It’s Monday morning and, for us at least, the 2018 League season is now in the past. And we’re still in Division One. Let’s have a look at some of the coverage from yesterday’s late, late show by the lads up in Ballybofey.
Talking of match reports, yesterday was the second game in a row where I bashed out my own report for the blog before hitting the road home. Doing it this way makes for a more hurried account but, to be honest and as the list of links below show, match reports are pretty much a commoditised item at this stage so it doesn’t make too much sense to sit for hours agonising over every last word … okay, I’ve never really done that but you know what I mean.
Yesterday, with the juices flowing nicely as I sat in the car close to the ground, I was able to hammer out the 1,000 or so words, pick a photo to go with them, upload the lot – 4G is a real game-changer here, it’s bloody brilliant – and that was job done. We were on the road before 6.30pm and just in the door before the ball was thrown in on TV for the highlights programme at half-nine.
Right, onto the match reports and related stuff. While I’m talking about my own day, I may as well point you first towards my own audio offering (which is here), blathered out while still on the terrace.
Another digression before getting to the coverage, which relates to the photo at the top. We remained on the terrace doing the after-match chat for the podcast ’till well after MacCumhaill Park was emptied. For much of that time, Aidan O’Shea was still out on the pitch, making himself available for photos and signing autographs for kids, from both counties. What a gent.
Okay, let’s hit the reports.
Locals: Mayo Advertiser, Connaught Telegraph, Donegal Daily.
Nationals: Irish Examiner, Irish Times (match report, post-match quotes from Stephen Rochford), Irish Independent, Irish Mirror, Irish Sun.
Others: GAA (includes video highlights), RTÉ (match report, post-match quotes from Aidan O’Shea), The 42, Hogan Stand, Breaking News.
Photos: Mayo Mick, Inpho, Sportsfile.
Bonus video: RTÉ (John Casey’s rather restrained reaction on air to our late leveller).
The one sobering bit from all that is contained in Stephen Rochford’s admission to the Irish Times that Lee Keegan is likely to be out for “three to four months to be honest” following shoulder surgery. The bottom line, as we’re all – Lee more than anyone – having to accept, is that we need to make it to the championship shake-up without the services of the best player in the country.
In terms of match coverage, that’s the lot but it’s far from everything today.
In particular, stay tuned for what promises to be a cracking edition of the Mayo News podcast recorded at MacCumhaill Park yesterday. In it you’ll hear from Rob, Ed and myself (including a bit where, to my shame, I lose the faith at half-time), as well as Martin Carney, whom I was delighted to meet for the first time yesterday, and, as a man with a foot in both camps, was able to provide a unique take on yesterday’s game.
There’s also stuff with some supporters, there’s post-match audio from Stephen Rochford and Eoin O’Donoghue and there’s Billy Joe Padden’s League wrap. As I said, it’s a bumper episode and Rob is, even as we speak, stitching it all together. It should be online early afternoon or so.
Don’t forget our usual Man of the Match poll, the final one in this year’s NFL campaign. Conor Loftus looks well positioned there to claim back-to-back MOTM honours but voting remains open for several hours yet.
Kevin McLoughlin is in second spot, by the way, and motoring well. He bursts into space, he looks up, he wouldn’t, he couldn’t, fuck me he’s going to. Enjoy your Monday, folks.
Kevin McLoughlin with the crucial point to leave the sides even as the ref blows the whistle pic.twitter.com/Rrj6zuSmCN
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 25, 2018
The picture above was why I was so incredibly annoyed over Bernard Flynn’s comments last year. AOS has always and contibues to go above and beyond when it comes to staying on after for the kids. People think it’s an ego thing fur him apparently????? It’s the exact opposite. If he had a massive who he would just ignore them. He doesnt . He gets it. He obviously remembers being that child with stars in their eyes.
I brought my second lad yday. Hasn’t much interest so trying to get him into it. He had his photo taken with the ever obliging AOS and Jason Doherty.
He will remember that if nothing else and now at least knows 2 players names 😀
This is what sets GAA apart from other sports imo
The picture above was why I was so incredibly annoyed over Bernard Flynn’s comments last year. AOS has always and contibues to go above and beyond when it comes to staying on after for the kids. People think it’s an ego thing for him apparently????? It’s the exact opposite. If he had a massive ego he would just ignore them. He doesnt . He gets it. He obviously remembers being that child with stars in their eyes.
I brought my second lad yday. Hasn’t much interest so trying to get him into it. He had his photo taken with the ever obliging AOS and Jason Doherty.
He will remember that if nothing else and now at least knows 2 players names 😀
This is what sets GAA apart from other sports imo
Willie Joe, how do you do it? Seriously.
