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Post by john4 on Aug 14, 2021 20:20:49 GMT
I thought Durcan was fantastic. Thought he'd get motm
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Premier
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Posts: 1,121
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Post by Premier on Aug 14, 2021 20:28:13 GMT
Jesus the Dublin subs were brutal when they came on. McMahon only causing racket, Lahiff black, Basquel black, Bryne kicked as bad a ball away as you’ll ever see. Can’t think of any of them making any positive impact.
What exactly happened for the first 45 to be retaken?
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 14, 2021 20:28:35 GMT
I would also highlight Lee Keegans performance. I think he is one of the greatest players I have ever seen and delighted for him after a tough few years with injuries. Keegan drove them forward to grab the game and was there at the end to man the barricades. Great player. Always was. |
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Post by john4 on Aug 14, 2021 20:44:03 GMT
Jesus the Dublin subs were brutal when they came on. McMahon only causing racket, Lahiff black, Basquel black, Bryne kicked as bad a ball away as you’ll ever see. Can’t think of any of them making any positive impact. What exactly happened for the first 45 to be retaken? Words of encouragement from Philip to Hennley I understand!! Out of character really 😜😜 |
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Premier
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Post by Premier on Aug 14, 2021 20:47:26 GMT
I thought Durcan was man of the match, his skill in evading tackles at any speed is mesmeric. Gave them good cutting when needed. In fairness to Conroy he finds space too when there’s none there
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 14, 2021 20:50:36 GMT
Jesus the Dublin subs were brutal when they came on. McMahon only causing racket, Lahiff black, Basquel black, Bryne kicked as bad a ball away as you’ll ever see. Can’t think of any of them making any positive impact. What exactly happened for the first 45 to be retaken? Words of encouragement from Philip to Hennley I understand!! Out of character really 😜😜 Delighted for Hennelly after all that happened in previous games v dublin |
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Post by Kingdomson on Aug 14, 2021 20:50:42 GMT
Where does one even start? Mayo on the floor at halftime, and looking truly awful. Then they showed tremendous courage but no one has doubted Mayo for courage in a long time. However, Mayo were still making awful decisions, having terrible misses, but kept fighting and went on to kick some outrageous points in one of the strangest games I've seen in many a year. They were worthy and convincing winners at the end of it all.
So much to pick out of this one, and not least the sight of James McCarthy getting dispossessed and turned over for the second game in a row! When did we see it once over the last decade and a bit more? Only Father Time remains undefeated.
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Post by greengold35 on Aug 14, 2021 21:02:17 GMT
Dublin showing there true colours here and Lane finally issuing cards. Lane bottled decisions all night - cynical black card offences were seen as yellow cards - McCarthy & Small ( Paddy) should both have seen red - Lane only issued cards when game was as good as over - terrible ref. |
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Post by john4 on Aug 14, 2021 21:14:20 GMT
When the 12 year run of the greatest football team ever ended in the 1987 Munster final replay, Kerry were beaten fair and square by a very good Cork team in a very sporting match which ended with handshakes all-round.
It's not how a team wins that determines their greatness but how they lose.
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Post by veteran on Aug 14, 2021 21:32:11 GMT
Dublin have been great champions , their record endorses that evaluation, but it has to be said they were not glorious in defeat today. I suppose it is difficult to be second best when you have been Numero Uno for so long , still being multiple champions also requires that you submit with dignity. Sadly that did not happen today. Philly McMahon for one seemed determined to cause a melee and the Small brothers should each have got a red card for reckless tackles that resulted in their opponents having to be replaced. Conor Lane was very weak . Waving play on for that tackle by John Small was reminiscent of the time play was allowed to proceed when Peter Crowley got that unmerciful tackle a few years ago , also against Dublin.
Apart from their indiscipline, the Dublin subs who came on looked very ordinary and one wonders , in spite of what people say, if Dublin can come back and win more in the near future after this defeat. Certainly, the championship should be far more competitive next year, even in Leinster.
I felt Mayo were awful in the first half even without Dublin being brilliant and like most people I could not see Mayo even being close at the end. It was a brave and ruthless decision to take off Aiden O’Shea . I am not sure what it is with Aiden and Dublin but he never seems to click against them even though , in his defence , there was not an awful lot of ball going his way. Mayo were sensational in the second half and in the first half of extra time. As Johnny Giles might say, they were prepared to kill their granny to win possession. The recovery was all the more remarkable when one considers that they have so many new , young players on board. Perhaps that fearless enthusiasm of youth was the crucial factor.
Without being disrespectful to Dublin , most neutrals will be delighted that the monopoly has been shattered. One can only be delighted for Mayo. Per head of population , they are probably the most rabid and loyal GAA followers in the land. Naturally, I am hoping that Kerry will be crowned champions but if victory is to be Mayo’s lot I will not begrudge them that victory for one moment.
