Photo: GAA.ie
The clock is ticking ahead of Sunday’s crunch NFL Division One clash with table-toppers Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn (throw-in 2pm, summer time) and the Mayo News (paper and digital editions) has some good and bad news today about player availability for Sunday.
The bad news first. Cillian O’Connor is, of course, still ruled out (most likely for the Donegal match too) and the paper is reporting that both Seamus O’Shea and Tom Cunniffe will also miss Sunday’s match through injury. This is a bad blow – both Seamie and Tom are experienced, battle-hardened performers, exactly the kind of players you’d want to see on the pitch for us on Sunday so their absence will definitely weaken us.
Patrick Durcan is also ruled out, via the rather daft suspension rule which sees his U21 red card from last Saturday applied at senior level, apparently because after this year he’s no longer eligible for U21. No, that makes no sense to me either.
Okay, time for the good news. The Mayo News says that Andy Moran, Tom Parsons, Jason Gibbons and Michael Conroy are all fit and ready to go for Sunday. Of the four, only Mickey C has featured in the League for us this year, although Jason did play a part in each of our FBD matches back in January before getting injured. The U21 contingent will, of course, also be available for selection.
It’ll be interesting to see what all of this means for our team selection for Sunday. After the kind of tanking that the Dubs gave us, you could expect to see a fair few changes of the unforced variety but losing certain starters in the form of Seamie and Tom could mean that Pat and Noel are less likely to add to this by making sweeping tactical switches as well. We’re due to name our team as normal on Thursday evening so I guess we’ll find out then.
So far in this League campaign the bookies have favoured us to do the business – we were odds-on to win in all of our games to date, bar the Dublin ones (where both sides were priced at evens) but for Sunday Cork are the clear 4/7 favourites.
Is this merited? Time to vote on that particular proposition.
How will we do against Cork?
- Lose (60%, 237 Votes)
- Win (32%, 125 Votes)
- Draw (9%, 34 Votes)
Total Voters: 396
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How are we picking up so many injuries. For the last few years we only seemed to have one or 2 at any time, this year we had around 10 at one stage. Is there some issues with training programs?
Cillian was known but we will badly miss Cunnife and Seamie. Hard to replace cunniffes battle hardned edge for a game like this where youre lookin at a forward line as imposing as corks. Would like to see parsons and Andy get a run.
On current form its hard to see us get a win out of this one but another hammmering could really be a confidence blow. Honestly think we will have to be ultra defensive and some create a game where they cant get the likes of hurley, oneill runnin at us
Could this mean we will see Caff in at 3 with Kevin Keane moved to the corner,Donie going back to replace Durcan,Aido and Gibbons/Parsons midfield,Dillon or Conroy coming into half forward line.Any point or points won in Cork will be well earned.I’d like to see Clarke or O’Malley back in goals for this one.Hennelly far from good enough on Kickouts the last day
Medical team were let go at the end of last season. Players were not happy as they seen them as the best there is. probably explanes it
Anyone need accommodation for sat night. i have an apartment that sleeps 6 that i no longer need.
How was medical team let go. The two moffits are still there.
We have to go for broke in this game and try and isolate Aidan OShea on likely Shields. We need Tom Parsons speed to stop Eoin Cadogen. Otherwise Cadogen will be running with ease past a midfield duo from Barry Moran/AOS/Gibbons.
We need Dillons brains around the middle. Probably even Andy from the start. Leave inside a 2 man of AOS n Freeman n no matter how well covered kick it in long n early.
Liam Moffat isn’t the physio working with the senior team . Sean Moffat is still the doctor though
Alot of injuries are down to training load and not really to the medical team. Knee tendon injuries are generally overuse eg Cillian. He was playing Sigerson this year too as well as having an extended club run so I suppose it all adds up.
I would guess the lads are just training very heavily atm.
That’s bad news on the injuries front. Love that rule about Durcan’s ineligibility.
Still the other U21s should be available; this is the flip side of early exit, which means that they will now have less demands on them through U21 and college, though of course college academic demands are huge.
Good news though on Andy, Mickey C, Jason and Tom, but I see them as impact subs rather than starting a match like this.
Re tactics, if we adopt the full court press and fine tune our approach, by which I mean a doubling of intensity and commitment to every ball, I don’t think we need go all defensive, which doesn’t suit us. Management had kept the reins on the half backs which I think was wise and was paying dividends, until Dublin came to town.
I suppose at this stage it’ll be the end of league before any cuts are made to the panel, hopefully a few more boys will try and make a claim to a spot on the panel and that might be enough to get the win on Sunday.
