Mayo GAA Discussion Thread

yop wrote: »

Happy with the win and to move on. Plenty of rustiness and plenty of questions. Can't see how comer stayed on the pitch, looking at the highlights he was at the heart and/or cause of most of the rows, big man hitting McLoughlin from behind and dragging Keegan. He can enjoy his lemon tonight.

I dont remember this incident - what stage of the match was it at?

yop wrote: »

Happy with the win and to move on. Plenty of rustiness and plenty of questions.

Hopefully just rust but I'm afeared it's a team that's gone to the well once too often. Remember what we did to Galway two years ago. Still confident of beating Ros/Sligo but can see use losing to someone like Kildare or Derry in the quarters...

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Completely agree on Pearse stadium, but why will it get worse?

Construction of the proposed Galway harbour development.

blinding wrote: »

Why doesn't t
Galway county council should some sort of Park and Free bus system.

If thèse matches are to be played where parking is a problem then the Council must step in and Fix the Problem.

I'm amazed adequate park and ride wasn't a prerequisite in the planning application when the stadium was being upgraded.

Getting 20,000+ people in and out of what is basically a cul de sac was always going to be a disaster without proper park and ride.

blinding wrote: »

Thats terrible and certainly won't encourage anyone to try using it again.

We had the exact same problem last time Mayo were in town.
Twas great getting the park and ride to the match but if you hadn't left the match 10-15 minutes early and gotten one of the first four buses back to Carnmore you waited ages for them to make the return trip to collect more, you'd have been there for ages.
Obviously they haven't learned from last time out.

The game was a fairly scrappy affair, ref should have sorted that out from the outset but instead let it go on too long.
Mayo were definitely rusty and it showed but they had enough in the tank to pull away in the first few minutes of the second half. The goals were a concern but again I'd blame a but of that on sharpness.
Aidan O Shea had a great game but I do agree with earlier posters that he should have laid the ball off to players who were unmarked and in better positions on occasion.

Anyway I'm not as well up as some here and most of my other thoughts have been said.

I'd be a slight bit concerned that we've not really introduced any new blood (outside one or two players) over the past 3 years or so. While Moran and Dillon are no doubt great players, there is, in my opinion, a real need to have other options available.

Interesting reading all the comments re the game.Relieved we got over Galway considering the half time score.I was quite worried.Unfortunately the same old failings are still present.Although we saw glimpses of a more direct and quick kick passing approach we resorted to a slow and at times ponderous run and offload approach.I'm not sure if at this stage it's so ingrained in the mindset after four years but it needs to change.

Moving Aidan O Shea inside has undoubtedly the potential to work a dream if he gets the correct delivery and can take some of the pressure off Cillian O Connor.As has been mentioned he really can take too much out of the ball by engaging so many in the tackle.But the likes of Jason Doherty,Kevin McLaughlin and Mark Ronaldson are capable of tagging on a couple of scores.It does need to be on a more reliable basis.I was disappointed Alan Freeman was introduced so late as he has bundles of potential as demonstrated in 2013.

The full back line is a big worry,Michael Lundy got some very decent ball in the first half and gave Tom Cunniffe a roasting.Admittedly the Galway inside forwards are first class,a very good test.Keith Higgins was his usual imperious self throughout and was the true captain who carried the game to Galway after they had the first half purple patch and Sice's screamer.

Blaming the full back line for all our ills however is only half the story,our dynamic half back line and midfielders/half forwards at times are only sauntering back and allowing a proverbial red sea to open up and giving totally inadequate protection to the full back line.The scoring threat from our half back line seems to have largely dried up since 2013.

I thought we did ok in the middle,Kevin McLaughlin's footpassing was poor at times and I fail to see why Cillian O Connor did not take that free out on the right hand side in the side.Kevin McLaughlin's freetaking is too unreliable,admittedly it was a tough one.I thought Diarmuid O Connor did a lot of good grafting but needs to become more of a scoring threat.Jason Doherty was relatively quiet but took his score well.

The inside forwards did very well,Andy Moran took his two scores very well although I'm not certain he was looking at the posts for his first one,the second one was a peach.

Aidan O Shea as we all know is a handful for anybody,a mountain of a man who has an excellent skills set.He proved a nightmare for Finian Hanley who was extremely lucky to stay on the pitch as long as he did.If Aidan O Shea can marry the best of his play with limiting his urge to at times take too much out the ball we could have a marriage made in heaven.Our fortutious goal came from such an instant,it was an unfortunate error by Manus Breathnach...I believe Galway have had issues in this position,tried 3 diffferent goalkeepers in one league game alone.

David Clarke had a pretty solid game in goals,no blame attached to any of the goals.He did'nt need to become involved in any of the niggle which permeated the game.I did not notice any of the mentioned involvement of Damian Comer is such antics,Tom Cunniffe was lucky not to be yellow carded in the first half.Seamus O Shea did appear to use a high elbow before Sice's goal.I know we speak a lot about closing out the game but I was very disappointed with Lee Keegan's antics at the end,absolutely no need for it.Of course the ends did justify the means as Padraig Hughes failed to play the wasted extra time.TBH we'd be screaming blue murder if we were on the end of such antics.

It was a very difficult game to referee with all the stuff going on from literally the throw in but I thought if Padraig Hughes had taken firmer action earlier on we would'nt have had the free ridden,cards of all sorts game.

I was impressed with the depth of our bench,ok Shane Curran slated it in comparison to the Kerry bench.But sadly I firmly believe Andy Moran has done his knee again,alongside Alan Dillon departing so early after coming on we had to use/waste two substitutions in the contest on a warm day in Salthill.Donal Vaughan definitely made a difference on his arrival,he had all the appearances of a man gunning to make a point re his demotion.Ger Cafferkey I was surprised did not possibly come on earlier,at half time for a struggling Tom Cunniffe.Although Tom Cunniffe improved markedly in the second half.His arrival was required when Kevin Keane did receive his yellow card.Although at the moment we have no man who will be in a position to command the square against a Kieran Donaghy.

Galway have much potential to make progress in the qualifiers given a favourable draw,Shane Walsh was a huge loss,ditto Peadar Og O Griofa.I could see them making the All Ireland quarter finals.

As for ourselves I will look no further than Roscommon or Sligo but unless the lessons of last four years are learned which is not readily apparent an All Ireland semi final loss to Dublin will be our lot.We will not be able to go man to man against Dublin or Kerry and we have yet to learn how to kill a game,we appear to go into a panic mode.

Great to see a fit Cillian O Connor back,comfortable taking the tackle.Hopefully he'll stay injury free as unfortunately our fortunes this summer will depend so much on same.

Lots of complaints re Salthill and rightly so.I found it mindboggling music been playing in the background whilst the band were on the pitch.The echo off the loudspeaker was an absolute joke,it made it virtually impossible to make out what was been announced.

Commiserations to the Mayo hurlers,outhurled by a slightly better team on the day.