Well, we’re still on the horse. Yesterday’s game was pretty bonkers, even by our standards, but we somehow came out the right side in the end and so we’re in Monday’s draw for the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Before looking at the match coverage, let’s box off the question of the draw first. The GAA put out a statement last night (here) which clarifies the point about avoiding repeat pairings. This appears to rule out definitively the possibility of our being drawn against Galway so instead it’ll be one of Derry, Dublin or Kerry for us in a fortnight’s time.
Right, onto the match coverage. Here’s what’s online about yesterday’s win.
Locals: Connaught Telegraph, Western People, Leinster Leader, Kildare Nationalist.
Nationals: Irish Times (live blog, match report), Irish Examiner (match report, quotes from James Horan and Glenn Ryan), Irish Independent, Irish Mirror, Irish Sun, Sunday World, Sunday Times.
Others: GAA, RTÉ, Sky Sports, The 42, Breaking News, Sports Joe.
Photos: Mayo GAA, Inpho, Sportsfile.
Video (highlights): GAA, Sky Sports.
Video (analysis): GAA Fan TV.
There’s more about yesterday’s game on the podcast too. The lads were out the gap rapidly last night with the post-game ‘Final Whistle’ pod from Croke Park and there’ll be a full match review episode online today as well. Both of these are available to club members on Patreon and you can join the club, at the modest cost of €5 per month, here.
The MOTM poll on yesterday’s game is still open too. This is another close one but it looks like the peerless Lee Keegan is going to shade this one as well, following another totemic display by him yesterday.
I reckon that when today’s Mayo kids are old and grey they’ll be able to tell their own grandchildren that, yes, they did see Lee play and, yes, he really was that good. How fortunate we are to have had him in our ranks for the last decade and more.
The women had a far more measured win yesterday, when they had ten points to spare over Tipperary in their first group phase match in the LGFA Senior Championship. Report on that here.
Today it’s the turn of the county’s U17 footballers to take centre stage. Kildare once more provide the opposition with this All-Ireland quarter-final tie getting underway at O’Connor Park in Tullamore at 2.30pm this afternoon. Tickets for the match are available to purchase here.
If you can’t make it to the game, the wonderful TG4 are streaming it live on their YouTube channel. Because they’re streaming it in this way, I’ll also be able to embed it here on the blog, which some of you may find useful.
Best of luck to Seán Deane and his charges this afternoon. Here’s to another win this weekend.
UP MAYO
Not our best performance in Croke Park yesterday. But qualifiers are for winning no matter how and getting into the next round. No team is going to want to draw us due to our unpredictable nature. However we do need ROD back on the field ASAP. Great to see Feral Boland back doing Fergal Boland things again. Subs made a big difference especially Darren McHale who brought great energy when he came on
Great post Willie Joe.
I still think there is a possibility we could draw Galway. Provincial winners will be drawn first, repeats will be put back in the bowl, but if Galway and Mayo are the last two standing, then that’s it. Same thing for Kerry v Limerick/Cork, and Derry v Donegal (if Donegal win today).
Thanks for that clarification, Catcol. It sounds like we could be hearing the balls rattling around the bowl for a while in the morning before the draw is settled. I was thinking of running, like last week, a poll on who we’d like to meet but if Galway were included in that it would have to be with an asterisk.
Fair play Willie Joe. Theirs nothing sweeter than having a flick through the reports after a win!
I thought Kildare were absolutely immense yesterday. They restored pride in their jersey following a spanking against the Dubs. Most of the attempts they missed were down to strong Mayo pressure, especially in the second half.
The goalkeeper change didn’t work for them and we created scores from winning possession via this channel.
But overall, this is exactly the type of challenge that will stand to Mayo in preparation for the next day
It will be interesting to see what the ”open draw ” will come up with tomorrow morning.
Mayo seem to be primed / Coached to come good in the last quarter or is it something in the game that gives the team a huge psychological lift at a particular time ?
This is something that needs to be altered, imagine what Kerry would have done in the 1st half yesterday.
The legs and bodies have looked very stiff in the 1st half of the big Croker games as follows
Connacht final v Galway in 2021
Semi v the Dubs in 2021
Final v Tyrone, no kick for Mayo when penalty was missed.
League final v Kerry in 2022
Yesterday v Kildare
Add in Connacht final v Galway in 2022.
Maybe the training was altered in the past 2 years as it was evident Mayo were gases in final 5 or 10 minutes v the Dubs in 16 and 17.
For those of us at the game yesterday, I have to say Mayo power and strength only took off in final 10 minutes by this stage Kildare had little left in the tank, I missed the two crunching tackles in real time, will see it today.
Agreed @catcol that’s my understanding as well and we have recent precedent with the donegal Armagh repeat that was last 2 balls – I cant see them undoing the 3rd part of a draw. The gaa website article is to aid understanding, but their earlier gaa headed letter, still stands IMO.
But If we get 1 of the big 2, hope it’s Kerry
Is there any chance of ROD being back for the quater final we need him?
