I’d meant to post something here before now but, hey, the start of March today really felt like the onset of spring – we even managed to get our U9s out for their first league match of the year (after three false starts with pitches closed over the last three weekends) – and there was plenty of other stuff to do besides during the day.
This is just a quick one, as I’ve one eye on the TV at events from Croke Park – where Brian Cuthbert’s reshaped Cork are fairly putting it up to the Dubs – and there isn’t much that needs to be said ahead of tomorrow’s crunch league match against Kerry at MacHale Park. I’m having to make do with the telly for that one too, I’m afraid, but I’d say there’ll be a large hometown crowd there for our first competitive match in Castlebar this year.
It’s still far too early, in my view, to be drawing any conclusions about how our footballing year will pan out. That will still be the case if we lose again tomorrow, though another defeat then would most likely mean we can kiss goodbye to any hopes of reaching the play-offs. But it’d still be nice to see things click into gear for us a bit better tomorrow and, with the apparent onset of spring, to see a visible spring in our step at MacHale Park.
If you’re heading to Castlebar tomorrow, you might want to stick your head into the Sportlann beforehand, where those good Club ’51 people are holding their by now customary pre-match meet-up. Throw-in time for that is 12pm. The County board have also given some advice on which turnstiles to head for at MacHale Park tomorrow, depending on what ticket you have – full details on that here.
Finally, thanks in advance to Pebblesmeller who’ll be doing the honours with the match report on tomorrow’s game. That’s another pint I need to put on the slate for the next session at Bowe’s. Up Mayo!
Looking forward to it
Would be nice to make a bit of a statement with a good solid showing and hopefully a nice win
Cork and Dublin are playing enthralling stuff, going hammer and tongs at each other, the two early standard-setters that’s for sure
Tonight’s recap then, courtesy of GAA.ie:
Three wins out of three for Cork, who have inflicted a rare defeat on Dublin. In Division II, huge wins for Laois and Down over Galway and Louth respectively, while Armagh have eked out an important victory over Meath in Navan.
That was a big win for Cork tonight, at the moment apart from Paddy Kelly been out injured, they are playing a pretty much full strength team, with Colm O’Neill back in action tonight. It just shows when Dublin are without the likes of Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connolly and Paul Mannion, they are pretty much on the same level as the other top teams. Galway got a real hammering tonight, it’s a really worrying time for their fans. So it’s over to Mayo and Kerry tomorrow then, a win for us would be a great boost!
Rumour going round that Cillian O’Connor on the bench tomorrow.
Good to see u back WJ feels like the season is really starting now.hopefully a win tomorrow will kick start the season for us. I followed your site last year and enjoyed the banter. Great to be able to keep up with all the the Mayo team news and views from my base here in Donegal.
Won’t make Castlebar for this one but will be down for Cork game. probably going to Donegal v Monaghan in Letterkenny tomorrow which is on my doorstep should be a cracker.
Roll on the summer
1 slight concern. If the 2 sides line out as selected that would match O’Donoghue, undoubtedly the Kerry danger man, against Harrison, our young protege. That would be a huge test for Harrison and it will be interesting to see if Horan leaves things as according to the match program, or as happened in Omagh, will the back 3 perform the Siege of Ennis on throw-in.
Think you might need a sweeper to stop o donoghue sorry spelling is bad.
Cork and Dublin really put on a great show tonight. The standard of forward play was out of this world. It put our aspirations into perspective fairly rapidly.
Cork looked very impressive tonight – moving the ball a lot faster and much more direct compared to the last couple of seasons under the old regime. Some quality players still in that Cork forward line.
Correct Pebblesmeller o Donoghue will be the man to mark and from what I seen so far I wouldn’t put my life on our 2,3 or 4 keeping him at bay. Keith Higgins might be back where he belongs at some stage tomorrow. Didn’t see game this evening but it has to be said Cork always throw everything at the league and considering all the men that have left the panel there coping quiet well. Finally I think Alan Mulholland may soon be on the lookout for a new job. Things are at an all time low down there.
Dublin looked to run out off gas after the 50th min but taking nothing away from Cork great display and they done well to stem some of the attacks.
As for us tomorrow as i have said lots of times before we need fast direct ball into our forwards.i want to see us attacking at pace with runners free and running at Kerrys back line.Please no more messing around in the towards debating who to pass the ball to and taking too much out of the ball.If we do get good fast ball to Conroy and Freeman they will do some serious amount of damage.