P.S. That big Mayo man who invaded the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick in 2014 will surely cause havoc in Dublin tonight. I doubt if he will bother coming home until the final is over, and if Mayo win that final a team of wild horses will not prevent him from gaining access to the pitch.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Aug 14, 2021 21:34:01 GMT
Reffing terrible and I know how hard a job it is but FFS ....
Keegan looked mainstay on TV, still he had lost his pace last year so either 2nd lease of life or else consistent with both teams having unforced errors that shouldn't be seen at this level, ah maybe with Covid benchmark is lower? While it was entertaining, Kerry should beat the pick of them once we go at 'em.
I'm seldom right on predictions but can't understand why everyone had Maigh Eo written off at HT - Dubs were under pressure and burning fuel while we all knew Mayo had good recruits and, well like ourselves in '14 AI final v Dgal, they can strike out of and that they did tonight. Horan proved our Eamonn wrong re time it takes to build a team but methinks that margin will close shortly, maybe Eamonn will be proved right, but PK v Horan will be a big part.
As for Tyrone, how on earth can they expect to be match ready, and then the risk of cross infection - flies in face of BS we are being given, or am I missing something? Id it medically ok then it is to our advantage anyway though it won't otherwise take anything from whoever claims Sam as Tyrone are not quiet there yet.
Congrats to Maigh Eo, always played pure stuff and great they have some interesting youth, Leeroy at FB heartening and I was always a big fan of his - still SO'6, Brothers of Fossa, etc will be an entirely different proposition.
It will be a long stretch to Turkey dinner so let's enjoy the next number of weeks and hopefully the auld cannister will sweeten the fayre.
Also hate to say but AO'6s young broth also fumbled when on-score.
Why was AO'6 replaced? That goal v Aussies crowned him for me, the size of the hoor alone is worth a few points and he deserves a taste of success.
Dessie Farrell never looked like a manger to me - am maybe me but nothing about him that looks like a fella who's balls are on the block, maybe his role in ghost that is GPA unduly, or not, influences me.
PS Sorry for all the Likes but I like what is said!
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Post by sullyschoice on Aug 14, 2021 21:44:28 GMT
Dublin have been great champions , their record endorses that evaluation, but it has to be said they were not glorious in defeat today. I suppose it is difficult to be second best when you have been Numero Uno for so long , still being multiple champions also requires that you submit with dignity. Sadly that did not happen today. Philly McMahon for one seemed determined to cause a melee and the Small brothers should each have got a red card for reckless tackles that resulted in their opponents having to be replaced. Conor Lane was very weak . Waving play on for that tackle by John Small was reminiscent of the time play was allowed to proceed when Peter Crowley got that unmerciful tackle a few years ago , also against Dublin. Apart from their indiscipline, the Dublin subs who came on looked very ordinary and one wonders , in spite of what people say, if Dublin can come back and win more in the near future after this defeat. Certainly, the championship should be far more competitive next year, even in Leinster. I felt Mayo were awful in the first half even without Dublin being brilliant and like most people I could not see Mayo even being close at the end. It was a brave and ruthless decision to take off Aiden O’Shea . I am not sure what it is with Aiden and Dublin but he never seems to click against them even though , in his defence , there was not an awful lot of ball going his way. Mayo were sensational in the second half and in the first half of extra time. As Johnny Giles might say, they were prepared to kill their granny to win possession. The recovery was all the more remarkable when one considers that they have so many new , young players on board. Perhaps that fearless enthusiasm of youth was the crucial factor. Without being disrespectful to Dublin , most neutrals will be delighted that the monopoly has been shattered. One can only be delighted for Mayo. Per head of population , they are probably the most rabid and loyal GAA followers in the land. Naturally, I am hoping that Kerry will be crowned champions but if victory is to be Mayo’s lot I will not begrudge them that victory for one moment. P.S. That big Mayo man who invaded the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick in 2014 will surely cause havoc in Dublin tonight. I doubt if he will bother coming home until the final is over, and if Mayo win that final a team of wild horses will not prevent him from gaining access to the pitch. I felt sorry for his poor daughter who was mortified trying to stop him making a show of himself. He eat half of Suoermacs in Limerick afterwards. |
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Post by boherbee on Aug 14, 2021 21:50:46 GMT
Tyrone have to be navigated first but I did offer myself the luxury, or torture, of thinking who might pick up Con and Ciaran if we get that far. Of course they will have similar questions at the other end. Kilkenny is the hammer that needs to be hammered though as he both creates and finishes with aplomb. He battered the smaller Begley in the league in what was a physical mismatch that had me wondering what were the brainstrust on the line possibly thinking. Anyway, sonmething for a future day perhaps.... Problem solved ! |
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Post by gaelicden on Aug 14, 2021 22:28:58 GMT
6
The number of AI finals this Dublin team contested consecutively. 2015-2020
Same as Kerry 2004-2009, and Dublin 1974-1979. So there's one Football record they didn't beat.
