1. Mayo end losing run against Galway
JAMES HORAN RETAINED his 100% record against Galway in the championship tonight. He’s now defeated the Tribesmen in four attempts from four, a run that goes back to his debut season in charge in 2011.
Mayo managed to end their losing run against their neighbours too. They’d been beaten in their last three championship encounters and seven games in total across the FBD League, National League and championship stretching back to 2016.
Galway’s defensive approach under Kevin Walsh frustrated Mayo’s running game in previous years, but the smart movement of their forward line on this occasion created plenty of scoring opportunities. Mayo shot 10 wides, yet Darren Coen and James Carr looked extremely lively and dispatched 2-3 from play between them.
2. Question marks over Walsh’s future
Walsh’s future as Galway boss will come under scrutiny following the conclusion of their season. He likes to refer to his end-of-year accounts after Galway exit the championship and in his fifth season in charge they’ll show a failure to reach the heights of previous campaigns.
A disappointing Connacht final defeat to Roscommon where they managed just 0-2 in the second-half was compounded by a poor start in Limerick where they fell 2-2 to 0-2 behind after 10 minutes.
Walsh has become a lightning rod for criticism due to his defensive approach, which is often used as a stick to beat him with when results don’t go their way. There will be pressure from inside the county for Galway to move on from Walsh over the coming months.
In his five years in charge, Walsh has led his native county to an All-Ireland semi-final (2018), two quarter-finals (2016 and 2017), in addition to two round 4 exits in the qualifiers. They reached four provincial finals, winning two and losing two, while winning the Division 2 title (2017) and losing the Division 1 decider (2018).
Corofin’s double All-Ireland-winning manager Kevin O’Brien, U20 boss Padraic Joyce, former Monaghan manager Malachy O’Rourke, Donegal coach Stephen Rochford and UCD manager John Divilly are among the names that would be linked with the hot-seat if Walsh steps aside.
3. Mayo’s failure to put the game to bed
We’re well used to Mayo’s dramatic run through the qualifiers at this stage. They don’t like making it easy on themselves. James Horan’s men rattled the back of the net with two early goals, yet never really pulled clear of the Tribesmen.
A worrying 15-minute spell without a score in the second period allowed Galway back into the game. It was the sort of game that Dublin or Donegal would have put to bed during the third quarter, but that’s not Mayo’s style.
A missed Liam Silke penalty in the 53rd minute cost Galway dearly and when Shane Walsh found the bottom corner from a close-range free in the sixth minute of stoppage time, it was a little too late for the Tribesmen.
Horan will be unhappy with Mayo’s failure to deal with Walsh’s placed ball in the final minute. With a host of defenders on the line, they were caught out by Walsh’s quick-thinking. On another occasion near the end, Keith Higgins was almost turned over as he soloed the ball across David Clarke’s goals.
Those defensive issues will need to be addressed as things go up a notch in the Super 8s.
4. Positive news on the injury front
Despite their spate of injuries, Mayo have won three big games in 15 days to reach the last eight of the competition.
The sight of Lee Keegan and Seamie O’Shea making returns from injury off the bench was a major boost for Horan’s side.
In addition, Cillian O’Connor kicked six points (0-5 frees) in his first start for the county in almost 12 months and Donie Vaughan made the starting XV for the first time in 2019.
In even further good news, Horan was optimistic that Diarmuid O’Connor (broken wrist) and Matthew Ruane (broken collarbone) would play some start in the Super 8s with the final round-robin game against Donegal a realistic target.
5. Trip to Killarney for opening weekend of Super 8s
Mayo’s reward for tonight’s victory is a quick turnaround against Kerry in Killarney on Sunday afternoon. It’s a game Mayo are well capable of winning. They defeated the Kingdom in their most recent meeting, the Division 1 final back in March.
Kerry looked defensively vulnerable in the Munster final against Cork and shipped three goals. Mayo’s hard running game has caused the Kingdom problems before and the momentum gleaned by their qualifier run should stand them in good stead next weekend.
Mayo will be expected to account for the winner of Meath and Clare in round 2 before in-form Donegal visit Castlebar in the final round of games. Beat Kerry in eight days and Mayo give themselves an excellent chance of making the All-Ireland semi-finals and, crucially, avoiding Dublin in the last four.
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No real Galway Football follower is in two minds over whether Kevin Walsh has a future at the helm. Okay he has brought us two connacht titles, a league final appearance and an all ireland semi final appearance but on the basis of the displays today and against roscommon it seems that this team has become predictable and stale. The loss of Tally has been telling in that we have lost serious defensive shape, as seen in Mayos second goal today, but the manager has to be held culpable for the lack of organisation. We have one of the top forward units in the country yet we somehow only managed 0-2 in the second half of a connacht final and a lacklustre 1-13 today against an ageing and vulnerable Mayo defense. This shackling of our forwards is reason enough for Kevin Walsh to move along.
@Cillian: I don’t understand the abuse Kevin Walsh gets. As you say yourself, 2 Connaught titles, league final and AI semi final. All coming from a period when Galway were the whipping boys of Connaught. He took them and made a real team of them.
All this talk about the talent in the forward line he is not utilising. Maybe these forwards are not as talented as everyone says. Biggest scoring threat came from midfield today. It’s not all down to management. Players need to show up and be counted.
Ye were missing yer best player and leader this year in Comer and have had a lot of injuries.
Aside from an awful second half against Roscommon, Galway a good team this year. Strong in league.
Scored penalty today, different game. Fine margins.