A Match report from the pitch, an audio report, AND a podcast . Now a comprehensive set of media reports ( Donegal Daily is very good BTW) and you’ll have the MOTM later.
Whew!
In some ways Willie Joe putting our yer written and audio report in a Jack Kerouac style high on match adrenaline is maybe the truest pen to virtual paper to really show the rollercoaster of following Mayo football.
It’s authentic that you lost faith at half time 🙂 I had lost faith 3 pts down with 5 mins left, we’re ducked my quote at the time.
As I recall one of your best match reports is after the 2011 quarter final versus Cork. Subtle as a brick through a window that report but extremely authentic 🙂
I have to say the atmosphere in the stand yday was special too. It’s a very “cosy” stand which helped .Again I was thinking after do we help the players or do they help us! The crowd was quiet enough until the O Donoghue point and then manic for the remainder . So it probably is a bit of both
It was a huge relief to get out of jail yesterday and I fully exppect Mayo to kick on and with a selection of injured players returning, more seasoned players fitter, we should be in a much better place come May.
Going forward we cant keep treating the league with such indifference as we have for the past number of years, relegation gets cliser and closer each year. While a year in div 2 may not be the end of the world, it can turn into a big problem. Galway took years to get out of it, Meath and Cork are struggling with relegation, Derry who played div 1 league final a few short years ago are now div 4.
As I see it the main difficulties are the panel being scattered around the country which makes training hard and that the older players are not fit this time of year, they are geared to peak in summer not February. Is the answer to pick solely young home based players for the first 3-4 games of the league, grab 2-3 wins early on then filter back the established players without the pressures if relegation hanging over the team. What ever the solution, we have to take the league more seriously or it will catch up with us.
I had a few authentic things to say myself, JP, on the terrace in the second half, as those within earshot can confirm. It’s an enjoyable exercise to bash words out on the laptop while the pores are still open and a sense of calm rationality hasn’t yet returned. Yeah, that 2011 one on the Cork game was fun alright! But I was young then, I’m far mellower now.
Thanks to the car dash cam the garda got the scumbag who broke my car mirrors yesterday all because of mayo flags on the car now he is out 400 euro or a trip to court he said no ill pay because I could get let go from work I think everyone should have a dash cam as u never know when u will need it getting back to yesterday my heart is still not beating right I thought it was the end of division 1
@Mayomad, My thoughts on preparing differently for the league.
– Drop out of the FBD. It was a horrible disaster. Why should we make a shite of McHale park and put a big target on our backs for black and red cards in the middle of January. No thank you. The FBD set us backwards.
– First two games of the league have a lot of over 30s/Sigerson players coming off the bench or not involved so that we hit the last five games with a fresher squad
I think we will be in better shape for next years league simply with the depth of panel. All of those fringe U20s to U24s who were tried this year in the FBD and early league will be a year on. Then you have the likes of Crowe, Loftus, Coen, ODonoghue and Hall who will be a year on in terms of composure and confidence.
Good for you Mayo Die Hard. He will think twice next time he has a destructive urge. My husband said yesterday he would be caught and maybe get a criminal record. He is thinking of getting one. How big is your dash cam? Is it noticeable? As in would anyone be tempted to break in for it?
good stuff mayo diehard,bad state of affairs that ones car isn’t safe to be parking at a football match,
that’s just disgusting,glad you had a dash cam,and the culprit has be nailed ,
that taking sore loser to a new low.
Rescuing our Division 1 status with literally our last kick of the league… you couldn’t write this stuff. Thanks to the lads for a massive effort yesterday. WJ you were not alone in your pessimism yesterday, I said to my brother at half time that we were in big trouble and going into injury time I was already envisaging the trips down to Cork, Navan, Ennis, Thurles etc. but the team had other ideas. I felt for Donegal because really they probably were better overall and should have closed it out at the end but sport can be cruel at times.
I though Drake showed very well and I am surprised that Andy Moran hasn’t got more votes in the MOTM poll, he was instrumental in getting us moving yesterday even if it wasn’t sustained in the 2nd quarter.
