While the main focus for most supporters this weekend will be the FBD semi-final against Galway at MacHale Park on Sunday afternoon (throw-in 2pm), that’s not the only action that’s on. Tomorrow there’s a choice between club and county, with matches of interest taking place in Ennis and Ballina.
At Cusack Park in Ennis Kilmaine face Na Gaeil of Kerry in the All-Ireland Junior club football semi-final. Throw-in at the Clare venue – so often a happy hunting ground for different Mayo teams down the years – is 1.30pm tomorrow.
Kerry club teams are always very strong at Intermediate and Junior levels. It’s no surprise, then, that the Tralee side – which features Jack Barry in its ranks, although the midfielder is reportedly “50:50” for tomorrow due to ankle trouble – are strong favourites to win tomorrow.
Kilmaine, though, will surely be coming into this contest on a high, having captured the Connacht JFC title back in November. They’ll be keenly aware too of the magnitude of the prize on offer tomorrow, with the winners heading for an All-Ireland final appearance at Croke Park later this month. The best of luck to them.
Closer to home, the county’s U20s play their second match in this year’s Development League, in which they’re competing this year in the Leo Murphy Cup. Following last weekend’s draw away to Roscommon, Mike Solan’s team take on Derry at James Stephens Park in Ballina. That game has a 2pm throw-in tomorrow afternoon.
UPDATE: The venue for the U20 match against Derry has now been switched to the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan. Throw-in stays at 2pm.
Tomorrow night, meanwhile, the action takes place off the field, though it’s to salute significant on-field endeavours. The 15th annual Club Stars banquet is on at the Knockranny Hotel in Westport, at which the Team of the Year will be revealed, along with a raft of other awards.
I’ve never managed to get to this event before but I’m looking forward to being there tomorrow night. Rob Murphy and I will be recording some audio at the event, some of which will make it into the first episode for 2020 of the Mayo News football podcast.
That podcast episode will also take in some in-game chat and post-match analysis from MacHale Park on Sunday and it’ll be online at some point on Monday. I’ll also be doing my own bit of post-match audio from MacHale Park as well as bashing out a brief match report for the blog before hitting the road back to Dublin. A full-on and fun weekend lies ahead.
The u20 match is moved to Bekan announced on Mayo Gaa twitter.
Can someone answer me this. Can a mark be called if the ball bounces or touches the ground before the player receiving the ball gains posession, or does the ball have to be fielded clean without touching the ground ? Thanks.
Thanks, JP – I’ve updated the piece accordingly.
Revellino – the ball needs to be caught cleanly without a bounce for a mark to be claimed.
Agree with DoC, the attacking mark is a totally needless rule change that was rushed through without the consultation of players. I cannot understand this constant attempt to ape aussie rules. AFL is shite as a spectacle.
Have to see im looking around at the lie of the land around the country and feeling very good about things again. So many teams being badly hit with exodus of key players. We haven’t done too badly out of it personnel wise with just Andy and cafferky gone.
Tyrone are absolutely screwed without Mcshane and mattie donnelly, they are relagation candidates.
Donegal still missing ban Gallagher, macNiallais, gallen, Jason mcgee and apparently mcbrearty
Cavan missing 4 best players, clare missing their 2 best players, Galways best performer against us last year Peter Cooke has left, sligo best player has left, Fermanagh best player has left, Kingstons gone from laois. Etc etc
So all in all we have done very well personnel wise. We have always been blessed in terms of commitment and players not walking away
I expect div 1 top 4 will be kerry, Dublin, Galway and ourselves (in no particular order)
Thanks WJ.
Good luck to the Mayo teams playing this weekend. The main thing this time of the year is not to suffer any injuries.
Best of luck especially to the new comers and Tom Parsons.
Supermac Andy will be a huge loss for us this year and going forward. He was one of our best forwards last year he won the game for us when he came on against Donegal he had that bit of cuteness to get out in front of his man and knock over a few points to settle us down that day. Time waits for no man or woman though and it’s up to the younger lads to step up now which I am confident they will
@backdoorsam of course he is a huge loss but we got every last drop out of him. His cuteness will be missed badly but I think his loss may embolden one or 2 of the bolters to step up now.
A Ryan odonoghue/boylan/irwin must now realise there is a vacancy and step up and grab the nettle, no need for them to be looking over their shoulder waiting for Andy to replace them after 20 minutes. Time to step up and grab it
Mayo 1-7 to no score up at half time against Derry.
Mayo 2-7
Derry 0-1
20 minutes left but mayo against the breeze.
Kilmaine gone to extra time in their semi-final.
Mayo 2-11 Derry 3-3. Entertaining second half but JH wont be calling anyone tonight!
Hard luck Kilmaine. They lose by a point.
Hard luck to Kilmaine. I always think that a narrow loss like that is harder to take – more room for thoughts of what if, regrets for mistakes real or imaginary etc. I hope Donegal have an U20 team for next week, what with Sigerson and their small population. Well, it must be small seeing as they couldn’t get 15 or 20 for Armagh in the McKenna Cup this weekend
Lahanman bit of a harsh comment tbh. Plenty of good performances out there in horrible conditions. Give the lads a chance.
It was a cat game the u20s
Mayo man ion Meath. I listened to Austin Garvin match report on Midwest. He said young Hession at wing back and Brickedon at centre back were outstanding.
Does anybody know who the substitutes are for Mayo tomorrow. Fair play to Kilmaine today, they were superb.
Hard luck Kilmaine, heart goes out to them. Any idea of the estimated attendance for tomorrow. 5k?
Kilmaine to a man were magnificent, team, subs and management, a valiant performance full of heart and skill, and so unlucky.
I wasn’t at the match. How was Adam Barrett for Kilmaine? I seen that he scored several crucial frees. He was listed in the u20 squad additional squad members yesterday.