THE 70 MINUTES of football in yesterday’s senior game was magnificent to watch but all anyone could immediately talk about afterwards was the venue and timing of the replay.
It has produced huge debate. Nobody even mentioned the prospect of the replay clashing with the American football game beforehand but it’s become a live issue. There’s plenty of people giving out but I don’t think it’s going to effect either the Mayo or Kerry camp.
I’ve sympathy for the players dealing with the six-day turnaround. But it’s something that’s out of their control and they’ll just get on with it. When you’re involved in drawn games, you’d nearly be bursting to go out and play the replay the following day.
That’s the kind of zone that the players are in. I’ve played in Limerick a few times with Kildare and it’s a fine stadium and a fantastic playing surface. It’ll definitely be packed next Saturday and it should make for a brilliant atmosphere. A few supporters might unfortunately lose out on tickets but the decision’s been made and the focus has to shift to the replay now.
The players will be building themselves to get ready for another big battle. They’d love to be going back to play in Croke Park but Mayo and Kerry would play each other up on top of Croagh Patrick if needs be. The prize is huge with an All-Ireland final place at stake and that’s all they’ll care about.
It was a brilliant game yesterday, particularly the second half. You’d some great individual performances and a few substitutes who came in to shake the game up in Andy Moran, Kieran Donaghy and Kieran O’Leary. The finish was amazing, real edge-of-the-seat stuff for the neutral.
Lee Keegan’s sending-off was a big moment in the game. I initially thought that it was very harsh. He kicked out but there was no real intent, he wasn’t putting the boot in to cause harm. He probably felt he was tackled hard after the whistle was gone by Johnny Buckley.
(Michael Gannon [Down Syndrome Ireland Ambassador] with Rose of Tralee 2014, Philadelphia’s Maria Walsh)
I’m sure no one was as upset as Lee after it. In fairness to the referee though, the rules are there. A kick is a sending-off offence whether you break a guy’s leg or just graze him. David Coldrick probably doesn’t agree with it either but he’d no choice. Lee will be a massive loss to Mayo for the replay.
When he went off, I definitely felt the momentum was with Kerry. They seemed to be kicking scores easier than Mayo. They were just that little bit more fluent in their play. Mayo employed a sweeper but still couldn’t keep tabs on O’Donoghue. He still kicked some fantastic scores and left space for other lads. Kerry had a great spread of scorers, David Moran hit a couple of beauties. Kerry showed they weren’t a one-trick pony and were able to fire over a great array of angles.
But Mayo really did come back into it. I thought in that second half the likes of Aidan O’Shea, Alan Dillon and Cillian O’Connor were fantastic. He doesn’t look as energetic as James O’Donoghue or the Gooch, but Cillian is so effective. 1-8 again yesterday showed his worth. He kicked one great point straight on in the second half from just inside ’45 to split the posts. He’s deadly accurate. Alan Dillon’s hunger and commitment were phenomenal, he came off the field and had just left everything out there. Moran did his bit as captain as well when he came on and kept them in it.
You never felt it was Kerry who had the spare man as Mayo’s work rate came to a new level. Kickouts were a problem for Kerry, though some of Brian Kelly’s were excellent towards the end. Kickouts are a two-way thing, for a goalkeeper to be in control, he needs a target out the field. Kerry didn’t have that for a spell in the second half and it nearly cost them.
I thought Mayo had the momentum and when James O’Donoghue flashed a shot over the bar, I didn’t think it was going to be Kerry’s day. You just felt Mayo had the drive going forward and they were going to hold out. Kieran Donaghy made a massive difference to the game. He hasn’t been used much all year by Kerry and has been dogged by injuries.
When you’re not playing, it can be difficult to be mentally right but Donaghy certainly was. He made some impact and showed what a selfless player he is by always doing the right thing with the ball. David Moran’s diagonal ball in was brilliant for the goal and then O’Donoghue finished it like the brilliant poacher he is.