Sinead37 nextbace 512 2.7 motion sensor there is white writing on it I have black stickers over it have it up top beside my nct and tax disc it’s hard to see it on less u know its there its very good at night too get them on line or in halfords my other half got it for me for Christmas I had the older nextbace one 312 it also is very good it could save u in a car crash as u know people out there mad for claim the camera will never lie hint hint would be a good birthday present or Christmas present
Ya dig deep never thought it would happen but I was parked beside all donegal cars my other half’s brother used to play for donegal he was taking it bad
Fair play WJ Superb coverage as always. You really provide a super facility for Mayo people everywhere. Yesterdays heroics just make one fear what our sporting lives will be like when and if this great group go into decline. How many incredible moments have they given us since 2011. They have delivered so much without getting their hands on the prize we all crave so much. Lots to be pleased about yesterday but nothing to get carried away either. Crowe did well second half as indeed did our collective defence. Best game so far by Loftus but still room to improve and what I really liked was his workrate. Thought Andy had brilliant first 20 minutes and cant believe some criticising him for shooting too often. He had the guts to go for shot rather than handpass laterally. And speaking of guts well K Mac you are some man. Thought Boyle was immense in first half also. Lee out for so long is a real downer and its vital we get our defenders back as the galway game is on the horizon and those lads have had no game time. Finally AOS signing autographs again. What will Mr B Flynn have to say about that. tut tut.
Fair play Willie Joe, in work since the early hours and for once, was dying to read the match reports. Think we all have a bounce in our step today. Whelan and Kavanagh disgusted with us staying up. Im sure there was alot of obituarys ready to be rolled out last night. Im sick of hearing the doom sayers say we are on the wane, we’re hearing it since 2014 at least. A stopped clock is right twice a day I suppose. I must start shouting that Dublin are finished, some year ill be right….
I had to laugh at Ciaran Whelan last night on TV, he was talking about the pulling and dragging in injury time in matches, he more or less said that there is nothing an official can do, ie, ( too late in the game to start sending lads off ). We can expect more of the same from the Dubs in this years final, this is where the young subs came make a huge impact and let loose, throw off the shackles and run at them from deep. I have seen two teams use the diagonal ball into the full forward lines v the Dubs in thi league where they caused havoc, Donegal did it in 2nd half of the league in Croker this year with McBrearty getting about 5 / 6 points from play and Monaghan did it in 2nd half yesterday, Philly was badly caught out when trying to stop Kieran Hughes.
I’m going to push back against the narrative that Ciaran Whelan wanted us relegated (Cavanagh did alright but it’s already clear he’s a useless pundit). I know he lit the tough-paper on the anti-Lee campaign in 2016 and I take the point, one that toe to hand made, that we’re a handy tool for pundits to use when they don’t have the balls to call out what their own counties are at. But where’s the evidence that Whelan wanted us to go down? I don’t see it. Most Dublin GAA people I know aren’t keen to see us fade away, as they know full well that without us the last two All-Irelands would have been as easy for them as the Leinster championship has been for years. The soccer fraternity who claim to support Dublin might love an all-blue horizon but real Dublin GAA people know there’s no future for Gaelic football if that’s the way it goes.
I always prefer to see us been written off by the media rather than be hyped up the media. We are at our most dangerous when written. A win or a good performance by Galway next Sunday will have them hyped up for the championship and Mayo written off for May 13th – an ideal position to be in. The panel seems to be very open ended at present – where did Alan Freeman come out of yesterday? I thought he was back playing club football with Aughamore and was let go from the panel. How did he come on ahead of Conor O Shea, Kirby, Gallagher and Douglas yesterday?
Agree with you completely Willie Joe. I think Whelan is often on the money and I think both views (O’Shea who rarely hides his admiration for us when we’re doing well) were ok – critical but objectively critical. Looking at the overall league from an outsider perspective on Mayo, there wasn’t much to write home about, and for pundits the rise of Galway is interesting, and who can resist the genuine excitement that other division teams generate going up or down: Carlow, Sligo against Derry, Offaly saving their bacon, the Rossies doing very well to come straight back up; ditto Cavan. Still if you constructed a graph on us yesterday (or tables which assume the current score as the result hate those), we were down down down from about 25 minutes to 74, and then instantly up.
We will have to name that point the 13 steps to Division 1 !
Since Rochfords panel seems to be an open ended panel with Alan Freeman coming back in Yesterday.Hopefully he and his selectors keep a close eye on the Senior club games in the county for the coming weeks.3 players to watch out for Jack Reilly Charlestown can kick scores from play with both feet and Brian Gallagher and James McCormack for Claremorris both got on the scoreboard the weekend and are tall and good in the air.
Great to see McLoughlin kick that winning score yesterday. His point yesterday and against Tyrone last year really sum him up. The only player to feature in every game Mayo have played in 2018.
Learned something new yesterday: the match day 26 on the program does NOT mean you can’t pull a rabbit out of the hat a minute before throw-in by announcing you have in fact a #27 who is starting..a certain Paddy McBrearity. A bit of a stunt i.m.o.
Can someone enlighten us on the “rules” regarding the match day 26?.