Overall ranking:
1. Dublin (2015/20) 6 wins (2 replay wins 16 and 19)
2. Kerry (2004/09) 4 wins (04,06,07,09) 2 losses (Tyrone 05,08)
3. Dublin (1974/79) 3 wins (74,76,77) 3 losses (Kerry 75,78,79)
Today was also Brian Fenton's first championship loss, just a mere 6 YEARS after his championship debut. Surely this is a record? In a way, was he Dublin's Bomber Liston?
Being honest, my opinion on this Dublin team (Panel?) Soured last December when they won 6 without hardly breaking sweat.
It just seemed business as usual, Jim (Joint greatest Manager with Micko, 2nd best if we take into account Mickos exploits outside Kerry, your choice) departing didn't seem to cause too much concern, in fact it seemed they were the team who lost the 5 in a row final in 2019.
To the fans of Dublin it was business as usual, the machine was moving efficiently. To the rest of us it was demoralising, not even a Global Pandemic could stop them (I imagine most of the country felt the same when Kerry came back for 3 in a row between 1984 and 1986).
2021 arrived and I felt there was cracks starting to appear. I'm not talking about their covid breaches, instead I'm talking about the match against Kerry in Thurles.
6 points ahead at half time having scored 3 goals. 7 points ahead having held the ball for three minutes at the start of the second half, they crumbled being outscored 1-9, 1-2 to their (arguably) nearest rivals. Dublin of old would never have relinquished such a lead. KERRY 1-18 V 4-09 DUBLIN read the final score. The fine points (for the Dubs): scored 4 goals, the negatives: scored 9 points, conceded 18 points. For as bad as the Kerry defence are claimed to be, would we concede 4 goals again if this game was replayed? probably not.
Similar happened this evening (but without the goals). Took a big lead, then crumbled. Dublin scored 3 second half points, and 1 extra time point. Mayo: 9 second half points, 4 extra time points.
I won't talk about their antics tonight when losing. Yet it was that Aura for the Dubs, everyone could see that something wasn't right (no goals against Div. 4 Wexford, outscored against Meath 1-7 to 0-2 before the second half injury time gloss points) but yet we all thought "next game will be the game they come to form". At half time today we all thought it had happened, their demise was short lived and yet here we are, they've been beaten for the first time in championship in 7 years.
I won't write their obituary yet (even if the above feels like one). For all we know they're at Kerry '82/83 levels and there's a few more titles left to collect, maybe even a late 2000s Kerry (written off but will still come back). None of the players owe anyone anything, they could retire tomorrow and will still have as many all Ireland's as Spillane, Sheehy etc. They've given their fans plenty of great days out, just as we hope the up and coming Kerry teams of Clifford(s), O'Shea, O'Connor, Ryan, Murphy, Breen, Crowley et. Al will give us.
Overall, I might be a Kerryman but I can't deny there was something about the Dublin teams of the 2010s. Just like any team, Dublin were lucky they came about at the same time. Time will ultimately soften my opinion of this era, By then it's probably too late to acknowledge it anyway.
Edit: One more thing, I heard this one after Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 US presidential election to Trump. Yes she might have lost, but this is an opportunity. An opportunity for your daughter, granddaughter, sister, mother, or even yourself to become the FIRST lady president of the United States.
Now the Dubs have not made it 7, theres the opportunity. Who wants to be THAT team, the first team to win 7 in a row?
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Post by john4 on Aug 14, 2021 22:46:55 GMT
It was only when James Horan took Aiden O'Shea off did they actually pull together and actually play as a team.
I've no idea what's going on in Mayo but it appears that he's somewhat a disruptive influence in the team!
They'd do better in the final without him
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 14, 2021 22:53:24 GMT
Premium
End of Dublin's decade of dominance was sad to see, but not as sad as I thought it would be
Joe Brolly
August 14 2021 09:44 PM
In the 38th minute, with Dublin five up, and moving gloomily towards another anti-climactic win, the game went into a dumb phase. A sort of footballing purgatory, with Dublin holding possession, going backwards, backwards, backwards and nothing in particular happening. For ten long minutes this continued.
Then, something extraordinary happened. Aidan O’Shea was taken off. It felt like a clarion call for a new era. Mayo’s young team — having seemed to accept their fate for the first three-quarters of the game — were suddenly unburdened, and went into full-on championship mode.
Dublin, stuck in a negative rut, could not respond and for the rest of the game they were blown away. Eight times Dublin fisted the ball to a Mayo man.
When Davy Byrne soloed over his own end line in the 77th minute to give Mayo the chance to equalise with the last kick of the game, Rob Hennelly nailed the ’45 imperiously and the Dubs were done.
Hennelly was unrecognisable from the psychological wreck we have come to know. Here, he played magnificently throughout, his inch perfect kick-outs quarterbacking Mayo on their way, complemented by two superb frees from around 60 metres and then that killer ’45.
