All-Ireland anyone?

[Poor Student]

I'm not the biggest GAA fan by any means, but there doesn't seem to be one thread here regarding the championship and we're one game away from the Gaelic football final. As far as I remember Paul O'Shea is a Mayo fan? I was at Mayo v Laois today. Mayo were much improved on last week. Some of their defending was excellent today and they prevented what appeared to be a few dead on points. They really steamrolled over Laois for most of the first half. I haven't caught the Dubs in action on TV this year and I don't know what to expect for Mayo. As usual they kicked plenty of wides and they'll be worn out after today. They'll also have the Croker disadvantage against them.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I reckon Dublin are a better team than Mayo but will be hindered by having too easy a quarter final. The Dubs will probably do enough to win but I fancy Kerry to take Sam.

[shakermaker1982]

come on Mayo!!! Due an All Ireland surely? Kerry-Cork was not a great game yesterday and I think the winner of Mayo/Dublin has a great chance of lifting the Sam.

[Poor Student]

Due an All Ireland surely?

Never say that when it comes to Mayo. Kerry have halted Mayo in their last two finals. Mayo are eternal bottlers, I doubt they'd beat Kerry even if they made it.

[magic moments]

mayo are not bottlers! hope we put it up to the dubs on sunday come on MAYO!:)

[Poor Student]

mayo are not bottlers!

They haven't won the All-Ireland in over 50 years! They were a bad let down against Kerry last time. MacDonald looked very knacked at the end of the game yesterday. There's not much recovery time before the Dublin game.

[Trainee]

Dublin will beat mayo by about 4-5 points on sunday

In the final I think it will be close game & i dont think kerry will be able to cope with the Hill 16 factor I think Dublin may win the final by 1-2 points

[SUB of the day]

speaking of Croker, if we can remain in contention come Spring 07, 75,000 fans at home games could secure 2nd place.

[RogerMilla]

kerry often coped with the hill 16 factor before....
Mayo to beat dublin , it's time the wheels came off this bandwagon

[oconghc2]

kerry often coped with the hill 16 factor before....
Mayo to beat dublin , it's time the wheels came off this bandwagon

thought the quality on sunday was poor! love mcDonald as a player - class distributor but couldnt help feelisng that he was actually hindering some of Mayos play going forward - taking too long and complicating things when a simple pass forward would have set the other forwards on the way!

as for the dublin bandwagon - true there are some dubs who get carried away but it doesnt seem any diffrent to me from what ive seen with other counties!! the only difference is that all the other counties like to build up the hype around the dubs hoping that they'll fall!! Ive felt that dubs supporters have been quietly confident this year but with a huge sense of caution.

Thought it was a pathetic attendance the last day - can understand that its expensive to travel - you just see the importance of dubs supporters for the GAA in terms of tkt revenue on days like this.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I think the Dubs fans still expect a lot and probably too much but are a lot more sensible than a few years back.

The fans left the Westmeath game knowing that while we shone for 25 minutes and won handy that a lot more needs to be done.

Personally I think this team will win an All-Ireland, just too much talent there not to, but not this season as I think Kerry are stronger.

I think the return of O'Shaughnessy next season (out injured this year) God willing will be the crucial change.

His skillset, or seeming lack thereof, result in him being under-rated but there isn't a defender in the country that can match his workrate.

At the end of the day he's a player who gets the job done and can lock down players that are far more naturally talented and skillful than him. Bottom line, he's a difference maker.

[paul_oshea]

pinenapple, Im not really a mayo fan, im from roscommon, but I used to go to all the mayo games when i was younger as my father was from there and brought us there rather than the roscommon games, i got sense eventually though and saw the light!!! ;)

Mayo arent strong enough for dublin. Dublins half back line is very good. Both teams have one thing in common in abundance....which is.....the ability to miss a load of chances, but if you can create enough then that isnt too much of a worry, however I think in mayos case it is more of a worry than dublin.



Thought it was a pathetic attendance the last day - can understand that its expensive to travel - you just see the importance of dubs supporters for the GAA in terms of tkt revenue on days like this.


here, there were two minor teams playing before, each get 5,000 each, so thats 10,000 straight away off the total attendance for the kerry v cork game, as i doubt either would have waited round, dont get confused with the empty seats, there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....

[Risteard]

Might get more reaction out of a hurling thread.

