Photo: @JerryMoriarty1
Bloody hell, most of the working day is gone by already and I’m behind on several fronts. What’s the rest of the week going to be like? I’d meant to do a post earlier on hoovering up some of the stuff that’s started to appear about the match but that didn’t happen so here’s a quick dash through it now.
Eugene McGee in today’s Irish Independent has an interesting piece about us. He’s not a man who normally spares us the lash but, as a manager who way back when – one of my all-time favourite All-Irelands, that 1982 one – proved that unbeatable teams can be beaten, this time he speaks about us in positive terms. He reckons we’ll take the game to Dublin more than Kerry did, though he’s sensible enough not to go the whole hog and tip us.
If that’s too upbeat for you, then the schoolmaster will knock the corners off you quick enough. Here’s Colm O’Rourke’s tuppence from yesterday’s Sunday Independent. No, he doesn’t tip us either and his dying wasp analogy is pretty pathetic too.
Alan Brogan also has a piece on the Indo website (it’s here – I’m not sure where it was published, the Herald I suppose?) which gives an interesting insight into the culture within the Dublin camp under Jim Gavin. It’s a bit sugar-coated for my liking but it’s worth have a read of all the same.
In the Irish Times, meanwhile, Malachy Clerkin crunches some key numbers relating to Sunday’s contest. Again, well worth casting your eyes over. The same paper also has a piece with Ray Cosgrove, variants of which have been doing the rounds for the last few days.
Over in the Irish Examiner there’s a piece with Dublin player Darren Daly, where the Fingal Ravens man points to their strength in depth as a major factor in the county’s success. There’s a piece with the same player on the GAA website too – here and the same website also has a piece with Mayo selector Seán Carey.
RTÉ have two pieces of note on their website. This analysis by Peter Sweeney focuses on what we have to do to win on Sunday while this audio piece from the RTÉ archives (a treasure trove at all time, it must be said) consists of an interview recorded twenty years ago between Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh and the 1936 All-Ireland winning captain Seamus O’Malley.
And, of course, there’s also the final supplement from the Western People that hit the streets this morning (paper and digital variants). I had a quick browse through it a while back and there’s loads to keep you going there. The Mayo News supplement will, of course, be out in the morning and there’ll be barrowloads more there.
The final Mayo GAA Players Welfare Lotto draw is on tonight, with a jackpot prize of over €10,000 and ten tickets for the final up for grabs. Play the Lotto here.
I’m actually reading a book at the moment on the Offaly 1982 final by Michael Foley called ‘kings of September’ – a good read.
Bernard Flynn tipped us to win on radio 1 yesterday…….fancy that (he’s not as harsh on us as in previous times).
In relation to the stats provided by Clerkin the one that bothers me most and of the most relevance for Sunday next relates to our starting forwards not scoring in the second half of the 2012 and 2013 finals. Its a grim statistic and remains the Achilles heel of this team. Their is often a reliance on the half backs to supplement our scoring (hence the stats about Keegan’s scoring contribution) and whilst that’s no bad thing, it gives lie to the fact that whilst we have some honest operators up front, some of them simply do not score enough from open play – this is generally speaking Dublin’s key advantage over us. We were on top against them twice last year and in the 2013 final but failed to keep the scoreboard ticking over……..and paid dearly in the end when Dublin had no such problems when presented with the opportunities to score goals in particular.
One statistic stands out a mile there in that numbers piece alright.
“in their last 2 All Ireland finals no Mayo starting forward has scored a point from play after half-time”.
Jez. That takes some doing. Not sure if we got any in 2006 second half either. Can remember a few Conor Mortimer frees in our total of 3-5. Think we had 3-2 on the board at half time. Anyway that is a shocking stat.
Spotlight, you mentioned Keegans scoring threat and rightly so, he offers alot to our attacking threat. Everyone thinks its set in stone Leroy picking up Connolly. Fans think it, pundits think it, Dublin Management thinks it, every time Connolly looks in the mirror he sees leroys cheeky grin looking back at him. The more I think about it the more I think Rochford is going to pull a fast one and switch Leroy off Connolly. Dublin are not planning for Keegan playing in an attacking role. It would really put the Dublin defence on the back foot if Keegan were given licence to attack, they wouldnt see it coming.
I know those doors there near croker 🙂
Aye. They’re on Amiens Street, just across and down from the five lamps.
http://youtu.be/yPs7k1Uq7-o A Mayo rap song seen it all 🙂
Jim flag they are startling true facts. We need forwards taking responsibility and getting scores. A strong finish dublin are noted for. We’re gonna need 1 of them
For those of you into omens and such like a horse called Peter the Mayo Man won the 5.20 earlier at Worcester, a novice hurdle by an impressive ten lengths. Silks were what else – green and red. Really relevant I know.
Nice image. Not only is the snapper a huge Mayo fan but he is one of the fastest typists in Ireland.
Well done JM
Hi Berry,
Don’t have much interest in horses, but that one I do. It was originally owned by the son of a Lahardane man, here in Kildare and named after his uncle, who died tragically. He spent many years in New York, but never forgot where he came from and I met him many times at AI finals, home to support Mayo.
If a stranger met him in Lahardane, they’d think, he hardly ever was in Castlebar, such was the accent.
Nephin, I think the current owner is from Achill.
Thanks once again willie joe for giving up your time to this.
Reading your piece, MayoMad, Wouldnt it be interesting if Mayo send Keegan after Flynn around Croke Park on Sunday, it could throw Dublin and put them on back foot.
Flynn would not have the legs to cope with Keegan.
I also believe we could see a surprise or two in terms of starting 15 or positional changes. Nobody will really know until throw in.
@Jaden ah i was thinking of another set around 50/51 Russell ave. the numbers are ironic… my mistake
Lads maybe Kevin McMen won’t start for the dubs. Gavin might throw a curveball himself
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if McMenamin doesn’t start.
@mayo51 absolutely class rap …
Am I the only one who has been infected with Mayo fever this year earlier than any other???
I could not think of anything other than the match all day at work today…. It’s going to be a long week!
I’d like us to have a slow and steady first half, be a couple of points down at half time and throw the kitchen sink at them in the second half. Then its 35 minutes to play for your life, not 70.
Don’t buy this shite about them being tested, they haven’t been under real pressure all year. Yes the scoreboard at half time said they were but being at the match the Dubs knew if they played at their normal level they would win it, and they did.
Last 10 minutes are key and we need to have our best players on the pitch and playing well at that stage, but first we need to be in with a shout with 10 to go, or even better a couple of points ahead.
Rest assured, given the way this Mayo team has pulled rabbits out of hats, tactically and from a personnel point of view, not one pundit is going to get this one right and we should probably stop trying to determine what might happen. Anything could!
I would see nothing wrong with throwing Barry Moran in to FF, either , beside Aiden ,or having Aiden at 11,
Big Barry, would keep the full back line, busy, giving option of high ball in on top of Cluxon, with Big Barry, thundering in , would make Cluxon,nervous.
Phyllis, might think twice, mouthing, up to Barry.
If he and Aiden were in the full forward line, who would mark,them and any high ball in would b won, @ held up for runners.
Just a thought
Good luck to team/ mentors /supporters.
What a great time to be from Mayo.
We’re in this together,
let’s, all ” stand up for our Mayo men “, and make our own, Mayo, History
Up Mayo.
Mayo could produce an upset but going on past history in finals I very much doubt it. Dublin I feel are too fast and fit…..Mayo do not have the legs …..I agree with Col O’ Rourke (for once!) when he says that Dublin have got better and Mayo worse.
Dubs to win by 4-6 points