There will come a day when Lee keegan retires and it will be a sad day.
Pretty much all the big moments in mayo football the past decade have his fingerprints on them. A collosus.
Very hard to know where we are at. So many lads out of form.
AOS had an absolute shocker and ruane, Carr, loftus etc not much better
It’s not sustainable that we rely on backs for all our scores
Light the candles tonight, hope to God its Derry. We’ve got tough draws thus far, so are due a bit of “luck” in a draw. Derry are a well coached side, but i’d love a crack of them in croker. Galway would be my next choice, but it wont happen.
Great to see we finished with our strongest team.
Think it was clever to hold back Boland and McHale until later when they could get some space. They would have been crowded out if they had started.
Quarter final possibilities without playing galwag.
Kerry v mayo or clare
Dublin v cork/ limerick or donegal/ Armagh
Galway v donegal/ armagh or cork/ limerick
Derry v mayo or clare
Sydney John,
In hindsight it certainly looks clever, but it’s not like Boland or McHale were starting every game up until today. Horan definitely deserves credit for the timing though
I couldn’t get to the game yesterday so maybe some who were there can fill me in.
There was definitely a smaller crowd there than usual (hope the fixtures committee have learned their lesson) but whatever crowd was there seemed to be mostly Mayo,it was very noticeable on tv anyway that the Mayo support were roaring them on coming down the straight,this is very heartening if indeed it was the case,gutted I couldn’t go.
Our forwards are shocking. Including Cillian O’Connor, who had an absolute stinker yesterday. He doesn’t owe Mayo anything, but it’s very difficult to come back from an achilles injury, it’s worse than a cruciate in terms of recovery.
James Carr once again not showing when it matters.
The subs changed the game, but once again is was our backs doing all the work. Our forwards didn’t do a tap. Not taking shots, not even showing for the ball. Some of them even had their backs to the play in the first half. They weren’t even looking for it. It was ridiculous carry on.
From reading yesterday’s and today’s post-match posts it’s clear that there are hugely varied opinions on how Kildare played. Personally I’m firmly in the category that they were extremely average. Following from that I think a better team would have finished us off yesterday. Let’s be real here, with ten minutes to go we looked gone. But to me it felt and looked different to previous years where we looked in trouble. Yesterday we looked really stale. It was a dreadful team performance and anyone who thinks that another repeat of that or even a slight improvement on it, will be sufficient to get us over the line against a top level team (of which Kildare, with respect, are not) is in cloud cuckoo land! Our strategy was poor and predictable. Our tackling was off. Passing and skills poor. No dominance in midfield. Shooting off until later in the game. It really wasn’t good.
Sure, we showed fight and spirit but that should be a given when you pull on the green n red. Anything less should never be acceptable. But that spirit and desire won’t be enough moving forward. I’m hoping there is a sizeable improvement in every capacity otherwise we haven’t a hope.
My understanding of the draw – and I think it happened before – if there are two teams left in each bowl for example Galway and Dublin in bowl A and Mayo and Clare in bowl B. Then the people making the draw review and say ok Galway cannot play Mayo again so they play Clare and Dublin then play Mayo
The day after an exciting win is the best day of the week.
Yesterday for sure was nerve wracking and exciting, but there is a great feeling of contentment today, and the body has all day to settle back down.
I had begun to get an odd little chirpy text from a couple of Galway people when things were not going too well for us in the second half. A little too chirpy. Not half as chirpy 20 minutes later.
Has any team in the Country, in any code, ever brought as much chaos and excitement as this Mayo team to their respective sport.
Some teams down the years may have had one day out when they won against the odds, but no team has ever come close to matching Mayo for sheer excitment and an eternal adrenaline rush.
David Attenborough might do a documentary on us one day.
Mayo.
Camouflaged, they lie motionless on the grass, lulling their predator in to a false sense of security.
The attacker, seemingly with ease, seems to have defeated, mortally wounded it’s prey.
When the enemy has relaxed it’s death like grip, sensing it’s prey is lifeless, then this green and red phenom strikes.
Decisive and deadly, the mortal combat ends in minutes.
Don’t care who we get next ,I just want to meet Derry in the final so we can hammer them for Joe Brolly
Sydney John, do you not think though that if he does that the next day we will be hammered out the gate. We have started poorly so often of late and a lot of that is down to our shooting. If we have lads that can score, start them. We have enough ‘play makers’
This coming back in to games is great and a few lads were brilliant in the second half but I think the team finishing is a lot closer to the one that should start the next day. Fingers crossed ROD will be fit.
Great to see JF back. The goals will give those two boys great confidence.
Revellino, that last paragraph is brilliant. Sums us up perfectly.