I’d give a lot of credit to Kieran O’Leary as well for the leveling point. It wasn’t a simple tap over but he’d the confidence to take it on and shoot over a great point. You need someone with composure and nerve in that situation, and O’Leary was that player for Kerry.
The replay is going to be fascinating. I felt Mayo might have that little bit extra beforehand but it’s getting harder to call it now after seeing the first game. Kerry have a few aces up their sleeve playing in a Munster championship venue and the great impact made by their bench yesterday. But it’s still a tough one to call and it’s a replay with huge potential.
Mayo will still be favourites in Limerick, I don’t give a toss where it is it won’t be an excuse if they lose. The point being made is none of these Mayo players have played in Limerick and that All Ireland semis should be in Croke Park. It is nothing to do with Mayo whinging, every single former player including the lads on both Sunday Game shows said it isn’t right. Everybody is missing the point. The GAA have stated that the reason the game can’t be a week later is that Croke Park has to be free in case the Dublin game ends in a draw. It is hardly fair that they put a plan in place for that game to make sure HQ was available for one set of teams and not another in the event of a replay, it is bad form.
Dublin have yet to play a divison one team in the championship . The last time they played mayo they drew the time before that they won by a point the time before that they lost . Last time they played kerry they won by a point . Dublin are not as superior as people think they can be beaten by any of the three teams left in the championship .
Considering they played a relatively weakened team in Leinster final it scary to see how easy the provincials are for them compared to the minefield of Munster, though Kerry glided past cork they were nearly stumped by Clare. Same with cork vs tipp. Connaught the sme for mayo while ulster quite competitive. With the back door ambition to win the provincial has decreased while in hurling it is now thought winning the Munster title is actually a bad thing with the five week lay off
So Dublin won against Donegal? There was I thinking that game was next week.
The whinging out of Mayo over playing in Limerick is astounding. Now you have John O’Mahony TD saying it’s one of the worst decisions the GAA has EVER made.
This kind of thing is why Mayo are perennial losers. Always moaning and seeking to get their excuses in first.
What are they using excuses for there making a valid point that limerick can’t facilitate the wud be crowd of 50,000+ and the players Shud be in croke park for an all Ireland semi it’s da gaa that are missing out on extra revenue it’s not like them tbh they tied there own hands letting that American football sh!te on the following week to a all Ireland semi final and I hope to god Donegal surprise da Feck outta the dubs unlikely but ya nvr kno…
All seats already sold out in Gaelic Grounds according to tickets.ie.. standing room only. What really annoys me is the pathetic reason given by hq. “Can’t accomodate a replay in croke park on saturday 6th in case there is a replay required in the other semi final”., what nonsense ffs surely you should worry about what has happened before worrying about what might happen.
Our 14 men left their hearts on the field yesterday, to a man they were supberb. .
Proud to be there and as Johny Doyle said, we would play Kerry anywhere…
And correct me if I’m wrong, Donegal are still in C ‘ ship ???
Awful first half but 2nd made up for it. Doubt the dubs will be too worried about either side though.
I’ve a simple solution to this replay problem.get the GAA to introduce extra time and stop being so greedy.its such an anti climax going to a replay I can’t see any reason for them not to introduce it
Ya it’s grand for the Dubs having home advantage pretty much the whole time! But fear not this year the red and green army are ready for them! Mayo4sam!
Mayo for sambos, Dublin for Sam.
@Paddy Mac Dublin are playing there championship games in Parnell park? Well that’s news to me! There isn’t a single one of the 32 county boards that wants them to play outside of Croke Park, and since the Leinster Championship semi final there isn’t a stadium in the country that could provide the capacity other than CP
Croke Park is in Dublin, Dublin are in Dublin, to me that would qualify as having home advantage!
So arsenal playing at wembeley would be a home game?
