Talk about a matchseriously.Al-Ireland out the window!I had some hope for an Al-Ireland before today but after watching that match im shocked.After a good enough league...to play a championship match like today was just terrible.They need to get seriously sorted for the Mayo match or else it will be humiliation! What are your views on todays match?

Galwaymad (Galway) - Posts: 38 - 28/06/2009 16:02:03    325384

Bear in mind that I am not even in the position to watch the game on TV, so this is more of a general observation. However this was Galway's first serious game of the Championship and Sligo are ALWAYS a tough nut for us to crack (Have we forgotten what happened 2 years ago already!!). Honestly, I would rather be going into a Connacht final after having been challenged like this, than following a facile win over a Rossie team that disintegrated.

I wouldn't be despairing quite yet...

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 28/06/2009 16:47:41    325404

The reason Galway lost to Sligo 2 years ago was because they were a shambles. Just home from today's game and you could nearly say the same. Must have gone about 25 minutes without a score between the end of the first half and the start of the second. Midfield was in absolute disarray yet again. Michael Meehan hardly got a sniff, in fairness there wasn't enough early ball going in. We have also lost Hanley and Matthew Clancy now to injury. Hopefully we'll get these 2 back for the Mayo match. Hanley had a great game up until he went off. Mayo will be hot favourites now for the Connacht title after that. Personally I don't think Galway have a hope as they'll be cleaned out in midfield again.

spitbag (None) - Posts: 71 - 28/06/2009 18:02:48    325472

We might give ye a 6 pt head start if ye want..we dont want to do a 'roscommon' on ye now!!..Salthill awaits the green n red :)

In the Parish ! (Mayo) - Posts: 448 - 28/06/2009 18:12:58    325483

First the Minor Game. This was the worst galway minor team i ever saw. Are players from the north board excluded this year, only one from Corofin who have the best underage structure in Connaught.

Sligo game. Ye were a total shambles. Did mgmt hope to win with this semi-reserve team to keep panel on there toes. No way todays 15 would have started if ye were playing Mayo, Coyne, D Meehan, and O'Donnell. Bane was poor too. Left to PJ to pull it out of the fire yet again. Why is the fastest player on the panel, Alan Burke not getting a run, is he injured? Ye can not win even half yer own kick outs. Big changes needed if ye are going to give us more of a game than Ross...

martinjoe (Mayo) - Posts: 555 - 28/06/2009 19:21:42    325540

Why do I always feel that bit more confident when I see Mayo men starting to predict a route in the Final? Well done lads. Keep losing that head while we keep winning the silverware.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 28/06/2009 19:30:26    325551

hope to see a tougher battle than d ros game cause no point any team headen to croker with no real challenge.And as for the minors they will find it hard without a tought test also.

mac11 (Mayo) - Posts: 463 - 28/06/2009 19:53:01    325568

first of all i would like to ask will o donnell be suspended for club championship next weekend? after all it seemed like a fairly harsh decision. another poor performance by galway after such a promising platform was built last season. it seems that their inconsistency at the highest level will cost them dearly, seems to me that a lot are lacking direction bar the magic of armstrong joyce and meehan there are very few able to work hard for the team aswell as get vital scores. another thing was there were whispers in the terraces this afternoon of unrest,favourtism etc. many see damien burke as out of form since last years championship-poor with corofin in the club championship. rumours of alan burke and kieran fitzgerald not getting on with management-seen by not starting even though both have proven themselves recently the management not knowing enough about their playes- seen by young joe joe being used as a toy merely used just to fill a gap, great for confidence the use of ineffective subs who disrupted any rhythm or structure and though there were many injuries it was clear bergin and clancy were not 100% this was doubled by the management moving players all around the pitch etc conroy o donnell bradshaw bergin joyce bane armstrong moved around too much to be able to settle. the key for galway at the beginning of the game was not to let sligo settle because they would build on this confiedence. some players believed their opening 20 mins was enough to win the match. i still believe galway will win connacht but so much for the open expressing football promised. things must change if croke park will be conquered and as for the minors many of the lads playing minor football in the county with clubs never felt that they were an exceptional team they're average at best. players built up with reputations but they always fail to deliver and look who contested the colleges a final two mayo sides. mayo are the ones with excetional talent that if nurtued will prove havoc in the later stages while the only thing exceptional about galway was their arrogance

