs left boot Id love to see this happening in Mayo with representative sides. I actually played against both North and South Mayo when this was the case in Mayo for a couple of years and they certainly brought out the best of the junior players that played. What was the case as to why they were stopped? I’m open for correction but wasn’t it senior clubs and relegation from senior that was the main stumbling block?
I know there would be organisational difficulties with fixtures/players and it would take work but id say that it could be the making of lads who raise their game for the divisional sides. They’d improve no end physically and mentally from playing at a higher level.
Strong team seen ross egan play with club in county final last year a strong player can take a hit and win the ball be interesting game to watch. Cosgrove maughan and lyons have also seen on action tasty players
Claremorris contested last year’s county final won div 1 in the league already this year favourites for county title not a player in the panel must be a strong panel
Surprised to see that there are no players from Belmullet/Kilcommon/Kiltane. There are a few lads back there playing outstanding stuff for their clubs, is their any club politics or bias I wonder?Maybe the standard is that good.
Bring back the representational sides immediately. Players need a shop window. Interesting to see Sharoiz Akram a year down the line. Moves very well with his head up.