Any word on Chris Barrett, Richie Feeney, Harrisson, Conor O’Shea or others?
I would assume that judging by the injuries to Tom C and SOS that the team will be easy enough to guess. Something from along the line of a squad like the following.
Hennelly, Clarke, O’Malley
Keane, Cafferkey, Higgins
Keegan, Vaughan, Boyle, Coen, Drake
Gibbons, B Moran, Parsons
KMac, AOS, J Doc, D O’Connor, Dillon
Conroy, A Moran, Ronaldson, Freeman, Kirby
Clarke/Omalley
cafferkey Keane Higgins
Keegan Vaughan Boyle
Gibbons parsons
McLoughlin aos Douglas
Moran kirby conroy
Far be it from me to defend the injury situation but I suppose with 4/5 years of intense training and matches, bodies get tired. Don’t forget O Malley, Clarke, Barrett, Andy M, Dillon, Carolan, Conroy, COC, Big Barry, Parsons all had injuries under the previous regimes. Modern footballers with the pressure and pace they operate under and bearing in mind they are amateurs training as professionals , expect more breakdowns if game and training management is not in place.
Not forgetting Conor Mort who got a bad injury too.
Would like to see Big Barry start. In his cameo in Derry he lookedtuned in , compared to the lost look when he came on last year.
Let the consuls stick to their plans, whatever happens. do the right thing for later. If that means div two next year or a run through the qualifiers, lets do it to get it right.
Onward, believe
See the rossies beat us tonight in the minor league. Really could do with a win on Sunday to stop these dark clouds which are starting to descend over mayo football.
The annus horribulous just keeps on giving. When did we go without having a team in any Connacht Final in the one year. That’s what we are looking at especially when you see the draws
If Mayo want to be beat Cork they will beat Cork. Cork aren’t all that. Fortress Páirc Uí Rinn? I don’t think so.
It’s up to the Mayo team themselves to decide how much they want it. Lots of times, people think they want something but when they’re out facing the live ammunition, they don’t want it as badly as they thought they did. Mayo didn’t even pick up card until the second half during that massacre against Dublin. In it’s way, that’s the most interesting stat from that whole game.
Anyway, I reckon if Mayo want to send the country a message that they’re not on the slide they can. It’s a deep panel of talented and experienced players who have a point to prove. I’ll take a slice of that 7/4 with Paddy Power.
Chisel ..Careful now you are in danger of becoming the first ever Mayo supported to start worrying about the result in the first round of the Minor league game. While some people are writing Mayo off as Div 2 material I am happy that we have already secured our Div 1 status without adding further points. We should know by now what Alan, Andy, Micky or Barry can bring to the table. .A great opportunity to now to look at panel members in the tough environment of Pairc Ui Rinn. An opportunity to man up and claim a place for the summer. By Sunday evening we will know what the result of the Ballybofey game is. Time enough then to get your game face ready or not.
Well said AnSpalpin.
The ways are there so all that’s needed is the will and I cant see this side being rolled twice in a row.
That said if we get out of there with a result (1 point would do) we will have achieved what neither Kerry or the Dubs could do……………..I watched that Cork v Kerry game over here on TV and Cork have the best outfit I’ve seen all year but the the ‘lions den’ is what’s needed now and could be the making of us.
MaighEo Abu
As far as I remember we only won one game in connacht minor league last year and yet won the Connacht championship.no more than the Fbd league im sure the management of the minor team are probably giving game time up to 30 or more players before settling on a championship panel.so the person who was posting earlier about loosing a connacht minor league game RELAX!
Well said an spailpin fanach
Spailpin
Youre a breath of fresh air! Time to exorcise the ghost of the dublin defeat and bring a smile back to our faces.
Think mayo will win this with a point or two spare.just wish they stop playing the ball down the left all the time it seems to make life awful hard on themselves.they need to mix there play up a bit and leave other teams guessing. It’s very easy for other teams to know how we ll set up and play because everything we do is the same when we get a win. thats why I think this league has being up and down for us.
Good news we have plenty of time to get things right.if we can to the semi’s with all these injuries and have them back for these games by god I think we have a great chance of lifting the title.
A breath of fresh air An Spailpin Fanach may be, as are most of his articles, but let no one tell me that this team, can suddenly turn it on away to Cork, not the way we have been playing to-date anyway. The only thing in our favour right now is, on 8points and more than likely already qualified for the semi-finals, they may decide to field a second string team. On the other hand, if Cork want to send out a message that they mean business this year and field their strongest team, then Mayo could be in for another bad day at the office.