According to RTE…Mayo v Dublin, Derry or Kerry in the Quarters. We can’t draw Galway . After yesterday’s very poor crowd in Croke Park the men in suits, and the CCCC will be under much more scrutiny as regards Fixtures, Venue’s and Times. If Mayo draw Dublin?… McHale Park Castlebar is the ONLY fair possible Venue for the game…Fill the place with 36K people and have a proper Atmosphere. Since 2006 Mayo have played Dublin, 9 time’s in Knockout Championship Game’s in Dublin Croke Park, we have also played several ‘Knockout’ Championship Game’s in Dr Hyde, Pairc Esler, Down Semple Stadium Tipperary, Gaelic Ground’s Limerick, Cusack Park Clare, Pearce Stadium Galway all one off fixtures at the homes of our opponents who could knock us out of the Championship if they beat us on the day…In that time since Dublin have NOT played a SINGLE Knockout Championship game in the home of their opponent…
FW
Yeah Mayo definetly won the shouting contest support was vocal.
Great to see Fergal Boland doing so well…would he have played though only for supporters pressure? He has to be on if we want scores.Darren mcHale also good for scores. We are going right way but we wont shock anyone this year.Shootout between Kerry and Dublin.Expect Donegal to win today.And Roscommon …such poor game management…they never know their best team.
Oh Revellino…your mind would make another great Attenborough series…funny and weirdly true. Lying motionless in the grass… I can see them all!
Well done Mayo. Feck me pink!
Maigheo abú
All the quarter final games are in Croke Park, it’s already set in stone .
I wouldn’t have any strong opinion on management either way but jeez it’s hard to do the right thing by posters here. Criticism for being slow making changes and no impact from the subs in some games and criticism for early subs yesterday and a big impact off the bench. At half time even after a terrible 1st half I expected mayo to get thru as I couldn’t see kildare having the required level of fitness to play that system for 75 minutes
In fairness @No doubt and other posters who say people are very negative and the management can’t win with us here. People have been calling for Boland to start since before Covid. Things were going so badly in the first half that Horan had to make changes in the half forward line (though I don’t know how Loftus stayed on) and he just couldn’t over look Boland this time. That was not, in anyway, Horan’s plan. He doesn’t get credit for doing something he should have done back in the Galway game. Boland beats the mass defense because he can create space and score from distance, nothing to do with the game opening up.
People have also been saying we need to have more strings to our bow than just running at the opposition but, in my opinion, as long as Horan is manager we will never play with sophisticated tactics. We just have to hope raw passion gets us through.
Is Lee Keegan is the greatest back of all time? Top 10 greatest players?
Mayonaze, I agree. The win is papering over the cracks. A better team than Kildare would have been out the gap at half time. It was a terrible team performance from Mayo and we were only saved by individual moments of magic. Our basic skills were totally off – passing and ball handling were awful. Our standard of tackling has badly regressed. The forward play is nothing short of disgraceful – forwards not even looking at the play most of the time, never mind the awful shooting and refusing to show for the ball. Matthew Ruane’s form is abysmal since last September and I don’t know where he goes from here. James Carr isn’t showing time and again. Cillian O’Connor isn’t the same player, and that’s not his fault or for want of trying. Keegan, Diarmuid O’Connor and Mullin are phenomenal but Horan insists on playing them out of position and that isn’t going to change any time soon.
People want to compare this to previous qualifier runs but it isn’t the same – those previous runs it felt like we were building towards something, this time it feels like we’re running on muscle memory and little else. We’re going to get a hiding in the quarters and honestly, we probably will deserve it.
Lee Keegan, enuf said ???
Best of luck to the u-17’s now…. time to make it a clean sweep for the weekend.
Maybe trying to lob this Kildare keeper today will be more of a challenge. He’s a boy mountain so even the points will need to be sailing high over the crossbar.
Kildare played much better than most thought me included. It was some test and the wides in the first half made us look bad. Defensively thought we were excellent similar to Monaghan game and no goal conceded. Overall delighted with the win even though I’ll need a few hrs on a blood pressure monitor after it. 2 week break for some fine tuning and we’ll be ready for whoever we get..
Mooose79, Like everyone else it’s easy to be a genius when you know the result. I just thought that we were always getting hammered in the last 10 mins by by the dubs. We were jaded and gave them space. Yesterday we scored when we had space and had the men to take the points in the final quarter.
Glad for Boland and McHale, more to come with ROD.
Leantimes maybe I’m wrong but surely all quarter finals will be in croke park? 2 on the sat and 2 on the sun of the 25th and 26th June?
@dreamysleepynightysnoozysnooze
Disagree .
In 2017 Derry and Cork nearly beat us in qualifiers both games went to extra time, clare had us under pressure in ennis and Roscommon nearly beat us in the 1/4 final. How does that feel like we were building to something ?
We are now back where we want to be, our injury’s will decide how much further we go this year, i dont fear any team in the 1/4 final i think we can beat any of them on our day.
dreamysleepynightysnoozysnooze – did it really feel like we were building towards something when 6 points behind Fermanagh in 2016? Or when Derry had a last minute free to knock us out in 2017?
Monaghan and Kildare are far better than any team we played in the qualifiers over the last 7 years, with the exception of Galway 2019 perhaps.
