What a outstanding game it was yesterday breaffy vs westport in very different conditions.
There was nothing between the teams. Breaffy manage the game better. Aidan O'Shea was outstanding again & give the young players leadership when it was needed.Got the better of Lee Keegan should have had a goal which was unfairly ruled out by a over fussy referee which wasn't his best game.
The winning of the game for me was a fantastic free taken about 10 yards in from the sidelines in wintery conditions taken by one of Breaffy young bright stars Pierce Deane it was a outstanding score that level the game going into the last six minutes of the game.At 20 years of age he showed maturity way beyond his years.from that point onwards breaffy kick two more scores to go two points up going in to injury time.
It was always going to be the game of the quarter finals and it prove that way.
Sean Deane has done a outstanding job since taking over in July. It's hard to believe that he was overlooked for the under 20s manager job.
Is it any wonder we are waiting for over 70 years for Sam McGuire when you have a county board that couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

You may be right @ The West awake but Breaffy have been here before under various management teams so will Sean Deane be the one to get them across the line? maybe ,but we'll have to keep his bottle of champagne on ice for a few more weeks .

That is correct 2 hops they have been there before many times.
I was only saying what a great job Sean Deane is doing in only coming in July
If my facts are correct, breaffy had only had one win in nine games before he came in they'll had 8 games since & won all 8 on top of that he has lost 4 of his 6 defenders from last year's final.
He have brought in a lot of young players 18 ,19, & 20 years old to do what he has done in a short space of time.is just brilliant. Even if they don't get over the line this year he is building an exciting side for the future & has a brilliant chance of winning the County Championship in the next season or so.
By the way I'm not even from breaffy just a fan of the way Sean Deane has his teams playing football it's lovely to watch.

Could Finbar and Aidan be starting with each other in the same full forward line in 2025?

@GBXI I’m not sure Finbar has the S&C (yet) to be featuring at senior county level. His brother Oisin was the standout Westport forward yesterday and of the McLaughlins, he has had the most impressive club campaign. Eoghan was quiet in comparison.

I’d agree with @ The West Awake re: Deane. He has done a superb job in a very short period of time. Now he maybe has the benefit of the ‘new manager bounce’, but he has changed the team around personel-wise, so while Breaffy have been there before, this is a new Breaffy that very few if any, me included, gave a chance of winning the championship. Still a bit to go, but they are very close. Their county players are stepping up, unlike several other clubs, and Deane has them humming. On the u20 management, I agree with you. It felt a bit like a ‘jobs for the boys’ appointment. I lost an enormous amount of faith in that management ticket after the 2024 u20 campaign. Total shambles. I really hope they do the complete opposite in ‘25.

Back to Westport. I feel they’ve tricked us. Nigel Reape was spot on when he said he didn’t trust them and I knew what he meant when I listened to him pre-match. I thought they’d edge it but I knew what he meant. They seem to lack leadership and steeliness when really pushed. Keegan looked a shadow of his old self and without him they’re not the team they were. They have a lot of light speedy lads who go well on a dry sod and if you give them space and counter attack opportunity they can rip you up, but even taking into account the wet conditions yesterday, Westport just seem to lack the mentality required. No dogs on the team. Little bite. Talked up too much and just a bit too nice.

I wonder will Castlebar look to change things at the top? Andy Moran is involved with Monaghan but that could have been an interesting one, IF Mitchell’s look to get someone new. I’d have rathered see Andy involved in Mayo in some capacity be that with an underage team or a senior club side.

@mayonaze I think Castlebar actually should look inside and I think they have a perfect fit in Kevin Filan

Andy would be an interesting choice all the same for some club.maybe somewhere like Westport or even Claremorris.

Agree all of the above Sean Deane done a fantastic job so far.

If Breaffy go and win it, they will have to have beaten the 2019, 2020/2021, 2022 & 2023 champions on the way. Possibly the hardest route ever?

Breaffy be strong favourites now with Ballina 2nd as a result of injuries they've picked up.
Breaffy are no where new yet so agree with champagne being kept on ice. If Aidan was missing would people be saying what a superb job was being done? Would management have concocted another way around? Maybe, it's all ifs and buts that may never have to be put to test. But would this side being built for the future give many hope if Aidan retired at end of this year? Breaffy were last year's finalists under different management and should have won bar some atrocious shot choices and attempts.

Management wise you could say the most impressive of all is Thomas Morley who has Ballaghadereen in the final 4, gotten his players going to a system and are big, strong and athletic. And weren't even being talked of for getting out of group! But he has former Mayo prospects like Sharoize, Kuba, Drake all flying as well as McBrien who has been dominant and younger guns less spoken off like O'Donnell, lynch Forrest all going strong.

