Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho it's off to the Hyde we go

Fri, Jun 26, 2015

There was plenty of shock on Wednesday evening when it was announced by the Connacht GAA Council that Hyde Park in Roscommon would be the venue for this year's Connacht Senior Football Championship final between Mayo and Sligo. All indications up to that point were that the game would be played in either Castlebar's Elverys MacHale Park or Galway's Pearse Stadium.

Roscommon did not see that one coming

Fri, Jun 26, 2015

There had not been one shock so far in the first round of the All-Ireland football championship, a few landslide victories that we did not see coming, but no underdog eliminating any overwhelming favourite from their provincial championship. That all changed last Saturday evening in Markevicz Park in Sligo where the home side completely outplayed and outfought a Roscommon side that seemed to believe all their own hype.

I would imagine it was mentioned in the pre-match team talk. I listened to Roscommon manager John Evans on 2fm’s Game On the Monday after they defeated Down in the division two league final declaring his team will be competing against Dublin and Kerry in the near future in All-Ireland finals. Not a mention of Mayo or any team in their province, Sligo were not even on his radar, he wanted to catch a whale, he should have started with a mackerel. I cringed listening to Evans declaring how brilliant his team were, some will call his ideals open and honest, it was more like stupid to me. You are setting yourself up for one giant humiliation and that is certainly what occurred in Sligo.

Five spots in last eight still up for grabs in senior championship

Fri, Jun 26, 2015

As the last weekend of action in the group stages of both the senior and intermediate championships gets ready to throw in for action this weekend, there are still an awful lot of things to sort out. The only certain things are that Castlebar Mitchels, Knockmore and Breaffy will be in the last eight of the competition when it recommences later this summer, leaving five more places still up for grabs from three of the groups.

Days of destiny for a number of clubs

Fri, Jun 26, 2015

Group One
Knockmore v Breaffy

Knockmore v Breaffy

Sligo underdogs ambush Roscommon

Fri, Jun 26, 2015

A fellow attendee was telling me last Saturday afternoon, at a wedding in the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway, that Niall Carew's Sligo team were available at 7/1 in some bookies. He looked me in the eye and asked, "What do you think, Silke? Are they worth a punt?" I told him that they were astonishing odds, however, that on all known recent form, including two successive promotions, Roscommon would be expected to win. However he should check out the handicap, as I didn't think there would be that much between them.

New cup competitions kick-off this weekend

Fri, Jun 26, 2015

The Mayo League has mixed things up this year with new structure for the main cup competition, rather than a straight knock-out competition with every team in the league in the one competition, it has divided it into three separate cup competitions with the top 16 sides in last year's league standings in the Connacht Gold Super Cup, the next 16 in the Premier Cup, and the last eight sides in last year's standings competing for the Challenge Cup.

Manulla keep things interesting at the top

Fri, Jun 26, 2015

Manulla were back giant killing again at the weekend when they defeated Ballina Town in a pulsating contest. With it delicately poised at the break at 1-1 Manulla kicked for home in the second period. Aidan O’Hora was on target for Ballina Town while Gary Durkan and Enda McGahon bagged the crucial goals for Tom Healy’s men. Westport Utd put their harrowing defeat to Ballyglass behind them from last weekend with a comprehensive 3-0 win against Charlestown Athletic. Goals from Pat Fitzgerald, Joe Lawless, and veteran Vinny O’Malley were enough for John Brennan’s men.

Ballyheane picked up three vital points on Saturday night when they defeated Iorrais Aontaithe away from home, thanks to goals from the returning Terry Maughan and Damien Walsh. It keeps them in touch of league leaders Ballina Town and Ballyglass. Castlebar Celtic were pushed all the way in a cracking match against struggling Conn Rangers who have yet to get off the mark this season. They needed to delve into their well of experience in a 4-3 win as both Paul Moran and Colm Nevin bagged braces. Shane Maughan, John Judge and Brian Hughes were on target for the north Mayo men.

Mayo move past Galway challenge

Fri, Jun 19, 2015

Mayo made it five wins in a row in Salthill last Sunday against Galway in the first real test of the Holmes and Connelly era with a bit to spare. While the gap was only four points at full time whistle in reality, Mayo always had the Tribesmen fended off apart from a brief period at the tail end of the first-half that culminated with Gary Sice's thunderbolt of a goal.

O'Shea stars as Mayo lay down a marker

Fri, Jun 19, 2015

Mayo continued their dominance over fiercest Connacht rivals Galway with a hard fought four point win in Salthill last Sunday. Galway, obviously reeling after four successive defeats against the green and red set the tone early on with some big hits as they let the visitors know they were not going to roll over this time around.

Talking points from Mayo and Galway clash

Fri, Jun 19, 2015

Mayo's physical size
Myself and former Mayo player Billy Fitzpatrick were working in the Mid-West Radio Outsider broadcast unit last Sunday at Pearse Stadium and twenty minutes before the game in the space of two minutes the two squads walked by, just outside the window of the bus. The contrast between the teams could not have been more stark. Galway's big men looked tall and slight - whereas nearly all the Mayo panelists were really well built men, with the likes of Aidan O' Shea, Barry Moran, Kevin Keane, Seamus O'Shea Tom Cunniffe and Lee Keegan looking particularly powerful. Interestingly the individual possession stats help confirm that view, with Seamus O' Shea having 20 individual possessions and Aidan with 19 - both more than any Galway player. The hard yards that Mayo have made as regards strength and conditioning over the past four years was there in front of my eyes. The disparity between the panels was plain to be seen in every bicep, shoulder and chest.