Dreamysleepy that’s exactly what pundits said during our runs in ’16 and ’17 – we were operating on muscle memory, ageing team, old boxers going for one last fight, and so on. We shouldn’t have beaten Westmeath, and probably Tipp as well in some of those games.
What was different yesterday, was that Kildare were very good, much better than us, even conceding that we were dire in the first half. They outpaced us for God’s sake – in Croke Park, where our pace and S&C come into play, and that’s not counting our slowcoaches. I saw McLaughlin beaten for pace down the sideline at one stage. We eventually got stuck in and Keegan’s point followed by two more showed we were within a score. We were really clever after the goal, because we played the waiting and probing game to perfection then and Kildare couldn’t get their hands on ball.
On individuals, different players are doing it on different days. Not making any predictions but I feel we have plenty in the locker.
Incidentally..In a repeat of of yesterdays senior fixture.. Séan Deane’s U17, Minor team play the Lilywhites in Tullamore.. Wouldn’t that have been a novel and sensible double header at a really neutral ground yesterday… Anyhow it’s on TG4 /You Tube.. Beo/Live 2.30PM throw in. Best of luck to Séan and his young Mayo team, he certainly has them playing a lovely brand of football.. Galway v Dublin in the other quarter final is also on TG4/YouTube live I think 12.30PM . Best of luck to both Connacht Team’s.
chaos, we seem to thrive in it. Other teams fade in it. How can we get Kerry, Dublin or Derry to play an unstructured game. Derry tactic seem to be most structured. I don’t buy, how the blanket defenses will not be suited to Croke Park. Kildare protected the D, and left us with the flanks, and was nearly enough to beat us.
Good luck to u17
I would actually like to see us get Derry we have played Kerry twice this year and we play Dublin almost every year it would be nice to have a new opponent
Ye’re absolutely kidding yourselves if you think we’re getting anywhere near a final this year or that this is anything like 2016 etc. The team is disjointed and horribly set up. It’s individual moments that are dragging us through. Players being played out of position and lots of players simply out of form. We also do not have the squad we had in previous years – as I said, our forward line in particular is awful. If we get Dublin in the quarters, we’ll be lucky to keep it kicked out to them.
The next game will be same as a final, no easier no tougher just that its not a final…You can always fancy Mayo when its not a final. The 3 games we have played will have given us great preparation for the next one out…no one took Tyrone to seriously last year until they took out Kerry
@Dreamy. Ah stop.
Yesterday was a great step forward for us.
Yes. Plenty of improvement required, but the road ahead has opened right up.
I guarantee you this. No matter who we pull in the draw, not one of the Mayo team who will take the pitch for the QF will think, or believe that they are not going to win.
We’re only getting going.
A bit of praise doesn’t cost anything,
Well don’t to Mayo management yesterday for making the early and correct changes.
Well done to all the players.
And well done to us supporters that were there yesterday, smallest crowd I ever witnessed in Croker.
Now to the serious stuff.
Some players are low on confidence or just out of form, 2 defenders, midfielders and at least 2 forwards yesterday.
If Kildare let in more high ball into the square or fullback would have been exposed.
If I were in charge, Mullin would be much further out the field, not in a wing position, we need at least one or 2 midfield changes, it appeared to me one of Mayo midfielders may have been carrying an injury.
I think we can all agreed that Mayo finished with their strongest team available yesterday.
It didn’t look good to see and hear the few Mayo supporters standing up and rejoicing in the Clare victory over Roscommon.
Dreamysleepy – if we got Dublin in the quarters in 16 or 17 we’d have been destroyed too. However, we didn’t. A reasonably kind draw on Monday and we can gradually improve like previous years.
There are 2 schools of thought.
(1) We don’t have the forwards.
(2) It doesn’t matter who gets the scores as long as we get them from somewhere.
Of course it would have been great to see the forwards shoot the lights out but it doesn’t matter how we win as long as we win.
Cillian Paddy Jordan and even James Carr have missed a lot of minutes. They will be better for yesterday.
We are still alive and that is all that counts.
Leantimes, we’ve played more knockout games away from home because we’ve went through the back door a lot. Dublin have nearly won 20 Leinsters on the trot at this stage so no back door needed. Not to be pedantic but they played a knockout Leinster champ game last year away from home v Wexford.
Quarter finals are always and will always be in croke park so let’s just get on with it in the Mayo way instead of wasting energy feeling sorry for Ourselves
Rover, surely Mayo can draw Dublin, Kerry or Derry tomorrow.
Very few people have mentioned the effect of the strong swirling wind on the game that might have contributed to some of the sloppy play. It was mainly blowing across the field from the Cusack to the Hogan.
I thought we managed the wind poorly in the first half in that a lot of our build up play was down the Hogsn stand side of the field. We ended up then shooting or winning frees from that side and kicking across into the wind – nearly impossible to score.
In the second half we improved in that we got more shots off from the Cusack stand side and ended up getting 3-4 nice points using the wind as a help.
