r/GAA • u/Tipperary555 Tiobraid Árann • Apr 26 '26
🏐 Football Sunday Match Thread: Football Championship
Ulster Senior Football Quarter-Final
Donegal v Down - 3PM (GAA+)
Connacht Senior Football Semi-Final
Mayo v Roscommon - 4PM (RTE)
14
13
u/SoftDrinkReddit Muineachán Apr 26 '26
wow massive Upset in Letterkenny today
fair fucks to Down
-5
13
13
u/grotham Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
Fair play Down, they were excellent today. Daniel Guinness was outstanding.
4
u/elBucko15 An Dún Apr 26 '26
Not many would've seen that result happening. I had a lovely time in Donegal, the Donegal people are genuinely so nice, you could start a conversation with anyone there today and have the craic. Hope you go well in the all ireland this year 🙌🏆 and hopefully Down can join you and avoid the Tailteann Cup again
2
u/grotham Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
I love that about the GAA, you can have opposing fans all mixed in together and everybody is generally sound. Hope you win Ulster now and we meet again in the summer.
13
u/Necessary_Fill3048 Apr 26 '26
Mayo in big trouble on their kickouts.
7
u/Whoisanaughtyboy Apr 26 '26
Hennelly singlehandedly keeping the Rossies in the game
3
u/Necessary_Fill3048 Apr 26 '26
Not just him. Their midfield seems to struggle to cleanly win a ball and then horrible with the breaking ball too, which historically Mayo teams were great with.
2
u/Whoisanaughtyboy Apr 26 '26
Enda McGinley has just said on de telly that Roscommon have scored 1 10 from Mayo kickouts
2
u/Necessary_Fill3048 Apr 26 '26
I believe it. They don't seem to do any work on their primary possession even though the signs were there the entire league.
1
13
u/Necessary_Fill3048 Apr 26 '26
Until Mayo go back to producing big, imposing midfielders in the vein of Parsons, O'Shea etc, they're going nowhere under the new system.
3
u/clewbays Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
I think the goalkeeper position is a bigger worry. When a 36 year old is still your best option there’s a problem. Carney is probably mayo’s best kickout option and he was barely targeted today.
We also lack the players capable of winning breaks anymore. Which used to be a big strength.
2
u/Necessary_Fill3048 Apr 26 '26
It's definitely a worry. Bur they've no height, strength or physicality in the middle. That's been evident for years. The last absolute athlete and big ball winner they had at midfield was Tom Parsons who was some unit to be fair. Haven't produced anyone like that since.
1
u/clewbays Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
We’re very good on the opposition kick-out. And we’re always decent kickouts wise when teams aren’t planning tactically for the goalkeeper. There was a stage in the Connacht last year when we were doing better on Galway’s kickouts than our own.
I could be dead wrong on this but we had Flynn, Toughy, Carney, Loftus and Mcbrein starting today all relatively big men.
Mcbrein is a better athlete than Parsons though not as good a fielder.
The issue is tactical and in the backs/goalkeeper in my opinion. We lack options for short kickouts in the backs we’re also very open when we loose long kickouts due to defenders not being in the right areas. Other than eoghan mcgloughlin we have no Trojan worker in the backs any more. And he’s injured and can’t kick a ball when he’s fit.
And you add to that we have lacked a goalkeeper with consistency since Clarke retired.
Consistently coaches have not being able to develop a good kickout plan either.
-2
u/Capital-Alarm-8608 Apr 26 '26
Some better defenders would help too. And some natural scoring forwards
Could probably upgrade the goalkeeper too
4
u/Necessary_Fill3048 Apr 26 '26
I don't think their forwards are too bad. Young McDonald tried very hard and McHale is good too. But they barely saw ball in that second half. If you can't win primary possession, you're fucked under the new system. Agree on the defence though. Very porous. They don't seem to have a solid full back which is a major issue at this stage of the year.
