fieldman (USA) - Posts: 4 - 02/10/2016 14:13:51    1921484

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 02/10/2016 14:34:37    1921490

Firstly well done to Dublin, this defeat is as sore as the 1996 defeat to Meath, Mayo management made 3 big mistakes, changing goalie was daft, you are bringing in a cold player that hasn't played much games for the team this season and starting him into an All Ireland Final. Second mistake was when Lee Keegan was black carded se needed an experienced defender that could tightly mark Connolly, have we that player on the bench? Yes Chris Barrett, the management brought on the wrong player, Coen hasn't enough experience to mark Connolly. Third mistake was constantly kicking high balls into the full forwards, it didn't work in the 2 games in 2015, it didn't work for Kerry this year and didn't work in the drawn game so why would it work in the replay? What we needed was 2 small fast corner forwards that would pull the Dublin backs out towards the corner flags there by creating space in front of goal for the player running through with the ball, you haven't a hope of scoring when you have 6 men standing in front of the goal clogging it up. The biggest mistake was the ref, a lot of people called it in the past week or 2 that he would have a poor game and he had, he failed to make a number of big calls and bottled it when he had the chance, linesmen and umpires were as well off to have gone shopping for the day because they done nothing. The black card has to go, go back to the simple yellow card for a bad tackle or constant fouling and a straight red for a professional foul within the 45 metre lines or 2 yellows. Yesterday was a good day for the GAA money wise, over 4.5 million gathered with ticket sales but a bad day for the officials, the black card and the rules of the game, time for the GAA to sort out proper refs, all we ask for is consistency in decisions

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 02/10/2016 15:05:08    1921502

Congratulations to Dublin! You are a great team.

Apart from Mayo's Rob Hennelly, my sympathy for Mayo starts and stops with their magnificent support. This Mayo team had every advantage going for them going into this game and during 2016. Losing Connacht allowed them to regenerate and perfect their defensive strategies through the back door series. Entering the All Ireland series they were probably the team in best-prepared condition. They met a tired looking Dublin team in the final. A Dublin team who have been on a long hard road after winning an All Ireland in 2015 and following it up with another league title. Furthermore, my view is that Mayo met a Dublin team who clearly had already peaked in 2016 because they had to peak to beat Kerry. Even when the Mayo management clearly had a massive brain fart and dropped goalkeeper Clarke in favour of Hennelly, the ref actual did them a massive turn with the black card. Basically Mayo had a dotted line all the way to the finish line, if they were actually going enough to win it in 2016? They weren't. There are no excuses for Mayo and I still think they lack enough quality scoring forwards.

At the end of the day, this is a magnificent Dublin team and certainly the best Dublin team I've seen in my lifetime. Well Done to the Jack's, enjoy it lads!

Kingdomson (Kerry) - Posts: 244 - 02/10/2016 17:43:00    1921543

Congrats to Dublin, they found the scores a little bit easier in the dying stages and that was the difference. We were working out asses off just to try and get into a scoring position. The officials were poor for both teams so I am not gonna go down that route of blame. The black card is a joke and we know that. The Mayo management will die by the sword for the bizarre decision to start Hennelly. They can try and justify it but the fact is it cost them the game. Clarke was the best keeper in the country for the last couple of months and not one person thought that was a possible change. What might have been but it is what it is.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7902 - 02/10/2016 18:12:24    1921553

TirChonaillabu2 (Donegal) - Posts: 344 - 02/10/2016 19:22:28    1921580

Poor Mayo - the Buffalo Bills of Gaelic Football

Adler (Monaghan) - Posts: 754 - 02/10/2016 20:06:07    1921606

In a lot of ways this is one of the most satisfying all ireland wins Dublin have won in recent years.

To beat Donegal and ferocious Kerry and Mayo team on the way speaks for itself and shows the mettle of this Dublin team, they had to dig deep to win this won and answer some hard questions by some good teams.

They did it without an all star defender in Rory O Carroll and footballer of the year Jack McCaffrey.

Couldn't be prouder.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 02/10/2016 20:17:38    1921610

Equineburger (Mayo) - Posts: 30 - 02/10/2016 20:22:13    1921614

I thought the refs reading of incidents in the game were very inconsistent e.g. A Dublin back hand-tripped Moran in the first few minutes - clearly intentional as Moray was in on goal, but the ref ignored it. The Mayo keeper made a dreadful mistake which led to the penalty and got black carded even though it was very obvious he was straining every sinew in his body to try to remedy his mistake and knock the ball away. Yet the ref judged that his intent was to bring the player down. (I'm sure Mayo supporters were not too disappointed with this particular black card.)

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 02/10/2016 20:49:51    1921630

Mayo management team imo cost these players an All Ireland medal. Are they any further on than when they deposed Holmes & Connelly. This was the best opportunity ever for Mayo & Rochford made a monumental error. Changing a keeper for an All Ireland final, not because of injury or playing badly but just for tactical purposes beggars belief. Keepers thrive on confidence so Clarkes must have taken a massive dent which only further heaped the pressure on Hennelly who looked nervous from the start. A goalkeeping change also affects the outfield players as they have to readjust also. A huge error by the manager. Also his substitutions were strange, why didn't teak tough defender Chris Barrett come in for Keegan & what did Evan Regan who was fantastic all year do wrong, he should have been in ahead of Conor O Shea & Alan Dillon who is well past his prime. Another mystery is why when you have a proven score getter like Kevin Mc Loughlin, feared by other teams, play so deep as to be ineffective when Mayo lack score getters. I think tactically they were poor also, Ciaran Kilkenny who threads Dublins attack & has the most possessions was a man to man mark, curb his time on the ball & possession & you ultimately take away how they start their attack. The classic way to beat Dublin is to run at them & the Mayo goal proved this but they didn't attack the central channel enough. Aidan O Shea needs to be running towards goal not away from it coming onto ball. Mayo had two great chances, I believed they could do it but they have come up short & management imo cost them a medal today. Will the players give this management team another shot esp as they imo cost them a medal today, time will tell.