By the way Mayo did beat the blanket defense on a few occasions yesterday, one or two great points where they held possession for a good while, recycled and recycled, no reason it can’t be done more often.
Also very clever of management and certain players for shooting at the Cusack stand side into the Hill, I spotted this at halftime, there was a very tricky wind in Croker yesterday.
Jesus, I hope these negative people don’t go to any games. I think most of them are trolls to be honest because some of the posts here are completely irrational. Again, do not go to any game if you’re this pessimistic and negative.
Thanks once again for the brilliant service WJ even though some of the reports dont make for pleasant reading. Was hoping for Duggan in Irish Times as I really enjoy his take on Mayo football. Clerkin didn’t spare us and that might be no bad thing. I think the vast majority of us here know that this Mayo team is far from perfect. They don’t have the quality of players of the last decade, they have serious injury issues and a number of our better players have suffered a major dip in form. But one thing they can’t be accused of lacking is character. Their courage and resilience is astounding. Keegan never ceases to amaze and Oisin, Hession and Eoghan Mac, despite being under pressure defensively drove us forward throughout. One interesting thing was the subs J Horan did and didn’t make. Flynn with a goal, Boland 2 points, McHale one point and O Hora the assist for the goal was crucial and won us the game. Diarmuid was having a poor game but kicked a monster point, Loftus an even poorer game but a brilliant point and a great relieving burst forward in injury time to set up the goal. Mattie was totally outplayed at midfield but made a brilliant catch in injury time. It reflects well on these players that even though they were playing poorly they still had the mental strength to do something positive and constructive when the need was greatest. It also reflects really well on the management for their decisions made. It is very easy to criticise players and management. I think a bit of credit is due when deserved. These lads ( management included) have given us great and heart stopping days. Maigh Eo abu.
@Mayo45
They have little else for doing than coming on here after a win belittling the managment and squad.
I cant wait for the next 2 weeks listening to podcasts, pundits and people writing us off.
@Our time has come.
Knockout or no knockout, I was amazed to hear one time some years ago that Bernard Brogan had been playing football for 10 years at the time and still hadn’t played a game outside Croke Park.
How is that right in any circumstance ?
If we can’t win going man-to-man then we aren’t good enough. Messing around with so called sweepers is a declaration of inferiority and a load of cut & paste populist nonsense — robbing Peter to pay Paul.
It’s player decision-making & execution that makes the difference – the rest is peripheral amateurs, like me, pretending to ourselves & the rest of you that we are superior to a mngt team that has given a decade of bliss to Mayo followers everywhere.
Good wishes to our minors today – hopefully without a sweeper … ouch.
Mayonaze, with respect to you, Kildare were absolutely brilliant yesterday and no one should take away from that. From where I was sitting, I had my heart in my mouth every time they went on the attack.
Mayo were beyond woeful in the first half, indeed up to about 60 minutes. They were like a crowd of hens pecking grain off a farm yard, absent-minded, unharmonious and a bit unaware of their tactical surroundings.
Kildare had a hold of things.
Mayo can make a comeback when they get **an opportunity**. Then they can – maybe, possibly – claw back. That’s what happened yesterday.
Mullin goal + Jordan introduction + loopy Mayo fan roaring just created enough of a spark.
Kildare’s mistake, whether down to inexperience at a high level, or tiredness, as WJ wrote, and Paul Earley suggested in the podcast, was that they didn’t keep up the blanket defending, the slowing down the play and hitting us on the counter. They panicked, I think.
Mayo still have a kick and I wouldn’t bet against us. But it’s not good for the heart, seriously. From sitting through that yesterday, I’m treating the next game as an adventure, moving forward just with hope, but hope nonetheless. I personally wouldn’t be writing Mayo out of anything.
I’d love Galway or Derry. That pr1ck Brolly is spouting awful rubbish again about our county. I can take criticism but he makes it so personal. We all know what he had an axe to grind…he should just come out and say it like a man.
Hi Willie Joe. The only way that Kildare were going to win yesterday was to try and play like they did for 50 minutes for the full 70.Give credit to their management.. they had a plan! I thought that the OConnors and Mattie looked tired and maybe it was the 7 day turnaround and 2 training days in between. No doubt , all 3 will be better next day. I will say it again… our supporters yesterday at the game were outstanding and the roaring definitely worked. Well done team. Ye are a credit to your county and you provide entertainment of the highest order.
Just to clarify – both WJ and Paul Earley mentioned tiredness as a factor for Kildare.
Tiredness from a massive work rate in the first 50 minutes.
