Mayo GAA Discussion

But it was yourself that put up the photo showing it clearly wasn't a foot block. I don't have an official definition of a "foot". But it definitely doesn't include half-way up someone's leg. It was clearly the back of Brian Fentons leg (i.e. the calf muscle) that blocked the ball.

I don't know how anyone can criticize Brick for the pass. He saw the opportunity and it was a perfect pass. He had the ball was on the mayo half back line. It wasn't going to be as simple as Mayo playing around with the ball for another minute and then just miraciously get a shot at goal as the three minutes of injury time are about to elapse. You have to take some chance to get reward. If it were Ciaran McDonald, Diarmuid Connolly, David Clifford, Daragh Canavan, Shane Walsh etc., they would be regarded as genius for setting up what should have been the winning point. But the real issue is that all the players that were in the vicinity of Ciaran Kilkenny, when he caught that last ball, did not all catch him and fling him to the ground and sit on top of him to make sure that all momentum for Dublin going forward was absolutely diminished. The way he and his colleagues did to us some years ago, even though they took a black card for it. But it worked for them.

I have to agree on Brickendens pass, it was a perfect pass to our best shooter. The pass did its job, even if he didn't win the free, ROD had the ball!!

Derry don't have a chance against Mayo, only a couple of months ago I posted that I wouldn't be afraid of Mayo in the group stage.

I wonder what would possess people to drive 3.5 hours to Castlebar for that? Driving that distance sounds dreadful to me. I could understand it if they were going on train. I think maybe they just use it as an excuse for a holiday or to spend time with family. It is not like it will be a great game of football either.

Only one scoreboard I could see and it was behind him.

You honestly think players are looking at the scoreboard to see what's left in the heat of the battle. If it's injury time it's the discretion of the ref so how do you judge that.

On balance it probably was a footblock from Fenton. There was no distance between his leg and the ball, and its largely irrelevant if he meant it or not. Most players don't mean high tackles for example. Most fouls are accidental or clumsy execution.

That said most of the decisions balanced out. Mayo had ample opportunities and once good decision making mainly in the final third was lacking.

However there's no shame in drawing with this Dublin team.

So what your saying is that instead of trying to create something when there is opportunity to do something positive, what you should instead do is hold onto the ball for 2 minutes with the risk of being turned over and probably ultimately only get a shot to nothing? And you call that good game management? Bizarre rationale

Also McCaffrey completely unmarked. Hat's off to Dublin for the way they orchestrated that last score but it's coming up to 8 years since they pulled down our players for that last kickout. You'd wonder if we will ever learn that necessary bit of cynicism at this stage.

I agree that the performance supersedes everything. Some much positivity come from a game like that. It's just to make sure that if we meet again that we ready for nearly every scenario. Inches and all that.

It's fascinating. Remember in the league game in recent years where he sat Morgan down with a right foot solo dummy before knocking it into the net with his left foot. Also, last year in the biggest game to that point, he came off the bench late on v Galway. Mayo one point up. Galway press our kickout. Reape finds Hession but he is under major pressure. He uses his pace brilliantly to get out of trouble and set up an attack which ends with James Carr's winning score.

How bad must he be playing in training not to at least be one of the first defensive subs on the pitch? To be honest, I'd have him ahead of Jack Coyne every day of the week.

Featured in 5 out of our last 5 league games (+20 off the bench against Kerry on his return from injury and starting the last 4 while finishing 3 of those) and didn't look to have regressed any in those. Not in top form attacking wise (hard to know if that was instructions or form, 50/50) but he looked as solid as anyone at the back in those games (one notable slip between himself & Flynn against Derry that cost a goal, but without knowing the lads triggers to chase I'd have thought that more on Flynn's end).

He'd have to be suffering some loss of form in training to have dropped far enough to be behind both Swanee & Lofus in the defensive pecking order at this point, from what we saw in the league games. I'd have thought he'd be pushing hard to start against Brick or Coyne coming into the Championship. Just on natural attributes, his pace offers so much on attacking threat & defensive cover, it's odd to see it not being used more.

Still memories of him pushing the medic/physio off him in the Kerry match last year to dive back into the action or the determination to win & celebrate a few of the big tackles that day. Exactly the type of mentality you love to see on the field. Fingers crossed no niggly injuries or issues holding him back & it's just tight battles for selection. Hell of a baller on his day & one that really excites the crowd whenever he sets off at pace.

Agreed.

John Walker gave an update to the Mayo News suggesting Eoghan should be fine, so fingers crossed there. He'd had the ankle issue about 10-15 minutes in, the knee about 20 minutes in & then felt the hamstring tighten around 30 minutes and (thankfully, correct decision even if the game slipped through our fingers) taken off rather than risking it.

He mentioned a further appeal on the 2 game ban for Fergie too, though I'd not get my hopes too high on that one.

Some change in only a matter of weeks