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Replying To hopballref: "There's about two months of irrelevant 'championship' football after the league. Its hard get exited about it until knock out. The game Sunday makes no difference except the obvious satisfaction in beating our neighbours. That being said, if they left the draw until after match it would have meant more. Time to scrap the provincials and If two teams came out of the groups, straight into q final we would get more quality games." Yes you are 100% correct. It must be old age but I had forgotten until reading Lee Keegan on the rte site that 3 teams from each group go through. 12 games to drop 4 teams, a total sham. For a Connacht or Ulster champion team to win SAM they have to win at least 5 of 6 games against mostly Div 1 teams. The odds are stacked against them. It was a novelty last year but I cant see huge numbers attending several of these fixtures. giveitlong (Galway) - Posts: 1261 - 02/05/2024 13:12:46 2542454 Link
Replying To jm25: "Gleason McGrath Fitz Glynn Mchugh Daly Silke Conroy Maher Heaney Walsh Kelly Finnerty Comer Sweeney Subs Flaherty Molloy Mulkerrins E Kelly Oflaherty Darcy Egan Ocurrain Oconghaile Cunningham Culhane/daly/mccabe That's my best 26 for Sunday I can only justify 4 forwards starting and no forwards on bench are IC standard yet shocking indictment of coaches. We can still win but you'd look at bench and can only see molloy oflaherty proven to give impact" In fairness Tomo (when he is fit) can also provide an impact as was proven with his goals in the Kerry and London games recently but I heard he was still injured after the London game. tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 02/05/2024 13:26:50 2542456 Link
I haven't been confident with a Galway team playing Mayo in a very very long time.. Again like last year we cannot let them stay in touch for long periods as Mayo always find an extra gear in the last 10 minutes. We need to put pressure on from the first minute and start hitting the scoreboard ( we will need goals) and keep the tempo up right through.. One thing I'll say is right throughout the year we have been creating numerous goal chances so this week it has to come good.. Hope Reape goes walk about as like Wslsh did for Kilmacud this year and Comer v Derry two years ago we could punish him.. Belclare7 (Galway) - Posts: 196 - 02/05/2024 13:54:28 2542464 Link
Replying To jm25: "Gleason McGrath Fitz Glynn Mchugh Daly Silke Conroy Maher Heaney Walsh Kelly Finnerty Comer Sweeney Subs Flaherty Molloy Mulkerrins E Kelly Oflaherty Darcy Egan Ocurrain Oconghaile Cunningham Culhane/daly/mccabe That's my best 26 for Sunday I can only justify 4 forwards starting and no forwards on bench are IC standard yet shocking indictment of coaches. We can still win but you'd look at bench and can only see molloy oflaherty proven to give impact" I like that team. D'arcy unlucky to be dropped but it gives us Sweeneys pace. Our half forward line will be the winning of this game. If they can keep the Mayo HB line occupied we are removing their main threat. Pity we didn't have Mcdaid or Tierney available for 20 minutes impact off the bench but so be it. With the 2 of them missing it is really important Maher is good to go. I think we win if Kelly and Comer play full games without restriction due to injury. We are a very one dimensional team without those two lads but they completely transform how we play and also how others set up against us. Gaaillimh abú Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1915 - 02/05/2024 13:55:29 2542465 Link
Replying To tommy k: "In fairness Tomo (when he is fit) can also provide an impact as was proven with his goals in the Kerry and London games recently but I heard he was still injured after the London game." He's better then what's there but a couple of goals against London and a league game v Kerry Yet to have a run and impact a championship game jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1392 - 02/05/2024 14:00:28 2542467 Link
Replying To giveitlong: "Yes you are 100% correct. It must be old age but I had forgotten until reading Lee Keegan on the rte site that 3 teams from each group go through. 12 games to drop 4 teams, a total sham. For a Connacht or Ulster champion team to win SAM they have to win at least 5 of 6 games against mostly Div 1 teams. The odds are stacked against them. It was a novelty last year but I cant see huge numbers attending several of these fixtures." 24 games to drop 4 teams anotheralias (Galway) - Posts: 974 - 02/05/2024 14:33:28 2542476 Link
The. Team I think will start Gleason McGrath. Fitzgerald. Glynn Mchugh. Daly. Silke Kelly / conroy Heaney. Walsh. Darcy Finnerty. Comer Sweeney The team id like see start Gleason McGrath. Fitzgerald. Glynn Mchugh. Kelly. Daly Maher / darcy Heaney. Walsh Tierney Finnerty. Comer Cunningham In my opinion then 6 forward as a unit will score need prob 2 goals Sunday ,, Kickitout (Galway) - Posts: 1020 - 02/05/2024 15:15:29 2542490 Link
I see there's loads of stand tickets available online for the game. Very unusual for a Galway vs Mayo game which would normally bring north of 20k. Could be the smallest crowd in years for this fixture. centrefield99 (Galway) - Posts: 142 - 02/05/2024 18:16:03 2542520 Link
Replying To centrefield99: "I see there's loads of stand tickets available online for the game. Very unusual for a Galway vs Mayo game which would normally bring north of 20k. Could be the smallest crowd in years for this fixture." While on the topic, when was Pearse stadium last sold out for a gaa match? Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1942 - 02/05/2024 20:23:50 2542536 Link