Not defending it Revellino – it’s just an exhausted argument at this stage and nothings going to change no matter what we say. Do Dublin have an advantage because of it – absolutely. Are the GAA going to change it – no. So let’s get on with it, no excuses
@Our time has come…I’m afraid your factually incorrect, Quarter Finals have NOT always been played in Croke Park.. Roscommon played Galway in the 2001 Quater Final in Castlebar, what was wrong with that… Galway also played Donegal I think in Quater Final in Castlebar at some stage, certainly it was a knockout game . …In fact All Ireland semifinals haven’t always been playing in Croke Park either..In 1983 Cork played Dublin in a replayed All Ireland semifinal in Pairc Ui Caomih.. Kerry played Dublin in a replayed All Ireland semifinal in Semple Stadium,. (Maurice Fitzgerald amazing equalizer from the sideline) …The 1984 All Ireland hurling final was played in Semple Stadium,..All Ireland hurling semifinal replay between Clare and Offaly in Semple Stadium. ..All of the above are examples of big knockout games NOT played in Croke Park and successfully played elsewhere;..The entire integrity of game is in serious question..Do we continue to accept the dictate of those in the CCCC or those in Croke Park who would cite the possibility of ‘Bloodshed in the Streets of Newbridge’ as more reasons to have virtually all money spinning games in Croke Park or do we start to think for ourselves.. There are plenty men in suits, would would willingly take the Gael completely out of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and some are nearer to home than Croke Park!
Well done Mayo, ground it out. Let whoever can score score..backs, forwards, goalie, a wins a win
As MWR said yesterday COC didnt shoot the lights out but was as usual a pest, devil for the opposition! Fantastic, strong, hard working player as is his brother. Love to Jason Doc come on with 20 mins to go, every ball he got yesterday he had 3/4 markers around him..some others could have been replaced before he was!
Ah Leroy a joy to behold, a national treasure. We are so lucky to have this unbelievable player in Mayo. Seeing him after games hes as gentle as a lamb with his fans. His family must be so proud.
The young guns really improving, Hess, Eoghan McL, Jordan F, had strong games. Eoghan that goal is coming!
Well done James Horan and team. James sounded smothered in his interview, speedy recovery.
Glen Ryan spoke of the abuse Kildare players recieved after Dublin game from local n national media..hes right to call it out, it needs to be stoppped.
Stay positive Mayo and supporters. Theyre our lads, be proud, put on the seat belt and enjoyt what only Mayo can bring..a lot of counties would love to in our position.
Maigh Eó ??
@Mayo88, Nothing wrong with being delighted that Clare won, there were plenty Clare people delighted Mayo won as well. The Clare people are nice people, hurling, football, music, beautiful coastal county and know how to enjoy life.
Unless you were from Roscommon why wouldn’t you be happy to see the underdog win, it doesn’t mean you were happy to see the favourite lose either.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see Rochford get the Rossie gig at some stage.
You’re picking very odd occasional matches going back 20-40 years there to make a point leantimes. The hogan stand was being rebuilt in 2001 which probably accounts for the Galway v Roscommon QF and Kerry v Dublin in Semple. We can just agree so that 99% of the time from the quarter finals on the games are played in Croker unless someone has scheduled an American football match to occur the date of a replay!!
I was at the game yesterday but don’t think it should have been played in croke park. But from the quarter finals on where you would expect to get 30-40000 at least at one game and 60-70k at a double header –
Venue size often dictates where the games are played. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot of fat cats in the GAA and county boards who I wouldn’t be a fan of. The super 8s which adopted your model (Dublin aside) were a complete flop
But Leantimes, that was in the old days. What better place in the Country to win any knockout game other than Croker, its perfect for us Mayo exiles also.
I’m sure the Gaa may prefer certain teams to meet in the Quarter finals.
As I mentioned here before on a few occasions, what better motivation is there than knowing you may be playing the team soon that beat you badly earlier in the Season.
The way to beat the blanket consistently is to not concede goals, and keep pressure on the ball at all times.
Time and time again, when the blanket doesn’t score any goals they don’t score enough to win.
Keep pressure on the ball, so that the blanket can’t rest in possession, and they’ll tire towards the end and give you a chance to win.
This how we won yesterday, and against Monaghan
@Our time has come.. You are correct Dublin have played a full total of ONE Solitary Knockout game in the home of their opponents since the turn of the millennium.. Wexford in Wexford Park in 2021..The CCCC’s, Leinster Council and the GAAs bravery, courage and commitment to level playing field is manifest for all to see… When will someone shout ‘Stop’ When Dublin have won 10 All Ireland in a Row and 40 All Ireland in a row and tourists walk around the ruin’s of Provencal Venue’s all over Ireland and hear the story of what used to be?
Kildare were good yesterday, much better than expected, but they’ll have regrets today.
14 points, from a much lauded attack, is not good enough to win many games
I don’t know if it was injury related, but putting in a new goalie for his championship debut at this stage of the season is asking for trouble
For all the croke park debate, our performance yesterday would almost certainly not been good enough to win at any other ground in the country
I do think that some of yesterdays poor performance was that Kildare were good. They were more than good at times. I also think the extra night training (two in total)with a seven day turn around was an error. I think we will be very fresh in two weeks.
I’d love to get peoples opinion of players going down holding their face when they were not hit there.