[oconghc2]

here, there were two minor teams playing before, each get 5,000 each, so thats 10,000 straight away off the total attendance for the kerry v cork game, as i doubt either would have waited round, dont get confused with the empty seats, there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....

werent kerry playing in the minor too? your point is valid - but the upper canal was empty throughout - i just feel a lot of empty seats takes away from a big games! It just adds to the debate really - why not do up the gaelic grounds(limerick) even more or pairc uí caíomh - durlas éile could do with a make over - and spread these type of games around? The dubs will fill out croker by themselves - (bigger population) but the GAA will miss out on all these fans due to the other games on the day!

[Poor Student]

pinenapple, Im not really a mayo fan, im from roscommon, but I used to go to all the mayo games when i was younger as my father was from there and brought us there rather than the roscommon games, i got sense eventually though and saw the light!!! ;)

It's Poor Student, not Pineapple.:p Talk about trading down, Paul!


Mayo arent strong enough for dublin. Dublins half back line is very good. Both teams have one thing in common in abundance....which is.....the ability to miss a load of chances, but if you can create enough then that isnt too much of a worry, however I think in mayos case it is more of a worry than dublin.

Mayo could have had twice as many points in the first half against Laois. Some of the misses were shocking. Young Mortimer is a very disappointing player for me, he often loses his footing and has some bad misses.



here, there were two minor teams playing before, each get 5,000 each, so thats 10,000 straight away off the total attendance for the kerry v cork game, as i doubt either would have waited round, dont get confused with the empty seats, there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....

If you mean last Sunday, well one of the minor teams was Kerry. A lot of the folk from Mayo would have booted off immediately to catch the train before the semi and I saw plenty of Laois fans exiting too.

[Milesmayhem24]

[QUOTE... there were 82,000 tickets sold for sunday....[/QUOTE]

If there were 82,000 tickets sold then only 60,000 or so turned up! They measure the attendance coming through the gates (with their new supermarket checkout counters)

As for the game next Sunday, I can't see Mayo beating Dublin. They were decent enough against Laois but Dublin won't let them run at them the way Laois did. They'll be physically too strong for Mayo.

I'd be worried against Kerry though. Dublin have lorded over it in in midfield in every game this year but it'll be a different story against Darragh O'Se and the Kerry half backs and forwards (although McGarrity and Harte will be tougher than anything they've come up against so far).

I agree that this Dublin team have an All-Ireland in them but unfortunately I don't think it'll be this year

[Aberdonian Stu]

The Mayo-Laois game should have been played Saturday along with the minor due to be on in Croker next week. The Tommy Murphy could then have been played yesterday and the result would be less of a fiasco for this Sunday's match!

To say tickets are in short supply is an understatement. In Dublin around demand outstrips supply by more than 3-1.

Every county has taken it's full allocation. While Dubs fans will be hit hardest numbers wise the other 5 will also lose out.

This should never be the case in the Tommy Murphy Cup as it sort of goes against the whole ethos of the competition (people from weaker counties get a big day in Croker yet could still miss out on getting a chance to see it live).

[Thunderblaster]

My biggest celebration would be if the GAA were to be abolished in the morning. Couldn't care less who would win the All Ireland. Soccer Rules!! Amen!!:D

T-6:D

[bennocelt]

My biggest celebration would be if the GAA were to be abolished in the morning. Couldn't care less who would win the All Ireland. Soccer Rules!! Amen!!:D

T-6:D

doh
dont you mean football rules!:eek:

[dahamsta]

Lads, this is the Other Sports forum and the the OP and other posters in this thread want to talk about another sport.

If you want to talk about football, how about doing it in a football forum?

adam

[RogerMilla]

i agree with all the posters here , i don't honestly believe mayo will beat the dubs , but you have to dream the dream !! ( especially as a mayo supporter)
A dubs kerry final will be too close to call , experience might be on kerrys side but the dubs will have serious support in the ground and they will not underestimate kerry, the fact that kerry have had quite a few losing finals over the last few years will no doubt eat into their own confidence too..

[Kingdom]

Would ya get real! Kerry's record is matched by nobody over the last decade.

2005: Beaten finalists
2004: Winners
2003: Semi-finalists
2002: Beaten Finalists
2001: Beaten Semi-Finalists
2000: Winners
1999: -
1998: Beaten Semi-Finalists
1997: Winners
1996: Beaten Semi-Finalists.

You're talking about a team that gave Armagh their biggest beating in Championship football in somethng like 10 yrs.

The only certainty about this year is that this is the most fcuked up championship of recent times. Dublin have had by far the easiest route to the semi-finals. Mayo like in 2004 have had a fair few scraps so far. Maybe those matches will stand to them.
McDonald will be the key. If he stays close to the forty he'll punish any Dublin slackness but I fear he will drift further and get swallowed up.
I really do hope Ciaran Whelan gets shown up on Sunday by Ronan McGarrity. It really p*sses me off the amount of rubbish talk about him. He is the epitomy of "bottler".

