Time for Mayo to show its pride

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

I recall watching the Irish rugby team playing a Triple Crown match in 1985 against England. The match was very much in the balance with minutes left on the clock. It was at a critical juncture in the game that team captain Ciaran Fitzgerald demanded his team step up to the plate with his by now (in) famous line “where’s your f***ing pride?” The team responded and delivered a magnificent final few minutes to beat England on that day. I have no doubt that Fitzgerald’s leadership was crucial to that victory. Mayo football is, to some extent, at a similar juncture right now. We need leadership both on and off the field and, more than anything else, we need to display a bit of f***ing pride and heart. After last year’s championship defeats to Sligo and Longford we need to resurrect our reputation before we slip into a downward spiral of mediocrity that could prove difficult to shake off were it to continue. Mayo looked very sluggish and tired last year and some critics even suggested that they did not appear to be playing for one another. This season, however, we retained our division one status with some credible gutsy performances but appeared to hit a dip again a few weeks before the London match.

The challenge match against Offaly before the London match was particularly poor. The performance against London was not pretty either but, for a combination of reasons, ie, good fortune, a bit of luck and a few good substitutes, Mayo got over the line. But those lacklustre performances count for nothing when it comes to playing Galway in the Championship. Let’s be honest now, a Mayo team playing against London will always be a banana skin of a match. Players can find it difficult to motivate themselves for such a game. It should not be so but that is as it is. Would a 20 point victory in London have made one iota of difference to next Sunday’s match? I don’t think so. A Galway v Mayo championship encounter in Castlebar takes on a life of its own. Historically, we have benchmarked the quality of our Mayo side on our performance against Galway. That is not to be disrespectful to the other counties here in the province.

No back door for minors on Sunday

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

It’s win or bust for the Mayo minors on Sunday at high noon when the ball is thrown in on Sunday for their Connacht Championship semi-final against Roscommon. Tony Duffy is in his second year in charge of the side and despite being the current Connacht Champions there are no guarantees at this grade. A win would put Mayo into the Connacht final against either Sligo or Galway, who square up tomorrow evening in their semi-final in the shadow of Benbulben in Sligo; a win will guarantee them a place in the All Ireland quarter finals at the least. The team on Sunday will be captained by Breaffy’s Conor O’Shea on a big day for his family with his brothers, Aidan and Seamus, lining out in midfield for the senior team later that day against Galway. Duffy will be able to call upon four of the squad from last years Connacht title win with O’Shea being joined by fellow alumni from 2010 Conor Horan, Ryan Quirke, and James Shaughnessy to backbone the side. However such is the nature of underage competitions, getting a new side to gel each year is not an exact science and on Sunday Duffy and his management team will be hoping that all the hard work through the Connacht league in the spring will come to fruition and set the team up for another crack at a Connacht title.

First silverware of the new season up for grabs

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

Saturday evening in Milebush it will be a kind of home away from home for Newport Town when they take on Ballyheane B in the final of the McHale Agri Stores Cup Final. While to most the boys from Ballyheane would be much closer neighbours to Milebush Park the home of the Mayo League. But since they reformed and came back into the league this season, Newport Town have been using Omnigrass in Milebush for their home games in League Three of the Mayo League and they are currently sitting in third place in the table one point and one place behind Sunday’s cup final opponents and both sides are scheduled to meet again next weekend in the league back on the Omnigrass. This Saturday’s game will however be on the main pitch in Milebush, and Newport Town will be hoping that they fare a little bit better at least than last weekend when Ballyheane’s A team put ten past them in he Connacht Gold cup.

Moylette goes for gold in Turkey

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

Mayo could be welcoming home a gold medal from the European Senior Boxing Championships this weekend. Islandeady man Ray Moylette who boxes for the St Anne’s Club in Westport beat Hajiliyev Hebatulla from Azerbaijan in the semi-final of the 64kg competition on Thursday afternoon in Ankara.