Dublin overcarried, got caught in the tackle, mis-passed the ball constantly with foot and hand, and might have gotten away with it, until the removal of O’Shea and the realisation by this vibrant young Mayo team that this was the moment.
The heart of this team is Pádraig O’Hora. Having dismissed Galway’s main threat Shane Walsh in the Connacht final with an emphatic slam to the turf after Walsh had pulled him back, he underlined Alex Ferguson’s credo that the game is first and foremost about character. I met him out walking his dog last week in Ballina, bouncing along with his ponytail and smiling broadly. “Give them hell,” I said. “I will,” he said.
Do not let the pink boots fool you. This man is a terrific bit of stuff and a natural leader. In Croke Park, he took the great Ciarán Kilkenny apart, physically and more importantly mentally, so that long before the end Kilkenny had accepted his fate.
Keegan likewise is a leader and with O’Hora at his side, Mayo have two men who are not afraid to win. It was this negation of Dublin’s attacking threat that gave them the confidence to surge on in the last quarter and throughout extra-time.
Enda Hession came in as a sub and immediately showed his team-mates the way, making a series of electrifying drives through the heart of the Dublin defence.
Most teams are beaten by Dublin before they start. Witness Kildare coming to lose by not too much in the Leinster final. When Mayo drove at them, it soon became clear that this Dublin team had reached the end of its natural life. Kicking the ball into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Driving goal chances wide. Fouling when it was as easy to tackle cleanly. But mostly, going backwards, backwards, ever backwards. It was sad to see but not as sad as I thought it would be.
This was because Mayo inspired us and sent us away with hope that this unprecedented period of dominance by one team, this era of oppression, is over.
They played with freedom and concentration and manliness and for the first time in seven years Dublin lost in championship, a decade of tyranny over the game that I hope will never be repeated.
Up front, Ryan O’Donoghue showed that he is also a natural leader, playing with composure and grit, refusing to let the game get the better of him.
Most pleasing for me was the arrival into the big time of Tommy Conroy, an electrifying, passionate, emotional young player who nailed down the Dublin coffin with three glorious points coming down the stretch. He must have suffered after his mauling and early removal against Dublin in last year’s final. His performance here showed strength of character and a young man with spirit and a sense of adventure.
Tommy Goals they call him in Mayo. When he starts doing that in Croke Park they really will be in business. He will need to against Kerry.
All that remains to be said is three cheers for this Dublin team and their astonishing contribution to the game.
Sunday Independent
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Post by southward on Aug 14, 2021 23:12:25 GMT
It was only when James Horan took Aiden O'Shea off did they actually pull together and actually play as a team. I've no idea what's going on in Mayo but it appears that he's somewhat a disruptive influence in the team! They'd do better in the final without him O'Shea could have no complaints either. Once again failed to turn up in a big game. In fact his only noticeable contribution was two shocking first-half misses. Surely won't start the next day. |
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Post by Ballyfireside on Aug 15, 2021 1:02:10 GMT
It was only when James Horan took Aiden O'Shea off did they actually pull together and actually play as a team. I've no idea what's going on in Mayo but it appears that he's somewhat a disruptive influence in the team! They'd do better in the final without him O'Shea could have no complaints either. Once again failed to turn up in a big game. In fact his only noticeable contribution was two shocking first-half misses. Surely won't start the next day. Young brother v same, if ya picked it up? |
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Post by Ballyfireside on Aug 15, 2021 1:18:05 GMT
Premium End of Dublin's decade of dominance was sad to see, but not as sad as I thought it would be Joe Brolly August 14 2021 09:44 PM In the 38th minute, with Dublin five up, and moving gloomily towards another anti-climactic win, the game went into a dumb phase. A sort of footballing purgatory, with Dublin holding possession, going backwards, backwards, backwards and nothing in particular happening. For ten long minutes this continued. Then, something extraordinary happened. Aidan O’Shea was taken off. It felt like a clarion call for a new era. Mayo’s young team — having seemed to accept their fate for the first three-quarters of the game — were suddenly unburdened, and went into full-on championship mode. Dublin, stuck in a negative rut, could not respond and for the rest of the game they were blown away. Eight times Dublin fisted the ball to a Mayo man. When Davy Byrne soloed over his own end line in the 77th minute to give Mayo the chance to equalise with the last kick of the game, Rob Hennelly nailed the ’45 imperiously and the Dubs were done. Hennelly was unrecognisable from the psychological wreck we have come to know. Here, he played magnificently throughout, his inch perfect kick-outs quarterbacking Mayo on their way, complemented by two superb frees from around 60 metres and then that killer ’45. Dublin overcarried, got caught in the tackle, mis-passed the ball constantly with foot and hand, and might have gotten away with it, until the removal of O’Shea and the realisation by this vibrant