The majority of Dublin fans would love for a championship game to be played outside of Croker,But the Leinster council insist on our games getting played at HQ for revenue reasons.
As for the Mayo player getting sent off for kicking out the same thing happened to Cluxton, Just take your medicine oh and as for home advantage last year’s AI final there was more Mayo fans at Croker.
They even had a load of fans on the Hill and they still couldn’t beat the Dubs.
Wayne, the dubs play plenty of league matches at croker as well you know and have done since Armagh 2003 (spring series etc.)
Do the Dublin council pick the locations? Nope oh and incase you didn’t notice they played half their league games outside if Dublin in 2014!
Good one mate, we never heard that before Ross Tool !!!
You might take another run at that wayne, dubs played away vs westmeath,derry, tyrone…at croke park they played home to kerry, cork, kildare, mayo, cork again and derry. None of these games sold out.in fact only the mayo game half filled the place. (Surely the final could have been moved to clones to give the hill a much craved for road trip.). Its not dublin council, its a county board and in fact it was indeed they who requested to use hq for home games just as they have done for years.
You misspelt my name Gaymes Murphy.
I didn’t know arsenal played their home games at wembley. Get a grip…
Er, against a team from outside London yes.
For what it’s worth: I’m sick of the whinging going on about the replay next Saturday, it’s very easy for the pundits to use their platform to comment on everything without reproach. The same pundits who were writing Mayo and James Horan’s obituary at half time are now, from the comfort of their seats proclaiming what should and shouldn’t be done regarding the replay, just a few observations of my own:
1) Players should be happy to pull on their jersey and play a semi final anywhere, it’s a replay after all so they have already got one shot in Croke Park.
2) for those lamenting the venue, the surface in the Gaelic Grounds is as good as any in the country, remember Mayo people ye are coming to a Hurling county so you’ll have no issues with the pitch!
3) some people today mentioned Thurles as a venue, the new dressing rooms in Limerick are much bigger and better equipped than Limerick
4) The open stand and both terraces provide excellent views any game, just pray it stays dry!
5) will those giving out about the GAA taking an American Football game in Croker, still be complaining when their club is receiving a nice grant from HQ to help with Club development.
Please, Mayo in particular, just go and play the game and if ye’re good enough ye’ll win it. Venue has no bearing on result. Stop complaining please. Rant over!!! Assume not many will agree!
Mayo blew it again another sad story to tell the grand kids in thirty years
Nothing sad about yesterday.
The American football game has been planned for a year folks. There are plenty of GAA games played outside of Croke park each year so I don’t see why the hosting of this match in Limerick is an issue.
Great game yesterday. I saw a side to Mayo I haven’t seen before and think they could beat Kerry and indeed win the final. That was some performance in the 2nd half.
As for Dublin… they haven’t played their semi yet and Donegal will have a lot to say on the day…
It’s an absolute disgrace . The GAA are treating us fans like 2nd class citizens . What’s the point of Croke park if it can’t host the second biggest game in the football calender . It’s an embarassment to be rolling over for a meaningless Amercian football game . Limerick cannot accomodate the fans . Liam O Neill should resign .
Why not the Aviva ?
It would not happen if the dubs were in question
Home games in national league for Dublin this season Kerry Kildare Cork and Mayo away games Westmeath Derry and Tyrone then that’s 4 home 3 away semi final and final both played at Croke park . So are the gaa to move Their finals out of Croke park to keep Ciaran and the other paranoid fans happy .
Not paranoid John. I’m very familiar with the concept of 4/3 3/4 home/away matches and am happy that it works. I was simply pointing out the inaccuracies of another poster. ie while Parnell is used for club, ladies, underage and most hurling.. the mens senior football team rarely play competitive games (don’t know if O’Byrne cup counts) in Parnell. It was he that stated that Parnell is the “home” ground. I was just refuting that.
That’s impossible. With an uneven surface, serious lack of space and no way to line out a pitch, I just can’t see it happening.