Okay – we’re now just a week out from our Connacht semi-final showdown with the Sheepstealers and we’ve had a range of opinions expressed here about how this match will go, with, at the one end, some expecting a very comfortable victory for us while others fear we could end up getting mugged in our own backyard.
So, what’s it going to be, then? A walk in the park (McHale Park, to be precise), like the facile victory we recorded over the same opposition at the same stage of the Connacht championship back in 2009? Or, perhaps, a nervy win, such as the one we chiselled out against them in Hyde Park in the Connacht final of 2011? Or, God forbid, an upset like the one we suffered when the Rossies last downed us in the championship at McHale Park, way back in 1986? It’s time to test the waters.
How will we do against the Rossies?
- An easy win, like 2009 (54%, 135 Votes)
- A nervy win, like 2011 (37%, 92 Votes)
- A shock defeat, like 1986 (9%, 22 Votes)
Total Voters: 249
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Genuinely cant see anything but an easy win for Mayo. Trying not to get ahead of myself and keep it to one game at a time but looking around Connaught that is very hard. London/Leitrim will be the tight semi final in my opinion while Mayo should be looking to continue the run of top teams destroying lower teams and hopefully will send out a message with a comprehensive victory
Unless Mayo fall asleep on the field they will win this one by a few points.
Mayo 1 13
Ross. 10
The sum of the parts just don’t add up. Mayo get the maximum out of a good side, a credit to Mayo players and management. Roscommon have a decent side in the making, but cannot afford to be without the likes of Shine and Domican, the way Mayo have done without Moran and Dillion. They have operated in the lowers tiers of football for the last 7 years or so, the pace the tackling and intensity is a long way off that of Mayo. I fear the likes of Smith and Kilbride will be chocked out of the game. Its difficult to see anything other than a comphrensive win for Mayo, I really hope that I’m wrong. We will still travel, the Rossineri will always travel. An early goal for the Rossies could make thing intersting.
Since that 86 defeat there has been 8 games played in Mchale park 6 Mayo wins and 2 draws. Galway are a better team than Roscommon in theory this should be bigger win than 17 points though no two games are the same.
I agree the rossies cannot afford to be without the likes of Shine and Domican they don’t have the replacements like Mayo do. I think this game will be close for 40-50 mins and then Mayo will pull away at the end.
Mayo 2-14 Roscommon 0-11
Mayo have improved by 50% from that nervy 2011 win and Roscommon aren’t as good since Fergal O’Donnell left. They have struggled in div 3 while Mayo reached yet another div 1 semi final. Three years since Mayo lost a game in Connacht and 2008 since we lost at home.
It’s going to be comfortable Mayo win IMO. The margin of the win is the only thing that is open to debate.
Have to agree this will not be close.Frankly Roscommon are a poor side with I believe an old style manager with some difficulties in the camp.Niall Daly is a tight marker and cregg kilbride and smith ok.they have no midfield.Hope there are no more injuries and at least it will be a chance for Moran and Dillon to get match fit.
Real test begins later .For now they must continue to beat who they have to and like Kerry do it well in my view.
Mayo by a mile!
I wish mayo fans on this forum would just calm down a bit. I really hope that the mayo players have a bit more respect for Roscommon than our supporters have. You’d swear we just have to show up and book our place in the final. We, more than any other county, should be aware of the dangers of taking things for granted, as a county we have no right to take any team for granted, we have not won an all Ireland for 60 years, it’s a hugely dangerous mindset which has caught us out so many times before. Look at limerick hurlers today. Written off by everyone, similar to the rossies next week, they were brilliant today. League status goes out the window now, if mayo are mentally 100% focused then we should have enough to win as I believe we have better footballers. However anything less than 100% focus on this game and we could well be beaten. Nothing is impossible in sport, always remember that.
win easily
Hello, If you dont mind me saying so, could you drop the sheepstealing euphenism! my mother came from Roscommon and their home was the centre of the GAA there for some years.I am less sensitive about the other Counties.
Yes, I do expect Mayo to win and hope they will ease up.
I agree that the team need to be well prepared and in the right mindset for this game, in reality there is nothing wrong with going out thinking that you can win the game easily, I read something from Jack O’Shea today which stated something aliong the lines that the Kerry team of the 70’s and 80’s approached all their games with the same mindset which was why they continually beat lower league teams very comfortably.
I think that JH will have the team in the right frame of mind, and if this is the case, then I expect that Mayo will win. The margin depends on a number of factors, if Roscommon get an early goal then the margin could be very tight.If Mayo get a fast start then Roscommon will have to attack which will open up space in their defence. I watched the Mayo Galway game again, and while Galway were naive etc, Mayo were actually quite clinical in their attack.
While Roscommon have good players and the Brigids players should bring a winning attitude, plus John Evans is a wild card, I am not sure what style of play that Ross will bring but he made significant improvements with Tipperary and Roscommon have a better footballing tradition than Tipperary.