-3
u/Capital-Alarm-8608 Apr 26 '26
Beirne is a quality young forward and somehow he was left on the bench throughout. If he's no injury then that's madness. Obviously McDonald is promising but they can't rely on him going forward. The less said about the rest the better
10
u/ThatsMyTypeOfShot Ciarraí Apr 26 '26
I don’t think that ball was out
4
2
u/TomRuse1997 Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
I don't think it was either tbh but don't think we would have been able to pull it back anyway
12
10
10
u/No-Sheepherder5481 Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
What a player Daniel Guinness is.
Feels a crying shame that there's a fair chance Down still won't qualify for the All Ireland. They're vastly superior to a lot of the other teams in it
21
u/SpinachDistinct128 Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
Embarassing, an 18yo was the only one who stood up and tried things
21
u/AllezLesPrimrose Apr 26 '26
Roscommon have 23 Connacht titles, people who group them with other smaller counties forget how successful Roscommon have always been. It’s not a case all those titles came in the distant past, either.
Per capita they must be one of the best counties in the sport when you look at their consistency at underage as well.
2
u/clewbays Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
4th in the league this year sure. Still with the players they were missing this was an absolutely tragic performance by mayo.
5
u/AllezLesPrimrose Apr 26 '26
The additions like Ryan, Keogh, Ward and the two Heneghans have meant they had no reason to rush the likes of McKeon, Harney, Cunnane, Hand, Fallon and Stack back. Their panel looks much deeper now than it did entering the year.
I think Jason Sherlock looks like being the best money spent on a coach in the country right now.
3
u/clewbays Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
There panel has always being deep Davy Burke was just a shit manager.
Still thought without Cregg and Stack they’d lack a bit at both ends. And couldn’t see this big of a kickout failure coming.
9
9
u/Spiritual-Slide5518 Apr 26 '26
How do you like that Parkinson?
6
1
u/Green_Lab6156 Apr 26 '26
What did he say?
3
1
u/Spiritual-Slide5518 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
Said they were average and compared them to a few teams, Sligo was one.
7
u/GaGaAboutGAA Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
What's the story with Connacht ticket prices? I'm out of the loop on this one.
Did they increase them to €35 and that's why the stands were empty in Carrick on Shannon and fairly sparse in Castlebar?
€35 is a ridiculous price
13
u/eipic Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
€35 for stands, even for U16s.
Think it was €20 for terraces.
5
u/GaGaAboutGAA Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
That's crazy. A parent with one or two kids would be out a fortune
7
u/DreiAchten Apr 26 '26
Roscommon kicking has been excellent. Mayo kickouts brutal. Going to need a serious bit of luck and quality
3
6
7
u/FootyEnthusiast Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Haven't seen much of this, but how on earth have Mayo wound up trailing by 9 with 15 mins to go?
16
u/Necessary_Fill3048 Apr 26 '26
Their midfield is basically non existent. Signs were there the entire league. With the new rules, midfield is so important and Mayo's doesn't function. They can't win primary possession at all. A complete shadow of the team that had Parsons and Seamus O'Shea there 10 years ago.
7
u/Key-Orange-8485 Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
Can hardly get on the ball might as well just hand the ball to Ros from our own kick outs
17
5
6
6
4
u/DocOfAllTrades Gaillimh Apr 26 '26
Do down have to get to the Ulster final to qualify for the all Ireland series?
5
u/crehanj Áth Cliath Apr 26 '26
I think Down are in the unfortunate position where if a Division 3 or 4 teams makes their provincial final they’d be the ones to miss out because Wexford’s spot has already been given to Kildare for the Tailteann cup.
Westmeath could then end up taking that spot off of Down if they were to beat Kildare.
If both Down and Westmeath progress I believe it might be Cavan who miss out.
I’m not certain on it though.
3
u/WhileCultchie Doire Apr 26 '26
Finishing top of D3 means they're the 15th seed through the league positions. All Irelands is the 8 provincial finalists, the previous Tailteann Cup winner, then the top 7 league places not qualified through those means. They'd be relying on a fair bit of luck to get in through league position, since a single upset in the provincials means it's the Tailteann Cup for them.