@Cillian: well I keep hearing how amazing a forward Burke, Walsh and comer are yet they never seem to dominate over 70 minutes like other top forwards. Our style of play is suffocating them or else they’re just not as good as everyone thinks
@Desheen: ah no it’s the style of play in fairness. The amount of minor and u21 talent that has come through was eventually going to lead to a small bit of success but the negative style does not suit Shane Walsh or Ian Burke who are not used to having to defend. It’s not their strength
@Cillian: I’m open to correction but i don’t think Tally was part of the Galway management team in 2016,2017 when Galway beat Mayo and held them to 0-12 and 1-11.
@Desheen: the most negative manger in the country – glad for walsh Galway were beaten sad for Galway football they were
Best Gaelic football team I have seen in recent years are Corofin, back those players and their philosophy and Galway are a force to be reckoned with, Kevin Walsh thinks differently and while they are competitive at times, Galway could be an awful lot better in my view
@DJ Cronin: there were 4 Corofin starters last night and they were all rubbish. Power made a horrendous mistake for the goal, Silke was awful for Mayo’s second goal and missed a penalty, and Farragher and Burke created not a whole lot up front, with Burke sent off. Molloy is s serious operator and was good when he came on.
These lads have and will play better, but the notion that more Corofin players will elevate Galway is shown up for the BS that it is. Club is a different world. I think Kevin was right about some of them.
What will help Galway is the Club Finals being brought forward, it means if Corofin win again, as those players can now get league matches under their belt, which is vital these days.
@Gearoid O Laoi: I take your point Gearoid and club is a different world and the county suffers when those lads have long campaigns to march each of the last few years. There does not seem to be a whole lot of joy or ambition to Galways play and that seems a pity given the quality of player available including the Corofin lads. There is no doubt Walsh has made them more competitive and harder to beat but I always associate a Galway football team with more ambition based on skillful footballers. Every County has its own culture and I think it is important to work with that.
@DJ Cronin: I agree we should be more attack minded, as thats how we were brought up, but locally, people seem to think that getting rid of KW and putting more Corofin lads in the team will have us challenging Dublin. Alone, it won’t.
Or more laughably as a fellow Galwayman beside me at the game was stating, get rid of the city and west boys. The first slap that was thrown in a Mayoman’s direction was after 25 minutes when Seán Aindí came on and belted a few lads on the way to this position. Galway will always need the Connemara steel and it was a poor mistake not to start him.
I think KW might well leave, but the problem is we don’t have allot of depth. The fact Corofin are going for 7 in a row shows the shallowness of our club scene. KW has done allot of good things in his time, D2 in 2015 to semi’s last year, but the next manager might conclude we aren’t strong enough defensively to go man on man, and play more or less the same way. I just don’t like the KW bashing as if he us the only reason we are not winning Sam.
@Gearoid O Laoi: well you are either right about Corofin,and Club football,,or you are wrong, personally ,looking at that shite yesterday i think you’re wrong,im with Brolly on this one.
@Gerry Campbell: time will tell, but yourself and Brolly are basing it on possibility. I hope your right, but remember the scorer of Mayo’s 2 goals is from a junior club.
My point is simply this, Corofin, putting in more Corofin players and playing the Corofin way may not solve any of Galways problems. You’ve said I’m wrong without any real evidence, and as for Brolly, his opinions are based on emotion and tend to change with the direction of the wind.
@Gearoid O Laoi: Fair enough Gearoid and you are much closer to the scene than I am. Putting forward the Corofin model is simplistic I know but would just love to see Galway be more positive and attack minded but a defensive system is generally easier to coach and bed down so maybe if Walsh got another year, the focus might shift.
@DJ Cronin: The one game in KWs reign where we were “off the leash” was the replay against Roscommon in 2016. It was awesome. The next game v Tipp, we stank, so since then, its been as normal.
We generally have the same points, but Galway attacked plenty last night, more than any game this year. I just dont believe our problems can be solved with one swoop. Change will happen, lets see.
@Gearoid O Laoi: Fair enough, best of luck with it
We love to be written off in the Kingdom!
Galway not playing to their strengths have some tremendous footballers but defensive football is not the way forward for a traditional county like Galway.
Steven rochford wud be ideal.
Where are ye going with Malachy O’Rourke in the running for Galway job???
@michael cullinane: ye could do a lot worse, things just fizzled out with malachy at Monaghan,which can happen and does happen but overall he doneva fantastic job.
@michael cullinane: Stephen Rochford or Kevin o Brien. Joyce and Divilly need a few more years.
@michael cullinane: another shite manager- afraid to win but not losing is more important
@Fr Romeo sensini.: Malachy did a great job with Monaghan but he lives no where near Galway and would have nobidea of Galway club football, the Joe Kernan experiment was a disaster. No doubtin Malachy as a manager at all. Galway u20 management team are the perfect choice IMO.
@Fr Romeo sensini.: he wasnt joking id say,yup,bring him on….
There are no question marks over his future! His time is up. Terrible to watch
Walsh butchered a quality football team
@Martin Brennan: are we as good as we think we are?
Needs a new manager.
Let down this season by players with allegedly big ability and reputations . Overrated or not wanting to play for KW ????
@Enda Layng: You are partially right they did not want play for him but this was borne out pure frustration by terrible communication skills, ineptness and lack of leadership. His own two club mates and closest allies pulled out of panel this year over his increasingly autocratic and divisive management.
When Paddy Tally was there last year the tactics were ultra conservative but he had them playing as a unit, this is clearly not there this year.
The problem was further compounded without Conroy or Comer (for most of the year) as they were without any leadership on the field either.
Kevin O Brien and Stephen Rochford combination with David/Frank Morris involved too. If not then Eamon fitzmaurice..too early for Joyce.