I’m a bit behind the curve on this, I know (and thanks to The Brother, and everyone who posted details here, for alerting me and spreading the word before I got the laptop fired up today), but, for the record and all that, both counties earlier today named unchanged teams for Sunday’s Connacht final (throw-in 2 pm), the details of which are as follows:
Mayo (Connacht SFC Final v Roscommon, 17/7/2011): Robert Hennelly (Breaffy); Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis), Alan Feeney (Castlebar Mitchels), Tom Cunniffe (Castlebar Mitchels); Richie Feeney (Castlebar Mitchels), Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe), Trevor Mortimer (Shrule-Glencorrib); Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), Seamus O’Shea (Breaffy); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Alan Dillon (Captain, Ballintubber), Andy Moran (Ballaghaderreen); Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber), Alan Freeman (Aghamore), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole). Subs: David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites), Dermot Geraghty (Shrule-Glencorrib), Chris Barrett (Belmullet), Lee Keegan (Westport), James Kilcullen (Ballaghaderreen), Ronan McGarrity (Ballina Stephenites), Peadar Gardiner (Crossmolina), Aidan Campbell (Swinford), Enda Varley (Garrymore), Mark Ronaldson (Shrule-Glencorrib).
So, for the first time since James Horan took over, we’ve named the same starting fifteen for two matches running (in fact, it’s the first occasion this year that we’ve named a team with fewer than five changes from the one that took the field the previous time). The only change is a positional one, with Tom Cunniffe and Keith Higgins switching corners. Amongst the subs there’s just one change, with Dermot Geraghty added to the bench while Neil Douglas drops out.
Roscommon’s team, which is the same fifteen that started their semi-final against Leitrim, is as follows:
Roscommon (Connacht SFC Final v Mayo, 17/7/2011): Geoffrey Claffey (Castlerea St. Kevins); Seán McDermott (Western Gaels), Niall Carty (Padraig Pearses), Stephen Ormsby (St. Faithleachs); David Keenan (St. Barrys), Peter Domican (Captain, St. Brigids), Donal Ward (Western Gaels), Michael Finneran (St. Dominics), Karol Mannion (St. Brigids); Senan O’Grady (St. Faithleachs), Kevin Higgins (Western Gaels), Cathal Cregg (Western Gaels); Conor Devaney (Kilbride) Senan Kilbride (St. Brigids), Donal Shine (Clann na nGael).
The Rossies haven’t, from what I can see, named their list of subs as yet.
I thought Barry Moran was back in the squad.
Ultimately can’t have any complaints. I would opt for Clarke over Hennelly due to the high ball, and I’m a bit concerned they have us for height in their full forward line/our full back line. Big performance needed from Cunniffe if, as it looks, they’re putting him on Kilbride. And one hopes we have had 1 or 2 of those forwards doing nothing but kicking frees in training. I wonder if there’ll be any late changes made right before the match.
This team was good enough to beat Galway pulling up & should have no problem beating Roscommon whom aren’t as good as Galway.
I expect another 6 point win.
Roscommon be- ware, The proposed protest to be
carried out before the Match could upset the Roscommon team’s efforts to beat Mayo.
Roscommon should consentrate on the match in
hand.
Mayo might just scrape through.
Cathal Henry.
In a tight game I fancy the Rossies with the home support behind them, but if we can get out of the blocks early like 2009 then we should do it.
The Ross fans are expecting a big performance from their team, Mayo fans are not quite as sure or expectant from their side, so I would say there will be more pressure on the Rossies. Look what happened to Sligo last year in the same situation. I would a say a defeat for Ross would be a bigger setback for them than us getting beaten, given where both teams are in their development. I think this is O’Donnell’s 3rd year in charge.
Not sure about that facetheball? Remember we won the All Ireland U21 5 years ago & should be developing a decent senior team at this stage so a defeat for us would be a bigger set back.
Also the presure is off them having won Connacht last year.