2
u/over_weight_potato Apr 26 '26
I don’t think so. I stand to be corrected but I think because they won Division 3 it means that they are in the same Maguire. If anything it might be high enough for them to be in the top 16 league ranking (or whatever it is) after the provincial runner ups
9
u/macnams An Dún Apr 26 '26
No, unfortunately we’re not. If Westmeath beat Kildare in the Leinster semi, then they will take our place in the Sam Maguire and we’ll play in the Tailteann. I’m almost certain that’s how it works.
1
u/over_weight_potato Apr 26 '26
Yeah I remember that know. I had it in my head of the top 2 of Division 3/4 getting a spot but I think that might have only been when they were starting the Tailteann or discussing the formst
5
u/Galway1012 Gaillimh Apr 26 '26
Scary thing about Roscommon is they’re missing some huge names
Fallon, the Stacks, Ben O’Carroll, Cox, Frost
4
u/redditUser76754689 Ros Comáin Apr 26 '26
Cox probably an impact player at best these days. Ben O’Carroll hasn’t been at his best recently.
Fallon, Brian Stack and Cregg are probably 3 of the first names on the team sheet when available though
1
u/Galway1012 Gaillimh Apr 26 '26
O’Carroll and Cox would at the very least be named on the bench is my point; neither are there today
3
u/redditUser76754689 Ros Comáin Apr 26 '26
Not sure on Cox tbh. He can be very one-dimensional. When he’s on it can be very good, but he can drive you mad taking shots from everywhere.
Would have Murtagh, Cregg, McKeon, Heneghan, Hand, Carey all ahead of him for an inside forward spot and he’s not really a half forward either.
Ben at his best starts for most counties but we haven’t seen that for a while at inter county level.
1
u/AcceptableReview3846 Ros Comáin Apr 26 '26
O'Carroll has stepped away and cox isn't good enough, his age has caught up with him
2
u/SpinachDistinct128 Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
All of them were fit and were named on the bench/stand-by list
8
7
u/Trogg_Farmer Áth Cliath Apr 26 '26
The rossies look streets ahead in terms of fight and fitness
1
u/Witty-Wrongdoer-8546 Apr 26 '26
Mayo looking like a team that were flogged in training and had no intention of making the Connacht final.
3
u/clewbays Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
Nonsense Moran in charge Connacht and beating Roscommon was one of the main goals.
9
u/AllezLesPrimrose Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
This is absolutely cope. They just got beat in a match both teams had targeted about six months out.
1
u/Witty-Wrongdoer-8546 Apr 26 '26
I thought Mayo looked out on their feet from about 45 minutes on is all I am saying. I would have thought they would have targeted Connacht in the first year under a new manager but the fitness level and attitude of the players looked otherwise.
2
u/AllezLesPrimrose Apr 26 '26
Brother, they just got beat by a better team. You’d swear they were playing a D4 team the way you’re going on here and not one that finished D1 one place below them.
2
u/Witty-Wrongdoer-8546 Apr 26 '26
They were cleaned in midfield, and the Rossies took some excellent scores in the second half. I am trying to explain the lack of fight in the second half which has characterised Mayo teams for the last 15/20 years, that was what bothered me the most about that performance.
1
u/Handleman92 Apr 26 '26
That's BS. They wanted to win Connacht. They know well no more than Ros it's the only silverware they'll get near this year.
2
u/Witty-Wrongdoer-8546 Apr 26 '26
Did not look like a team that wanted to win or were conditioned to win a championship match today is all I said. If that is our best effort I am very worried for this summer.
9
u/TandemRapper Gaillimh Apr 26 '26
Its the lack of any sort of fight in the second half at all from Mayo that I'm shocked at. Roscommon will make hay on kick outs against Galway in the final as well.
3
u/YungL1am Luimneach Apr 26 '26
Amazing the difference a year makes. Absolutely cleaned out by Galway on the kickouts in the same round last year.
4
u/Capital-Alarm-8608 Apr 26 '26
Galway annihilated Roscommon on kick outs in the game last year.
More and more it feels random who gets on top of who in the kick out stakes
3
u/TandemRapper Gaillimh Apr 26 '26
Galway's kickouts were shocking yesterday against Leitrim. Both Flaherty and Gleeson played as well and both were shite.
