Search Results for 'Jim Gavin'

"We’ll be competitive and we’ll be looking for a performance every day that we go out and we can be honest in ourselves and we did ourselves and the county proud and we’re going the right direction towards what our goals will be.” That's what Stephen Rochford said back in December 2015 — two days after he was appointed Mayo manager. While there have been days when things haven't quite gone to plan they have always been "honest" in themselves as a team and that's what has brought them to where they are right now, 70 minutes away from their final goal.

All-Ireland final fever is here. I still have to pinch myself to contemplate that Mayo are back in the football showpiece again. Looking at Mayo's run to the final you'd almost forget that it started against Sligo in Castlebar on May 21. The ticket fiasco is still the same, however, with most Mayo folk willing to beg, borrow, or steal to get their hands on that elusive golden ticket. Some novel efforts took to Tinder looking for a female acquaintance, the only catch was they had to have a spare ticket for the game. The most desperate are offering their spouses in return for a match day pass, it's all part of the fun, it's all part of the build up.

There is huge excitement and anticipation ahead of next Sunday’s All-Ireland football final. The stakes are massive for both counties.

On Saturday a lot of questions will be answered as Derry come to Elvery's MacHale Park for a do or die qualifier game against Mayo. Again we find ourselves having to take the scenic route in pursuit of glory; again our county seems divided with opinion about the prospects of our team.

Sunday proved to be a demoralising afternoon for Westmeath, who suffered a 4-29 to 0-10 Leinster SFC semi-final defeat against Dublin.

Sunday proved to be a demoralising afternoon for Westmeath, who suffered a 4-29 to 0-10 Leinster SFC semi-final defeat against Dublin.

Mayo put in an impressive offensive performance to defeat a free falling Roscommon by eight points leaving the Rossies in dire relegation trouble. The 1-19 to 0-14 scoreline suggests a rout but it is somewhat flattering considering All-Star goalkeeper David Clarke pulled off a string of top class saves to keep Roscommon at bay. Clarke, for the third league game in a row, has been one of Mayo's top performers and was deservedly the winner of the man-of-the-match award.

It was that all too familiar feeling in Croke Park last Sunday, when Maurice Deegan blew the full time whistle. While 'The Auld Triangle' drowned out the celebrations from the Hill and Dublin supporters around the ground, for us Mayo folk, we sat back and took stock of what had happened, just like we did in 89, 96, 97, 04, 06, 12, 13, and now once more in 2016. If you have not heard the last lamenting few minutes of Mid West Radio's commentary from Mike Finnerty and John Casey, it captures the feeling we all felt as well as anything could. "It's just not meant to be, it's just not meant to be for Mayo," was how Mike called it, before a few seconds of silence came from their microphones before he was able to try to put some sense on what happened. While when he could finally get some words in Casey emotionally adds "is there ever a God going to smile on us," and, "Ah give give us a break, give us a break for God's sake, that team deserve something."

This one is hard to comprehend,very hard. Some are harder to take than others. This defeat is pretty difficult to take. Our 1996 loss to Meath is forever etched in my memory for all the wrong reasons, it's very similar to last Sunday.

And so another All-Ireland against Dublin ended with a crucial kick from the man whose sublime finish had us back here in the first place.