Captains’ prizes tee off around the clubs

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

Balla
John Walsh was the winner of the Stableford competition last weekend which was sponsored by Balla and Castlebar Credit Union. He finished with a score of 40pts, two ahead of Luke Timmiss in second place, with Padraic Cuffe in third on 37pts. In the ladies’ competition Kathleen Minogue came first with a score of 37pts, Aine Mhic Suibhne came second thanks to her play on the back nine, which kept her just in front of Geraldine Kilgallon in third place. The junior competition was won by Dylan Padden. The sign up sheet for the Broderick Cup is currently on the notice board in the clubhouse, and this weekend’s competition is sponsored by Coxes, Castlebar.

Ballina athlete for international youth mountain challenge

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

Hugh Armstrong, Ballina Athletic Club, qualified for the International Youth Mountain challenge at WMRA Youths Trial in Glendalough, Wicklow, back in April and tomorrow (Saturday) in Gorenja Vas, Slovenia, he will compete in the International Youth Mountain Challenge This is great honour for this quiet unassuming young man whose attention to training is admirable. He never questions his coaches just gives 100 per cent to all that is asked of him. Ballina Athletic Club wishes him all the best in the competition tomorrow.

Sports Shorts

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

Westport triathlon is creeping up soon
Places on the Pulse triathlon club Westport triathlon on Saturday July 16 are filling up fast and you had better act soon to book your place in this exciting event. The triathlon is not a privately organised event, but is a not for profit club event and Pulse triathlon club hopes to encourage a number of first time triathletes to take part in the competition. The route is a 750m swim along The Quay pier, a 22.5km cycle — most of which is coastal out past Murrisk and back, and finishes with a 5km run from the pier head into Westport House grounds and back. The Atlantic Coast Hotel has sponsored a prize for the entry draw and the event lends itself to newcomers to the sport, rather than the elite. You can register at www.pulsetri.com

Wimbledon live in HD 3D at Mayo Movie World

Fri, Jun 24, 2011

For the first time ever the Wimbledon finals will be broadcast live in HD 3D to cinemas around the world and SGC Mayo Movie World is proud to be part of this historic groundbreaking broadcast, exclusively so in Mayo.

We’ll be giving them nothing but respect- Gough

Fri, Jun 17, 2011

Ballina Town manager Alan Gough always had a difficult task this season, taking over from Brendan Kenny who had just taken the side to back to back Super League titles. But Gough has managed to steer his side, which is in a transition period, to second place in the table - within striking distance of Castlebar Celtic, with half of the season left. Last weekend Gough faced a tough task in bringing his side to Swinford, the team he guided to safety last season in a year when four teams were relegated.

An adventure in Garrymore, and that wasn’t only the trip there

Fri, Jun 17, 2011

Travelling to Garrymore is a rare adventure for me. In fact it is one of the few grounds in this county that when I travel to it I invariably get lost along the way. Instead of taking the more direct (if you could ever use the word ‘direct’ in association with any passage to Garrymore) route via Claremorris, I thought I remembered the less travelled road up through Mayo Abbey being a little more interesting and so I veered right at the top of Balla village and not for the first time.

Sports shorts

Fri, Jun 17, 2011

Summer tag tournament
Castlebar Rugby Club is hosting the summer tag tournament which will be running from June 23 to August 5. Teams will consist of seven players, three male and four female, on the field and a team can have up to 12 players in a squad. All team entries must be in by Monday next, June 21. Players who do not have a team but would like to play can still get involved and Castlebar Rugby Club will match you up with a team looking for players. For more information email [email protected] or go along to the open training session on Tuesday at 7pm. Entry cost is €25 per player.

Injuries and comebacks ahead of Galway game

Fri, Jun 17, 2011

Last weekend’s opening round of action in the senior and intermediate club championship gave the Mayo management team a chance run their eye over a number of players who were coming back from injuries. Midfielder Ronan McGarrity came through Ballina’s defeat to Shrule-Glencorrib unscathed, but it may be too soon for the influential player to make the starting 15. Seamus O’Shea, who is another option for the middle of the park, also put in a full shift for Breaffy in their win over Ballinrobe alongside his brother Aidan who lined out in midfield in a recent challenge game against Donegal. Keith Higgins also got back on the road to recovery after his recent hamstring injury when he started for Ballyhaunis, while Neil Douglas and Enda Varley also came through their games for Castlebar Mitchels and Garrymore

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