Already losing Leroy, Higgins, Cillian, Donie etc, Mayo are now in danger of losing Kevin McLoughlin. The Knockmore sharpshooter is believed to have been approached by Strictly come Dancing after his thirteen steps of brilliance in downtown Ballybofey. Apparently, no other footballer has achieved such a feat. We wish Kevin well should he step up to the challenge and hope he doesn’t have to spend six long months doing nothing atall.
Agree WJ. The RTE pundits just commented on what they saw. Mayo were poor for most of the league.
We are way too sensitive. Did not see to much wrong with the punditry last night.
If Kmac had not scored then neither would a lot more Mayo people.
Holding and dragging people to the ground was introduced by the Dubs in AI wins over Mayo and Kerry.
Other teams including Mayo are now using this “tactic”.
It needs to be stamped out by awarding an 21 yard free to the opposition.
Problem solved, simple as that.
How do you regulate it tho? How do you determine who started it? Theirs no video reff to analyse, say we are a point down like last years AIF, with Clarke about to kick out and we for instigate the “melee” knowing we’ve a 21yrd free to draw the game? It will be impossible to officiate unless we get with the times and bring in a video reff for such occurences.
Wj, most true dubs also know that Leinster is finished and you seen what the dubs done to Tyrone last August, I think the horse has already ran out the door is enjoying the fresh grass supplied by the gaa. It’s going to take the dubs winning 5 in the next in 6/7 years before a halt is called to the nonsense and it’s easy to see that happen. We will have a Scottish premier league type competition where there’s only one winner now that rangers are out of the picture. A third string dublin lost to a full strength Monaghan team by a point, don’t be fooled.
@MayoDunphy: Surely that’s what umpires, linesmen etc. are there for? Throw in a video ref and you have a decent chance of determining who started it, providing the ref has the gonads to make the call.
I’d go further and award a penalty against the transgressors.
We’ve been the victims of this in at least three major matches (All-Ireland finals against the Dubs in 2013 and 2017, the semi-final replay against Kerry in 2014) so it’s long since time we got with the programme in this regard.
The thing is the 4 mins were already up. The smart thing was to let the kickout be taken. The ref was about to blow the whistle. Another ref might have added on an extra 1 min for that pulling. But the only time being wasted was the taking of the kickout.
Managers are still not using the 30 seconds per sub rule to their advantage.
We should have put on two more subs to gain another minute on the clock. With time running out it’s the time available is most important, not the playing personnel on the pitch. You’d be replacing players with 65 mins played anyways, so I doubt any drop in impact on the game.
Mayomad If we exit the championship in june this year a good 2019 league campaign is on the cards, …. is that what we want ? Only Dublin because of their massive squad can compete in september and have a good league.
I am shocked at many posters believe that Stephen is lucky,he must have won the lottery a few times if it’s luck that has seen him win an all Ireland as player and manager,Tony also,I believe they had planned this so will Galway into a false sense of security lol,Stephen Coen also gets a lot of criticism so he must be really lucky to have been captain of three all Ireland winning teams,for the record I believe he will make the team this year,David Drake is now our man to get stick,but I think there managers have had him involved,but what do they know with all the stars that are not getting a chance.But back to the team,Donie,Keith,Brendan,Chris,Ger,And hopefully Lee,will be back for the business end of the championship,at midfield Shane,COS,Aiden,possibly DOC,in attack we COC,Fergal,and hopefully Cian,Evan,add M Hall,and Alan Freeman,we don’t seem to badly off for another assault on Croke Park thank you very much Willie Joe for your very informative blog and wish you all the best for the next few weeks hope you get a nice break before our next adventure
Norris, think you have taken up my earlier post wrongly. I said we cant treat the league with the same indifference we have in the past as eventually we will be relegated. The two main reasons we play poorly in the league are lack of training because a lot of players are spread throughout the country and the older players are not fit in the early months as they are geared up to peak much later in the year. Im suggesting picking a young team made up of players based in the county for the first few games of the league. I really dont care about doing well in the league, but we cant be leaving it literally until the last kick of a game to secure div 1 status.
@it means nothing to me, linesmen and especially umpires are stonewall useless when it comes to “spotting” foul play, its beyond time that umpires are replaced by official reffs (like linesmen) and actually police the goings on in and around the goal mouths. Dean Rock is constantly and blatantly pushing his marker after he scores in an attempt to be a tough man, surely he should be getting yellow cards with this persistent fouling, yet he’s never been once called out on it. Totally agree that video reff is the only way to clean up these melees.
Sorry mayomad must take longer tea break to read all post properly.
