It’s Monday morning, with Mayo supporters still preoccupied, I’d say, with yesterday’s game. We’re back in Division One but we’re all now anxiously awaiting news about how bad the injuries to Diarmuid and Cillian O’Connor are. And we’re facing into Championship with a defence that’s so porous it’s simply not funny anymore.
But it is Monday so, you know, work and stuff. Let’s get cracking on what’ll have to be quick gallop through the online coverage of the weekend’s games, starting with yesterday’s game in Ennis.
Locals: Mayo Advertiser, Connaught Telegraph, Clare Champion, Clare Echo.
Nationals: Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Examiner (match report, post-match quotes), Irish Sun, Irish Mirror (live blog, match report).
Others: GAA, RTÉ, Sky Sports, The 42.
Photos: Sportsfile, Inpho.
Video: GAA (highlights), GAA Fan TV (analysis).
There’s also some coverage of the three Mayo matches played yesterday.
LGFA v Dublin: Ladies Football, Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Sportsfile (photos).
Hurling v Kildare: Mayo GAA, Connaught Telegraph, Leinster Leader, Kildare Nationalist.
Camogie v Cavan: Connaught Telegraph.
Let’s end on a high note. The Breaffy ladies’ Senior rounders team – that’s them pictured below – yesterday captured the All-Ireland title, defeating Glynn Barntown of Wexford in the final at Abbotstown. They’ve been knocking at the door for the last few years and yesterday their dreams at last came true. And more power to them too.
There’s a match reports on Breaffy’s win in the Connaught Telegraph (here) and Sportsfile have some great photos from the match and its aftermath – here.
Right, that’s your lot. Have a good Monday – don’t forget to vote in the MOTM poll if you haven’t done so already. Back later on with the result of that one.
– Super first half with Clare dead, buried and headstone up by half-time but nearly let the whole lot unravel in the second half because of a number of factors already mentioned namely slowed the tempo(PjMc), fear of injury and reduced work-rate.
– Aside from the two goals (first one an absolute square ball as mentioned by others on previous thread as old rule applies because the ball went in from a free, not only was O’Neill in the square before the ball arrived he was on the actual goal line.) Second goal take 2 was really really poor, headless chicken stuff.
– Clare were allowed to pick off points very easily in the second half with not a Mayo marker in sight. We allowed our full back line to be pulled way out the field on more than once occasion which left loads of worrying space in front of Robbie.
– Plenty of players played well (Oisin, Ruane, ROD, TC, Aido won a huge number of kickouts), others were barely in the game although i think the yellow card inhibited Kevin Mc who did start well.
– I was a surprised ROD was taken off unless he had run out of gas, very influential on the game. Towey fine with frees but failed to win his own ball again…. Hession has the speed but physically will be brushed aside until he gets another year or so of the S&C needed for inter-county. Also agree about Flynn, i think he is being held back because of fear of being sent off, he can give a great pass but… Rory one for the future but not for now added very little.
– Anyhow important for Mayo football to be back in Div 1 not just for the final year of JH next year but for whoever comes along after that.
– As for the Meath v Kildare melee, spitting into a player’s face is the lowest of the low if it actually happened, just as low in 2021 and it was in 1996 what goes around comes around.
Sometimes I wish I knew all the posters on the blog personally. I know alot like to remain anonymous. I don’t know (because I wouldn’t know people by their handles), if I’ve met them or not over the years at matches. I know I’ve met WJ for a quick hello briefly at the Galway match in Limerick and said hello to Rob there as well.
Anyway. The little Gaa club where I live here in Galway have asked people if they would do a little video of themselves so that the community gets to know one another. It’s a great community and great neighbour’s. I did a little bit that I’ll share. Nobody told me that it had to be 100% fact so mine is approx 75% fact.
Football isn’t mentioned in the piece and if it’s okay WJ I’ll stick in the link, so that in future when people are debating with me on here they’ll have some small idea who they are talking to. If it’s not okay you can destroy it immediately.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=939722213551629
Just to point out. When I go on about the way we have Oisin and Lee back on the full back line, I appreciate they are doing their best and giving 100% for the cause.
I always feel bad though that their true worth which I think is from the half back line is been lost. The dynamics of the entire team is a little off because they are out of the half back position.
The half back line currently is not as strong as it could be.
Are Oisin and Lee out and out full back line material. I’m not so sure.
With these 2 lines porous as described above, it doesn’t matter if Peter shilton was in goal. Teams are going to break through on our goal repeatedly.
The threat from Lee and Oisin playing further forward isn’t there. That means the opposition are not under as much pressure as they would be with the lads operating from half back. It’s ourselves that end up soaking up this pressure and maybe not doing such a great job soaking it up either.
2 – 18 against Clare and other high scores conceded is a bad omen.
