Today didn’t turn out to be a great day for football within the county, with the juniors’ attempt to land the All-Ireland foundering down in Ennis at the predictable hands of the Kerrymen while over in Hyde Park the ladies also found the Monaghan girls too hot to handle in their All-Ireland quarter-final.
I wasn’t at either match: indeed, a family day out – which included the Tall Ships ballyhoo – meant that I wasn’t really tuned in at all to what was happening in Ennis and Roscommon respectively this afternoon. A match report on the junior final is available here and there’s one on the ladies’ quarter-final here. Hard luck to the both of them.
But, as Scarlett O’Hara said, tomorrow is another day and I’m heading off to Croker then to see the minors take on Meath in their All-Ireland semi-final. It’s our fourth appearance at this stage in the minor championship inside the last five years and a win tomorrow would see us appearing in the decider for the third time since 2008. Here’s hoping the young guns do the business at HQ tomorrow and the best of luck to them in their endeavours.
Fairly sickening watching the minors who were absolutely terrible,especially in the second half. They are not being coached at all, couldn’t be. The passing to marked men,sitting back when they have a good lead and general lack of fight today speaks volumes about mayos lack of desire and lack of coaching ability for the high pressure games. And the refereeing was extremely poor.
All that I can say is mayo are still soft in the middle, player pushed over the line just before the penalty, in front of ref and linesman and mayo management stood with hands behind their backs and said nothing? When you are soft you will be treated as soft!
I fully understand the sacrifices made by all involved, but the sacrifices are a waste of time if these lads go to Croke park and sit back watching. Where’s the aggression?
James Horan and your senior players, be hard nosed and thick skinned or wait away from Croke park!
When are we going to get fair play.shocking decisions by ref and linesman cost Mayo game.Irrelevant whether we had played well. Allowing a push over the line with ref and linesman watching and then a penalty given for nothing ye nothing is a sick joke.Think Tony Duffy should have been vocal over first call too.
So annoying.Shame on the referee.He should never get another match. So much for Gaa promises that officials would get it right. Linesman was a disgrace. No Mayo didn’t play well but don’t anyone dare use that as as excuse for refereeing incompetence. Sickened
We can piss and moan all we like about referees and decisions but that game was lost because of tactics and desire. If you don’t score for 27 minutes in the second half you don’t deserve to win.
Meath players wanted it more and that is the bottom line. We could’t match their physicality, were wiped out at midfield, and sat back looking at the clock for the last 20 minutes hoping to fall over the line.
We were the authors of our own misfortune and we allowed the referee to cost us by letting Meath back into a game we should have closed out. The exact same lead (7 points) was thrown away in the 2010 semi-final under the same mangement.
Excuse for poor refereeing? No excuse, but at the same time our management stood by and said nothing, what’s their excuse?
Mayo had that game won if they didn’t believe it was over 5 minutes into the second half, they stopped playing and took the worst possible options with the few chances they had near scoring position. The management were caught napping and paid the price.
I was going nuts watching at home with just the dog and cat for company, the dog walked out the door at half time, mayo were gone shortly after her.
Hard luck lads maybe better luck next week hope mayo win to make up for last year defeat to Kerry
Hard luck to the minors really missed on a great chance to get to a final. The referee was shocking to both sides , we were just unlucky that two of his many poor decisions cost us two goals and the worst time. In fairness though our goalmouth led a very charmed life in the game especially the first half and Meath were unlucky not to have three goals by halftime. I suppose we used up our portion of luck for the day in that first half!
Realistically we were beaten at midfield for most of the game (especially when Regan and Lavin went off) and no score for 27 mins of any half of a game , you’re going to struggle. It’s a pity we couldn’t win more ball cuase our forwards seemed to have the measure of the Meath back six. The Meath forwards also were well on top of our backs which made for a end to end and topsy turvy type of game.
So on the whole , I think Meath were deserved winners and good luck to them in the final but it would be nice not to be talking about the referee as he could have ruined the game for either team.
Please don’t start blaming the ref. What is it with Mayo teams being unable to play out for the win when holding the lead? Do we need to employ an army of psychologists? I am so disgusted I can’t even think. Stereotypes don’t come from thin air-Mayo Chokers/Meath never
Please start reading the posts! What is it with Mayo posters not be able to the full post and understand them too? Do we need to employ an army of English teachers. Iam so disgusted Ican’t even read/understand/think. Sterotypes don’t come from thin air. Don’t read full posts ,rattle off hot tempered reply= look foolish!!!!!!!!!!
No wonder we get shocking decisions cause we accept them.at least spillane spoke up for us
Hard luck to the minors no doubt the ref gave Meath a helping hand but our lads couldn’t find the form showed v Tipp. Dublin should walk the minor All Ireland now.
John Cuffe where are you
Look, our lads never showed the form they displayed against Tipp, beaten at midfield, no score for 27 plus minutes of a crucial period in the second half! Any score during that period would have made a huge difference…..and then the spotter…yes, a bad call, but those things will happen and they often happen to us. And yes, our officials seem to take it on the chin instead of fighting/protesting back….at that stage I would have liked to have seen one of our staff furiously protesting….possibly getting thrown out, not that it would have done any good today, but it sets a precedence for future ref’s when reffing mayo games…we won’t take it and you’ll be called out for it…c’mon lads, cork, Tyrone and Kerry are old hat at that stuff.
It was not hard luck. Mayo were terrible for 25 mins. Serious questions have to be asked about the sideline. Donegal were very good today. Was happy for them even though I have criticised their play in them mean. The team wanted it more and so did their supporters. Cork with the usual terrible support do not deserve success. Counihan shown up again as tactically clueless when cork are up against it. There will be more pressure on Donegal for the final though.
I think we’re missing the point re our line men protesting, if our men had of went off the head at the sideline decision (the clear push), would the ref of awarded the penalty , i highly doubt it, if our protest had of been intense enough.
We need to learn a bit of gamesmanship or even ott mayhem at the right moment can be the difference, sadly Mayo traditionally as a county lack the swingers for such tactics, all out malee on the line over that push in the back and we were in a final.
There are many examples of Mayo down the years , generally not willing to engage in the darker arts of the game.
Sean, nail on the head!
Lads its easy to say the ‘line’ should have gone ballistic over the push when you know the eventual outcome – a goal from a horrible penalty decision. Could the management have predicted the outcome – no! Do you go balistic over every decision that the ref gets wrong? No! Lay the blame where it belongs – bad reffing – immaturity on the field and a most unfortunate clash of heads at a crucial time.
I can never understand people using comments like,”hard luck or better luck next time” when it’s not appropriate. For sure the ref was crap and with all the yellow cards and dreadful decisions including awarding the penalty, he needn’t be visiting Mayo any day soon. All that aside we were the architects of our own downfall, and once again in a big game in Croke Park we threw away a big lead and manage to loose a game we should have won. It’s such a shame for all those young lads, who through bad decision making on the side line, now carry that all to familiar ‘losers’ feeling in big matches. Or can we only win when coming from behind !!