Photo: @CompassBar
Hot on the heels of Kerry’s team announcement, we’ve just named our starting fifteen for tomorrow night’s match in Tralee. Here it is:
Mayo (NFL Division One v Kerry, 11/2/2017): David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites); Donie Newcombe (Castlebar Mitchels), Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis), Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels); Colm Boyle (Davitts), Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore), David Drake (Ballaghaderreen); Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe), Tom Parsons (Charlestown Sarsfields); Fergal Boland (Aghamore), Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole); Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites), Alan Freeman (Aghamore), Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber).
So it’s just the one change from the side that started against Monaghan a week ago. Out goes Danny Kirby – who, according to tonight’s team announcement, was suffering a foot injury when withdrawn last Saturday night – and in comes Tom Parsons.
Like the Kerry lads, our line-up for tomorrow night is a much-changed one from the one that started in last year’s corresponding fixture played at MacHale Park. Kerry field just four of their team from last year tomorrow night whereas we’ll be putting out five of the lads who started then.
Colm Boyle, Tom Parsons, Kevin McLoughlin, Jason Doherty and Evan Regan all lined out that day, while Stephen Coen – named at centre-back for tomorrow night – made an appearance off the bench.
really disappointed with the team picked, after the performance last week was expecting lots of changes….
FTO,
It’s the 1st week of February, give the lads a few games in division 1 before judging the situation. Best of luck to all at the weekend, now go out and give kerry something to think about.
No guarantee thats the team that will start, but lets hope subs are utilised. Bit unfair to have Paddy Durcan boxed into the corner and Liam Irwin could do with game time. Lets hope Diarmuid O Connor sees plenty of action.
We need the points and this lineout is too experimental for my liking against quality opposition. Serious test for Newcombe and fascinating to see how Boland performs against top opposition. Great experience for him. Is Coen a centre half back? We will no more tomorrow night. Big game needed from Parsons
Too loyal to guys who haven’t performed. Would like to see either Kirby or Irwin tried at full forward.
Should fergal boland play after a tough Sigerson game on Thursday. Does player welfare mean anything?
This is Rochfords style, incremental change, he doesn’t do mass changes, which is good. Interesting how john Casey in the advertiser stated both O’sheas were available last weekend but not selected. I’m not implying an issue but I think Rochfords is trying other options and trying to broaden the panel. Tough match tomorrow with team that is selected.
Its along expected lines and that is good. Hope Kirby is fit enough to play some part. Best of luck to the squad and management. This one is the acid test until March.
I’m glad upstairs are willing to give some of the new fellas more game time and as I write this I don’t want us to be leaving our top flight status to other results or the last kick of the game on the final day. It’s a hard one to balance but we cannot keep relying on lads who are around as long as they are to get us outta trouble time and time again. I’m thinking the cull will be fierce when it happens and might include a few contentious omissions / inclusions. Either way, Up Mayo.
Like to see changes up front, Conor Loftus and the league should suit a big man like Irwin, pat Durcan needed at half back, early days I suppose but the games get away from u very quickly Hon Mayo ??
Our best player for years was left in a no win situation last Sat night. As always he was asked to mark the opposition’s best player. Our man has paid his dues and owes Mayo nothing. Selecting him in the same position again this weekend is asking for trouble. Kerry will have noted what happened in Castlebar and how the game swung and turned in one moment during the second minute of the second half. This player who has still so much to offer deserves more than to be played in a position for which he is not suited and in which, if there isn’t a change, he’ll get found out again
@D greally, Casey didn’t say the O’Sheas were available. He listed them out along with the other players who were injured for last weekend. It said in the Mayo News this week that Sheamie is absent with an Achilles injury for the next few weeks. Aidan, Jason Gibbons and Conor Loftus may be fit to play some part this evening.
No surprises in the named team really, although I’m sure there will be 1 or 2 changes before throw-in. I would start Diarmuid & Gibbons if they’re available – move Donie Vaughan to the HB line. Getting a handle on the Kerry FF line is crucial. I would put Newcombe marking JO’D and Higgins marking Savage. Paddy D is the only one I can see that’s capable of marking Geaney. We may need to sacrifice his attacking qualities for this game.
Though Kerry supposedly ahead of us in training that’s an inexperienced team they’ve named. Only 4 of the 15 would worry me, Moran in midfield, Donnacha Walsh though more as a worker than scorer and also Geaney and O Donohue. Murphy good too but better as a defender.
We’re closer to a full team than them. Happy with the personel though not the named positions which could be changed. We need a big man on Geaney as he’s as good if not better than McManus in the air. Higgins or Durcan can mark JOD. Might be worth bringing Coen or Drake or even Donie back and freeing Higgins. I think we have to play Durcan in FB line as missing our 2 natural full backs and also Harry so needs must.
Kerry looked very good last week but against a very much experimental team. They are weaker this week.
Midfield deserves rotation.. Tom P still our no 1 and needed for Moran.
My only criticism last week was Drake’s distribution which I thought was a bit too predictable and low risk for a half back. For that reason maybe try him CB or FB. Some said he was bit loose though I didn’t notice that.
Good test for Newcombe this time compared to last week where Monaghan’s 13 and 14 were unfamiliar names to me.
If both O Sheas available remember Aido was supposed to have picked up an injury playing basketball so why risk him unnecessarily. And Seamie may have missed some early season training going by pre season injury list.
Would agree on not playing Boland if he had a game yesterday.