Replying To centrefield99: "I see there's loads of stand tickets available online for the game. Very unusual for a Galway vs Mayo game which would normally bring north of 20k. Could be the smallest crowd in years for this fixture." Last years match or be it was a championship knock out tie brought 23,897 to Pearses Stadium it's looking like 20k max for Sunday. Last year was a one point defeat in a match Sean Kelly should never have played or Shane Walsh as both was playing through the pain of injuries and half fit Comer was brought on in desperation. All three fit this weekend and could prove the difference. Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 324 - 02/05/2024 20:35:17 2542540 Link
I would sooner win Connacht and be fine with 3rd place in group. We can do this and must go in with ruthless attitude. suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1713 - 02/05/2024 21:12:48 2542548 Link
Replying To anotheralias: "24 games to drop 4 teams" It's like 'the baskets' at Mass. A money gathering exercise, in return for minimal excitement and entertainment. Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4011 - 02/05/2024 21:43:57 2542549 Link
Replying To Pope_Benedict: "It's like 'the baskets' at Mass. A money gathering exercise, in return for minimal excitement and entertainment." True its not like the old days when you were pope your holiness! lol tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 03/05/2024 10:01:46 2542589 Link
Team just named for Sunday, strongest named team on paper we've fielded this year so far imo: Gleeson McGrath, Fitzgerald, Glynn, McHugh, Daly, Silke, Conroy, Kelly, Heaney, Maher, Darcy, Finnerty, Comer, Walsh Notable that Tierney and Sam O'Neill are back on the bench too for the first time in a long while, no McDaid yet. LárBáire (Galway) - Posts: 43 - 03/05/2024 10:23:28 2542595 Link
I like the team. A lot of power and size around the middle third. The half forward line is physically very strong. We need to insanely contest every ball and we won't be cleaned in the air this time, I'd be thinking. If Durcan is out then Mayo not quite as pacy breaking from the half back line, but who picks up breaks from Callanan and McLaughlin? I guess Callanan will be tasked with marking Shane Walsh, hope to God that Shane is fit and that the hunger is back. This Connacht Final being downplayed by some is a nonsense in my mind. Beating Mayo now is massively important in Galway's trajectory - for team, mgmt and supporters alike. Give us something to believe in and cheer about. We've played second fiddle to their rebuilt team for too many games and we need to man up and settle a score. Our lads have a chance to make Connacht football history and be the first team to break the 50 Connacht titles barrier, plus a first Connacht 3 in a row in over 40 years. This piece of silverware is hugely important - think of the chance to make it 50 titles and all that effort and history in the maroon and white that it took to get to that milestone. The ferocious grit and never say die determination that Purcell, Stockwell, McDonagh, Tierney, Newell, John & Pateen Donnellan, Keenan, Gilmore, McManus, Mannion, DePaor, Meehan, Walsh, Fallon, M Donnellan, Joyce and so many more Galway warriors brought into a showdown like this with the auld rivals. We need to see our lads step up again to be leaders on the field and drive it home. Gaillimh Abú!!! togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 1026 - 03/05/2024 11:00:06 2542598 Link
Replying To LárBáire: "Team just named for Sunday, strongest named team on paper we've fielded this year so far imo: Gleeson McGrath, Fitzgerald, Glynn, McHugh, Daly, Silke, Conroy, Kelly, Heaney, Maher, Darcy, Finnerty, Comer, Walsh Notable that Tierney and Sam O'Neill are back on the bench too for the first time in a long while, no McDaid yet." Strongest selection all year alright, but that midfield pairing played the position extremely poorly in Sligo two weeks ago. Can only hope they've found some new gears in the last fortnight. Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4011 - 03/05/2024 11:05:42 2542599 Link
Replying To Drax_the_destroyer: "Last years match or be it was a championship knock out tie brought 23,897 to Pearses Stadium it's looking like 20k max for Sunday. Last year was a one point defeat in a match Sean Kelly should never have played or Shane Walsh as both was playing through the pain of injuries and half fit Comer was brought on in desperation. All three fit this weekend and could prove the difference." 23,897 was a capacity crowd last year. Tickets sold out a few days in advance so could easily have been another 2-3k there if tickets were available. Might only get around 17 or 18k. I'm guessing the smallest crowd for a Connacht final between Galway and Mayo in about 40 years maybe longer. centrefield99 (Galway) - Posts: 142 - 03/05/2024 11:12:12 2542602 Link
Replying To centrefield99: "23,897 was a capacity crowd last year. Tickets sold out a few days in advance so could easily have been another 2-3k there if tickets were available. Might only get around 17 or 18k. I'm guessing the smallest crowd for a Connacht final between Galway and Mayo in about 40 years maybe longer." Best of luck Sunday. Overthebar53 (Carlow) - Posts: 319 - 03/05/2024 11:29:17 2542608 Link
Happy enough with that team. He has gone with maher & darcy in half forward line to help in midfield. not sure how fit tierney is but if we could get a good 20 mins from him for a darcy or conroy most likely. We will need an impact off bench. So much depends on that middle thrid espec with our kickouts (usually just as long as can go). enough of this nonsense about losing gives us a better group a connacht medal & confidence building will do so much more for the group. Eire89 (Galway) - Posts: 317 - 03/05/2024 11:31:14 2542609 Link
Whatever about the weekend I'm more positive now about the group stages. Silke, Molloy, Walsh, Comer will get game time and sharpness. Tierney and McDaid will come back in slowly. We might get a look at the likes of Sam O'Neill too in the next few weeks. Play against the wind starting off, playing against it didn't work last summer(if we win the toss) smallfrank (Galway) - Posts: 464 - 03/05/2024 12:27:19 2542622 Link