All of a sudden those odds of 9/4 for a Mayo win at Páirc Uí Chaoimh are, perhaps, looking a bit more attractive following the announcement tonight of Cork’s team for our top of the table NFL Division 1 clash on Sunday (throw-in 2.30 pm). In all, Conor Counihan has made nine changes from the team that started against Derry in the previous round. Out go ‘keeper Paddy O’Shea, backs Eoin Cadogan, Paudie Kissane and Noel O’Leary, midfielder Alan O’Connor and forwards Paddy Kelly, Daniel Goulding and Paul Kerrigan while coming in to replace them are Alan Quirke in goals, Anthony Lynch, Kieran O’Connor, Ger Spillane, Graham Canty, Aidan Walsh, Donncha O’Connor, Kevin McMahon and Colm O’Neill.
With Eoin Cotter, Michael Shields and John Hayes switching positions, this means that only three players – Derek Kavanagh, Fintan Goold and Ciaran Sheehan – start in the same positions as they did against Derry the weekend before last. That’s one hell of a shake-up, no matter how you cut it. It is true that some of those coming in for Sunday – notably Anthony Lynch, Ger Spillane, Graham Canty, Donncha O’Connor and Colm O’Neill – are far from neophytes and so we shouldn’t get lulled into any false notions that Cork will be sending out their ‘B’ team against us at Páirc Uí Chaoimh the next day. It’s just that they might not all be on first name terms, that’s all.
Cork’s team for Sunday is as follows:
Cork (NFL v Mayo): Alan Quirke (Valley Rovers); Eoin Cotter (Douglas), Michael Shields (St Finbarr’s), Anthony Lynch (Naomh Aban); Kieran O’Connor (Aghada), Ger Spillane (Ballygarvan), Graham Canty (Bantry); Aidan Walsh (Kanturk), Derek Kavanagh (Nemo Rangers); Fintan Goold (Macroom), Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond); Kevin McMahon (Carbery Rangers); Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough), Ciaran Sheehan (Éire Óg), John Hayes (Carbery Rangers).
Some amount of changes alright but the replacements would make most 1st teams in the country. These replacements will have a point to prove to their manager so we will still have our work cut out to beat them
I was listening to Sir Alex Ferguson last week when he said that”we`ll win nothing if we keep giving the ball away”.From what I`ve seen in a few games, especially the Monaghan game, we have given away the ball very easily at times.If this keeps happening we won`t go very far during the summer.
Having said that we have improved in other areas,the last ten minutes is much better also there are more guys scoring which is a good thing and the lads are working very hard for each other all over the field.Cork will be a big test for us a big physical team but so were Monaghan and the Dubs and we weren`t out of our depth with either of them.If we can hang onto the ball a bit better going foreward we won`t be too far off the mark this year.
By the way we were 5\2 in the Derry game too so a flutter could be good especially seeing as this is a different Cork team than have been playing together all year.
The season starts this Sunday. Win our next two league matches and we win the league. Follow on by winning six championship matches and we will have won both trophies. The only other teams (apart from ourselves) that can do that is Cork and Dublin. At some stage in our lives we have got to stop fearing what the future might bring and simply be bold and brave and say “Of course we are as good as any other team”. Win our next eight competitive matches and we can look the best of them in the eye.
win our next eight matches and sure we might as well shut up shop and move onto another sport!!
Each of them replacements will be fighting for a place on the first 15 going into a league final. Think it’s going to be an awful tough game Sunday. Hopefully we will keep with them. Wouldn’t do our confidence any good going into championship if things went wrong!
If we do I’ll be on the piss for a year.
ME TOO!!!!!!
Just back from the old sod. Everything very brown still. No growth. Bumped into Keith Higgans. He says he is 100% and will be grand for next week. I am confident we will beat Cork and hope the county doesnt go into meltdown if we lose a league final (Croke Park hoodoo me arse ). Its what we learn along the way that is important. Johno was found new players, new confidence and a work ethic. All to look forward to. Roll on the summer!
”Its what we learn along the way that is important”
You’ve managed to sum it up perfectly Remember51!
Well I am of the opinion that if we make the league final that it would be nice to win the damn thing. We already lost one with O Mahoney i/c in 2007 to an average to poor Donegal team. I wont go into meltdown were we to lose but we can expect a kick in the arse from the rest of the nation if we lose another final in headquarters. Time to stop putting excuses in place just in case. Either we are good enough or not. What we learn from losing a final is simple; we are not good enough.
lost enough finals in our time, its time now to start winning, assuming we get to the final!
Feet on the ground, eye on the ball, bit between the teeth, wind in the sails, take no prisoners, never say die, all pull together, pop the cork !!!!!
You know what Pj, fuck alex ferguson the whiskey nosed bastard.I’m not any more confident than I was. It is probably up there with their strongest defence, they really only seem to be missing kerrigan,o’neil and goulding from their strongest 15.
Lads, who cares really about the league? I personally have seen a indication of where this mayo team is going and with the tightining up of the defence i for one will be happy. I do not want to be talking things up but at this stage, it should be a connacht title at least. Lets not forget its mayo 42 galway 44 connacht titles and 2 of galways were uncontested back in the early 1900’s so how sweet would it be to overtake the tribesmen.
To me its a case of taking each game as it comes. Its cork on sunday simple as. Taking our eye off the ball is what done us last august-looking at a semi before it came. Any footballer worth his salt would have to be aiming to get back to a 1/4 final and put things right, the only route there is game by game training session by training session. We are a tough nut to crack now and hopefully we can turn the rebels over. Mayo by 10 anyone??! About to hop in the car for the journey,first visit to pairc i caoimh so looking forward to it. No harm to have a kid free weekend now and again!!
missing Keith and still anyone’s guess who might get the start in FB spot tomorrow but lads and lassies for all the questions about our defence it is still the second best in the division. That’s not bad – the only team with a tighter defence is Dublin and they have chosen to play that way as their main tactic.
Every team in the country bar none has a weak spot in one or two positions but if the ‘team’ work rate and attitude is right it can more than make up for it. Team spirit and work rate in Mayo team looks to me to be much better this year – strong competition for places all over the pitch is definitely working to get the best out of every man!
My main worry on Mayo as a team …. giving away possession too often and too easily…if you have the ball the other team can’t score is a hackneyed comment but true and this year we have seen a fair amount of ball being turned over. If we give away soft possession to Cork tomorrow they will punish us for sure and if we can improve that part of our game we have nothing to be scared of !