It’s not just duh jursey, like, that the lads will be playing for in the challenge game against Westmeath under the lights at Ballinrobe on Saturday evening (throw-in 6.30pm). They will, according to this report in yesterday’s Mayo News, be tussling instead with the Lake County for the right to get their greasy paws on no less a keepsake than The Tim Kelly Engineering Floodlit Cup. Doesn’t quite have the same allure as Sam, does it? Shades of Tommy Varden Catering Equipment there, I reckon. All the same, well done to Tim Kelly Electrical Contractors Limited (this is you guys, right?) for dangling this particular bauble in front of the two teams this weekend. Who said challenge matches were meaningless, eh?
Elsewhere, I see that the other county that sports the Green and Red gave it socks to the Dubs up in Parnell Park last night in the semi-final of the O’Byrne Cup. The match ended all square after extra-time and three sendings-off and so they must meet again for the right to face Longford (yes, Longford – it’s been an odd enough O’Byrne Cup) in the final. G’wan de Scallion Aters!
Did you see the Dubs vs Carlow on Setanta last night? Carlow were really up for it but I’d expect them to be well beaten in the replay.
I know that it’s only the O’Byrne Cup, it’s only January, it was only a mid-week game, Dubs do not have a full squad to choose from, etc, but the Dubs were rudderless without Ryan and Jayo. They were very lucky to draw.
They have similar problems to us at full back, with their first choice No 3 Ross McConnell at sea against Carlow – CARLOW! I ask you!!
No 2 team in the country? I remain unconvinced.
My long shot tip for 2008? How about Down. They beat us a few years ago in the minor final and have been doing well in the McKenna Cup this year. I know it’s only January and it’s only the McKenn……………………, etc, but at 16/1 for Ulster (paddypower.com), they are worth a look.
Wouldn’t be to confident about Down there brother, have been very poor over the last few years and with Marty Clarke heading to Auz, who was the star of that show in the minor final, he’ll be a big loss like Hanley will be to us over the comming few years.
I missed the game last night as I was out of town in non-Setanta land (mind you if I was at home, I wouldn’t have seen it either as the NTL connection was fucked apparently) and had to make do with Prison Break instead. That nasty Sammy lad got his comeuppance on it, which was all very satisfying.
Certainly from the evidence of the Wicklow game we were at, Ryan and Jayo are hugely important to the Dubs. What about Captain Brogan – was he not playing? Re the full-back position, see FourGoal’s comment (on yesterday’s post) about ball-playing no.3s which is quite insightful, I think.
On the Northern Question, my Six County spies don’t rate Down all that highly and continue to insist that Derry are the side to watch (could be some Oak Leaf bias there, I suspect). I suppose we’ll see for ourselves soon enough how Derry are shaping up.
Yeah, The Dubs had 3 Brogans on show. Bernard got 1-5 though a few were frees. Alan get a few as well. Brian Cullen was centre forward and a lot of the usual suspects were on show. So it wasn’t a second string side or anything.
So Pillar hasn’t got the kind of excuses that Le Boss had after that hiding Spurs gave them last night!