Brogan and Kilcoyne combo in Knockmore also, have gotten there side back to semifinals despite missing 4 of last year's starting defenders including Timlin who was in team of year and now Kevin McLoughlin. Their two starting midfielders in McHale and Dempsey. Former mayo U20 player Oliver Armstrong also not featured.

You'd imagine we are in for a repeat of last year's final, but hopefully it won't be half as depressing!

McBrein playing out at 6 where he can have major influence of game.....

MAYO'S FOOTBALL PROBLEM :

Is from the shoulders up.
They have the skill, the heart, a great supporter base, but Mayo as a county are accustomed to losing.
Traditional counties, and by that I mean winning counties, have the ability to get over the winning line, in very tight encounters.
As a hurling fan, for years as a young lad, I saw my county beaten again and again in the championship.
Every time, I thought and hoped that they would win.
Limerick beat Cork in the 1940 Munster hurling final, and then had to wait 40 years to beat them in another Munster final in 1980.
Why was that ?
Because in their heads they were beaten before a ball was thrown in.

Mayo are identical to the way Limerick hurlers were for 45 long years.
Mayo and Limerick won five National league titles (football and hurling ) in the same years back in the 30's.

That is a serious achievement.

I believe Stephen Rochford was harshly treated, and not at all given a proper chance with the Mayo seniors.
A good dose of reality is needed in Mayo football.
Put a poster up in the dressing room with the caption "1951".
Get players playing for Mayo who will give it their all for their county.

I believe there are 25 players in Mayo that can be trained to win the Sam Maguire.

Last year, when Mayo won the League, they were playing championship football far too early.

Come championship they were burnt out.

Pitch invasions on a winters night in Castlebar, and autographs and for what ?

Too much nonsense, and winning nothing.

Watching the Mayo management on the side line tells its own story.
How many are there in the backroom team ?
Everybody has an opinion, but who knows how to win games.

Never in my life time did I ever think I'd see Limerick win 5 All Irelands in 6 years.
Three National hurling league titles.
Six Munster hurling titles in a row.

I hope that Mayo win a football All Ireland, but 100 % honesty is nedded in getting there.

Any forwards who get the shocking wides that I have seen Mayo get in umpteen (thrown away) all Irelands, should be taking frees in training blind folded until they are putting the ball over the bar.

I hope ye get it right on the field of play, away from the social media nonsense, and on the scoreboard.

Regards

Gerry Limerick.

@Gerry nugent welcome.. good comment but to be honest I don't think Rochford was harshly treated he made such a massive mistake in that final replay I still can't understand the logic of replacing David Clarke.

Anyone any update on O 'Hora on How's he's doing? Looked really bad serious kmoc he took.

Has Aidan been picked on team of week every game so far.

He has indeed, Tom. His performances merit this too.

I'd agree with that re: Aidan bar the first round versus Kilmeena, in my opinion no one played to a level that day that should have been anywhere near POTW and while Aidan did influence the game more than others, the others on both sides were no great shakes. Credit to Aidan though - he has been going very well and has lead the team. His decision making in particular has been what has caught my attention. Knowing when to drift out the field, his movement and his free kick taking (which I can only assume he has worked on) I'd go so far as to say I think Aidan might be better now than he was a couple of years ago. I hope he goes on to win the Moclair Cup and I hope he stays injury free for 2025. I think his departure early from games in 2024 cost Mayo dearly. I'm still shaking my head at it - when you need some physical presence in the middle of the pitch in the final minutes of a game or you need a big man on the edge of your own square - who else but Aidan. I fear management aren't using him prioperly.

Good post, Gerry.

Clare,FFS can we for once and for all leave the Clarke/Hennelly change behind once and for all.You, I, or God Almighty himself won't solve that one!

Your right Clare.. One of the all time shocking managerial decisions that was

@op2misteek I'm afraid that's never going away and will be spoke about for decades but for what it's worth i am ok with the decision. No manager could have foreseen a goalie drop a bread and butter ball and if he didn't there would be a statue of Rochford in McHale park. Only saying

@op2misteek Just pointing out why Rochford wasn't treated harshly after that people where right to be annoyed about it. @Norm yeah 100%.

But in the past now.. Just hope next year is better then the style of play and weird managenent decisions we saw this year.

Hopefully O Hora recovers soon.

I think Ballina are finished next game to many injuries Breaffy and Aido might have a field day.

