It’s always nice to peruse the papers for match reports following a satisfactory performance from the lads and today is no exception but, this being Sunday, there’s very little in the papers to peruse. The Sindo have other things on their minds today – in particular, the vacuous Johnny/Glenda/Rosanna imbroglio – and so only have time for this brief account of what happened at Celtic Park (you need to scroll down past the Tyrone v Cork report to get to it), the Tribune’s website hasn’t been updated yet and the Sunday Times hasn’t got any Irish content on its website. So much for the Sunday papers, then.
All is not lost, though (unless you happen to be Joe Kernan, that is). RTÉ have a report, the BBC even have an itsy-bitsy one, so too does the sexy new GAA website, Hogan Stand have a half-decent one but the best one around is this one by the ever dependable Colm Gannon in the Mayo Advertiser. Club Mayo Dublin also have their useful blow-by-blow account of the night’s action. There’s no written report in the Mayo News yet but Rob Murphy has filed an audio one and he’s also got a post-match interview with Johnno that’s worth a listen to.
In that audio report, Johnno confirms that Ronan failed a last-minute fitness test last night but he also reveals quite interestingly that Alan Freeman did too and that the Aghamore man was originally included in the starting fifteen. As a result, it would appear that Alan Dillon’s appearance from the start was more down to circumstances on the night than it was to any flash of brilliance in advance but, hey, nobody’s complaining given how events on the night transpired.
Met a mayo fan in the lift in the hotel this morning and was lementing the fact that I hadn`t seen Joe Brolly after the match to say hello and all that, sez he, he was in the Celtic pub across road from the pitch and one of the boys went up shook his hand and said, it`s nice to meet you Joe but it`s nicer to beat you!Couldn`t have said it better meself!
Did many stay over pj? we travelled back last nite, was just in time for a few quick pints in the local!! we’re staying over in tralee next weekend, should be some craic.
and mention of Tralee wasn’t the Kerry win over Galway today was fairly decisive. Kerry seem to be recovering well from a bad start and the loss of few players in 2010. Will be a bif test (aren’t they all !!) for Mayo next weekend.
Meanwhile Galway and Joe haven’t made any impression at all and after todays 10 point defeat are now propping up the division table (acknowledgemnt to http://www.clubmayo.ie for their update) on worst points difference. Not where Joe would want them and now facing a relaegation battle for sure !
great to wake up after such a good win. Sunday indo says mayo were “confident”!!!!!!!! Get Pierce Hanley back from Australia and book the City West. ( after we get a full back and put blondie back on the plane)
fantastic result and one achieved without a midfield by all accounts.
Three wins from four exceeds our expectations. I really thought we would struggle to retain Div 1 status. We need to beat Monaghan and but is going to be hard to get points from the Tralee or Cork visit.
Great to see the “progress” Galway are making under Big Joe! Meehan is all he has, Joe will be wrapping him in cotton wool.
Ya Mick,there were a few familiar heads around last night and this morning.Good place to stay people friendly in pubs.They said that there wasn`t much support for the Gaelic in the city mostly soccer but I always felt welcome and would go back again.The boys did well the backs in particular ,it wasn`t perfect but it was a good win hard fought.A lot of ball went astray around the 40 in the 2nd half but there were good points too Alan Dillon sorted a good bit out from the last day Trever Mort was much sharper as was AOS it was well worth the trip.You might get to Kerry next Sunday yourself Willie Joe!?
Great blog WJ. Great win for the lads on Saturday night. Anytime you pick up 2 points north of the border is a ood night. Roll on Tralee
The Indo write up is piss poor to say the least, but great to have such an array of information available!
Indo reckons Dillon was out for 6 months with injury – He didnt seem too injured when I met himself and Mort Jr here in Cairns a couple of months ago!
Very good result Saturday night Willie Joe – fair play to the lads.
Alan Dillon was in a different class to anybody else on the pitch – really helped to open up our forwards. Trevor Howley was superb and took care of Bradley first and then Kielt. Seamie O’Se had a great first half and his covering play is helping short up the back-line. Would have liked to have seen Clarke vary his kick-outs though.
Kerry will be a different kettle of fish but we are now pushing for a place in the league final. 3 out of 4 wins at this level is a superb start to the season. 2 more should push us over the line.
To those mocking Galway – don’t. They are still going to provide serious opposition if we can get over Sligo. All too often we have got ahead of ourselves.
We are coming together nicely with a very young team. This year probably will not be the year but we are on an upward trend and fingers crossed a good Summer will push the project on another little bit.
By the way mini Mort must be worried – Ronaldson and Varley both are well ahead of him in the pecking order now. Barry Moran and Aidan Kilcoyne will provide other options as will Pat Harte. 18 wides against Dublin was always an aberration despite the easy clichés of the media. We have good strength here now even though we are missing a top class man who will guarantee 4 or 5 points a game.
The backs look like they pick themselves at this stage for better or for worse with only Barrett and Liam O’Malley pushing for places. Gardiner will probably get back into the first XV on his return.
It sure was a great result on Saturday night and you’re right, Eriad – three wins out of four is a superb start to the year. I certainly thought we’d really struggle to maintain our Division 1 status and I never felt we’d be in such a good position at this stage.
The Kerry game is a real crunch one now because they simply have to win to stay in the race for the NFL. The demolition job they did on Galway shows that they’ve improved a lot since the Dubs ambushed them in the opening round and it’s going to be a very tough one for us. But tough games are what we need now and with Ronaldson back after suspension, Ronan hopefully fit again and Dillon once more pulling the strings (who do we drop in the forwards, though?) we shouldn’t fear them. What do we do at full-back, BTW? Donaghy is playing well at the minute but I guess we have to give Caff a go at him, don’t we?