For me the 2 lads need to come out to the half back line and the best of the rest should be given full back line responsibilities and the development of proper full backs and corner backs continue.
In recent years we have seen outstanding performances from some of our backs and for some reason we never seem to see them again.
I’ve read in the past people raving about the likes of Crowe keeping Paddy Mcbrearty scoreless and I’ve seen Eo’D put in phenomenal performances and and suddenly they are gone off the roster or getting little or no game time.
The sweeper system has come to our aid many times in the past often stifling even the best teams.
We have great players at the moment it’s just a matter of structuring where we line out to make ourselves alot more compact.
I know some people say we cannot take Lee and Oisin out of the full back line. I’m in the opposite camp. We cannot afford to leave them back there.
Olive in 96 Mayo started the row and Meath finished it. I am not aware of any spitting that day.
Is there something to be said for agreeing to play a final with Kildare?…i see Offaly and Derry have agreed to similar in Div 3
Its not for the want of silverware but more for the fact Kildare would be a decent test (far better than Sligo and Leitrim)
I know we want to avoid injuries, especially after getting knocks yday but players could just as easily get injured at training and a good workout v Kildare would give us the opportunity to try few things out, working on a defensive setup etc
Thoughts?
Things are changing in Connacht.
I see Roscommon & Galway departed Division One yesterday & been replaced by Mayo for the 2022 season.
Now all we have to do is win 3 out of the 7 league games next year & we stay there.
That beats having to win 5 out of 7 league games in order to get back from Division 2 to Division 1.
The bad news from yesterday are the injuries …. the rest is just a learning curve.
Under Horan we are never again going to win a 9 points to 8 points war of attrition.
James is a believer in full on combat in a total shootout so we have to take these 2-22 to 2-18 wins.
James always sends in the fighter jets & a forced landing at Minsk is always on the cards.
The big question for 2021 is can we take Galway first & then Dublin or Kerry later in a total shootout.
First the good news …. we are scoring a lot … I won’t mention the bad news.
I believe he is on the right track but I’m seeing a few tweaks that could improve us further.
Aido wears the No.11 shirt but doesn’t play there … he plays mostly at 6 so I would put No.6 on his back.
When Robbie is facing very tall opposition players he needs to forget about catching the ball & get the ball out of the red zone fast with his fists towards the sideline.
I believe we need to introduce two further midfield players to help us get through the four quarters of the modern game …. for me we’re losing momentum in that area towards the end of games.
I would make more players available for midfield duty by giving Conor O Shea some game time there & also by moving Oisin Mullen periodically into midfield …. I believe Stephen Coen might be our best bet for the 3 shirt while
Oisin is away. I would move Diarmuid back to wing forward when he returns.
If we are ever going to break the back of the the Dublin midfield axis of Fenton, McCarthy & their back-up,
I feel we need more options there to get us through a full 80 mins of the modern game.
Cheers Everyone. Division 1 feels good.
“James always sends in the fighter jets & a forced landing at Minsk is always on the cards.”
Haha – good man Joey
I thought that DOC on the wing wasn’t as effective last year vs his running and link up play in the middle, but hard to get a proper read vs Div 2 teams.
Same issue again with how powerful our guns are in a shoot-out – Kerry will know now they can put big scores up against the big teams. Will we do as well when against better defensive units, particularly ones that are ferocious in the tackle?
Nice one Revellino……I always enjoy your posts….. .Good to have a look at ya…..
Great to have those reports collected in one place, this blog, well done WJ, great service.
I looked back at game again and you havd to give clare great credit, they picked off some great scores. Mayos defending for two goals was lackadaisical, no doubt.
The game was very open, some great incisive running from the Mayo half back line in particular.
Very few wides on both sides. Outside of not giving Byrne some game time, id be happy where we are at going forward into championship
@Olive Kerrigan, Kevin McLoughlin had a very good game from beginning to the end, and anytime he got on the ball he made something positive happen, especially in the second half when several on the Mayo team were playing very poorly. .. Aiden had a fine 2nd Quarter, claimed a number of kickout but was very poor apart from that, I actually taught he could easily have been taken off, and I also taught the same about Jordan Flynn, another poor performance yesterday . , Fionn Mcdonagh and James Carr, might well have been scratching their heads wondering, why they justifiably be brought on, especially in the second half…. Darren Coen, might well be wondering why he wasn’t on the game day panel, he certainly would have been a more natural replacement for Cillian, and Mayo might not have lost their overall shape, which we unquestionably did for the second half..The overall second half performance was dreadful, had Clare’s 6″6 goalscorer Darren O’Neill not gotten injured at about 65 minutes, we would still be in Div Two today, that’s my concidered opinion.. Galway are today in Division Two, in yesterday’s performances, despite the Tribesmen going down, from what I seen, they are well ahead of yesterday’s Mayo team, it just happens that Monaghan are well ahead of Clare.. On the positive side, well we have won all 4 games during our short stay in Division Two.. and despite the lack of quality in the teams we met, plenty of weaknesses have been shown up, for James Horan & Co to find solutions for.. Robbie Hennelly will have to take responsibility for the first goal yesterday, but overall he has had a fine league, but he has been given no protection time and time again in every league match.. For the second goal yesterday, and by this time we had we warned of the threat of 6″6 Darren O Neil, Aiden was outfielded but Aiden was also standing the wrong side of his man, at least Aiden was there trying.. We now await the news regarding Cillian and Diarmuid, .. Sligo won’t be quaking in their boots after watching yesterday’s second half performance.