Which is the most important requirement on Sunday, the performance or the points?
[Deleted].
Mayo have always been a team that can react when written off from the outside or within.
I think some people just need to get a grip. We are under new management after 4 years of a great journey which ended in major disappointment with no All Ireland yet again.
We can not except to get to All Ireland semi and finals every year can we? If it does not happen this year the knives will be out. There is already a thread on another forum asking who the next Mayo manger will be…ffs
Steve knives will be out unless the Summer football is good and relationships improve within the squad. The whole appointment process has made the job impossible for the two guys
I think it’s a good question catcol, at this stage I think the points, regardless of how we wrangle them out of this game. A good performance and a loss means we will be in a real battle with donegal, I’d much prefer a very scrappy low scoring win
Stupid comment, Done Deal! Play the ball not the man/woman – house rule 6 refers.
I don’t think that’s a stupid question at all.
If we won on Sunday against a half-interested Cork with an unconvincing performance, I doubt that many of us would be too happy about it. We’d take the win, of course. But we wouldn’t be talking about Sam, that’s for sure, and winning Sam is the only way that this management can improve on what went before them.
If we lost on Sunday, but showed the resilience and guts that Mayo displayed time and again under Horan – well, we’d be wary of relegation, but we’d be a lot more bullish about our chances against Donegal. I think this is the likelier outcome. So for me – given that we have six points in the bag and we have a serious point to prove after the Dublin game, the performance is more important.
Cork to pip it on Sunday, but Mayo to restore pride with a fierce resistance. And I’ve said it before here, but I believe we will beat Donegal in round 7 and make the semi-finals.
I’ve been pondering it Dave, and am inclined to agree with you overall. Cork could be in experimental mode which would help, and their attitude may be less than 100%.
A win on Sunday and then a match where Donegal have to win could give us best of both worlds: safety and then a test of how we can break down the professionals at defending.
Cork will want to beat us after the game last Summer. There was some ill feeling left on that field in Croke Park.
Cork were – or specifically, Cuthbert was – more responsible for that feeling than Mayo Ger – all that ráiméis about Cillian O’Connor and Kevin Mc being ‘streetwise’ etc.
I think they’ll be gunning to beat us and vice versa. Of all the Horan-era rivalries, this one was always the most bitter and I’d say there’s no love lost at all between the two sides. I reckon they’d be delighted at the thought of giving us a pasting like the one we got from the Dubs and we’d equally be very happy to pull off a win like the last one we got down there two years ago.
Im not convinced about that willie joe. Im sure they would like to win the game, but Id say they will be giving squad players a chance first and foremost.
I think they really are gunning for us, but not this one. Cork people think they are better than most, bar Kerry. And Mayo? WTFAT?
But they want to beat us in the championship, or a league semi or final. Remember their attitude in the league final of 2012? When the pressure is off, it’s time to experiment, and its a nice luxury to have at this stage, similar to last year when they came to McHale Pk.
The one thing that might change this approach is the double header. If Cork footballers think they are better than most, where does that leave the hurlers? They know they are better than most; the footballers only think it.
The double header ups the stakes somewhat and Mayo players and management should be conscious of this.
Cork will be out to win, they may try a few new lads, but we will also. I believe Mayo will win as the abuse they got over the Dub game will spur them on.
Catcol makes a good point. The hurlers and the footballers of Cork are regarded completely differently in the county, and especially in the city. The footballers wouldn’t fancy being shown up in front of a hurling crowd that always look down on the big ball game.
I was looking at the schedule earlier today and Mayo’s first Championship game, against either New York, Galway or Leitrim, isn’t until the 14th of June. That’s a long, long time to be waiting, even if Mayo do reach the knockout stage. I’m not sure events of the league will matter a hill of beans by then, not least if Mayo manage to win that game on June 14th. But again, what can we do but wait and see?
Make no mistake Cork will be hell bent on burying us in their own back yard after the unsavoury events of last August….and unless our players and management get their shit together by next Sunday…Cork will prevail…
One win from the next two games should be enough to reach semi finals something Mayo should achieve. The manner of the Dublin defeat will mean Mayo will going down to Cork to prove they are much better than that one bad performance. I would expect a high scoring game this Sunday.