Having said all that, there is still a big difference between minor / U21 and senior. the closest any team has come to a division 1 team so far is Derry, and they are Division 1 next year. If Rosscommon come to be physical on Mayo, then good luck but this should not really knock our lads off their stride, so in summary, we should be confident but not cocky, that is how winners approach these games.
Fair point Aussie exile but in fairness If we are ever to win an All Ireland we must live with tag of favourites as Kerry Cork and Dublin do.
Still your point is well taken about Limerick and what heart can do.Funny enough it might not be the worst thing ever if it was close!I just dont think it will be.
Personally, my main fear here comes from not being able to see us losing this game.
I think some thought Galway could ambush us and we seemed to put a lot into making sure that didn’t happen. We need to make sure we do the same next Sunday. We can’t take anything for granted.
This talk about matching the Galway winning margin…not for me. It’ll be a fair bit closer than that, but I’d expect a 5-6 point win.
Roscommon missing Shine negates our loss of O’Connor, but I think their main problem is losing Domican. He’s a massive loss and for me that gets rid of any doubts there might have been.
But treat Ros with respect. It’s the championship and anything can happen.
Many teams have been caught before, but luckily I think we have a manager and a group of players that simply don’t do complacency.
Mayo to do a professional job and beat the Rossies by 7-10 points. But can see a scrappy enough game at the start but Mayo should have way too much power and intensity not to mention ability to see us through to another Connacht Final
Aussie exile
I think we can expect a battle, but if the scoring is as spread out as the last day it’s hard to stop. Would you see a Ross forward chasing Higgins, boyle or Keegan or Vaughan up the field? That’s what they will have to do numerous times next Sunday. 4 hares to be chased by lads that expect to do the scoring for their own team. And defenders getting crowded by 3 or 4 forwards if they hesitate or slip for second. Again, if that Galway game was anything to go by.
Cricket score, not a hope in hell do roscommon have. Tart it up anyway you want , whether it be through fear of being called cocky or a shyness of telling it how it is. They will be no match for our boys in Castlebar, sin e.
Mayo to win by 14 plus points.
Agree with you Sean Burke, this should be an onslaught and if its not then We are not good enough to be in the top 4 in the country.
No disrespect to Roscommon but they are div 3 and if Mayo have real ambition then the outcome has to be by how many and not how.
This is not arrogance either, its just being realistic, we are at a stage now that no matter how we try to stay under the radar or play ourselves down, we just have to accept that we are at a cusp, with the best team and squad that has come out of the county in the last 60+ years.
Yes we need to be prepared and ready for anything and everything that could hinder us against the Dubs, Donnies , Cork and Kerrys and have the luck that has denied us so often in the past but if injuries stay at a minimum and we stay as focused as we can, then I cant see anything stop us this year.
Every Championship always throws up some surprises and I think in all 3 provinces bar our own we could have one or two this year.
As for Sunday next (and to quote Apollo 13) Failure is simply not an option.
Mayo by a 12+ points
Maigh Eo Abu
JJ you reckon this is the best team since the 50s, maybe your right, i wonder do many people think this. I say the 96-06 team had better footballers but this is prob a better team we have at moment
For me 1996/97 was Mayo team best since the 50s those sides reached back to back All Ireland finals remains to be seen can this current team can do that.
Maybe you’re right Tom but Imo while they were two very good sides, this squad of players have an extra degree of toughness that teams of the past lacked, there is also the luxury of being able to dovetail players from the bench almost seamlessly onto the field of play.
Also (and still my opinion only) this is a Mayo side with a lot of seriously good footballers that would walk onto any of the top sides in the country at present.
That said I have one worry and it is one that most of the top sides have also and it’s the inability to deal with the high ball into the backs, that has to be sorted.
On off topic, id like to say the forum here is so much better here than hoganstand, genuine conversation about football, and you dont get your head eaten off ya for so much as sayin a player had a good game
Think we are getting ahead of ourselves lads. I think we will win but only after a big battle. Championship is championship. Rossies bet a dublin team last week by three points.
We have been warned!
Even though I expect mayo to win next Sunday, I would much prefer to see Roscommon giving them a very hard time rather than the other way
Lots of dropping ball onto cafferky and co. That’s a major weakness in our team, not sure we have the man to own the square but we sure as hell better have a plan to stop any ideas of a big lump stuck on at ff to sweep caff aside.
That’s the one spot that would concern me. Perhaps jh thinks we will just out score whoever it is we’re playing but not leaking goals would be a lot better.
A single point victory after a horrid battle would suit Mayo a lot better if they learned something about securing the back line.
Whether Ross can step up is the question. Roll on Sunday, will it be on tv?
I think Horan terms those games by numbers. So game 2 requires one thing…a win. Doesn’t matter if by a point or many points. Winning is what its all about. That guarantees you a shot at game 3. One would assume with the conditioning that Mayo have and the last two years of a progression that a win over Roscommon should be achieved. No doubt Roscommon will have their own views on this. Looking at all the factors it points to Mayo progressing and the debate centering on how they managed to do that.
