We’ve just named our team to face Tyrone on Sunday (with thanks to Mayo Mad for the heads-up) and our starting fifteen shows just one change from the side that lined out against Kerry last weekend. Here it is:
Mayo (NFL Division One v Tyrone, 10/2/2013): David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites); Kevin Keane (Westport), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis); Tom Cunniffe (Castlebar Mitchels), Colm Boyle (Davitts), Chris Barrett (Belmullet); Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), Seamus O’Shea (Breaffy); Lee Keegan (Westport), Richie Feeney (Castlebar Mitchels), Cathal Freeman (Aghamore); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole), Michael Conroy (Davitts).
With Donal Vaughan presumably not yet back to full fitness, Tom Cunniffe gets another run in the half-backs and while he’s named at 5 I guess there’s a good chance that, like he did for much of the 70 minutes against Kerry, he’ll operate at centre-back with Colm Boyle in his more usual wing-back slot. In the forwards, Cathal Freeman gets another chance to impress at wing-forward while the experiments of deploying Richie Feeney and Lee Keegan in the half-forwards and Kevin McLoughlin at corner-forward are set to get another airing against the Red Hand.
Nothing to fear with Tyrone . Im just looking forward to seeing the lads build on last weeks game. Great to see the lads very sharp this early in year
Good luck mayo hopefully the will win.
I just dont get McLoughlin being placed at corner forward. The best half forward in the country last year.
Why would have your best ball winner in the corner ? What a waste if he plays that position
Cunniffe would worry me—he is too loose.remember we could have leaked 3 goals last Sunday. Keane will strenghten the full back line. we do not have too much time for experimentation as the Galway game is fast approaching.
I could be wrong, but I assume McLoughlin is playing inside to accomodate trying Cathal Freeman in the side. Come summer I’m sure we’ll see him around the middle again. Although he did start his underage career playing right corner forward :p
Should be an interesting match. We have room for improvement after beating a very poor Kerry selection. Tyrone are just making their way back to the top table so are not at full kilter yet. Another 2 points tomorrow will set us up nicely to maintain our run in top division. Games will get tougher as we progress into the league. Galway should be back in Div 1 when we meet in Salthill. Lots to look forward to!
Remembering that Andy Moran, Cillian O’Connor and Alan Dillon have yet to come into the mix in the forward selection I would not expect to see Lee Keegan’s sojourn up front to continue for too long into the future . However The need for a more defensive approach from the half forwards – indeed all forwards – is I believe influencing the managers approach. Half backs like Donegal’s Lacey cannot be allowed absolute freedom to attack and send in ball such as led to Donegal’s first goal in the All Ireland final. Players have to adapt to the modern game even if it is not their first instinct or what they were brought up on.
Overall we do seem to have the strength in depth and adaptability needed for an All Ireland bid. I have full confidence in the ability of the manager and his team to get the maximum from the panel and can only hope that we have sufficient luck – all players staying fit – to get us over the line.
For example I am fully convinced that if Kevin Cahill had been fit in 1997 he would have kept tabs on Maurice Fitzgerald and that if Maurice Sheridan had not been injured he would have converted those few frees which were missed early in the second half of that final which opened the door for Kerry. One misfortune that year we might have coped with – two were too many.
10 hours before the game. Having disrupted sleep to night. I woke up reminiscing back to the first all Ireland Final. It was 1996 and i was 10. My mam and dad took me to see the game in the Castlecourt on the big screen. Meath broke our hearts twice that year between coming back into a game having me 6 points down at half time to bring the game to the replay.i was taken out to Westport the following year to watch the final . I recall crying after that game a vowing that when i grew up i would play for Mayo bury the Kingdom for all the disappointment they caused me.Same thing in 2004 . Had taken the flag down at half time from in front of house. Beginning to loose all hope in Mayo football.2006 took the biscuit altogether i burned my jersey that year wanted know more to do with football. All memories now. And i know its early in the year yet but there was something different about the mayo team that walked off the pitch last year against Donegal than any other Mayo team i have seen after a final . I am more interested in the league than i was in any previous year. Something tells me it could be a good year….. …..
Mayomaningalway………I fully agree on the “….something different about Mayo last year…” point you make…..I started my lifelong Mayo vocation in the 70s..and was at them all…
89 96 97 04 06 12….To me that “something different” last year was absence of fear in Croker for both semi and final….Nerves were the killer prior to last year but deal with that and you have a great chance….Our lads were very Sparky and up for it last Sun in Castlebar……Build in that fighting spirit and 2013 could be a great year for the green n red…….Apart from winning the big one…two standards to maintain…..Div 1 for yet another year and overtake Galway in Connact…currently 44 titles each I think
two things we need to achieve today, not conceded a goal and score one or two ourselves. we coughed up a major,plus couple other chances to kerry last sunday and i cant recall a decent goal chance for us. up mayo.
Mayomaningalway and MartyK couldnt agree more with both of you, this squad has more to them than any I remember from the past and have experienced so much in a short time……….there may be the odd blip along the way but it gets erased very quickly and the ante is upped. Today we will get another bite at the ulster game and I think we can overcome it by 4 to 5 points. Maigh Eo abu
Crikeys, we just lost two major finals in 2012 and we are thinking we are going places in 2013? Slow down a minute. Leitrim beat us already in. 2013 , we only beat a poor Kerry team. The missed free by Kerry near the end spoke volumes.
Mayo are a nice side but reality will bite. Until we win Sam we should pipe down a little.
That said, up mayo