Either way I think Kerry will win. I've been reading the local papers the last few weeks and it cannot be measured what Star Donaghy has done for the panel. Jack O'Connor was practically giggling on the National Broadcaster when describing the infectiousness of the giant lad.

If you were to go pound for pound with the 3 teams remaining, their is no comparison, Kerry are stronger in depth. And as for this nonsense that they'll wilt under the pressure of playing in front of the Hill, would ya come of it! Didn't seem to matter too much in 2004. The last 15 mins 3 sides of the stadium were empty the Dublin fans were so fickle.
If the Green and Gold had been knocked out already I'd like to see Mayo win, but we're still there and I fully expect to see Kerry win and the first as captain for the Gooch.

[magic moments]

God willing it will be a MAYO- kerry final, looking forward to a good game on sunday up the west!:)

[Maz]

Kerry-Dublin final

Kerry to win..that's what I think!

[Poor Student]

McDonald will be the key. If he stays close to the forty he'll punish any Dublin slackness but I fear he will drift further and get swallowed up.


He played ridiculously deep against Laois in the first game. He was far more effective in the second game playing up the field. He was fairly knackered at the hour mark on Sunday though.

[Maz]

Can't see Mayo beating the Dubs...they will kick it away!

[slow2anger]

Dublin to win. With a 15 minute delay!

[paul_oshea]

i dont give a sh1te about mayo or dublin or kerry or whoever else!!!

the ros minors all the way!!! Go on the ros!

[finlma]

Lets talk about a real sport: Sticks and balls.

Expect us to beat Cork next weekend. They look very beatable and we won't hit anywhere near as many wides as we did against Clare - that was our only bad day at the office and won it easily. Kilkenny to win by 4 points

Looks like my weekend at Electric Picnic will be spent in the cinema tent watching the Germany game and the All Ireland.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I think Kerry will win but I think the Dubs route has served them well and will play a key role in getting past May.

Barely beating Longford and playing dreadfully throughout was the best thing that could have happened. Nothing is better for Dublin than lowering fan expectation while still winning.

The Laois win gave the players confidence and boosted public opinion but no-one was seriosuly talking All Ireland.

The Offaly performance was overhyped, especially given the calibre of the opposition. Suddenly people were talking about going all the way.

So what better way to lower expectations but a disheartening hammering (seriously I have never felt so deflated after a win) of Westmeath. Dublin looked poor in the second half while beating a bad team.

I expect a less than stellar but successful performance against Mayo.

[gustavo]

Hope Mayo win on Sunday but i think the Dubs might just have a bit too much for them,In the final if Cooper and Donaghy and D. O 'Sé are on top form then Kerry wont be beaten regardless of who wins on Sunday

[Risteard]

Lets talk about a real sport: Sticks and balls.

Expect us to beat Cork next weekend. They look very beatable and we won't hit anywhere near as many wides as we did against Clare - that was our only bad day at the office and won it easily. Kilkenny to win by 4 points.

Jayz, i wouldn't think so (hardly biased i know).
I reckon Waterford were the biggest test.
Expect Shefflin to be held to just 7 or 8 points and noone to pick up the challenge.
Cork full-back line looks solid for the first time in a year and a half.
Reckon next year will see the collapse of the Cork team as there'll be no motivating them.

[Poor Student]

Got my ticket for the Semi Final anyway.;)

[shakermaker1982]

Mayo have been written off so the pressure is off for once, Dublin have a lot of expectation heaped on their shoulders as soon as their fans sniff a Sam.

Hopefully we can pay back Kerry for 2 years ago by beating the Dubs.

[shakermaker1982]

what a game!!! We were given no chance today - roll on Kerry.

[superfrank]

How did Dublin throw that away??

[aberharp]

brilliant game. congratulations mayo

[DmanDmythDledge]

The GAA is a joke. For all the stoppages in the game very little time was added on. 3 minutes for the second half was a joke. And then Mayo decide to kick the ball away. And then the referee waits about a minute to bring play back. And then doesn't allow for the minute that the ball was out of play for. Fúcking ridiculous.

[Poor Student]

Great win for Mayo.:) What a comeback!:D I think the second half substitutions had a huge bearing on the game. Brady made a huge improvement for Mayo and I think Cullen made some bad decisions like Vaughan for Ryan (I think). Mayo took their scores better than usual. I'd never have thought before the match that they'd have had the bottle to comeback from a 7 poiuint deficit in the second half but they showed great character to steal the momentum back and keep it for the rest of the game.

