Search Results for 'Neil Douglas'

Ever since Joe McQuillian blew his final whistle in Croke Park last August and brought Mayo’s 2009 season to a shuddering end at the hands of Meath, all minds have been set firmly on the start of the national league and Mayo’s next crack at an All-Ireland run. The FBD league has run its course to a final spot against Galway at the end of the month, but Sunday’s game against the old enemy is where it all really begins again. While the lights may have been extinguished on this fixture by planning issues, there should still be plenty of fireworks on the field when the sides go head to head on Sunday in a game where both sides have a lot of questions to answer about each other.

Mayo 1-9

The next two weekends of action for the Mayo senior footballers have a more challenging and appealing look to them than the previous two weekends fare against the students from Galway and Sligo. Games against Roscommon this Sunday, and Galway the following week, in the opening round of the national league is the early season competition for which Mayo supporters have been waiting.

In the first game played under Mervue's new floodlighting system at Fahy’s field, it was the home side that took the game to their more illustrious opponents GalwayUnited in the Eircom u-20 League.

In the Dr Tony O'Neill u-20 Eircom League of Ireland, Mervue United enjoyed a productive week, gathering four points from their two home games.

Mervue United are on the brink of an amazing end to their first season in the Eircom League A Championship as they prepare to take on the First Division’s bottom club Kildare County in a promotion/relegation play-off over the next week. Tomorrow night’s first leg at Fahy’s Field (kick off 8pm) promises to be a memorable occasion for all involved with the progressive club.

You can’t beat experience or class. Despite the flamboyance and arrogance of youth, the old experienced warhorse who’s been there, done that, invariably realises that something clever is required if his team is going to prevail. And so it was last Sunday with Charlestown edging past Castlebar, just when some might have felt a shock was on the cards. In Crossmolina’s case in our semi-final defeat to Knockmore it looked as though we had too much experience and not enough youthful exuberance. Last Sunday Castlebar had plenty of youthful energy around the field, but when the game was there to be won, Charlestown had that little bit of guile and know-how to close out the deal. With all their experience they knew how to win this game and advance to yet another county final.

The freezing conditions that have beset the country have seen the cancellation of the first round of games in the Connacht FBD League this weekend. The Connacht council announced the decision on Wednesday saying: “Due to hazardous driving conditions and having checked the weather forecast for the weekend Connacht GAA Council has postponed the start of the FBD Insurance League until Sunday January 17.” Mayo were scheduled to open their FBD League campaign with a tie in Garrymore against the students from NUIG on Sunday, but all the ties have now been put back a week due to the snow and ice. Mayo will now start their campaign on Sunday week, and follow it up with a game at home to Sligo IT on Sunday January 24 in Charlestown, and wrap up the league stages on Sunday January 31 in Ballinlough against Roscommon. The home final for the league has been pencilled in for either Saturday February 20 or Sunday February 28, and the final against New York on Sunday October 10.

Castlebar 1-15

While the fog did not lift last Saturday in Castlebar, as the Mitchels finally saw off the challenge of Breaffy in the u21 A semi final, the result will stand unlike the previous week’s game which was blown up early. At the end of 60 minutes of hard fought and often times blind play the Mitchels came out deserved winners by 1-9 to 0-8. That win for Paul Jordan and Tommy O'Malley's side has set up a mouth watering encounter against another local rival, Ballintubber.