Mayo down Donegal in impressive style

Sat, Aug 19, 2017

Three second half goals sent Mayo in the All Ireland semi-final against Cork in a fortnights time in Mullingar on Saturday. Frank Browne’s outfit showed plenty of fight and heart and no little skill in their win over the Ulster champions. It was a game that had it all, two yellow cards, a six point comeback, a goalkeeper getting injured and plenty of hard hits all over the field.

There is much more than one man for Mayo to worry about

Fri, Aug 18, 2017

Early season predictions would have envisaged Dublin, Kerry, and Mayo making it to the semifinal of the championship with Tyrone getting a few hesitant votes because of a poor ending to their league campaign.

Mayo on a mission to topple the Kingdom

Fri, Aug 18, 2017

Not long after Mayo rattled in their third goal in the first half of their All Ireland quarterfinal replay win over Roscommon, the thoughts of plenty of Mayo supporters wandered to what will we do to stop Kieran Donaghy, the man who has inflicted more pain on Mayo in recent years than probably anyone else on big days.

Ladies looking to get back to the final four

Fri, Aug 18, 2017

The Mayo Ladies go looking to make it back to the All Ireland semifinal tomorrow afternoon - when they take on one of the most improving sides in the country - Donegal.

Football, bloody hell

Fri, Aug 11, 2017

“Mayo football is in a critical state,” “the players are finished,” “the management aren't up to it,” “I hope Roscommon beat us to put us out of our misery.” They are just a small example of what I listened to last week in the build up to the replay against Roscommon. Fast forward three days and the Mayo for Sam bandwagon is in full swing. “That was Mayo's best performance in Croke Park,” “This is the strongest squad Mayo have ever had,” “every player played well,” “Rochford is a tactical genius,” “I think we'll win the All-Ireland this year.”

Mayo get their game plan right

Fri, Aug 11, 2017

A week is a long time in politics, bu it seems that eight days in football can be even longer. Having struggled to impose themselves for long enough periods to win the first day against Roscommon, Mayo hit their neighbours with everything they had on Monday and ran out more than convincing winners. Right from the throw-in four days ago, you could see that this Mayo team were a very different animal to the one that that had turned up eight days previously.

Mayo prepare for Kingdom challenge

Fri, Aug 11, 2017

After what had happened in Croke Park the previous Sunday, there were not too many expecting to see Mayo dish out the hiding they did to Roscommon last Monday in the replay. It was one of those days, where almost everything went right for Mayo and nothing went right for their opponents. The reason for that was not luck or fortune, it was because Mayo attacked the game in the right way — from the very first ball and never let up.

Title race enters its final stages

Fri, Aug 11, 2017

Westport United will look to take another step to retaining the Super League title on Sunday when they host Ballyheane, the champions are three points clear of Manulla at the top of the table with three games left to go in the division.

In their last outing they saw off Ballina Town 2-1 thanks to a brace from David Hoban and they will be confident of picking up another vital three points this weekend. When the side met in the league previously in May, United were pushed right to the pin of their collar by Ballyhane - eventually winning 3-2 thanks to another brace from Hoban and one from Patrick Calvey. Their opponents on Sunday could prove the team who were decisive in the defence of the title, having held second placed Manulla to a 3-3 draw a fortnight ago with Jamsie Finnerty scoring a hat-trick in that one.

Mayo hammer home their point against Roscommon

Mon, Aug 07, 2017

When 15 minutes before throw in, it was announced that Footballer of the Year - Lee Keegan wouldn’t be starting there was an air of fear amongst the Mayo supporters who made the pilgrimage back to Croke Park on Bank Holiday Monday. But once the ball was thrown in that unease was soon vanquished as Mayo went right at Roscommon and rolled them over in impressive style at the second time of asking.

Rochford happy - but another big test is coming up.

Mon, Aug 07, 2017

Stephen Rochford was a happy man not long after the full time whistle in Croke Park on Monday, but he knows that Mayo have to keep improving with Kerry coming down the tracks in 13-days time.

Are you ready for round two?

Fri, Aug 04, 2017

Two weeks ago I was fully convinced Mayo would get the better of Cork when the game was in the melting pot. Last Sunday in Croke Park I almost had a seizure and nearly required a defibrillator as fear gripped me for the final 10 minutes against our Connacht rivals Roscommon in the All-Ireland quarter final. A statement issued by Bray Wanderers recently was described in the national media as being “bat-shit crazy”. The game between Mayo and Roscommon was worse.

Mayo need to turn the screw on Monday

Fri, Aug 04, 2017

Having shot the lights out in attack in Limerick on the previous Saturday against Cork, the Mayo attack misfired last Sunday against Roscommon, so on Monday they'll be looking for much better return. Registering just four points in the second half that stretched out to 42 minutes is a poor return in any man's language. Cillian O'Connor had very poor day with his shooting, but the Ballintubber attacking ace is more than capable of turning that around this time out. He scored just three points over the 80 odd minutes of action - just one of them coming from play.

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