Time tends to get concertinaed in the qualifiers. This time tomorrow we’ll know who we’re up against in a Round 3 match that’ll already have been played a week from now. Early this afternoon our match-day episode of the Mayo News football podcast from Páirc Esler will be online. That means I need to get this run through the media coverage of last night’s game sorted kinda sharpish. Breakfast will have to wait.
There was a glut of games on last night, including a closer than expected Munster final and other matches – notably Monaghan’s demise – ranked as bigger stories. For once, our efforts weren’t the main ones being poked around under the microscope, which, when you think about it, is no bad thing. Here’s a flavour of what’s out there.
Locals: Mayo Advertiser, Connaught Telegraph.
Nationals: Irish Examiner, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Mirror, Irish Sun.
Others: GAA, RTÉ (match report, quotes from James Horan and Paddy Tally), BBC, The 42, Sports Joe, Sports News Ireland, Off the Ball (James Horan post-match audio).
Photos: Sportsfile, Inpho.
By the way, if you’re interested, my own post-match audio thoughts from Páirc Esler are here.
That’s it for now. Back later on with that podcast episode – another jam-packed one, with loads of voices from Newry – and later again with the results of the MOTM poll.
Best of luck to the ladies today as well – their Connacht final against Galway throws in at MacHale Park at 4pm today and the match is also being streamed live on Facebook, details here. I’ll have a bit on that one too later on. It’s going to be a busy day, by the looks of it.
You left out that Brolly has written some s**te about Monty Python. Luckily the rest of it is blocked…
Good man Willie Joe.. I like that word Concertinaed.. it’s a new one on me and I had to look it up but it’s a good one to described what’s ahead of us. Here’s hoping for a favourable draw tomorrow.. wouldn’t drawing Kildare be some crack.. we’d be full square back in the limelight then..
Anyone but Tyrone or Kildare I
Never again want to get caught up in that Newbridge or Nowhere crap
As for Joe Brolly he should be ran
Out of Knockmore for the rubbish he’s writing is an affront to John Cleese and Monthy Python
If were concertinaed it’s got to be Sharon Shannon’s Clare…??
Backdoorsam/all – please stop making references here on the site to that asal. I didn’t link to his piece, I don’t want to see his name mentioned here. He’s no friend of ours and anything he says about us is purely for him own warped amusement. Idiots like him are best ignored.
Ha ha ‘asal’ luv that WJ.
We have the word for him now!!
And Please please God
‘Anywhere but Newbridge’
Only getting to the keyboard now.
A good win really. A lot of negatives coming into the match: Coming off a defeat; Down with a win under their belt; home venue; 7pm start; and, this one is till running – an injury list that’s getting longer not shorter with Matty Ruane a huge loss.
Add in the chaotic start with a Down goal and a Darren Coen black card and the shit was really hitting the fan.
They showed their mettle then, and kept tacking on scores, particularly when Down pointed. Conor Loftus was really reliable with frees and this critical factor gives a team confidence. Ten point scored by half time wasn’t bad at all.
The goal after half time really settled things, though, annoyingly they lost their way after that and allowed Down back into the game. Some good defending though during that period and Diarmaid’s point settled nerves.
Down’s pace is really something. They made us look ponderous at times with their lightning bursts from defence, but their shooting was terrible. Tally has something to work on, but you have to ask, how did they fail to crack Division 3?
We were right on the Down patch for the warm up. Their goalkeeper, Burns, was hugely impressive: massive bulk, agile, made great saves, and slotted over 5 or 6 45s with complete ease. Come the match? Two missed 45s and at least three howlers from kicks out. There you go.
Delighted with the win.
I felt this was a high pressure must win critical game, and fair play to the manager and team, they did enough right to ensure we got over this hurdle.
Loftus, McDonagh, Andy and Clarke all played well so credit to James for bringing these guys in for last night’s game.
Tightening up in the backs would offer another big improvement and hopefully will get some focus during the week.
It’s great to be still alive and kicking and it’s even better that there is no 4 week wait until we dance again.
We might even get one or 2 of our walking wounded a bit closer to a return with another weeks recovery.
Well done to the manager and all the team. Mission accomplished. The next mission is coming hard and fast. It will be a short week.
Its reassuring that Horan referenced Carr as one of the players still return from injury. Hes still very much in the set up so.
No problem Willie Joe I apologize it won’t happen again
@Liberal role in the tie….In which article did he mention James Carr ?.
Albanyend, Willie Joe mentioned it in previous page that Horans comments on Carr etc feature in upcoming podcast.
Albanyend – I think he might be referencing my mention of what James said post-match, which is on the podcast and will be online this afternoon.
Backdoorsam – no need to apologise! It just annoys me when someone who clearly enjoys making fun at our expense get so much notice, which is why I’ll never link to anything he writes about us.
Lads, I’m getting old. Watching the Ulster final on TV and Marty has just said that the last one between Donegal and Cavan was back in 1983. I was there that day. What a memorable weekend that was in Clones but can it really be 36 years ago?
Improved free taking a plus for us. McDonaghs performance after long lay off also a plus. Horan claims defensive looseness is easily fixable.
Darren Coen black card unfortunate, it would be nice to see how he has progressed.
Anyone at match, did we create many goal scoring chances.
I don’t know. Donkeys are patient, intelligent animals… 🙂
But it really is time for us to stop being triggered by a clown who insults us just to boost his own ego. Could every club or Mayo related organisation please, please ensure that he is not invited to any event where he can spew his headline seeking nonsense in future?
