I’m sitting here on the couch trying to make sense of what’s going on in The Sunday Game, which it’s great to see is back on our TV screens tonight. Lots of odd visuals for a start so my immediate reaction that what’s afoot is plenty of drug-taking out in Montrose. I mean, what’s the crack with that moving montage of silver squares or whatever it is on the screen behind Pet? And this camera up in the ceiling so that you can only see the top of the lads’ heads? Come back Michael Lyster in your multi-patterned geansai, all is forgiven!
Despite all the new whizz-bangs the boys and girls on the programme are so desperate to showcase – and some of them look interesting enough, I must admit – the real news about the return of RTE’s showcase GAA programme is, of course, the return of the original theme tune. Having ditched it four years ago in favour of that godawful noise that sounded like something composed by a tin-eared visigoth with a hangover, RTE had the neck to issue a press release yesterday proclaiming its decision to reinstate the original James Last tune. The amazing thing is that it’s taken this long to get the proper tune back – they caved in far sooner over their equally daft decision to banish the Met Eireann weather forecasters from our screens – but, I guess, better late than never.
Nothing much to say about the day’s low-key start to the action. The Leinster championship got underway with Westmeath beating Longford by a goal in a poor match at Pearse Park, while in Connacht (well, sort of) Leitrim saw off New York by eleven points in a match played over in the Big Apple. That’s it for the Yanks, of course, but spare a thought for poor old Longford who now have to wait until July 19th – ten whole weeks – for the first round of the qualifiers. Where, like last year, they might end up facing Westmeath again. Oh yes, folks, the Championship we know and love so much is back, warts and all.
Meanwhile, our lads were playing Meath in a challenge down in Dunderry this evening and, according to this thread on Mayofans.com, the Royals beat us by 2-16 to 0-15. I’ve no further news on this encounter, I’m afraid, but I guess we’ll hear some more about it tomorrow.
Was at the game. Mayo fielded a strong team with Jim Nallen at full back, Harte and McGarrity at mid. Meath were minus the suspended players. Geraghty and Sheridan had great games. We lacked a leader. First half we were the better team, Conor was immense and scored five points. when he played well the other forwards played well. He was off in the second half. At half time we lead 0-12 to 1-08. They scored 1-09 in the second half and we got 0-04. That tells its own tale. Meath upped the intensity and we were flat . They had just returned from warm weather training, our lot had a round of club league games the night before. Would be worried, especially re. the full back spot, not enough bite in midfield and once Conor went off the forwards had no shape. Geraghty is 33/34 and he ran the show, Sheridan showed what a full forward should do. I know it was a challenge but on yesterdays performance we are a long way off. The actual score was Meath 2-17 and we scored 0-16. Clarke made a massive save from Geraghty early to prevent a certain goal. Keith Higgins was immense but he was the only defender on form. Billy Joe, Gardiner and Trevor all came on. Conroy was absent and full back saw Nallen, then Cunniffe and finally B.J
Thanks for that, Ontheroad, I was hoping to get to it myself but had something else on yesterday.
It’s not surprising, I guess, that they blew us away in the second half given that, as you mention, they were away during the week (in Portugal, I think) and they open their Leinster campaign next Sunday, whereas we still have another six weeks to go.
I see both BJ and Gardiner are back in action – what was the full line-up yesterday, by the way?
All the best
WJ
The full back line yesterday started as T Howley Jim Nallen and C Boyle. Here is the team. Clarke, Howley, Nallen, Boyle, Heaney, Cunniff, K Higgins, Harte and McGarrity at mid. Kilcoyne, Dillon, M Mullin, Conor, AOM, Ronaldson. A Moran replaced Conor at half time, Pat Kelly came on for Jim Nallen at half time as well. Cunniff dropped to full back and towards the end Billy Joe came on for him. Gardiner and Trevor along with Aiden Higgins appeared as well. The proper score was 2-17 to 0-16, the scoreboard person got it wrong a few times. Howley piked up an injury towards the end. The only big names for Meath were Bray, Sheridan, Geraghty the rest were squad men.
Thanks, ontheroad, that line-up tallies with what’s being reported on Mayofans.com (and which I’ve reported in a post on the game this morning).
Any news on Howley? I hope to fuck it’s not serious or else we’ve lost a vital cog in the defence. More than any of the rest of them, he sticks to the knitting and defends tightly. If we were to lose him for a few months, it’d really screw things up for us at the back.