There’s a bit in the Mayo News today on what’s the crack with injuries in the camp. As expected, the jungle drums that reported Ronan’s hamstring injury on Sunday have proved to be correct and in the Mayo News piece, it’s also been confirmed that Trevor’s injury is of the same kind. I may be wrong but I think that this is the first time that this has been confirmed as such though I think that everyone who saw it happen immediately reckoned that this is what it was. Well, it is and so it seems almost certain that neither of the hamstrung duo will be fit to take part in our next match on Sunday week. I suppose that Trevor has a chance of being ready, given that he got to the treatment table a week ahead of Ronan, but realistically it’s difficult to see either of them making it, certainly not for the full 70 minutes.
Of the two, Trevor is clearly – on current form – the bigger loss. Indeed, you could argue that Trevor’s departure from the field the last day cost us the match; it certainly made the job of the Galway backs a whole load easier as the few runs he’d made into their defence before then had caused them all sorts of problems. Ronan, on the other hand, had a poor Connacht campaign. He was downright indifferent against Sligo and was, in my opinion, fortunate not to be hauled off well before the end. While he did well in the second half against Galway, he was totally out of it early on and over the seventy minutes played second fiddle to his junior partner in the middle. While it goes without saying that you don’t want to see any injuries occurring during a championship campaign, I can think of a fair few others I’d be more worried about losing at this juncture than our captain.
On that note, the return to action of Trevor Howley is a huge boost for us. When he got injured in that challenge game against Meath back in May, I immediately felt that this was a hammer blow to our championship preparations – indeed, I said as much at the time. While Padraig Joyce had given Trevor a tough seventy minutes in the league encounter between us in April, on the harder ground at McHale Park the Sunday before last you’d have had to be fairly confident that Joyce wouldn’t have been given the same kind of space that he got from David Heaney. Trevor’s return to the side will undoubtedly strengthen the backline and close down that middle channel that Galway were able to utilise so freely in his absence.
If I had the choice of having just one of this trio available on Sunday week, then it would obviously be the Knockmore man. Indeed, I’d go so far as to say that with Trevor back in contention for a starting place, the team the next day should be stronger than the one fielded against Galway, even with the two lads out.
Harsh words for Ronan Willie. I think Mayo can ill-afford to be without him myself. The storm clouds are gathering over the plain of yews I’m afraid, and we are set for another fallow harvest.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d far prefer to have him there but it’s self-evidently the case that (perhaps understandably, given his medical problems last year) he’s been punching well below his weight in the two games so far. I’d still like to have him available but, in the scheme of things, having Trevor Howley back is of far more importance to our chances the next day.
How far we go from here is as much down to attitude as anything else. If they’re up for it (and, by extension, if us supporters are too – I’d have my doubts there, if the discussion boards are any kind of barometer) then we stand a good chance of seeing Croke Park again next month. If not, then a repeat of last year’s ignominious exit could well be in prospect but (maybe more in hope than anything else) I’m sticking with the optimistic camp for now.
The Captains out and so is TM. Any wor on any replacements to the Panel? Read in the Irish Indo today about B&A being knocked out of the championship and Cross cruising through. And of course one man was central to that liner…
There’s no word, in public at least, about anyone joining the panel but maybe something is happening behind the scenes. It would want to because we started out with 29 and now with Barry Moran, as well as Ronan and Trevor M, out injured, we’re looking more than a bit threadbare in terms of replacements. As I mentioned the other day, Johnno will never have a better excuse for calling up you-know-who.
WJ I thought Mcgarrity did ok and was competitive against galway. Morts return will only be welcome if he is included in the backs. I think his contribution is and always was over rated in front of goal. A great footballer yes, but we have his equivalent on the bench so he should be hauled back to a division where he is badly needed – the backs.
regards t mort.i think his contribution is and always has been underated if anything. consider the blondes contribution when he is at 14 and when others are there! he is unselfish (too much so) un like all lot of others and if others worked as hard as he does then maybe he could contribute more on the score board…
i think his contribution goes unnoticed alot the time but critically not to his managers who all clearly have him as one of the first name s on the team sheet. (quote o mahony recently
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i think he is his own worst enemy as he could prob make the team ahead of the rest in most positions, even full back as was stated in the western recenty, thus he never gets used to any one position. a bad thing!? and if you asked anyone around shrule they would all agree that he is by far the best club man the club has despite what you might have heard or read. defo a 100% man.
i think he is a hard man. and mayo people respect that he give s everything for the jersey regardless of what position he plays.
Fair comments there, lads, on Trevor Mort and I agree that he’s someone who gives everything to the cause when he’s playing. I hope he is available the next day but the point I was making was that, as Trevor Howley is such an important player for us, if only one of the three were to be available, then I’d have him before the other two. It goes without saying, of course, that it’d be preferable to have all three of them back.
Just back from Medjugurde and my prayers were not answered. Trying to catch up with whats happening and am out of tune. Still the usual problems. As regards Trevor Mortimor personally I believe his best years are behind him and he is always battling injury. His attempt at a long range point that trickled into the Galway goalies arms was pathetic. He is too small for full back , too loose for the half back line and is an average but hardworking forward. McGarrity is a nice guy and a useful centrefield but if O Mahoney is building for the mythical future then Barry Moran and Seamus O Shea are the men. If we are true to our hearts we would admit that this Mayo panel is a poor to average group in which we have failed to unearth a full back, an alternative to Howley at centre back and an average forward line that play as individuals. Two years in to the new regime and we have beaten only Sligo in Connacht championship football, they in turn were beaten by London in the Tommy Murphy cup, even Parke or the Neale would beat London. I agree with you Willie when you say that we may as well get a tough one in the back door, for sure the other seven are praying they draw us. Sad but true in my opinion.