My bad thought for a minute we were playing Breaffy next but still think next game ballina are finished I really hope to see Aido getting a county medal... Sorry for double post!

If I remember right Rochford was trying to change goalie at the end or the drawn game as Clarke could not get his kickouts away.
If he had made the change we would have won.

That was the main reason in a nutshell

Clarkie,a great shot stopper but at that time his restarts were 50/50 at best. No problem when we had a dominant midfield,well able to win their share,but restarts became vital in our speedy helter skelter days. Hennelly had the edge there.
Clarkies kick outs did improve thereafter mind,in fairness to him as did Hennelly under the high ball.
Anyway as the man says, ancient history now.

Trying to get my head around how and why that selection decision from 2016 has bubbled up again now as a talking point … Can the Alan Freeman subbing from the 2013 final be far behind, I wonder?

How that ball was let to bounce over in 96 is beyond me

Very good honest interview by Liam McHale on Patreon

While we're at it - if Anthony Larry had buried his second goal chance in the 89 final - we'd probably have gone on to win that final.

That's what happens in the off season @WJ.
There's a vacuum to be filled. Lol.

Dear oh dear I thought I had erased 2016 from my memory.

Anyways on to more recent matters. Listening to the new Indo Sport podcast. The new rules are going down well from all accounts & good chance they'll be in next year. Need to strike while the iron is hot & get accustomed

@Exile
I'm convinced a trampoline was planted in that part of the pitch in 1996.
No way a ball bounces up off the turf like that.
Or maybe the ball itself sprouted springs.

Don't get me started on any of the other final losses!

I have to laugh at the Ballina manager looking for protection for his players.
It is like if Sean Boylan was looking for protection for Kevin Foley.
Hope OHora is OK

@williejoe. Seems like plenty more mayo memories good and bad will be brought back with this new Dublin book "unbeatable" seeing as we were their biggest rivals during that period. Weren't they great times

Sounds like it, No Doubt! They sure were good times. Even if we didn’t scale Everest we were there challenging right to the very end almost every year.

Pods (two of them) incoming!

if they didn't pass the funeral in '51..........!!!

It was crazy Mind the House

How many Mayo players will make the connacht Railway cup squad. A lot will depend on club involvement but will be an interesting squad.

My predictions to win the county titles are ballina, Moy davitts and cill chomain so I’m not including players from these.
I think there’ll be 7/8 on the squad I’d imagine
O Shea
Rod
Flynn
Mcbrien
Carney
Ruane
Conroy

I presume each county manager will be asked to nominate a few players.
Don't be surprised if a few lads outside the panel are put forward.

That could very well be true Jr.managers won’t want to risk players in a sandbox game but I think the GAA will want the top players playing that aren’t still involved with clubs

Best Connacht 15 based on current form

1.Conor Carroll Ross
2.Johnny McGrath Galway
3.David McBrien Mayo
4.Liam Silke Galway
5.Brian Stack Ross
6.Dylan McHugh Galway
7.Sam Callinan Mayo
8.Paul Conroy Galway
9.Enda Smith Ross
10.Shane Walsh Galway
11.Aidan O'Shea Mayo
12.Ryan O'Donoghue Mayo
13.Rob Finnerty Galway
14.Damien Comer Galway
15.Ben O'Carroll Ross

@Sam Og. Yes, pretty on the money if we look at typical form of the last two seasons. Looking at the team you outlined there not sure I've ever seen Connaught so strong.
Few more shoots.
Murtagh from Roscommon as a shooter.
Young Honeman Leitrim will very quickly be a top forward. Just quality.
Johnny Heaney is great bench impact.

Obviously Paddy Durcan is in 15 only for long term ACL injury

Sam did not play well enough this year to be included.
No Maher??

It’s going to be a big squad with 2 games within the weekend

Mayo wont be overseas in the 2025 Connacht football championship 1 year off but in 2026 they will be on line up for England to play London for the 1st time since 2016. 2021 people didn't expect London & New York to be part of the Connacht football championship as Covid-19 travel was unsafe. Mayo club championship are hosting London champions on Saturday November 9th or Sunday November 10th weekend. But like when 2001 was postponed because of Foot & Mouth disease during they played them in 2006, 2011, 2013 in the Connacht final & most recently in 2016. All 4 London Airports will have flights too & from Knock Airport in 2026 it should soon be published in newspapers. Between (1975-1996) Mayo played London 5 times in the Connacht football championship.

Interesting piece on role and cost of club managers.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2024/10/05/tim-healy-we-are-actually-paying-guys-to-make-football-less-attractive-at-club-level/