I have alot more confidence in this team then teams of old, I trust them not to panic should things not go their way, and even if the stars align to make it quiet close, I trust them to get us over the line. I couldn’t say that in the past. They are a mature, battle hardened team who seem to go about their business with a steely focus.
However, this is a derby match, sometimes things dont go your way (think Sligo last year where we could have had 4 goals in the first half) and you have to trust yourself to keep playing the way you agreed to and keep working hard, dont panic and trust in yourself and your teammates. We’ve been there done that to a certain extent, so i fully expect, even if things get tight, thats what our lads will do it.
Now, as regards the mejia and all that, lets not get too worked up if it isnt a great performance from us and we’re getting a kicking from the boys who know it all. You must remember they are like a red top tabloid, not in terms of sensationalism (although the Eamon O’Hara was approaching “the Sun can reveal” type nonsense), but more in the fact that they are quiet simplistic in their mindsets. We hammered Galway so therefore we are brilliant and must hammer everyone. If we dont hammer Roscommon they will be unable to see any subtley in that or examine the performance and it must mean that we tricked them the first day and are in fact shite and the Rossies are “plucky”. Lets not lose the rag if that happens, focus on the performance.
I really do hope we get a battle, we need it because, no offense to London or Leitrim but neither of those are going to put it up to us, and while you can only play what is in front of you, we could literally stroll into a quarter final without any mettle being tested.
That doesnt concern me as much as it might have a year ago, these boys have been tested plenty, but its only human nature, that no matter what you tell yourself, if your recent reality when playing champhionship has been quiet easy then its not hard to get a little bit complacent.
Anyway, as JC says, game 2 first and we’ll examine the entrails after.
Honestly, some of the people posting on this would make you wonder. Much like Spillane and O’Rourke tipping Galway the last time out, anybody here suggesting that Roscommon have any decent chance in this match need to do a little thinking before typing.
There is absolutely no evidence to suggest anything other than a Mayo win here. Sure, freak occurrences can happen but that is what it would take – a freak occurrence. Mayo, in the last 2 years, have contested an All-Ireland Semi Final (2011) and a Final (2012). They are playing and competing in Division 1, with final and semi final appearances there. They are a team containing a number of All Stars. Roscommon beating Mayo here would be a much bigger shock, in my opinion, than London beating Sligo. They really are that far apart.
The only question is the manner of their victory. Historically speaking, Mayo can blow hot and cold. They can put good teams to the sword and struggle past weaker teams. This hasn’t really been the case of late. They have been very clinical and methodical in their approach to each game and have been quite bullish when they needed to be. Their defence is mean and tigerish, their midfield is powerful, and their forwards, although often lambasted here and elsewhere, have put up some pretty impressive scores.
Roscommon will need absolutely everything to go their way at the weekend, whilst also hoping that the majority of the Mayo players have an off day. Horan hasn’t really allowed that to happen so far and I see no reason for it to happen now.
Mayo to win by 8+ points.
Roscommon are thick in the good way in that they never know they are bet. They would no better pleasure than to topple us off our high horses. Anything less than 100% commitment and hunger next Sunday, will make it a sad day for us. There places to be won and held onto.
There is no virtue in wrapping the players in cotton wool. Coming out of that there they would not know what hit them. We can expect and accept more injuries even in training, for verily it is a hard road ahead
Cant see us losing this. In fact, I’d like to see us put the shoe down and dish out another hammering.
pkb
I have not heard a single Mayo fan say that Roscommon will win this game, here on this forum or elsewhere, so I don’t know what you mean by that. I myself believe Mayo will win the game, but I said after the Galway game that complacency will be our biggest danger against Roscommon. I just hope that the players are not going around like some fans saying “we should win this one by 12 or 14 points lads”. We were given similar odds as Roscommon are on Sunday against Cork in 2011 and look what happened. Every single year there are shock upsets in the championship and this year will be no different, as long as the squad are 100% focused on “the next game” as James says, and not potential opponents/selections for all Ireland quarter finals, we should ensure that we won’t be one of the big guns who fall early.
Ah lads enough that nonsence bout how much we,ll win by,Roscommon will be tougher than the herring chokers and prob. more disciplined i suspect…. Just hope Mayo put in a good performance with no more injurys on board and i think we,ll win comfortable enough……C,mon Mayo……………..
Why shouldn’t you say as a supporter , ”we can win this by 12 plus points” ?
Far too much airy fairy conservatism around supporting GAA, fook the ross , i hope we absolutely bate them out the gate and rub it into them in the process.
Pfb….you crystalized everythign that points to a comfortable mayo win. Good man.
Only hope now Sean Burke? i thought you were expecting it.
Dont know what this has to do with fairys, but what ever way or by how much we beat them, i woud,t rub it in like i woud,t with the herring chokers even though the looked[supporters] like startled earwigs leaving pearse stadium…..We hav as Mayo supporters more class than that and we should know more than any 1 not to rub it in……we ,ll leave that to the ross,s and meaths of this world, their not to popular with most countys anyways……………….
Agree 100% Johno Mo
So many are talking so much shite!!!!
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