young Mayo team that this was the moment. The heart of this team is Pádraig O’Hora. Having dismissed Galway’s main threat Shane Walsh in the Connacht final with an emphatic slam to the turf after Walsh had pulled him back, he underlined Alex Ferguson’s credo that the game is first and foremost about character. I met him out walking his dog last week in Ballina, bouncing along with his ponytail and smiling broadly. “Give them hell,” I said. “I will,” he said. Do not let the pink boots fool you. This man is a terrific bit of stuff and a natural leader. In Croke Park, he took the great Ciarán Kilkenny apart, physically and more importantly mentally, so that long before the end Kilkenny had accepted his fate. Keegan likewise is a leader and with O’Hora at his side, Mayo have two men who are not afraid to win. It was this negation of Dublin’s attacking threat that gave them the confidence to surge on in the last quarter and throughout extra-time. Enda Hession came in as a sub and immediately showed his team-mates the way, making a series of electrifying drives through the heart of the Dublin defence. Most teams are beaten by Dublin before they start. Witness Kildare coming to lose by not too much in the Leinster final. When Mayo drove at them, it soon became clear that this Dublin team had reached the end of its natural life. Kicking the ball into the goalkeeper’s hands. Driving goal chances wide. Fouling when it was as easy to tackle cleanly. But mostly, going backwards, backwards, ever backwards. It was sad to see but not as sad as I thought it would be. This was because Mayo inspired us and sent us away with hope that this unprecedented period of dominance by one team, this era of oppression, is over. They played with freedom and concentration and manliness and for the first time in seven years Dublin lost in championship, a decade of tyranny over the game that I hope will never be repeated. Up front, Ryan O’Donoghue showed that he is also a natural leader, playing with composure and grit, refusing to let the game get the better of him. Most pleasing for me was the arrival into the big time of Tommy Conroy, an electrifying, passionate, emotional young player who nailed down the Dublin coffin with three glorious points coming down the stretch. He must have suffered after his mauling and early removal against Dublin in last year’s final. His performance here showed strength of character and a young man with spirit and a sense of adventure. Tommy Goals they call him in Mayo. When he starts doing that in Croke Park they really will be in business. He will need to against Kerry. All that remains to be said is three cheers for this Dublin team and their astonishing contribution to the game. Sunday Independent Joe, brill, but just because AO'6 being curly fingered coincided with the turning of the tide doesn't, well mean it caused it, though it doesn't mean it didn't cause it either, and no disrespect to JmaesH. But FFS Joe, Aidan wouldn't be starting if you were right! No doubt AO'6's role is/was a mystery, and Horan might agree - but hells bells, here's my call - Mayo were better and it was just like any other game, it was just, how Mayo would win, on the day. IMO, humble wan, Mayo were just very good awesome. Hey, thanks to the Dubs, ye will be back and ye showed us great stuff, raise the bar, chins up! |
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Post by Kerryman Randy Savage on Aug 15, 2021 1:32:25 GMT
There was one stage in the second half I saw O'Shea run from the square and ran past the attacking Mayo team and then turned around and ran back to the square. I've never seen an Under 12 look as hopeless as Aidan on the field.
Had Mayo lost Aidan was gone. Acted like a child when taken off and the same when he reentered at the end. Senior players need to show leadership with young teams, Aidan was lacking.
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 15, 2021 8:36:59 GMT
Premium
Fearless warriors seize the day to end an empire
Colm O'Rourke
Dublin were great champions, but nothing lasts forever and it was fitting that Mayo delivered knockout blow
2
August 15 2021 02:30 AM
Mayo ripped down the walls of an empire in Croke Park last night. They did so with bravery as much as class but long before this was over the were the complete masters.
I did not think that Mayo had much chance before the start; at half-time I thought it was all over as Mayo were insipid in everything they did. They were well off their men and Dublin completely owned the ball.
There was a change in the second half to all-out war and Dublin did not like it very much. The subs that Mayo brought on made a big difference — Enda Hession, Jordan Flynn, Brian Walsh and Darren Coen added a bit of pace but far more importantly the tactics altered. Instead of sitting back and being passive Mayo decided to push up. Not only on kick-outs but on all plays. The security that Dublin had in the first half of passing the ball across the back line disappeared as Mayo hounded them at every turn.
When it came to trench war Mayo were hungrier. Lee Keegan and Paddy Durcan drove them on but Tommy Conroy started to fire and Ryan O’Donoghue began to grab a yard of space. The points did not exactly flow in extra-time but the Dubs ran out of ideas and a three-point win for Mayo was well merited.
In boxing, the champion becomes vulnerable when he loses his legs. In this case Dublin collectively lost theirs and there was no reinforcements from the bench. That bench which killed Mayo in the past now contributed little. The reverse took place, Mayo had the energy and the subs to make hay in the light Croke Park rain. The Mayo supporters did not notice they were getting wet, each cloud had a silver lining.