Interesting that mayo have named an unchanged side for the first time, Horan obviously feels that he is closer to being sure of his best 15, a positive development I guess, and something we havent been able to say about a mayo team in a few years now.
I’ve noticed a lot of Mayo fans are getting increasingly confident about our chances as the game gets closer and I don’t really understand this. Ros are the reigning champions, defending their title in their own backyard, and for me are favourites having brought through a good few players who havent got that inferiority complex playing against Mayo. Shine, Devanney, Keenan etc, have been beating Mayo regularly for the last 4 or 5 years at minor and U-21 level.
Mayo are strongest around the middle third, as evident against Galway and we will need to dominate this area again on sunday to have any chance. Make no mistake, if the Rossies break even at midfield Mayo are in big trouble, as theirs no way Ross will be as wasteful in front of goal as we invariably are.
I fear for mayos defence if they come under the kind of sustained pressure we didn’t recieve from Galway, but my main source of optimism for sundays game would be that maybe our midfield/half forward line would be able to win enough ball to get us over the finish line.
Its going to be very tight, as Noel Connelly said the other day the heart says Mayo but my head says Roscommon.
P.S. I hope we dont see another debacle over the freetaking next Sunday. Whats young O’ Connor like didn’t he kick frees for mayo minors over the last couple of years??
We can and will win the game, I am happy with the selection, and we have a few good players in in the subs, the oShea brothers must perform at centrefield, and I feel we have the upper hand here, provided they deliver.
We have six scoring forwards, and now for the first time, we have goalscorers in the full forward line, I believe we need a quick ball into the full forward line, they are capable of destroying this Roscommon full back line, Our lines of running and movement off the ball was good in Castlebar, in particular amongst the forwards, so please Aaln Dillon, dont spend too much time on the ball, move it with pace. Mayo Abu
I really wish i had the confidence of some of you and fair play to you for doing so.
I just can’t understand how you think our f/b line is going to cope. It is that obvious to me (imo), i would try something like putting McGarrity full back, btw people sniggered at me too when i suggested putting Brady full back before the AI final 06.
well mcgarrity should have been man marking “star” with DB in midfield in 06 and we would have had a chance but thats old news now. I wouldnt put McGarrity FB unless there was a specific threat there that we’d be trying to snuff out, hes not a FB but it would have worked in 06 if his job was just to compete with the Kerry man.
I really dont know whats going to happen, thats the joy of amateur sport! At this stage I firmly believe we could get hammered, we could win by 6, win by 1, lose by 2 or draw. I’m convinced one of those things will happen!
Looks like a fair enough call from JH based on the Galway game. Anyone could have been dropped from the performance in the 1st half and no one was. Main issue to change for the team is the approach to the game.
Hopefully we have learned from the Galway game and will play with the same intensity in first half and throughout that we showed against Galway in the second half. If we do that I would be confident of a win. If we fail to do it then we’re leaving ourselves open to punishment from the physical Ros team especially in the FF line. Have also to look at the options if we don’t win at midfield. If this is the case we need cover in the backs as the Ros tactic I feel will be pretty simple direct ball. But I’m guessing management already know this and alternatives are in place. Last thing I would do is read out An Spailpins piece to the team about them being “Dogs of War”. Inspirational stuff.
Good luck to us.
Look, i know my negativity will not be welcomed. Believe me it breaks my heart to think we might lose to these. The sight of that jersey changes my personality, shallow as that sounds it comes with growing up near Ballagh.
I am not too sure either as i didn’t attend a lot of league games this year if i’m honest. All i can go by is what i seen in front of me in Castlebar the last day, for many spells in that game we looked to be lacking in confidence again, bad shooting, a bit afraid/nervous ie O Connor. Galway were brutal, never seen a Galway team to lose the ball so much in my life.
I have criticized C. Mort in the past but i can’t understand why you can’t have him on the bench at least, if he is playing with Shrule and scoring he’s fit to play for Mayo.
