Good game so far, but terrible defending by mayo

Full back line really struggling

Once again…as I’ve highlighted several times over the past few weeks, our defence is wiiiiiiiiiiide bloody open. 3 goals conceded in the first half is just unacceptable. I asked here a couple weeks ago that management needed to do something to shore up what’s very clearly the Achilles heel of our u20 team. It hasn’t been done. We might win, but we are so open at the back and I blame management more than personnel

5 goals in the first half, jaysus. I will settle down to watch the second half after a fecking long day in work.

I'm a broken record but how is Matthew Gordetsky not on this u20 team? He'd be a wall back in that full back line.

He's not even on the subs jp

If Roscommon played quick ball inside from the start we would be in serious trouble.

Shambolic defense.
Bring McMonagle to Fullback

Try their best to lose this one.

Rossie have the momentum now

Never in doubt

Jasus that put years on me.... might have to reevaluate, but maybe the shock we needed.

2-17 to 4-8 FT. Nervy finish and the threat of another goal was always there but they managed to hang on to win it.

Did our best to loose it but fair play to the forwards they took their chances at the end...
Good to win a final. Backs wide open tho...

Relieved to get through that.

Defence shocking. Not sure why Paul Gilmore is being positioned in that line when he’s a natural half back.

Up front I felt lads were going for goals in second half when a few points were needed. Seemed to be a mindset in second half and made life unnecessarily hard

Very lucky with the disallowed goal but we deserved the win as I thought in whole we are a better team, I enjoyed the ref tonight he let a lot go but was consistent and didn't let it get out of hand.

Full back line very poor. I always get the impression when Mayo teams get ahead that they start dreaming about "All the girls I loved before". Some great goal chances squandered.

Good to win a final but we'd need to tighten up our defence and take our points at the other end

Mc Greal going off weakend us in there too I thought. Seemed like a hamstring issue , hopefully nothing serious. He'll be needed .

Kamikaze defending there at times. Very nearly shot ourselves in the foot. Won't be picking out individuals but not the brightest when we have defenders marauding up the field in added time when the house needed minding. The ball was lost upfield and we were lucky enough to get away with it.
I'd have the backs tethered to our own posts next time out.
We left a few goal chances behind us ourselves but we simply have to be better defensively.

Our defence is a huge concern. That’s it.

The ref could have just as easily allowed that Roscommon goal

Tyrone and Donegal going down to the wire, Tyrone up by one. Fifteen minute to go. 1 - 7 to 9 points

Square ball for the Ros goal? Mayo the better team but nearly and could have lost it. It’s a “forwards team” but they also missed 3/4 good goal chances. Full back line is a disaster and they won’t be winning any all Ireland unless there is a major improvement.

In fairness, from the horror show of 2024 u20, I take this. Last year so cautious, and poor. So I going to enjoy this for a couple of days.

Looks like Louth in the semifinal. Less than ten to go they lead Meath by 2.18- 1.14.

Selection seemed strange to me as Diarmuid Duffy made a big impact when he came in and really ought to start the next day.
One player in the full back line was absolutely roasted all day but left marking the same man the entire game.
Agree they lads were going for goals too much in second half. Game management and keeping the scoreboard ticking over is important.
McGreal was a loss and if it’s a hamstring issue that’s minimum 3-4 weeks normally.
Not a bad way to win a final as it should dampen expectations for the semi final now, plenty to work on.

Still see that how we think about defehce is old rules. Defenders starving one of our best underage full forward lines for spells by soloing out into traffic and getting turned over. Let the ball in early and quick.

Jp I was thinking the same thing when had possession around the middle all i was shouting was let it in instead of solo running we can definitely use that full forward line more.

@Mayotilidie, management had an absolutely woeful year in ‘24. I don’t give them much credit for this provincial win. We have by far the best squad this year and we fell over the line, plus we leak goals for fun.

Even when we win people here won’t be happy. I get we didn’t defend well but we won ffs

Will the semi final be midweek also or is it weekend game that some of us could go

We need to find a full back solution alright

Sean Burke. On the master planner the semis are down for sat 10th and sun 11th or Wed 14th. Make of that what you will.

Plunkett 100% agreed.

V Louth , where will it be held , portlaoise perhaps ?