The Dublin game was almost 2 weeks ago and the world has moved on in spite of some Mayo football followers who some how want to undo that which is already a done deal. The stated goal as published for the league was Div 1 status and an opportunity to look at new talent. Many of the posters this week are looking at the league title or bust approach in full knowledge that a league title in 2015 has not been mentioned by anybody in the media except maybe Pat Spillane. A more sensible approach for Sunday would to give some of this emerging talent a run in a competitive environment of Pairc Ui Rinn. I want to see KK, Kirby, Durcan, Parsons, Ronaldson, Forde, and some of the other guys. There will not be a better opportunity in 2015 than this. I rate Cork big time they are fine footballers. I am not so sure about their manager and his quality. I was in Croke Park in 2001 I suspect that many of our posters were not. Mayo had a small crowd, a great match to win, almost no buzz afterwards. It was the last time I remember Mayo specifically going after the title. A team will not win a league title by just turning up as some people seem to think. We are not at full tilt yet. We do not have everyone back yet. Instead we are in rebuild mode, and settling in mode and this is likely to continue for some time. Time for the new managers to set things up to their way. A little patience and perspective would not go amiss I think
Division 1 status is virtually secured, but not mathematically yet. A plausible combination of results such as Tyrone beating Donegal and losing to Kerry, Monaghan beating Kerry and losing to Dublin, and us losing to Cork and Donegal by a couple of points apiece could see us go down, with points difference coming into play.
Current points difference
Mayo +4
Monaghan 0
Donegal -2
Tyrone -4
Kerry -7
For Sunday would go with:
OMalley
Cafferkey, Keane, Higgins
Keegan, Boyle Vaughan
AOS, BMoran
Parsons, Dillon, McLaugh
Doherty,Kirby, A Moran
Another plausible scenario (two of them actually) would be if we get isolated on six points with one of Donegal or Tyrone (but not Monaghan) then we’d go down thanks to the utterly ridiculous and stupid head-to-head rule. Tyrone have the drop on us on that one (as we similarly have on Monaghan) but getting stuck on six points with Donegal would have to mean we’d lose to them in our final match and so we’d lose out on the head-to-head rule.
Our best hope (aside from winning our own games, as that’s the best way to guarantee our survival) is for Tyrone and/or Monaghan to lose their two remaining games. Tyrone are away to Donegal (which they’ll lose?) and home to Kerry (which probably would be a must-win so they just might). Monaghan are away to Kerry (which they’ll probably lose) and home to Dublin (which they may lose too). If Tyrone win one and Monaghan lose both then it’s Monaghan who go down, even if we lose our two matches, for the reason outlined above.
Usually there is at least one upset on every weekend. If I were a betting man I would say the hardest to call and the most obvious chance of an upset is Donegal v Tyrone. And I think Tyrone might just be up for this one.
If that pans out then you have the scenario of Donegal going into the final round in desperation searching for a win to keep them up.
im not a wind up merchant,byanymeans,we are getting relegated,because,we smelt the coffee,but nobody set the alarm clock , and im a proud mayo man
Go to sleep Peter.
We’re not getting relegated no way. It could be possible that cork send out a second string, with Cuthert keeping an eye on who actually makes the semis. Im sure he wouldnt like to meet the dubs again in a league semi after the whipping they got last year. Remember they then got whipped by kerry and bet by us…season over. So he could be cute and lets say, wouldnt be too disappointed if we won on Sunday, meaning we’d be keeping the dubs out of fourth place untill at least the last round of games. This is all speculation of course, but you just never know.
Anyone have a copy or highlights they can post online of our 2001 victory over Galway?
I remember going to it with my Dad and some Galway cousins…..needless to say they had the last laugh later that summer.
Peter …I have my doubt that you are a Mayo man, never a proud Mayo man
Agree with PJMc.
Mor important to see that the maintenance of the machine is right than gunning down the Carrigoline straight
Steve I might have it.
In my opinion, the result of this match lies squarely in the hands of the Cork team, on currant form anyway. In all their matches to-date, they have been playing a nice mix of football, with the main emphasis on attack and unlike our guys, their forwards know where the posts are.
Mayo on the other hand are still struggling to find decent form, and the introduction of the new guys, all be it welcome, still need more time to bed in. One would hope that the Dublin mauling would be a wake up call, and hopefully there will be a positive reaction. But unless the Cork Management decide, that having already qualified, that giving Mayo the points as they did two years ago, would benefit them in the long run. But should they go at us full tilt, then I’m afraid I can only see one outcome.