On the match, Down started with one tactic, run the ball hard down the middle. It yielded a goal and a few points before our sideline countered it by keeping one of our loose backs in position as a sweeper. Boyler tended to be the man mainly doing this, but it was rotated. Then the scores dried up as Down were forced to shoot from distance. As well as that, WE began to run at THEM, producing scores or fouls that were converted to scores. In the second half, Down added the long ball into the full forward line to their armoury. As we were blocking up the centre channel, we didn’t have extra men to help the full back line. Under this pressure, I thought they coped well.
The two big problems we had in the second half was not winning enough of our own long kickouts and not running hard enough at them, thereby not keeping them on the back foot. These are the main things we need to work on for the next game.
I don’t know if that reference implied an injury.
Somone said he played for Ardagh Friday so he’s hardly injured if that’s the case ?
Well done Albanyend on posting subs bench once it became available.
Found it.thanks .It wasn’t me who posted subs list ontheditch
Anyone know what the black card was for, seems a mystery?
Fair play Willie Joe, cant beat the match reports after a win. Never saw Monty python, so dont know the joke from the “asal”. Pay no heed to him any other pundit on that RTE. I haven’t watched the Sunday game all year. I make my own judgement on teams I see play, don’t need overpaid agenda driven bafoons telling me what to think.
Great win. If we blew them out the “experts” would say were peaking too early. Plenty to work on while we wait for Cillian and Co to gain March fitness
Mayonaze, I seen that post where some said Carr played club on Friday (scoring long range frees also), I also seen later posts saying he was not playing Friday night and that it may have been Brendan Carr of Ardagh playing. Looking at Ardaghs website it states that a game scheduled for 21 june was actually conceeded by Ardagh. Basically there were a lot of daft rumours were flying about in the days leading up to the game, I heard a few other outrageous ones myself that proved unfounded. If Horan says he is injured then most likely he is actually injured, (we do love a conspiracy in Mayo). Rumours are just that, rumours, until they are confirmed by official sources, not some anonymous post in the middle of the night on line.
New podcast episode is now online: https://mayogaablog.com/?p=25364
It’s great that the Dublin games are usually the 4 o’clocks, because by the time the poor aul crathurs have their coddle ate and a few velvety pints to wash it down with, you wouldn’t find a couple of hours passing as they saunter down, full bellied, to Croke Park.
I feel sorry for some of the poor aul devil’s though. Sure Jesus Christ, it could be nearly 6 o’clock before some of them get home tonight. Could the Gaa not change their games to 2 o’clock and serve them food in Croke Park. It’s a bucken disgrace the way they are treated.
Donegal look a great side this year. Teak tough defending, quick efficient counter attacking and good forward intelligent inter-play/scoring. Not to mention strong and physical. Fair to say they are number 2 in the country for now.
I’m confident we will build and learn through the qualifiers though and get a few lads back from injury so we will be very competitive for super 8s. Focus now is the draw on Monday morning though, nothing else
Watching the Ulster final. You can hear the public announcements in the background.
No disrespect to the man doing the announcing but the sound system has a muffled mess made out of everyhting. He’d be as well off if he farted into the microphone.
One thing I notice with Donegal is their ball striking when shooting, Paddy McBrearty ,Jamie Brennan, Ryan McHugh,and Jason McGee they all strike with their instep with a hook kick same way as David Clifford last night .When you look at most Mayo players shooting technique its usually off balance example :Paddy Durcan on all occasions last nite he’s on a really fast solo run but does not slow down on his last 3 seconds before shooting to steady himself then follows through with a poor punt kick from the laces. Most Mayo players shoot with a punt kick from top of the laces which has much lower conversion rate than the hook kick. Diarmuid and Aido use a swerve outside of the boot kick when shooting.Darren Coen,James Carr,Brian Reape and Evan Regan are the only players who kick with their instep where you have much more control of the ball, but Evans shot selection is poor,he took a shot from way too far out again last night.If more players opted to slow down when kicking and used the hook kick instep we would be putting up much higher scores.
Well said Louis Gunnigan. Still, Down’s pace can get them into positions, reference the one Boyler, I think, blocked and Clarke had to dive full length to get it off the line.
Further plusses from last night. Conor Loftus getting some proper game time, Clarke imposing and doing well on kicks, Fionn McDonagh back in the groove, Mikey Murray introduced and did nothing wrong, and Leroy hitting 3 points. Hadn’t realised Keegan had got 3, as I credited Andy with one, and Treacy with the other.
Our time has come.. They’ve a good coach..
Great to have Fionn mc back
Conor grabbed the number 11 with clenched fists last night.. Great performance
David, as always..a terrific keeper
Well done Com and Andy also
With players due back from injury and young guns stepping up, the competition must be serious! One game at a time….
Fair play to Down, lovely venue, very friendly locals. Thought we had very good support, maybe not quite 50:50 , but not far off!
Onwards and upwards and never mind the begrudgers? the asals in particular?
Moose79 I know, Rochford is a great humble man with a great footballing brain who tried his very best for mayo and deserves all the credit and success he gets. My prediction is Galway will come up short this year, Kevin Walsh will be sacked/retire and then they’ll swoop for Rochford and what an almighty kick in the arse it’ll end up being for mayo! That said I do believe in Horan and back him 100%, mayo just need to get a run of games to increase confidence and improve tactics and systems. We haven’t gone away you know