@Sean Burke: Someone mentioned the Louth 20s keeper is their senior sub-keeper, so I'd be very surprised if it's not played on Wednesday 14th to keep him eligible for the Leinster Final on the 11th.

That said, never like to second-guess what calls HQ might make on these things.

Louth beat Meath in the Leinster U20 final, Tyrone winning by a goal in extra time against Donegal.

facethebal. John McMonagal was an outstanding full back at U17s and Paul Gilmore was a terrific wing back. We seem to be doing stuff for no reason as the seniors do. I do think John and Paul should be swapped. Overall though this team have shown they can be expansive but tonight they were able to grind out the result. Credit where it's due.

Yes JoeG. Great composure to kick the three points at the end,
Need to go back the minor defensive set up alright

Some battle that turned out to be after looking like Mayo would run away with it on 18 mins. I thought the rossies disallowed goal in added time looked fine so the rub of the green got there .

Tyrone v Kerry in the other semi

Defending can be coached to a large extent. But naturally gifted forwards are exactly that. Unfortunately it seems to get coached out of them in time. Haven't been this excited by a Mayo team in 19 years. Had fully intended to go to Tuam this evening but have the mother and father of doses on me.
It's something to look forward too . The demographic of say 8 of our existing team( a lot of backs) and the upcoming forward talent. Please God next management ticket will include Sean Deane and Andy Moran. Keep the faith . Keep the faith

If we don't have a big ball winning full back we definitely need a commanding keeper. Lost the aerial duals in there and we were burned by that little speedster through the middle.way too often.
But huge congratulations due to Mayo for the season so far, Connacht 's are hard enough won,and hopefully two more good days out to follow.

@Valldam, They are under 20's they could'nt be dreaming about all that many girls they loved before. Then again, hopefully the girls are still in Ireland for them to be dreaming about when they are seniors.

I found it a very entertaining match,if a little to close for comfort. It was a well earned victory and we were the better team. So well done to all concerned.

Very lucky to get out of Tuam with a win this evening. Our backs were roasted, far too easily turned. Kickouts were terrible and very predictable, can't understand how they didn't change them. Players running for the ball but still kicked out to same area where they weren't winning anything. Surprised No 10 was taken off, yes he missed 2 goal chances but he created so many of the other forwards scores and always looks dangerous. Still feel our full forward needs to release the ball faster, holds on to it far to long and runs into trouble. Big improvements needed going forward

The epitome of a Mayo team.. some scintillating attacks. And conceding some awful goals.

Will need to seriously tighten up the defence to stand a change of winning the All Ireland. But it's hard not to get excited about the forward line, regardless of how the rest of championship pans out. Diarmuid Duffy looked very powerful when he was running forward

Some great fielding there today it's a joy to watch. Better team won but a bit too close for comfort tho great composure to kick the last 3 scores. Great to see louth doing so well u20 champions and possibly senior champions they are really making waves.

"All the girls I've loved before" comment was funny..good tune too by Julio Iglesias, and duet with the great Willie Nelson ..what a guy at 92.

Not a criticism in any way but just wondering where two of our U17 stars from 3 yrs ago are. Roman Clarke looked a shoe in to the Mayo senior team. Darragh Hurley seemed to be the playmaker we were looking for.
Are they injured? Have they regressed? Or do the management not fancy them?

Great win.We have always got a great return from U21/U20 Grade going through to senior.I think it will be the same in a few years from this bunch.
Good decision giving this role to Gardiner and his team also.Managers need time to learn and develop too....they need support to allow that.
Hopefully we can beat Louth who are a coming force in football for the next 10 years

Great win to kick off the week, one down two to go..

Spot on Kitty. The keeper kept kicking it out to the left even when we had a lad free and calling for it on the right. He didn’t seem to see it or maybe didn’t look. We had an easy out a couple of times.

Paul gilmore has played all his football in half back line with his club and county for the past few years, never seen him play 3 on any claremorris team,He is a tremendous half back and is being played out of position, Well done to mayo tonight ,

I’ll accentuate the positive here. We scored a lot, and every time we were hit with disastrous goals we popped over a couple of points to keep the scoreboard ticking, including the last few minutes when went for it and got a great Daragh Beirne score. Huge credit for that. Negatives? The goals of course, but the inability to to hold onto ball was nearly a killer and let the Rossies stay in the game.

