Casey's Call
Fri, Jul 19, 2013
The weather is up and everyone seems to be in a good mood but there is nothing better to whet the appetite than the Connacht final. The first time appearance of London in this year’s decider makes it intriguing and novel to say the least. We have watched Mayo outgun and blitz anything that has come their way this summer and the final on Sunday will be no different. The biggest worry for managers and players this Sunday will be the sweltering heat and making sure players don’t get dehydrated as come 2pm on Sunday in Castlebar, temperatures could hit the 30 degree mark. I’m sure the way players look after themselves in this day and age we don’t have to worry as they will be keeping themselves well hydrated all week.
The most fascinating factor from my point of view is to see what Mayo team lines out. Its “squeaky bum” time for the players as everyone wants to be in the starting 15. I am writing this well in advance of any team been named. The 15 guys who started against Roscommon will feel very hard done by if any of them lose their place (injury aside) and possession is nine tenths of the law, if you play well you keep your jersey. I expect most of the starting players will feel under pressure to perform as the next game is in Croke Park and everybody wants game time in Croker. Here’s the problem for James Horan and his management team, you have guys like Mickey Conroy, Andy Moran, Barry Moran, Chris Barrett and Cillian o Connor (if fit) to name but five who would make most teams in the country waiting in the traps, rearing to go but you can’t very well drop the likes of Seamus O’Shea, Alan Freeman or Richie Feeney after their performances against Roscommon and Galway. Getting this balance right is what’s key, overlooking Sunday’s Connacht final, we want our strongest team in Croke Park for the quarter-final final. I would love to be a fly on the wall in the room where the team is being picked. Its a great problem for James Horan having 22 well able bodies pushing for 15 places — it also removes any level of complacency that the players might have.
Read more ...Horan makes four changes for exiles visit
Fri, Jul 19, 2013
Mayo manager James Horan has made four changes to the Mayo line-up for Sunday’s novel Connacht final against London in McHale Park. Breaffy’s Rob Hennelly who was recalled to the panel in recent days following a goalkeeping injury crisis, has been selected between the posts for his first championship start since the 2011 All Ireland semi-final defeat to Kerry in Croke Park.
Read more ...Back in the big time, Boyle’s looking for bigger and better things
Mon, Jul 15, 2013
For a few years it looked like Colm Boyle might be joining the long list of players who could have been, but never really quite made it. The 26-year-old Davitts defender was part of the All Ireland winning u21 team in 2006 and in 2008 made his championship debut against Sligo, but not long after he was gone off the inter-county scene, probably not to be seen again.
Read more ...Mayo female’s shine at Europeans
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
Six Mayo female boxers travelled to Keszthely in Hungry last Sunday week for the 2013 European Union youth, junior and senior championships. Jacqui Lynch (Golden Gloves BC), Ciara Sheedy (Swinford BC), Ciara Ginty (Geesala BC), Grainne Gavin (Castlebar BC), Lycia Heneghan (Ballinrobe BC) and Cathy Higgins (Ardnaree BC) were part of the 26 boxing team hoping to bring home a medal.
Read more ...Mayo league team time trial over 25kms
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
Western Lakes CC savoured a great win against what looked like unbeatable opposition in Castlebar, beating the usually strong Westport Covies and Castlebar squads by 25 seconds and 75 seconds respectively. The five man Western Lakes squad had no room for error as they started with the bare minimum of five of which seven riders are the max per team.
Read more ...Captain’s prize’s take over the clubs of Mayo
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
Balla
The Balla Town Parks open stableford competition last weekend was won by Michael Clesham on 36pts, Pat Mohan finished in second place and Colm Walsh took third spot. In the ladies section of the competition, Margaret Forkan was the winner on 40pts, with Kitty O’Connor in second and Gabrielle Clesham taking third spot. The junior winner was Adrian O’Connell on 33pts.
Summer series passes the fourth round marker
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
The fourth race in Mayo AC's Summer 5k Series took place at Brickens on Tuesday evening last proved to be the toughest so far. Not the terrain – gently undulating – but the temperature. Heat is the one thing that runners of all levels fear most.
So the best plan usually is to be sensible and get around safely. It was not an evening for personal bests and most finishers were well down on their best times in the other races. The most welcome sight on the course was the water station between 2km and 3km marker. Michael Rocke was first home in 17:57, followed 20 seconds behind by Noel Gibbons, with John Nolan third in 18:19.
Read more ...Westport move back into serious contention
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
A brace of wins in three day’s from last Thursday to Sunday along with table toppers Ballina Town suffering their first loss in the league this season, saw Westport United move to within two points of the table toppers last weekend. Westport United kicked off their weekend double header with a 4-1 win over Iorras Aontaithe at home, thanks to first half goals from Philip Keegan and Dave Hoban along with late, late strikes from JP O’Gorman and Vinny O’Malley in the final five minutes. Strangely, it was the same opponents who did Westport United a big favour last Sunday afternoon when they turned over the leaders, by the odd goal in five in Carnenash and leave only a brace of points between Ballina Town and Westport United going into this weekend’s round of games.
Read more ...Mayo GAA Fixtures
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
Saturday July 13
Breaffy House JFC Group 1 (At 7.30pm)
Casey's Call
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
The dust has just about settled on the group stages of the Mayo championship and there is never a weekend that goes by that you are not intrigued or partly shocked by some of the results. I’m not quite the expert tipster I thought I was- our east Mayo friends in Aughamore let me down (Jimmy Killeen- the lethal Garrymore forward bagging himself eight points) along with Tomas Tierney’s Westport who failed to deliver on their promising victory in Tourmakeady.
I should have known the writing was on the wall when I met Declan Sweeney, the Knockmore stalwart and ever present for the last two decades and after I informed him I had tipped Westport to beat them, his reply “we’ll win it handy so”. I can only imagine what’s going through Ray Connelly’s head after Ballinrobe nearly dumped the reigning champions out in the group stages, what could have happened if Donal Vaughan didn’t damage his hamstring and Alan Murphy played- Ballagh’ would probably be out. It’s great to see Andy Moran in fine form for Ballagh and it can only mean a decision headache for James Horan. My own club Charlestown breezed into the quarter finals with a facile win over Tourmakeady. I didn’t look at bookies prices of teams for the Moclair cup but my gut tells me Ballintubber will be hard to beat again, as long as Cillian O’Connor returns. We will all have to anxiously wait for the quarter final draw. It was great to hear Michael Conroy got competitive action again for Davitts after a long lay off and he will be very anxious to get back into James Horan’s starting 15.
Read more ...Mayo look to avenge last year’s defeat
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
This time 12 months ago, the Galway ladies side staged an ultimate snatch and grab raid when they overturned a ten point deficit with 15 minutes left to claim the Connacht title in McHale Park. They outscored Mayo by 3-5 to 0-2 in that final quarter of an hour, to avenge a defeat handed out to them in the division two league final a few months previously. This Sunday, both sides will meet again in the provincial decider, this time with the Tribeswomen having home advantage in Tuam Stadium for the 4pm throw-in.
Read more ...