midfieldmaster (Galway) - Posts: 88 - 28/06/2009 20:25:53    325611

Time Sammon opened his eyes - i wonder if he goes to any senior club matches in Galway or does he only watch Intermediate? There are better footballers in Galway then some of these lads, not their fault they are being picked but surely Niall O Brien or Cillin DePaor would be much better??? Any opinions?

Conamara (Galway) - Posts: 111 - 28/06/2009 20:27:21    325613

I was at the match today. For the first 20-25 minutes we were okay. We went 8-2 up and I thought that we were going to cruise to the Connacht final. This is allowing for the fact we hadn't won one kickout and that Duffy was only refereeing Galway. (he should have sent off Eamonn O'Hara) But then Matthew Clancy got injured and we seem to lose our focus. We must have gone 25 mins without a score.We were lucky in one way that Sligo did not get ahead. Our midfielders were non existent when it came to contesting for high balls. I would rate the team as follows out of 10
Faherty 8,
Burke 6, Hanley 10, Coyne 5,
Meehan 5, Blake 5, Bradshaw 6,
Conroy 5 ODonnell 3
Bane 2, Joyce 8, Bergin 3,
Armstrong 8, Meehan 7, Clancy 4 ( wasn't on long enough)
Niall Coleman did okay when he came in.

But we are in the Connacht Final. I predict we'll draw with Mayo in Pearse stadium and lose the replay.

As for our minors. Not much you can say. They tried! If the panel selection is to be believed It will a Spiddal/Michael Breathnachs county minor final.

Broadminded (Galway) - Posts: 112 - 28/06/2009 20:51:36    325634

folks i thing ye will roll over mayo, they think because of roscommom result the connaught is theirs, if i was a galway man i would be delighted that i hard a tough game going into the final. i think ye will accept that sligo are not as bad as people think. this is a big wake up call. i love attending games against galway the supporters are honest and the number of galway followers that said the best team lost to day was heartening to hear. that counts for nothing to us now so go and win the final, three weeks to prepare,loads of time, you dont want to peak too early

shaneanthony (Sligo) - Posts: 277 - 28/06/2009 21:22:19    325679

Management must take some blame here.Here is why I was baffled. Why would anyone leave a 6ft plus in Niall Coyne in the full back line--he was roasted. He doesnt look comfortable at all there. Barry Cullinane is not good enough. Why were our forwards all over the place. We strarted well but then went astray all over the place. We have the ability--shame to waste it. Mayo fans --have ye not learned yet--ye have the white flag out when ye head for croker--surrender.

evertonian (Galway) - Posts: 1 - 28/06/2009 21:27:36    325684

wat r u on about givin blake a 5 he won so much breakin ball nd was the only galway player too hit a shoulder on any off the sligo lads!!!! he deserved at least a 7! coyne didnt even look like a corner back got cleaned i wudnt aven rate him!! putin blake and coyne in the same bracket!!!!(joke) coleman was very good wen he came on he started too catch ball nd run at sligo!!! hanley was outstanding he is the best full back in the country!! galway awful lucky that the sligo lad cudnt pick up the ball in the dyin moments!! its goin ta be a very hard match in salthill against mayo!!!

scan (Galway) - Posts: 25 - 28/06/2009 21:32:35    325693

Fair play Shane, and if it's any consolation, most Galway supporters view beating Sligo as more of an accomplishment than beating the Chokers. I mean Mayo. Hard luck today, and best of luck for the future.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 28/06/2009 22:13:36    325740