Good point Mayo Mchale. Points in this game could well be strategic. Our worst scenario would be a draw in Ballybofey. While this is likely I believe that Donegal are too good for Tyrone. Tyrone have had their hance to have more points on the board by now but for once have been unlucky. They have a very poor record v Kerry in the league since 2008 for some reason. I would love to see them give Kerry a trashing in the final game but I will not be putting any money on it. If there is a draw in Ballybofey then we to get our game face back on again for the visit of Donegal and forget about Tyrone and Monaghan.
pjmcmanus – If you can dig it out and post it on youtube or something it would be much appreciated. If you only have it in tape form then don’t go to any bothar its not that important.
Firstly, I’m a positive Mayo man but I’m not looking forward to travelling down Sunday to Cork. They are the form team in the league where as we are lacking any real game plan, any consistency and a two of our best players in SOS and COC.
I’d love to think we will put in a performance similar to the Kerry game but I think the players might be a bit dizzy after the Dublin game where zero was done by management to halt the onslaught from the Dubs. We have seen too many changes, both personnel and tactics.
Fingers crossed the management get it right and get a solid performance but my feeling is that so far they have failed to implement any specific game plan or belief going into games and any we won were due to the players performing well rather than a tactical victory.
I will be home on Friday evening and I will dig it out then. Not sure about the quality. WJ might be able to help me get it to you.
We have been talking about putting in a good performance etc. in our upcoming game against Cork and about the lack of good performances by our U21 teams the last few years but I’m just trying to think since 2013, have we had a really outstanding 70 minutes since? We were really flying that year. We put in a really inspired 30 minutes in the second-half of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry before the final 5 minutes of madness and gave a performance full of character with nothing going our way in the replay. Bar that, last year we really struggled past Roscommon, did just enough to beat Galway, upped it against Cork at the start of the second-half in the quarter-final and we could have lost that game in the end. In the League, we played badly against Derry twice and lost to Kildare and Tryrone. Probably our best spell in a game in the League, was our win over Cork when we played well for maybe 40 minutes of that game. We came good in the last period against Kerry in our League game in Castlebar. We struggled at times away to Westmeath. We allowed 14 man Dublin to draw with us. Yet we still could have made the All-Ireland final last year. We were pretty good in our opening win this year against Kerry but they were only back from their team holiday. I am just trying to think when was our last really good 70 minute performance? We could really do with one this Sunday!
HopeSpringsEternal says:I am just trying to think when was our last really good 70 minute performance?
quarter final v Donegal in 2013
Yeah Steve, that’s probably the last one alright. Was the 30 minutes of inspired football that we played with fourteen men against Kerry the last sting of a dying wasp or is there more to come from this team, only time will tell.
Cork wont experiment for this, they’ll treat it near championship as its a double header and they will want the extra 2 points to see them in the semis which means the last away game wont matter a damn.
They do, for some bizzare reason think they were robbed in the quarters last year, and that somehow we are responsible for the robbing. We wont have to be dealing with Cadogen anyway which is a small blessing.
HSE – I’d like to think that our “last really good performance” will, by 3:30 pm on Sunday,
be that of the previous 70 minutes of play.
Yeah Pat, fingers crossed, hopefully so, maybe the Dublin game will be a turning point for us. Our Chairman did say a few weeks ago that, for us to be able to keep servicing our current debts, we need to keep reaching at least All-Ireland semi-finals, so the onus will be on our management to keep us consistently competitive into the future.
The Cork Senior Football team lines out as follows on Sunday:
1. Ken O’Halloran (Bishopstown)
2. Noel Galvin (Ballincollig)
3. Michael Shields (St. Finbarr’s)
4. James Loughrey (Mallow)
5. Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
6. Conor Dorman (Bishopstown)
7. Tomás Clancy (Fermoy)
8. Fintan Goold (Macroom)
9. Jamie O’Sullivan (Bishopstown)
10. Kevin O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
11. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers)
12. Colm O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
13. Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough)
14. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
15. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)
Subs:
16. Paddy O’Shea (St. Vincent’s)
17. Stephen O’Donoghue (Ballincollig)
18. Stephen Cronin (Nemo Rangers)
19. Sean White (Clonakilty)
20. Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond)
21. Patrick Kelly (Ballincollig)
22. John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers)
23. Daniel Goulding (Éire Óg)
24. Barry O’Driscoll (Nemo Rangers)
25. John Hayes (Carbery Rangers)
26. Donal Óg Hodnett (O’Donovan Rossa)
clarke
Caff
KEANE
Higgins
Keegan
Boyle
Vaughan
Moran
Parsons
McLoughlin
AOS
Doc
Ronaldson
Kirby
Dillon