What does people make of this craic written on boards.ie about … [remainder of comment deleted: see no.6 on the list of house rules for providing comments (post dated 29/6/2011) – WJ]
I was at 6 of the league matches, and I wouldn’t share your negativity Sean. There were enough chinks of light to have some optimism. I would be happy enough for C. Mort to be an option, but JH has said it won’t happen for a while so not much we can do. I share the concerns about the FB line – Feeney should cope well with Shine or Kilbride, but he can’t mark both. I’d be concerned how the others would cope with the height and physicality of whichever one Feeny isn’t marking. Cafferkey might be a good fit for Kilbride, who isn’t particularly pacy – as long as he breaks ball away from him and makes sure he can’t get a strike on his left then his influence would be negated.
i hear it going to be pissing rain and windy, i now feel more optimistic about a Mayo win, should suit us , going by the Galway game!!
As we approach the connacht final, i have
some concerns about the ability of this present Mayo team when it comes to the big games. We were terrible against London, and not much better against Galway, especially in the first half. A repeat of that display will never beat Roscommon. What really concerns me is the fact that we are not able to put together two half’s of consistent football.
You cannot play for one half and expect to win at this stage of the championship.You cannot succeed if you dont play both half’s. we badly need two freetakers: one for the right & one for the left, somebody who can convert a penalty, at least we have Hennelly who can convert the 45’s. However; i still believe we are capable of defeating Roscommon, if we play with the hunger,passion and the will to win at all costs attitude which we displayed in the second half in the Galway game. Our defence is still not good. They must tighten up on the marking,& not let their men run wild. The overuse of the hand pass when clearing your lines in defence
must be eliminated. The lack of self-belief
is also a worry going forward. There are a few changes which i would make if i had picked the team: I would put Cafferty in the Fullback line in place of Higgins. Halfback line R. Feeney, Kilcullen & Mclaughlin. Midfield is O.K. Half forward line
T.Mortimer, Dillon, & Moran. Full forward line Doherty, Freeman,& Ronaldson he is a decent freetaker, he deserves his place for that reason alone. This Mayo team has to pose this question to themselves before they take the field on sunday? Are we here to participate in a Connacht final, or are we here to win a Connacht final. This is the mind set that we need to win on sunday
Best of luck,
Up Mayo
From the Western:
RONAN McGarrity is a big injury worry for Mayo as Sunday’s Connacht final with Roscommon comes into view. The Ballina midfielder hasn’t trained for the past 10 days and it remains to be seen if he’ll be available for the provincial decider according to team manager James Horan.
Meanwhile, it was learned over the weekend that Castlebar’s Barry Moran took part in a number of sessions with the panel and may be in line for a recall on Sunday. The Mitchels midfielder was dropped from the panel earlier in the season, but lined out in an A v B game over the weekend.
Jesus, Willie you have me made out to be defaming players. You might as well delete the lot.
I don’t think I did anything of the sort, Islandeady Gael – that link to boards.ie is just some tittle-tattle about the players which is purely based on hearsay and which you wanted to draw people’s attention to. If anyone wants to debate this, they can do so on boards.ie, not here.
Dont know how you can say that Ross has beateb Mayo at under 21 level ovet the last five years. 2006 mayo won all ireland and I remember travelling to kiltoom since to watch seamus O shea and aidan campbell beat Ross in a Connacht final ( luckily) then I was in Charlesown also in the last few yeasr when Douglas and Doherty got goals and Aidan O Shea got man of the match. mayo won that one too aginst Ross after extra time. Know Ross have the upper hand for the last two yeras but that was down purely tp preparation and prob;lems bewteen unde 21 and senior managements
Yeah I think most people would like to have C Mort as an option. But the fact of the matter is that he got 10 mins at the end of a match for Shrule.
You’d have to say thats not enough at this stage. We’ll have another games regardless and hopefully he should be available for bench duty at least for that. The longer we stay in it the better for him