Unfortunately, PJ, I can’t go to Tralee either – the little lad is five on Sunday so I need to be here for the festivities. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make the last two matches, though – fancy a trip to Langerland for the final round? That could be a cracker, if we go into it needing a win to qualify for the final.
Congtrats to the team and all involved. Have to say I would never have backed this result in a bookies. Seems there is character in the team after all. Good to see A. Dillion back. By your acount he seems tohave been the main difference WJ. Personally I would have him on the 40 where he would have more space to operate/dictate. I think also now is the time to vary the team a little and perhaps give more of the guys on the periphery a chance, as well as give some others a bit of a break.
A couple of things maybe someone could clarify? Were we fortunate with the result? Did things go our way i.e. with two rather fortutious goals that seem to have made a big difference? Also what kind of play was it – i.e. was it similar to last weeks fare against Dublin with the high ball or, were there more measured options taken and some proper running and kick psasing into space for inside forwards to chase and develop?
Maybe highlights on telly will reveal more. A win is a win though and again congrats again to all involved.
I can’t really respond to your questions JPM, as I was only listening in on radio and my report was based wholly on second-hand information. I don’t think we were fortunate to win, given that we led from the off and were the ones pushing the pace all the time. For sure, the goals came at the right time and Derry’s defence seems to have been lax enough (can anyone who was there confirm?) but we did well to soak up the pressure they put on us and then hit them with those late points to seal the win.
Alan could well be on the forty down in Tralee. Ronaldson has to go straight back in at corner-forward, Varley and AOS will almost certainly start, as will Andy Moran and Trevor. If Ronan doesn’t make it, there’s a strong case for shifting SOS to midfield, which frees the no.11 jersey for Dillon. (Come to think of it, even if Ronan is okay, there’s merit in doing this as Tom Parsons isn’t performing too well and I can’t see him getting too much change out of Quirke and Scanlon in Tralee).
Great win alright. Listened to it on Midwest, which was bizarre enough. I think the commentary position must have been in Letterkenny somewhere, you couldn’t hear anything from the actual game! No crowd noise, nothing at all.
Was looking forward to seeing the highlights on TG4 tonight, but I don’t think they have any. They didn’t mention anything about showing some of the game yesterday and their website doesn’t mention it either. Were there actually cameras there??
Great win and a great start to the year. It’s all you can ask.
I still think we haven’t addressed the full back line and come the summer we’re going to have the same problems. I don’t think Cafferkey is up to it and I still think higgins and vaughan are half backs.
Is there anyone else for fullback? Would J’O’M try Kieran Conroy in there again, maybe on Donaghy?
full back is a problem and all teams playing us know this. Cafferkey does ok but ok will not win an all ireland. Donaghy gave hanley a hard time yesterdayand im sure Kerry will play the same against us. Still the team is shaping up and the lads are still very young. average age early twenties? lets trust the lads and Johno. Good to be winning tho.
oh yeah no bloody cameras at match and none next week either. papers were rubbish too. Whats the story? only for ye we would be in the dark. tks willie joe.
Kieran Conroy did well on donaghy a couple of years ago, but i think cafferkey will start. Kieth will probably pickup cooper. Kerry looked impressive against galway. although galway were poor. Is ronaldson available for the match? A bit worried about the U21 players, playing a lot of foootball at the moment, hopefully Dempsy and O’Mahoney will look after them.
No matter how good your full back line is if the (like yesterday in the Galway /kerry game) full foward line gets quality ball it will destroy any full back line in the Country.Like to see Howely in the full back line to add a bit of bite.Conroy maybe at 6 for the height .
Dan – Rob Murphy on Midwest said that the commentary box was set behind glass in Celtic Park and he apologised for the lack of any crowd sounds. I agree that it did sound kinda weird, though.
I think there’s a good chance that Kieran Conroy may be deployed as an extra defender with the specific task of marking Donaghy, as he’s done that job in the last two league meetings with them.
As far as I know, Jucer, Mark Ronaldson will be available on Sunday (though it’s always difficult to know for sure what the crack is with suspensions) as his ban ends at midnight on Saturday. That’s my story anyway and I’m sticking to it.
It is possible that mayo will try to crowd the space in front of donaghy, a bit negative I know but we need to adapt tactics to win matches. You could well see trevor or andy operating in a deep position with Howley pulling back yo fill the space in front of the full back (Caff should be given a chance again, with the sole purpose of breaking the ball and the pace of Keith or Donal should do a lot of mopping!) We have to avoid Donaghy getting 1V1 in space, but you’re right Mossy, a lot depends on winning the battles in the middle third so that the ball in to Star is not measured. Should be a cracking game and a chance to de-mystify the green and gold ogre!
We are hung up on Donaghy when we evaluate our potentila full backs. You cannot pick a full back with Donaghy in mind. No full back in Ireland can be sure of handling this guy. What you do is have a general run of the mill full back who will do ok in most situations and when it come to Donaghy you adopt …….ehmm! Special Measures!
i dont think Donaghy is going to be the biggest problem come sunday. Declan o sullivan was on fire and ran from deep causing all sorts of problems. maybe lets concentrate on our game. i think we will cause lots of trouble to Kerry and at this stage are becoming a team that most teams dont like playing.
Agree that Kerry looked good against Galway but this Galway team seem to lack team work, they did not track back against us and they did not seem to do this against Kerry either. Once this happened, Kerry were always going to beat them.
While Kerry are favourites, we can make things difficult for them, for me the performance is more important than the result. We need to show that we can compete, possibly gain a draw, then look to beat Monaghan (not so straightforward) and finally head to Cork for a good end game to the league, where there might be something to play for. This would set us up well for the championship, irrespective as to where we finish in the league.
As a Mayoman in Sligo, we cannot afford to lose that game, once is enough to have to go through that feeling…