I thought Cork deserved theit win although it must be said, thee was a period in the second half where Dublin should have been out of sight but they just couldn’t even hit the ocean with the ball!
O’neills second point was class and decisive, killed off the dubs.
We should note that Dublin are still vulnerable under a high ball. Cork exposed it several times in first half. Anyway, it was entertaining.
Mayo to bate Kerry, by 2 me thinks!
Yeah 45, it seems like they have a new freedom in their play and Cork like nothing better than beating the Dubs! They have serious quality up-front, getting the ball into those players quickly was the key tonight.
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed that game tonight (and I won’t lie, the result). I thought Dublin were going to shade it, but Cork ultimately made them look ordinary enough. Daniel Goulding is some player and we are going to have our hands full with them on 16th March, which is why in my view a win tomorrow is now essential, followed swiftly by another tomorrow week. Delighted on a personal level too to see Colm O’Neill back for Cork – what determination he has shown to fight his way back for a third time.
In terms of play, it’s been a very open league this year so far, which makes for great excitement and lots of scores, but I can’t help feeling slightly concerned for the welfare of the art of defending! However, early days, and I can see things tightening up quite a bit between now and June/July.
A bit shocked by the news from Portlaoise tonight – surely that Galway team has hit rock bottom at this point?
Going on tonight’s results it would appear that Cork will be very serious contenders come summer. I would certainly make them favourites to come through Munster but maybe it would benefit Kerry to come through the back door at this stage.That said while Dublin have a vast range of talent to sift through tonight’s team would be far from their first choice.
Galway’s problems seem to be going from bad to worse and it would seem that changing managers is not the solution. They have been doing that since John O’Mahony handed over the reins and it has been going from bad to worse to the stage where most managers will see it as a poisoned chalice now. It must be galling that Tomás O’Flaharta, having been dismissed from the Galway job after one year, was in the opposite dugout tonight. It seems I’ll be busy sympathizing with my Galway friends for the next while.
Hard to know with the league in the past Cork looked very good in March,April while they weren’t so hot in the summer.
Galway were lucky to stay up last year, IMO to many young players throw in too soon and not enough experience good players to steady the ship. Kerry still have decent 15 when everyone is fit but they don’t have squad depth and anything other than a Mayo win later today will be major blow and disappointment.
Best of luck today to mayo hope mayo win. Is that true what someone said cillian on the subs what a day for football what’s the day like in castle bar
If there was ever an example of missed chances costing a team victory, well then the Cork – Dublin match last night was the perfect example of that. In that ten minute spell mid way through the second half, when their midfield were completely dominant, the Dublin forwards were guilty of some dreadful shooting. I counted at least five easy scoring chances, that were they taken, Dublin would have been out of sight…..
Missing the game today, lay up in bed with a serious dose of the flu.
It’s hard to call but at the same time I expect to win. O Donghue is a serious threat and will obviously need minding , if it were up to me I’d slot Higgans back on him. We need a determined effort today .
I agree AndyD – while we can’t base a seasons prospects off just one league game – its the fact that so many of their key players look so hungry and playing the game with a new sense of freedom under Cuthbert as well as the pace that has been introduced with the younger lads coming in. When you see players of the quality of Colm O’Neill coming and scoring a couple of outrageous points it makes you realise the amount work that the Mayo forwards are going to have to put in over the coming months if we’re serious about finally dragging ourselves over the line this year.
If we re a bit concerned at how things are going in Mayo we should look across the ditch to our neighbours in Galway. That’s an unmerciful hiding they’ve taken at the hands of Laois. Just when it seemed they d got the Mayo hammering out of their system they get hit with this. Cant be good for their confidence.
Someone on GAA boards says that Cillian will be on the bench today.
although we are leading, that was not a vert inspiring first half, looks like we are disjointed for some reason. Why does Robbie keep kicking down the center when its a low percentage possession? I dunno….anyway, we’ll see.
Hi Anne-Marie firstly very well done to Mayo today a good win and secondly yes Cork may probably have made us look ordinary and they defo deserved their win but I think that’s their best team and we have a few to bring back. No complaints from this Dub as Cork beat us fair and square but we wont look too ordinary soon I hope, best of luck to Mayo.
Kind Regards,
Martin the Dub
Thanks Martin – I think Dublin felt the loss of the brothers Brogan on Saturday, but from everyone else’s point of view, it’s good to be reminded that you’re not infallible 😉
Best wishes and see you in Croke Park on 29th March, where I hope we’ll do a Cork on it! 😉