Dublin started as if they wanted to take care of business early and they could then coast through the second half. It has been the pattern of their year. I thought they were just holding on to a performance for when they needed it most and it seemed like that in the first half as they kept Mayo moving from side to side and getting the ball to their main shooters in space. There were plenty of points but no killer goal. Yet at half-time it was going entirely to the Dublin script as they were hungry, tackled ferociously and kicked accurately.
Read More
Tyrone must be given time to recover and play semi-final
End of Dublin's decade of dominance was sad to see, but not as sad as I thought it would be
Dublin owe football nothing, no team has given the game more – but nobody can begrudge Mayo this victory
James McCarthy and Brian Fenton were leading with customary enthusiasm while Ciarán Kilkenny and Dean Rock were very good. The other part of the gang of destroyers, Con O’Callaghan could not get going, and it summed up his year. Yet all the football was being played by Dublin and there seemed no way back for Mayo.
ADVERTISEMENT
James Horan deserves a lot of credit for making bold decisions. Perhaps there was no other way as dishonourable defeat was staring him in the face so he gambled big by deciding on all-out attack. It could have easily backfired as Dublin usually tear a team apart when they get more space going forward but Horan through in men with pace and showed his ruthless streak by taking off Aidan O’Shea. As it was O’Shea was contributing nothing. He has never really played against Dublin and two bad wides in the first half summed up his day. In his place came hunger and pace and Dublin became rattled early in that second half.
poster
They became rather cynical too but at least some of the problems arose from their own messing around with the ball. The last ’45 which Rob Hennelly nailed at the second attempt summed up the rising panic in the Dublin ranks. A ball which should have been cleared was put out by Davy Byrne after some short passing in the Dublin goals. However, in looking down the pitch at the time there was no Dublin player making themselves available. Their legs, like the great boxing champion, had gone.
In some respects Mayo won because they were able to call on young players who had no fear. When they got a chance they took on their men and kicked some great points. The old order has changed and it will be a while again before Dublin cast such a long shadow. They were great champions and provided marvellous entertainment but nothing lasts forever. Another empire has crumbled, like the Greeks and Romans. How they kept it up for so long is quite amazing.
Mayo are now on the brink of their own piece of history. The doomsday merchants will worry now that this is what they do. Beat one of the top teams and still lose the final. That can wait for another day.
They have defeated the greatest champions we have ever seen in the game. That is enough for any Saturday in Croke Park and it was fitting that Mayo, who have suffered so much at the hands of Dublin, should be the ones who delivered the killer punch.
Read More
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 15, 2021 9:15:07 GMT
House on fire. After six years of unbroken domination that at times left the rest of the country in despair, Dublin, All-Ireland champions 2015-2020, went down in flames on a rainy night in the capital.
It was appropriate that they fell to Mayo, the county that had offered Dublin the toughest challenges and suffered repeated heartbreaking outcomes over the past half-decade.
In the end, the sight of Dublin in disintegration was shocking. The All-Ireland champions struck 0-10 in a first half in which they presented the illusion of the old control and decision making. But over a wild and extraordinary hour, the most voracious scoring team of modern times would manage just another 0-4 in 62 minutes of football.
The champions failed to score entirely in the third quarter when referee Conor Lane whistled for the water break, a fact that would have been inconceivable in any summer over the past decade. And they just about held on as the Mayo youth division ran through them in waves in the last quarter, suddenly aware that there was nothing to be frightened of here.
A nerveless 45 by Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly edged the game into two periods of extra-time but something within Dublin – whatever essence it is that makes a team believe it is immortal – had already been broken on the field. They knew it. Their opponents sensed it. Then, the realisation spread to the chilly darkening stands. If there were still newstand boys and evening editions, what a clamour! Extra! Extra, read all about it.The old palace was being ransacked before our very eyes.
These two have served up a series of rich classics to be savoured over the years. This was more elemental and darker. For 55 minutes, this was an awful game of football, played on a squally, unsettling night of spitting rain and spiteful transactions.
As the tea-time kettles whistled around north Dublin, a question might have formed in the minds of the public. Where is the All-Ireland championship? Where is the big sprawling majestic spectacle that has, for decades formed the backdrop of Ireland’s summers?
There was something uneasy about this Saturday evening in the minutes after six o’clock as the Dubs, still the champions perpetual, briskly ran through their power-and-possession game. What did this say about the state of the game if Dublin were simply going to cruise to another final?
The memory of what Mayo had done to the sacrificial lambs of June – obliterating Sligo, putting up a frightening score against Leitrim – put a chill into an already unseasonable August evening. Mayo are, by all accounts, light years removed from the rest. But here, over the first 30 minutes, they were snatching at ghosts and struggling to read the riddles of the Dublin movement and composure. With the Kerry-Tyrone semi-final in a precarious and compromised place, the championship itself seemed to be on the precipice.
But Mayo under James Horan are nothing if not stubborn. Few teams are as bloody minded in shaking off their own shortcomings. They had excuses to fold the tent here. As usual, much of the focus was on Aidan O’Shea: where would he play; how would he lead?
The big Breaffy man trotted into the edge of the square at the start and then spent most of the game waving at his team-mates in the hope they’d find him the ball. When he did win a possession and a free shot with a mark, he thumped a terrible wide from 13 metres, to the gloating delight of the Hill. He never quite recovered from that moment and Horan took the huge and hugely courageous decision to substitute him with 50 minutes gone.
It was a massive moment in what goes down as Horan’s finest hour to date. Without O’Shea, Mayo had to go and beat the unbeatable without their figurehead. And new faces emerged. Tommy Conroy transferred the electric talent he has long shown on localised fields to the biggest game of his life. Ryan O’Donoghue must have ran a marathon as well as striking 0-5 over the evening. The Mayo back division, led by Pádraig O’Hora and Lee Keegan, put in a monstrous hour and snuffed out the fading light of the most feared attacking unit in the game.
There is always something terribly lonely about watching a great team humbled. The realisation that this is what was happening here came late. There was a suspicion, as the cognoscenti had sagely agreed in podcast and print all week, that Dublin had become that most delicate of things: vulnerable.
They looked anything but in the first half. There was the imperious Fenton catch, there the inevitable backdoor scores from O’Callaghan and Kilkenny, there was Scully and Murchan buzzing and moving and there, too, was the bass chorus of the Hill, content that nothing had changed, nothing was over. It was, in fact, the westerners who looked stricken and suddenly searching for an identity through the first half.
It was 0-10 to 0-4 at the break. The big place felt eerie during then, with all the funfair sounds but none of the atmosphere. The first half deepened the sense that Dublin had finally roused themselves to the necessary business of extending the legacy.
Time and time again, the Mayo young ’uns learned to their cost that you don’t take the ball into contact against Dublin: the tackling was rapacious and firm. Fenton settled into conductor at midfield as Dublin simply toyed with their opponents in possession. They held the ball for 61 per cent of the time as the Dublin fans clapped politely and nodded appreciatively as the champions switched the ball and used the tramlines on the field and never once allowing the pent-up Mayo men to deliver the hit they yearned to do.
And yet. It was only 0-12 to 0-7 on the hour mark. The champions, playing into that treacherous breeze towards the Hill, had stalled. If there was a turning point, it was when Diarmuid O’Connor sprinted to save a stray Rob Hennelly free, fly-kicking it back infield for Kevin McLoughlin to fire one of his efficient scores.
All night, the Mayo faithful had been waiting for a moment, any moment, to light their fire. This was it. After the restart, Jordan Flynn clipped another score and then Evan Comerford, advancing with the ball and searching in vain for a blue shirt, was called for over-carrying. It wasn’t really the goalkeeper’s fault but it was impossible at that moment not to remember the missing number one. It was only then that the Dubs fans had visions of Stephen Cluxton. O’Donoghue potted the free and then Conroy landed another true beauty. Mayo were back in comfortable country: rampaging, chasing down a lost cause, running down a dream.
Suddenly, there was only one team on the field. It was all green and red. They tore through the fragmenting memories of the Jim Gavin years. The closing minutes of the champions’ defence was not particularly gallant: it seldom is.
Desperate to halt the westerners flow, they went down injured, the committed several wild tackles and had the great James McCarthy, the nucleus of this whole thing, and Tom Lahiff black carded in the unruly closing period of extra time.
By then, Mayo were in a 0-17 to 0-14 lead and were completely in control: revelling in the night. There was almost a grace note goal when Conroy, in fabulousness mode by now, sent O’Donoghue through but he never fully gained control of the shot. It didn’t matter. Late in the night, Horan had the presence of mind to bring O’Shea back into the game. It was a classy gesture to a player who owes his county nothing and will have further big shouts in his county colours.
The one problem with the story of this rivalry and all its riveting stories was that the outcome was always the same. Could it be a true rivalry if Dublin kept winning? This might just have made all that hurt worth it.
What a night for some of the veterans – Keegan, Patrick Durcan and Hennelly himself as they celebrated. Of course, they are past masters at winning semi-finals, this crew. Write them off. Strike them down. Count them out. And still they turn up, back in an All-Ireland final: to hell with ’51 and all that fatalism.
And now: that distant sound you hear coming is not just the south wind blowing. It’s the men and women of Kerry, licking their chops. Mayo won’t care. You live for these days, these nights.
Keith Duggan
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Post by onlykerry on Aug 15, 2021 9:40:29 GMT
Well done to Mayo - there is a part of me a little pissed off this morning however as I would have loved if Kerry were the ones to stop Dublin. There was a growing confidence that Dublin were gone off the boil and their bench in particular would not be as influential as in the past, that said nobody expected them to die the way they did in the second half and their stars (Fenton, O Callaghan etc) prove so lacklustre when the chips were down.
Mayo have youthful energy combined with some steadying old timers - sounds familiar. If we meet in the final when all the Tyrone madness is finally sorted it will be an unpredictable affair with questions about how good Mayo really were and how bad were Dublin.
Ref was very poor on several big calls but did get the 45 re-take right. Will be interesting to see if any action is taken against AOS for entering the field and getting involved in the melee from the subs bench.
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Post by royalkerryfan on Aug 15, 2021 10:15:36 GMT
For me the ideal scenario all year was to face Dublin in the championship and give them a proper beating.
That Dublin team have been like that all year.
Fell away in the second half against Kerry, Meath, Kildare and last night.
I was told for some time by a close friend in Dublin that all was not right in that camp.
Hopefully thats the end of some of those players because the carry on at the end was a disgrace and I honestly don't know what Conor Lane was watching.
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abù
Full Member
Posts: 134
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Post by abù on Aug 15, 2021 10:20:42 GMT
Super performance by Mayo and it will be hard to begrudge them if they go all the way this year even at the expense of Kerry.
A few things stand to mind this morning though. Tough on him, as he has been a great servant to the cause but unfortunately I feel Aidan o Shea needs to step away from the Mayo setup if they are to have a chance of success in the coming years.
Thankfully the tactic of keep ball by Dublin has been beaten. A tactic which is understandable coming down the home straight, but when they started it in the first half last night it was hard to watch and making a mockery of football with 40 hand passes over and back the field for minutes on end considering there was 40+ minutes to be played yet.
The Mark needs tweaking or else get rid of it, several marks called last night for a 20yard pass delivered into the chest. Surely that is not the purpose of the Mark.
Conor lane was very poor in my opinion, he horsed out deserving black cards once he knew the game was over but shocking is the only word that comes to mind for his overall performance, and if he is in top 3 referees in the country it is mind boggling.
Finally can Kevin Mcstay please find a career at something I have no interest in. The bias towards Dublin was embarrassing, to say McLaughlin challenge was a fair and square shoulder was mind boggling for a man that is meant to have good knowledge of the game.
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abù
Full Member
Posts: 134
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Post by abù on Aug 15, 2021 10:28:49 GMT
Well done to Mayo - there is a part of me a little pissed off this morning however as I would have loved if Kerry were the ones to stop Dublin. There was a growing confidence that Dublin were gone off the boil and their bench in particular would not be as influential as in the past, that said nobody expected them to die the way they did in the second half and their stars (Fenton, O Callaghan etc) prove so lacklustre when the chips were down. Mayo have youthful energy combined with some steadying old timers - sounds familiar. If we meet in the final when all the Tyrone madness is finally sorted it will be an unpredictable affair with questions about how good Mayo really were and how bad were Dublin. Ref was very poor on several big calls but did get the 45 re-take right. Will be interesting to see if any action is taken against AOS for entering the field and getting involved in the melee from the subs bench. The 45 retake was mentioned it was due to obstruction from philly McMahon, but on the replay you can where there was handbag stuff going on behind Hennelly, Conor Lane was coming in the direction of Hennelly and it appears he had blown the whistle to hault the play as the kick was being taken. |
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Post by taibhse on Aug 15, 2021 11:04:13 GMT
The 45 retake was due to Dublin in the process of making a substitution. They had 16 players on the pitch at the time. It had nothing to do with Philly, who was well away from the free-taker at the time. The Ref was v-poor but he got that call correct.
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 15, 2021 12:51:32 GMT
The 45 retake was due to Dublin in the process of making a substitution. They had 16 players on the pitch at the time. It had nothing to do with Philly, who was well away from the free-taker at the time. The Ref was v-poor but he got that call correct. Correct. There seems to be some confusion too about the yellow that con and davy byrne got. A jersey pull is a yellow. Cynical pull down is a black. I felt both incidents were in the latter category but others i have spoken said the ref was correct. On 61 mins McStay says Dublin are in complete control. ODonoghue i think it was chases down a blue jersey in possession and forces a turnover. A free ensues which Hennelly miscues but DOC stops if from going wide and McLauglin points. The momentum shifted then. I think it was oDonoghue robbed McCarthy too later on. A great bit of stuff than guy. Its only fitting that it was Mayo that beat Dublin. They consistently put it up to them over the past 10 years. With a man up they went for the jugular and closed it out and were in control when the ref blew it up. Kerry had a glorious change in the drawn game to stop the 5 in a row, a point up and an man up but blew it. |
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Post by colinsworth1 on Aug 15, 2021 13:13:30 GMT
Any update on the injured Mayo player
Mcloughlin the wing back
Looked like he was knocked out or concussed at a minimum
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Post by taibhse on Aug 15, 2021 13:30:39 GMT
Any update on the injured Mayo player Mcloughlin the wing back Looked like he was knocked out or concussed at a minimum It's reported elsewhere that he's in hospital with a broken jaw. |
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