moc.dna (Galway) - Posts: 1212 - 02/10/2016 20:50:54    1921631

I think you're missing a lot of the point there, moc.dna. You're going on about McLoughlin and the lack of attack etc, when many observers might conclude that the most impressive thing about Mayo in those two finals was their defensive solidity, and their capacity to limit Dublin's offensive firepower. McLoughlin's role was integral to that, I'm led to believe. Mayo's attack is a slightly blunt instrument even at full tilt , but when you have to pay extra attention to defensive structures, it obviously becomes an ever increasing struggle to score. I thought the two finals were poor spectacles, with too many frees, too many tackles that were difficult to interpret & administer, too much defensive football, and an almost total absence of quality forward play. Basketball without a shot clock at times. An eyesore. Football is in real trouble imo, from an entertainment viewpoint. The emphasis on defense and possession retention has made the game horrible. Having said that, congrats to both Dublin and Mayo for making the final.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3426 - 03/10/2016 11:36:06    1921801

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 03/10/2016 12:29:45    1921840

Its important to look at Mayo approach to the game, last year they came out all guns blazing and tried o outscore Dublin, it didnt work. I don't think they lack good forwards, they are capable of racking up scores and scoring goals with the best of them.

The philosphey this year under Rochford was to see them more solid and grind games out, to do that you loose something up front you cant play more open and the hope is to keep the other team out and hope that your defense is better then the opposition attack and you can outscore them. They got very close, but it didnt work, employing the strategy which was brilliant to watch defensively you loose to much in attacking play to beat a team like Dublin. They have great forwards but were largely marginalised by the system, only for O' Connor in the two games it would not have been close. That said on reflection of the two games, i never felt despite the closeness of the two games that Mayo would outscore Dublin. I actually think Mayo dont need forwards but decent midfilders they lost a hell of a lot of pocession through poor fielding and getting the ball forward over the defensive shell you have to make it stick.

The philosphey however is the receipe to beat this Dublin team, a more clinical Donegal team proved it and there is a blueprint there, Donegal have proven it, Kerry and Mayo got close. Mayo are the only team that can match Dublin physically and for athlethisim.

I do think other teams could cause Mayo problems though, in a lot of ways more so then Dublin, Kerrys ability to kick pass, quick hand pass and take long range points will be a different test next year for that Mayo team under Rochford if both win their provinces and get to a semi. Should be fascinating. I tihnk Dublin may have got some more joy against that Defensive structure with Jack McCaffery running at pace as the extra man as well, thankfully he will be back next year.

This for was one of the most enjoyable all irelands that Dublin have won in recent years, one of the greatest legacy's ofd this Dublin team has seen great attacking footballing counties like Kerry and Mayo retreat to more defensive strategy's in philosphies of how they play the game. An all Ireland beating Meath, Donegal, Kerry and Mayo is a very enjoyable thing, we have had bad days against them so always nice to correct a few old scores.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 03/10/2016 12:40:47    1921844

Spoddgy (Mayo) - Posts: 660 - 03/10/2016 13:10:30    1921860

Steelfixer (USA) - Posts: 41 - 03/10/2016 13:21:52    1921868

poguemahone (Dublin) - Posts: 365 - 03/10/2016 14:25:19    1921908

TirChonaillabu2 (Donegal) - Posts: 344 - 03/10/2016 15:34:50    1921955

As a Dub I'm over the moon, and I want to be magnanimous in victory. But it's made really, really hard when there there's so much cherry-picking going about about refereeing decisions. Mayo didn't lose the final because of the referee.

Gavvygavgav (Dublin) - Posts: 383 - 03/10/2016 15:46:07    1921972

Mayo did not lose because of the referee. Small was lucky to be on the pitch but after getting away with the first offence he was entitled to push the boat out. Cooper black card was by law probably right but a joke in fairness. Keegan one was very frustrating as Connolly actually has a wee tug before Keegan does and then Connolly hits the deck easy and gets up waving an imaginary card. Can you imagine if the roles were reversed and Keegan did it? We would never hear the end of it. Brogan should have been black carded but Deegan bottled that probably because of where the offence took place. Doherty should have walked as well for a late hit after the goal. The law is an ass. The black card as it is just simply does not work. Dublin had game changers on the bench who wreaked havoc in the last quarter, that was the difference. Their scores came a little easier. The frustrating thing for me is we may well have got over the line if it wasn't for the penalty. That 3 point gap killed us in the end.

Let's all move on with our lives. The picture of Andy Moran, his daughter and Brogan on the pitch at the end sums it up for me. There is massive respect between the 2 teams, shame that the fans can't engage their brain when analysing games. For both games, there were at least 2 or 3 people from both counties who literally knew nothing of the tactics that were going on and they only see what they want to see. I told a couple of people to shut up on Saturday as I couldn't hack the rubbish they were spouting to each other, one from each county. Never kicked a ball in their lives and had a few pints on board to make matters worse.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7902 - 03/10/2016 16:17:01    1921996