Expect a Mayo win based on teams named though we need to keep an eye on Barry John if he comes in.
It will be interesting to see how this lines up with Kerry, we will certainly all be watching (or listening) for sure. Safe travels to all the fans (and team) making the trip. Here’s hoping the weather is a tad bit warmer this week! Maigh Eo Abú!
Interesting line up, Sorry to see Kirby not starting but understandable if injured. Think we might see Vaughan in the half back line, maybe Coen in midfield with Parson’s. Who’s going to take Geaney, has Higgins the physicality for him???. Mayo need to watch for the throw’ins, Michael Murphy got well caught up with some nonsensical horsing around and leaving David Moran a clear run and jump for the ball which he easily won last Sunday. I’d also like to see Liam Irwin bring a bit more physicality to the full forward line.. Anyhow best of luck to Mayo and all the multitude of Mayo fans travelling. I won’t be able go myself but hope ye all enjoy yer weekend in the Kingdom, bring back the spoils!
Interesting team named by both camps,
A little bit of experience mixed with a little bit of experience needed. My wish of course would be to meet Mayo in late March as this would be a far more revealing test and both managers and would show so many more of their battle plans for the real campaign in 2017.
Last week Mayo played against a team that looked to have a lot of the heavy lifting done to maintain the division one status with a view to building for a serious crack at the championship in the next two or three years. For a team like Monaghan it is imperative that the manager steers the county team through the minefield of “blow this one and you go down” and the inevitable he was a very committed man, now find someone new!!. Mayo on the other hand looked to field a team that would do the business if things rolled their way. Considering they were without so many of their first choice players who are out with compitition and injury issues I think they did alright considering it was the first dawn sunlight in their eyes of 2017.
Monaghan were always going to frustrate the Mayo forwards with their dogged and attritional style of defence. Be under no illusion they were spewing their guts out in October for very different reasons than the Mayo boys were. Kerry on the other hand might offer the Mayo forwards a little more space with their obvious attacking mantra if the Donegal’s game is to be analysed to a point of reasonable conclusion.
Mayo will always defend well adainst the likes of Kerry and Dublin because they have excellent defenders who are keenly aware that they have a reputation of being tough hard bastards that won’t give an inch. I was talking to a Dub friend after the second final last year and he summed it up for me, he said “”they just don’t know when they are beaten” and it was said in a most complimentary way. I agreed as for me they are the Samurai of the modern game in defence. Despite this I think that Kerry and Dublin feel they can out shoot Mayo with their sharpshooters and not because of the defence but because of the weaknesses in the forward play by Mayo.
Mayo have wonderful forwards but the apparent reluctance to just do it when that moment of opportunity presented itself is like a haunting echo in recent years. Against the odds they are dangerous and gallant but if their share is in favour well then it seems to weigh far too heavily on them to deliver when the drums beat at their loudest. They too often seem to look for opt out options other than the killer option, the likes of Cillian or Andy won’t and young Diarmuid is another dangerous boyo, but frustration and good defending seem to lure or drive them from the critical zones and that has been one of the factors that has kept Mayo from crashing through the golden door for far too long.
We both need the points tonight, Kerry want to dance with Dublin in the league final to see what steps don’t suit them in preparation for the championship and Mayo want the same. If we win later today we are still in the game and if Mayo lose this one ye will probably throw everything at maintaining your division one status which could impact on championship strategies for training and management. In truth we are both scanning the horizon for the blue and navy flag, are they beatable ? chalk it down they are.
Safe journey to all who make the journey and I hope ye enjoy Kerry and all it has to offer, with the exception of the result in Austin Stack Park…
@sourceoftherobe are you talking about higgins? If so the man a 3 all stars from that position….of course he was going to be tasked with marking monaghans best man! He and Boyle were the 2 most experienced defenders!
Think we’re gunna lose by 3-4 points tonight. Both teams are not going to show they’re defensive systems in February, with an obvious eye on a potential semi final in August. So, with that said, It may come down to a shoot out, with which, I would back O’Donoghue and Geaney to triumph. This is a big game for Drake and to a lesser extent Coen, both should be milling everything that moves tonight. Im expecting a lot of frustration and doom merchants on here at 8.35pm, just remember, theirs 5 games still to play in the league. Keep calm and all that….
People on here complaining about Durcan being “stuck in the ccorner” and Higgins out of position at Fb. Are these the same people who complained last year about Keegan being “wasted” as a man marking FB? What was the end result? Keegan voted player of the year!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, positions mean very little in the modern game such is the pace, stamina and movement of the players allied to most teams playing a possession based game.
Looking forward to tonight and Rochford is right to stick with the same team. If they can’t do it in the league they won’t do it in September. Newcombe and Boland can be given leeway in that these games are part of their introduction to senior intercounty football but Regan, Freeman and Doherty, in my opinion, would want to start showing up and playing consistent scoring football.
Beautiful morning down here and heading to the beach to get a -1oC wake up call 🙂
An improved importance and evidence of a system of play. Glad to see Freeman playing I hope he gets a run as I think he still can come good for us. I would expect a loss tonight but vitories over Roscommon Cavan and Donegal are all achievable to ensure safety in league.
When your playing a Kerry team and the odds are against you like this, then all you can ask for is to see plenty of spirit and heart from your representatives. This is what Westport showed against Kenmare to beat them. Kerry have more work done than us, so it will take a huge effort to be competitive with them. Best of luck to all involved. If we see plenty of heart and spirit on show then that’s all we can ask for really at this time of the year.