Dmandmyth, you're right about the time added on. The ending was fairly bizarre and players seemed to play on for about half a minute while the referee stood there waiting for a free kick to be taken.

[Soko]

Jayz, i wouldn't think so (hardly biased i know).
Reckon next year will see the collapse of the Cork team as there'll be no motivating them.


I nominate this for worst post in the history of the internet. Too tired to explain

[geysir]

Great game and about time. Mayo edged it but I still have the feeling Dublin threw it in the closing minutes.
Agreed about the Ref. It's an impossible job but Russell, instead of fading into the background in the last 10 minutes with the best game of the year on a knife edge, he chose to take about 2 or 3 minutes to consult, chase after a Dub player, write name down and flash a meaningless yellow.

A bizzare game was when Tyrone got knocked out in the qualifiers, the ref signalled 4 minutes of extra time. Two minutes of that were taken up by a Laos player with cramp and then the whistle blew after 3 minutes.

Dublin are edging closer every year with Caffery, maybee next year.

[Ash]

Will any action be taken against Caffery for being
caught on camera clocking one of the Mayo officials
during the warm up?

[beautifulrock]

[QUOTE=Ash;524004]Will any action be taken against Caffery for being
caught on camera clocking one of the Mayo officials
during the warm up?[/QUOT

he bumped into him, nothing will be made of it.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I'm not a fan of Vaughan but he was the right man to bring on. To be honest we need him to get his head sorted so we can drop Cosgrove and/Bonner as neither is up to the standard.

Only two defenders looked useful, Griffin and Henry, and when you have six that's a bad sign.

Dublin switched from winning all the midfield ball in the first 10 minutes of the second half to winning next to none for the remaining 25. That is where the game was lost. The forwards actually looked useful when they got the ball (well not for the first 20 minutes of the game but otherwise they did) but the service wasn't there enough of the time.

Ryaner went from having a stormer to fading out completely. Magee looked the best he ever has for Dublin when he first came on as a blood sub. People comment on his lack of skill, which I dispute, but his ability to win ball makes him an asset.

I expect an easy for Kerry in the final, and even if the Dubs had won I would say that. Both of yesterday's teams are 3 or 4 players away from an All Ireland title.

Best of luck to Mayo, I genuinely hope you prove me wrong (again).

[RogerMilla]

marvellous stuff , best game in years , could this be the year? I can't even dare to dream....

[swinfordfc]

Now Mayo are showing the real mettle - they back down for no one. it was great to see but can they now finish the job, yes it was the best maych in 20-25 years but lets hope they finish it off, they need to improve by 5% i be thinking

[Milesmayhem24]

Great win for Mayo.:) What a comeback!:D I think the second half substitutions had a huge bearing on the game. Brady made a huge improvement for Mayo and I think Cullen made some bad decisions like Vaughan for Ryan (I think). Mayo took their scores better than usual. I'd never have thought before the match that they'd have had the bottle to comeback from a 7 poiuint deficit in the second half but they showed great character to steal the momentum back and keep it for the rest of the game.

Dmandmyth, you're right about the time added on. The ending was fairly bizarre and players seemed to play on for about half a minute while the referee stood there waiting for a free kick to be taken.

I presume you meant Caffrey made some poor decisions. I'd have to agree with that. He switched Ryan back to half-back from midfield when he was having a stormer there and he looked lost then and got caught on the wrong side for the goal.

Mayo were value for the win though and MacDonald was class - everything went through him

[Poor Student]

Yeah, Caffrey, not Cullen :rolleyes: (that smiley is for myself).




Dublin switched from winning all the midfield ball in the first 10 minutes of the second half to winning next to none for the remaining 25.

That's about when Brady came on for Mayo. He was a very strong sub to bring on in a big game.

[Beavis]

Its 2 days ago and I still cant get over how we threw it away.7 up ffs.

Country fans are so annoying when they reckon they are the first fans to ever hate the dubs or come onto the hill and p!ss everyone off.Every other county is completely ununique and the championship would be very boring without us(yes I'm ****ed off so I have to settle for that:p )

[joeSoap]

Will any action be taken against Caffery for being
caught on camera clocking one of the Mayo officials during the warm up?Why would there be? If that was the case then every time the first whistle gets blown 28 of the 30 players would have action taken against them, as would every sub who comes on and charges into his opponent.

Its a part of the game, the hustle and bustle and no harm is meant by it. However, as a Garda, you'd think Caffrey would have a little more savvy and not leave himself open to such criticism.:eek: