Now that I’ve been to Blacksod and stared at that eternity of water separating the parish of Kilmore on this side from the city that never sleeps on the other, I’m getting ever more rueful that I’m going to be over here rather than over there on Sunday.
But, hey, such is life. I don’t think there’s any doubt but that the county will be extremely well represented over in New York this weekend. Safe travelling to all of you who are making the trip.
In advance of all matches we play, I usually do a post detailing what the opposition have been up to but, in an acknowledgement to the uniqueness of this fixture, that’s not possible on this occasion. Those of you who have listened to our New York preview episode of the Mayo News football podcast will have heard New York manager Justin O’Halloran tell Rob that the only matches they’ve played this year have been internal A v B training ones.
This means we have to go back to this time last year for their most recent outing, which was also a Connacht Championship quarter-final tie. That match was against Leitrim and, fielding a strong team that featured Armagh’s Jamie Clarke in attack and our own Tom Cunniffe in defence, New York came very close to pulling off a shock win over the Ridge County. The Yanks only went under in extra-time that day, on a scoreline of 0-19 to 1-15.
That stirring performance last year by Justin O’Halloran’s team was no flash in the pan either. Twelve months prior to that, the Cavan native was also in charge of New York and Roscommon – fresh from a positive League campaign in Division One – got the scare of their lives in the fixture before emerging with a 1-15 to 0-17 victory over the hosts.
Mike Finnerty has a good piece in this week’s Mayo News (paper and digital variants) where he lists the New York players to watch out for on Sunday. The first name that really jumps off the page in this respect is Cathal Compton, who, believe it or not, lined out for Roscommon against the Exiles in that 2017 clash. The Strokestown midfielder played midfield last summer for the Rossies so will be the only player in Gaelic Park on Sunday who can boast of having played Super 8s football.
Others on Mike’s list are New York captain Niall Madine, who has plenty of inter-county experience with his native Down, Seán Hurley from Kildare, who did a stint in the AFL with Freemantle, and speedy forward Shane Horgan, one of the homegrown American talent on the team this year.
Despite making his team tough to beat in this fixture, Justin O’Halloran has had to cope with significant churn in his playing panel compared to last year. Neither Tom Cunniffe nor Jamie Clarke are around this year and so, with so much turnover since last year, the kind of challenge New York will be able to pose for James Horan’s National League champions is even more of a mystery.
Nothing for it, then, but to refer this question to the floor – how do you think Sunday’s match will go for us?
How will we do against the Yanks?
- We'll hammer them (57%, 299 Votes)
- They'll give us a decent run for our money (34%, 178 Votes)
- It'll be the shock result of the century (6%, 31 Votes)
- They'll give us the scare of our lives (3%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 522
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1500 tickets available at the gate on Sunday from 11.00 I’m told by a guy based in NY and heavily involved in Club scene there. It’s going to be very busy but weather due poor.
Now, must catch this flight.
Happy travels.
Off we go.
Best of luck to the Mayo team and all the travelling supporters. We should have 7 or 8 points to spare at the final whistle id say. Just couldnt afford the trip over this year. But im not in anyway jealous of the Mayo supporters heading over to it, not even a little bit. i swear.
Just hope we get out of there injury free. Astro turf is’nt really made for Gaelic Football. Any kind of a win will do. Can see Horan putting out a fairly experienced team to start, to kill it of early, then make the changes early in second half.
New York won’t be long waiting on their first victory against one of the weaker counties. They are now for a few years one of the strongest teams at U14 Feile. Those players are now aged from 23 down to 13. So, when the 23 year olds are 28, there’s a host of 19 year olds knocking on the door of their panel.
Willie Joe I think you have seen the underage New York teams? Amazingly big and athletic, for sure some strong seniors ready to come into their panels every year for the next number of years.
Team named.
1. Hennelly
2. Barrett
3. Harrison
4. Higgins
5. Durcan
6. Keegan
7. McCormack
8. Ruane
9. Aido
10. Regan
11. Doherty
12. Boland
13. McGloughlin
14. D.Coen
15. Carr
A strong team with Boyler,Fionn mcDonagh,Andy,Vaughan and maybe Cillian to come off the bench!
Best of luck to the Mayo Team and Support for the Match
Can I give a shout out to my townie Maura Flynn Hession who runs the Willie Mcbride bar across the River in New Jersey
Paul Coggins was home from London and he sends you his best
He said you were a sound skin any time he had dealings with you
Good Roscommon connections on the New York panel
Former County Player Cathal Compton who is Joined with Kevin Finn Strokestown and Thomas Collins Elphin
@Ballinloughlad, Compton is a handy player, felt last years Connacht final turned when he went off at half time i think it was?. He’ll need watching on Sunday!.
In a world that’s gone mad with political correctness it’s great to see we can stlll call the Yanks the Yanks lol I think we will win well over there and hopefully get away without any injuries
It’s not really as simple as predicting things to fall like that for NY, JP. There was a piece in The Irish Times this week stating that only 11 American-born players have played for NY since their re-entry to the championship back in 1999. One of the big problems for them is the temptation to draft in county boys at the expense of home grown talent.
Safe travels to everyone going over! I hear the race for tickets is almost as bad as an All-Ireland one.