@MayoDunphy: Agreed. I couldn’t believe some of the carry-on around Dublin’s square which went unreported in the 2016 replayed final, for instance. Umpires have to start doing their effing job, which includes reporting foul play to the referee.
A lot of the arse-boxing that goes on now would definitely be solved by a video referee.
@Facetheball,..I agree with your sentiments… A 21 yard free would be the deserved punishment for the type of foul you speak about… All well and good.. But the problem with Gaelic-football is… that regular as clockwork, team’s/ player’s /mentor’s and even the fan’s try to fool the referee… In yesterday’s seneario, a Donegal player could easily initiate a wrestling match in order to manufacture a free.. (now I know that didn’t happen) and but if that sanction was in place, someone or some team would try to that too…. The problem with Gaelic-football is that, Cynical play very often pays… More often than not, Mayo were the victims of clinical play, not yesterday tough.. The Ref should have added another minute, but then again Donegal done some amount of time wasting in the final 20 minutes…. Every time David Clarke lined up to take a quick kickout, Donegal made a subistution, or a Donegal player conveniently needed some medical attention. Swings and Roundabouts…. The powers that be, should legislate so as the best team at playing football within the rules wins the game.. Not the cutiest,.. Definitely not the dirtiest… I think I will go to next Sunday’s league final… Should be a very good game, because both team’s are very capable of playing great football…. But will it be the free flowing positive football both are capable of? .. I doubt it, Galway are way too good just at this moment in time for Dublin to 100% sure of beating them by playing pure football, and Visa Versa…So, If it’s pure football you want, Watch Roscommon and Cavan in the Div 2 final, that has every chance of being a genuine football match!
@South Mayo Exile, Freeman inclusion surprised me too yesturday. Both Kirby and Ger McDonagh played for Castlebar on Saturday, maybe Rochford felt they needed more match practice or is it something else, Stretton and Naughton line out for their clubs as well. Looking at Willie Joe’s photo the 11 players on the bench were Hennelly, Hall, Newcombe, Cafferkey, Nally, Barry, Conor o Shea, Freeman, Gallagher, Douglas, and Boland. Thats 22 players from last years squad and only 4 newcomers if you call them newcomers as they all were involved before in Freeman, Hall, Gallagher and Douglas. The other Eight to comeback Barrett, Harrison, Higgins, Vaughan, Keagan, Cillian, Evan Regan, Kirby.
Based on the entire league campaign O Donoghue and Crowe’s stock has gone up I feel that Nally is going the other way when you see Drake and now Hall getting game time in front of him. Newcombe is another that has had little impact with sometime up to 6 defenders missing. Forwards was more about improvement in what we already had, Felt Loftus and boland should have been given more game time, last 5 minutes of games not enough. For development panel I don’t see much to show for it yet with Gallagher the only one of the 6 players chosen last summer to have had any serious playing time. Except for Carr being injured Seamus Cunniffe, Stephen Duffy, Matthew Ruane, Brian Reape have had no real chance to impress.
The 4 mins of injury time played with no stoppages. The tine wasting was on 4 mins at the kickout.
Haven’t commented since the game. I was absolutely buzzing walking out of the stadium yesterday. For some reason it felt better than the majority of championship wins, and we didn’t even win!
Negatives:
We were very shaky from our own kickouts. Clarke is our clear number one but that side of his game is an ongoing concern.
We were badly lacking pace in midfield. Hopefully TP and SO’S will improve with fitness. People constantly talk about not uncovering new forwards but midfield will be a serious problem in the not too distant future. 32 year old Barry Moran is our main back up.
Diarmuid had a good league overall but was quiet yesterday. It’s just frustrating because he has the potential to really dominate games.
Positives:
I flagged Caolan Crowe as a potential full back after the Kerry game. Did really well yesterday shepharding McBrearty onto his weak foot and snuffed him out in the 2nd half.
I love Eoin O’Donoghue’s attitude. Backs himself to win every ball and a very skillful lad in possession. Will be hard to drop Caolan or himself against Galway.
Loftus had a very good game, especially 2nd half. Andy was cleaning up the first 10 minutes until they dragged a few extra men back to stop him.
I dont know WJ if ya heard of Arsenal TV. But there is a guy called Robbie that interviews fans after games!!
Its your calling !!!
Great work as always WJ
Nobody has mentioned,what I presume was a planned Donegal tactic-we have most success with quick kick-outs & every time David tried to do that,a second ball was rolled on to the pitch,causing the ref to delay the kick-out.Does anyone this was just a coincidence? Ref should be aware of such tactics.
Thank you Mayo Die Hard. Might be something I’ll be buying in next two or three months.