Great line Joey, that it feels as exciting as that, is all down to the players and great football. Happy to have Division 1 football to look forward to next year. That headline WJ, said it all for me this morning, great to be back. Hope the big crowds continue to travel to our games.
Joey ,kudos for analysis and the turn of phrase. I think we are kidding ourselves if we think this current Mayo team could ( most days) put up a winning score against Dublin or a greatly improved Kerry defense. It’s not impossible of course ,but it won’t happen without a few magicians and I include James Carr under that heading.
Our half forward line reveals a lot about our team. It’s ever changing , never settled ,yet it’s obvious to me that we have the players to make it a great line. It’s also the reason why our “direct “ football doesn’t happen as much as it should. Kerry,by contrast, move the ball extremely fast down the lines. I honestly think that Cillian’s brain is wasted in the corner.
So we need to move the ball in fast. We need great passers with great vision and we need magicians inside.
Great visionary passers ? Who are they ?
Loftus, Cillian ,Kevin McL
and to a lesser degree Ryan O Donoghue or Colm Moran
One of those needs to be number 11.
On the flanks we need one of
Kevin Mc
Fionn McD
Inside we need Conroy and Carr (14)all day long , every day.
The third inside guy can be any of the players already mentioned.
Aido at 6 or 3 seems obvious now.
We will not beat Kerry or Dublin playing ( our brand of)running football imho.Direct football is the way to go. We have the players to do this.
Enjoyed that Revellino, especially 25 percent of it!!! Ha ha! Good to put a face to you.
the first goal was inexcusable, this was not a quick counterattack or a breakdown further out the field. This was a set piece, a free that was either going out of play or dropping in the goalmouth. We had plenty of time to set up.
No defender was near the dropping ball but Aiden and Mattie were on that post and neither made much of an effort to block out or contest. Robbie should have had that ball or fisted it clear but he should not have been left unprotected.
We need a defensive coach. Our tackling and positioning on defense is sub standard. We have men tracking back but when they do they are not properly positioned and we are not aware enough of cutters getting scoring positions.A good example would be in the All Ireland when danger man O Callager passed the ball and cut inside the defense and with no one to contest collected the return pass and at his leisure goaled while the only Mayo players who could have contested were ball watching. Dublin as with other aspects of the game have the best all round awareness of where danger is coming from.
Stating the obvious here, but if Cillian is out for the Connacht campaign, our chances of winning it are seriously diminished
Hi, Thanks for that Revellino. You came across as laid back. Good to hear your sense of humour.
Nice article by John Fogarty just now in the Irish Examiner about Cillian.
Thanks, Liberal – that’s a nice piece alright. Here it is: https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40313408.html.
Thanks all for the lovely comments.
I’m trying to figure out how our forwards will line out in two weeks time as Cillian will surely be missing. Wondering would Kevin Mc do the job at centre half forward, and James Carr full forward.
Whatever way the forwards line out I’d give a tenner to whoever could get the six starting forwards for our next outing correct, not just name them but their starting position as well.
@Revellino,.. I took the liberty of looking at your link, I was thinking it’s past time you wrote another song or a poem at least.. By the way, you have an uncanny resemblance to the famous comedian from Cornwall, Jethro.
@Leantimes. Jethro Tull is the only Jethro I would know. Aqualung and Locomotive breath, great songs.
Fire out a story there Leantimes. Accuracy in detail not required.
Actually, of all the handles on the blog I think Leantimes has always been my favourite.
Food for Thought. Good post fair play. When we move the ball quickly by foot pass we are very good surly.
@Revellino, all my stories are true, they just mightned have happened exactly as I wrote them, I usually tone it down a small bit so that people might believe me… You’ll have to look at a YouTube clip of Jethro.
We need a backs coach.
Our F.B.line is a shambles,no.point in our F.B..line scoring goals at one end and leaking them at the other.Oisin Mullen is a quality player, but I would prefer to see him getting M.O.M. awards for his defensive play rather than the opposite.
He is an outfield attacking player and that’s where he should be utilized.
I would love to see a F.B. line of O’Donohue Aidan O Shea and Padraic O Hora tried for the Sligo game.
They can’t be any worse than the current line, and we might learn something from it.