The monaghan no 7 did not last week but two of our lads did it yesterday. To me it’s cheating and needs to be called out. It’s not on and creeping into our games.
You’re picking very odd occasional matches going back 20-40 years there to make a point leantimes. The hogan stand was being rebuilt in 2001 which probably accounts for the Galway v Roscommon QF and Kerry v Dublin in Semple. We can just agree so that 99% of the time from the quarter finals on the games are played in Croker unless someone has scheduled an American football match to occur the date of a replay!!
I was at the game yesterday but don’t think it should have been played in croke park. But from the quarter finals on where you would expect to get 30000- 40000 at least at one game and 60-70k at a double header –
Venue size often dictates where the games are played. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot of fat cats in the GAA and county boards who I wouldn’t be a fan of. The super 8s which adopted your model (Dublin aside) were a complete flop. I agree leinster council should decide to play all games aside from the final
Outside croke park. But in the all Ireland series, all games should be in croke park in my opinion
Like everyone,
I have had the night to digest that game. I am more hopeful this morning than maybe I should be. We have just beaten two division one teams two weeks in a row. They have both played the blanket against us. It worked for Galway a few weeks back but it didn’t work for these two teams. We are working it out. We are okay, We are in a nice place. I would put Aidan O shea at full back and Oisin Mullin in midfield but no other changes. Maybe Ohora for Coen. I want Kerry next week. Lets see where we are at. Kerry have played no-one. I feel we can beat them, Dublin in the semi and Galway in the final. This is not fantasy stuff. we have the team. We have learned to deal with this awful blanket and we are ready
Got to be happy with the result work to be done but remember these are amateur players who are in back of 2 intense games in a row after three horrible results in few months
The losses to Tyrone, Kerry and Galway still stick in the mind of any amateur player
So with that we’re not in full flow but have to give credit to Kildare and Monaghan , but strong physical teams who had accurate forwards
I think the team that finished bar jack Carney is the team that should start the next day
Flynns dynamic attributes is there for all to see he and Matty are our Croker midfielders
Loftus and DOC are getting some negative reviews but watch it back back work rate they put in is second to now and always safe options in making overlap runs
Loftus also broke the ball when their keeper went out field
Paddy Durk Oisin and Eoin Mac will be all better for break after 2 heavy weeks
Great lads who will be all better for them games
Likewise Hennelys shooting wasn’t all that sharp but he will find range and sharpen after his injury
Fair play to Fergal Boland he did what he all hope for
Darren Mchale brought class and hopefully he kicks on cause no more than Carr they are showing some class at times just need to make it consistent
Likewise Cillian be all better for the game and leadership coming out with ball at the end
Enda Hess and Leroy were class ROD return it’s coming good
Ya think we building and see the positives but some big decisions to be made as the captain and last years captain have to be under pressure for their starting g places
Regarding Aido and Coen, to be fair they both played well last week. Coen’s overall inconsistency and continued drop in form is still there though on yesterday’s evidence, as was the evidence that Aido continues to struggle in Croker.
Cillian’s performance a real worry also, and likely down to the achilles.
Very interesting comment, FrostTHammer re beating the blanket (1.19pm). Hadn’t thought of that. Good to keep in mind.
Team for Quarter fin
1.Robbie Hennelly
2.Padraig O’Hora
3.David McBrien
4.Enda Hession
5.Paddy Durcan
6.Lee Keegan
7.Eoghan McLaughlin
8.Matty Ruane
9.Oisin Mullin
10.Fergal Boland
11.Diarmuid O’Connor
12.Jack Carney
13.Aidan Orme
14.Cillian O’Connor
15.Ryan O’Donoghue/James Carr
No Jordan Flynn TH?
Armagh fans are up there as best in the game with ourselves and The Dubs and Cork hurling supporters on big match days , the atmosphere they bring to games is brilliant. Would love if Armagh draw Dublin for quarters, it should get its own stand alone game in Croker, will definitely go to it. Could see Armagh beating Galway and Derry if they draw them too.
Liberal role in the tie
Doubt he’s still fit enough to give a full 70 minutes yet and who would you drop of that 15, Leeroy and Oisin need to be released from the full back line and ROD needs to be back if we have any chance of beating the Kingdom or Dubs. But I don’t see Horan changing that’s the big problem, hopefully Ciaran Mac and James Burke can persuade him in the next 2 weeks.
Mayo v Derry and Galway v Armagh double header Saturday week please.
There will be a massive turn out in HQ if that happens.
I think Armagh will make final if they avoid Dublin Kerry side
Two massive wins – serious momentum
Armagh look good but Donegal are dire, totally clueless. Armagh are probably the most dangerous team for Galway to draw tomorrow but what kind of QF test is it against Cork or Clare who both beat poor opposition. I would like to see Kerry draw Armagh a team that gives them jitters. For Mayo its almost certain ye will draw Dublin isnt it!
If Flynn isn’t fit for 70 mins, I don’t see how McBrien could be.
Yes Chesneychet, that’s my gut feeling. Mayo Dublin QF.