Should improve for Mayo game; Sligo were no pushovers; I dont think we will get the hammering Roscommon got; We expect too much from them; Surely, we shouldn't be that surprised, we see them playing week in week out for our clubs, and hard to pick out anything special in the last few years; We over-rate certain individuals; When I hear statments like the DEADLIEST FULL FORWARD LINE IN IRELAND, I soetimes wonder where the basis for these kind of statments came from;
Anyway, lucky to come away with a win, they kept fighting to the end and they will give their lives to beat MAYO;

SAMMYTHEBULL (Galway) - Posts: 1646 - 28/06/2009 22:44:50    325773

Look lads, in a realistic world, you said after the league game against mayo and initially your poor finish to the league campaign that you would come good for the championship..well championship arrived in the shape of london a few weeks ago and you put on a puke performance to beat them by 11 pts(take note we beat both roscommon and new york by more),nicky joyce was poor as was the rest of your 'over 30s team',then you played down that result and said you would come good against sligo,sligo have came and gone and after a flattering 4 pt win you look to be going backwards and if JOM was taking notes, he would require a new refill pad.Mayo have a young athletic team and i expect them to run all day long and eventually even from a neutral prespective,the fitness of the mayo lads will shine through against an ageing galway team.As the season progresses, your lads will become more tired and legs will tighten up for a lot of the lads! Im tired of this nonsensical 'come good' craic, mayo to come out of salthill with an all-ireland QF place secured,end of.

In the Parish ! (Mayo) - Posts: 448 - 28/06/2009 23:14:06    325809

Faherty 8- did nothing wrong,not his fault he had nobody to aim his kickouts at Coyne 3- how did he stay on. Hanley 6- ok Burke 5 Dec Meehan 4--bad on the ball blake 7- thought he played well bradshaw 7- man of the match on sunday game odonnell 0- poor and then sent off to top it off conroy 5- poor bergin 5 joyce 7- faded in and out of the game but did alot of good things when on the ball bane 4- barely touched the ball clancy - cant rate him because of injury meehan- 6- quiet by his standards armstrong 8- my man of the match greaney- 3- should never have been brought on sice- 6- made some good runs cullinane 4 - unbelievably petulant. coleman 5- fitzy - not on long enough to be rated

techland (Galway) - Posts: 494 - 28/06/2009 23:30:24    325832

Aging Galway team? That doesn't even make any sense.

The only players over 30 are PJ and Declan Meehan and I doubt Declan will be featuring in the Connacht final.

In fact it's a fairly young Galway team bar PJ.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2387 - 28/06/2009 23:32:20    325836

We'll come good in the Connacht Final i reckon, Mayo are hardly worldbeaters and they can't win in the redeveloped Pearse Stadium

P.Joycestick (Galway) - Posts: 158 - 28/06/2009 23:41:56    325851

Faherty...8 played well great save when two points up which could have changed outcome
Coyne....4 very poor why he was corner back in first place is beyond me
Hanley...9 excellent performance did every thing right in my view
Burke...6 Solid enough marren was dangerous at times
Dec M...4 great servent should not be playing unfair on him should quit with all the good memories
Blake...6.5 Decent nothin wrong nothin good
Bradshaw.. 7 solid hopefully sammon leaves him there and lets him get familiar with it,
Conroy...5 poor overall not up to inter county midfield, imagine kevin hughes or even dara o se
o donnell...4 not to familiar with him in fairness wont write him off completely. v poor today
Bane..5 started brightly then went off the scene completely before being subbed
Joyce..8 Experience settled the ship in the closing stages, wonder would he be better out of No.11 Fitness wise
Bergin..thought tried exceptionally hard and should be midfield played out of position when midfield was being anialated
Armstrong..9 Joint MOM wit hanley looked very lively and was allways in thick of action. took dogs abuse
Meehan...7 Quite as per usual still ok, best of him to come.
Clancy.. not on long enough to rate, thought he started well though

ACminor (Galway) - Posts: 154 - 29/06/2009 00:18:44    325884