In boxing terms we won well on points, but left ourselves open to a few uppercuts that has us on the canvas, but not counted out.

@JoeG: Ronan & Dara have both showed well for Moy Davitts and Claremorris respectively in recent weeks in the league, so not injury related. Neither looks to have regressed any, with both shaping up to be serious players.

Dara had looked like he might be set-back with a very long-term shoulder-injury, but he's hit the ground running since his return & doesn't look to have missed a beat despite the long layoff. He was featured in the 20s Extended Panel in R1 against Roscommon, but we've had the panel down that particular spot from R2 on. Plenty of folks in Claremorris that'd struggle to pick their favourite player between the brothers, both serious prospects, so shows the kind of level he's operating at.

Ronan you might not recognise at this point, looks a very different lad to the minor we'd have watched. Some serious S&C work gone in. Sadly, from my selfish POV that loved watching him inside, spent most of last year for the club playing much deeper as a 3rd midfielder kinda role. Always felt watching the games he'd have caused havoc that bit closer to Reape & McHale, but swings and roundabouts when you start robbing Peter to pay Paul. Any changes like that comes with pros & cons, with it notable that deeper work helped get them within inches of the eventual All-Ireland Champions so shows what I know. Look forward to seeing him under the new rules, you'd imagine they'll play right to his strengths.

A lot of other exciting underage talent outside of the 20s going very well in the league. Well worth throwing an eye on the likes of Mayo GAA's Club List on Twitter (https://x.com/i/lists/1376941728054317060) of a weekend. The likes of Crossmolina flying it with 5 or 6 lads just out of minor featuring heavily or Castlebar putting in a dominant display at the weekend with plenty of u19s to the fore.

Cheers TsuDhoNim. I agree the new rules look like they were made for Ronan Clarke.

One possible solution to u20 defence would be to bring in Diarmuid Duffy to 6, put McMonagle to 3, bring Gilmore out to 5 and put Hugh OLoughlin to 12. I saw OLoughlin play half forward for UL and he’s capable in that role. Gilmore is a fine attacking half back. In this new age of 1-2-1 marking in the full back line, he’s a bit of work to do in that area and it’s unfair he’s being thrown into that position

@Roco88: All very valid swaps. Though Hugh already spending as much or more time at wing forward as wing back when matchups allow.

Diarmuid, Paul or Colm all more than capable of a job at 6 & then Diarmuid, Paul, Colm L, or others capable of one at wing back. So there are options there.

No question of an upside of putting John at 3 given his physicality/aerial ability/1v1s, he's certainly the strongest 3 we'd have on the panel (despite it also being playing out of position for him too), but the question then is what we'd lose on the downside.

A quick look at the number of interceptions, dispossessions, attacks turns backwards, breaks & primary possessions John had against Roscommon at 6, moving him anywhere else means we're potentially going from the 12 scores conceded to far more.

With no guarantees on it significantly changing a number of goals conceded. It'd reduce (not remove, Paul/Rio/Eoin or Matthew/Yousif if Eoin's hammy was more than a tweak are all very talented players with various pros & cons versus John) the risk on one vector for 1v1s, physicality or high balls against inside forwards... but we've not had 1 weak link in the chain there & the goals have come from a variety of sources. With the prevalence of the other risks going up with more opposition attacks if we're winning less in the middle 1/3rd and the significant goal risks coming from runs down the middle (clearly visible against Galway), the main reason we've moved John from his man-marking role to that anchor at 6, it's not all sunshine and upside.

That's before we even start to look at what we'd be losing swapping out John's springboard on attacks with his great two-footed kicking being swapped for runners like Diarmuid or Paul.

There's huge upsides to him as a rock at 3 or in his often used man-marking role (I'd have him fairly near the top of the pile for the best defenders in the county, nevermind at this age grade), but it's far from all upside & comes with plenty of risks of it's own. Likely a necessary evil of Eoin is injured the next day out, but far from a no-brainer making any of the swaps mentioned. While all potentially great ones that would shure us up at the back for goals a bit.

It's the same McBrien at 3 or 6 debate all over again. While folks will have very strong views on it (I'm firmly in the camp of David & John both at 3, just to lay the cards on the table, despite speaking of the benefits of either at 6 here), there's no simple correct answer there as it's always a variety of pros & cons.