Have a pure feeling Mayo will get Dublin alright.. and armagh will get Derry
If the draw ends up with Mayo v Dublin and Kerry vs Armagh then it is seriously lopsided
Wish they did it this evening not waiting til 0830 tomorrow. I am very uncertain of form given Roscommon losing to Clare after thinking Galway played well then Mayo average against a Kildare hammered by Dubs. Goals win matches and whoever Mayo or Galway draw I feel we will both need goals to progress.
“@dreamysleepynightysnoozysnooze
absolutely kidding yourselves if you think we’re getting anywhere near a final this year or that this is anything like 2016 etc. The team is disjointed and horribly set up. It’s individual moments that are dragging us through. Players being played out of position and lots of players simply out of form. We also do not have the squad we had in previous years – as I said, our forward line in particular is awful. If we get Dublin in the quarters, we’ll be lucky to keep it kicked out to them.”
I have to agree with@dreamysleepynightysnoozysnooze.
team selection yesterday was mesmerizing, Jason Doherty and Stephen Coen (both of who have worn the Mayo jersey with distinction) are not suitable to playing center half back and center half forward in Croke Park, Kildare raced through the middle time and time again, (It also did not help that Matthew Ruane had a very poor game)
As a result Aiden O Shea had to do a trojan amount of work around the middle.
Reality is if Daniel Flynn had kicked a point and was not blocked by an incredible effort by Enda Hession, we would be having a very different conversation today.
How did it take until 50 mins to get our best 15 available on the field, as @dreamysleepynightysnoozysnooze mentioned it was incredible individual play that got us through yesterday.
How do we get our team selection so wrong time and time again.
kudos to the players for what they did yesterday, It was incredible.
@Our time has come. . Dublin would have played upwards of 40 knockout Championship games in Croke Park, their defacto home,where they have and still allowed train since the turn of the Millennium,.. How’s is my pointing out this elephant in the room, picking out ‘odd occasional matchs’..The One Solitary Occasions Dublin played a knockout Championship match in the last Decades, was as you pointed against The Giant’s of Modern Day football, Wexford in Wexford Park.. But it was hardly a money spinner for Wexford, because attendance was limited to a few hundred due to COVID-19 restrictions! ..
Stephen Coen has had plenty of good games in croke park @joemamas. Don’t think he played badly yesterday and we haven’t really looked like conceding a goal the last 2 weeks. Of course when 5 or 6 behind it made sense to bring O’Hora on as he’s a more aggressive attacking defender.
I wouldn’t change the defense personally, but would start Flynn instead of Aidan. Ryan comes in for Doherty if fit. Carr/Boland is a tight one. I’d probably give Carr another shot as he was bright in the first half, just nothing came off.
Leantimes – you’ve said on several occasions that Dublin train in croke park. That’s incorrect.
@Wideball..Dublin do and have trained at Croke Park, the fact that they train elsewhere as well does not negate that fact, that the ONLY County Team to train in Croke Park is and has been Dublin … they come out first, warm up at the Hill,. sleep in their own beds.. And what’s more they despite all the pampering.. Don’t even play for Ireland versus the Aussies!
Joemamas , you’re probably right about us not getting to the final That’s because we are not good enough not because of the team set up. Of course the set up of the team suits the anti Horan narrative. Any chance of a bit of credit for the changes made and subs brought on ? No it would be easier to say that he should have started the team he finished with. Anyway despite our shortcomings we could ( though unlikely) sneak our way to an AI final. We could get Derry in next round and get the winners of Clare / Galway in semi. Underdogs in both though neither opposition are any great shakes. However knowing our luck we will get dubs or kerry next round and some people will say thats the draw we needed. For me, as always the easiest draw is the best draw. Each game we win boosts confidence and momentum. Remember 2016, Kildare, Westmeath, Tyrone and Tipp. Didn’t set the world alight in those games but really put it up to dublin in final and replay l
Leantimes no one is disputing that Dublin have an unfair advantage over the rest.
What I and others are disputing is that all games from quarter finals on in the all Ireland series rightly should be played in croke park.
Now let’s just get on with it, there’s a quarter final to prepare for
@Our time has come… Don’t agree with you at all… even if it has overwhelming been the case.. but it’s wrong…The Mayo Team weren’t even able to get a Hotel for Friday Night last in Dublin.. It’s always been wrong, but it has been been as wrong as it is now!
During the league there was a lot of talk about finishing with your strongest team. Well yesterday we probably did but still Horan gets criticism from some!
I’d like Derry in the draw as on paper we have a better chance and also if we win we’re on the easier side of the draw.
At times yesterday I thought our footballing year was about to end but then we just go and do what we do best, the unexpectable. Where it ends who knows but while we’re still there you have to have belief.
On a totally different note but Enda H is wearing the wrong shorts in the picture above against Kildare. He’s wearing the shorts from 2019/20 whereas the other two lads (and presumably everyone else) wearing the correct ones. Wonder what happened there