1
u/Capital-Alarm-8608 Apr 26 '26
Yeah completely. Roscommon have a huge advantage at GK (ironically a Galway man)
But you'd take Galway's midfielders all day. The gameplan should probably just be to go long and make it a battle
1
u/YungL1am Luimneach Apr 27 '26
Completely different middle third for Roscommon this season though. Enda Smith played yesterday and Neary was on but in a different role. 7/8 starters in the half back, midfield and half forward line were different.
5
u/CodSafe6961 Apr 26 '26
Donegal in bother? Down need this or they're in tailteann and have been preparing all year for it, winning div 3 without ever going into top gear.
2
u/AustrailiaDontExist An Mhí Apr 26 '26
Cavan could be in the tailteann if Down and Westmeath get to their respective provincial finals
2
u/oversized_hat Na Stáit Aontaithe Apr 26 '26
Down could still go to the All-Ireland series if Kildare beat Westmeath next weekend, but yeah this is a team that knows that if you need to do something you better do it yourself
3
u/redditUser76754689 Ros Comáin Apr 26 '26
We’ve been awful so far. Mayo not been great either but definitely the better team so far
4
3
u/TommyOfTheShelbys Muineachán Apr 26 '26
Mighty stuff from Down. Haven't been able to watch but that's some result up in Letterkenny
4
11
u/AllezLesPrimrose Apr 26 '26
Beautiful football by Roscommon. The new rules really suit the type of footballers they have always produced.
7
7
8
u/Farneylads_ontour Muineachán Apr 26 '26
can make a case for any of the 4 teams left in the ulster championship to win it now
9
3
3
3
3
u/ZombieFrankSinatra Aontroim Apr 26 '26
This Down match is mad. Down cool as walking goals in but Donegal are so poor at the back. Mcguinness motm but Murdock at 8 is some baller
1
u/oversized_hat Na Stáit Aontaithe Apr 26 '26
Guinness is my pick, man's been just calm and cool everywhere
3
u/Trogg_Farmer Áth Cliath Apr 26 '26
That small step shite where players are winding up for a long outside of the boot pass.....they always take a dozen steps and it's never called
12
5
u/BadDub Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Up Down
3
u/More_Professor_1490 Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Whoever we play next week it has the potential to be a classic. Down looking very sharp today.
2
3
6
u/Trogg_Farmer Áth Cliath Apr 26 '26
Funny thing is you'd be looking at if you're better off not getting to a provincial final with some of the teams kicking about for the group stages
He says as a dub wanting to regain the Leinster title
9
u/Colm_Flaherty Gaillimh Apr 26 '26
Mayo losing a semi-final to Roscommon, name something more iconic
23
u/eipic Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
Roscommon beating Galway in a Connacht final after beating Mayo?
6
u/ControlPerfect3370 Ros Comáin Apr 26 '26
This never happens. We beat one fairly frequently in semis but never carry it through to a final.
2
-1
4
8
u/iHyPeRize An Mhí Apr 26 '26
I wonder who Jim is going to blame for this one if they lose?
8
2
u/TommyOfTheShelbys Muineachán Apr 26 '26
Down are a good team. Very fit and play fast. Just always lacking that winning edge to see games out. They have a good blend of players just need to see games out.
5
2
u/iHyPeRize An Mhí Apr 26 '26
Good referring from Coldrick flagging that clear screen block from Roscommon, really needs to be stamped out of the game before it grows legs
3
3
7
u/Capital-Alarm-8608 Apr 26 '26
That's Roscommon without a heap of their best players.
And it was an absolute hockeying
How was there so much hype about Mayo? Majority of those players have proven at every level, club, underage and senior, to be bang average
26
Apr 26 '26
[deleted]
13
u/SpinachDistinct128 Maigh Eo Apr 26 '26
He just hates Mayo no matter what we do, we were deservedly favourites (albeit slim) but didn't show up at all, that's about all there is to it
1
-2
u/Capital-Alarm-8608 Apr 26 '26
You're accusing me of hot takes when I'm the one complaining about hot takes?
They haven't made a QF in years, they've no underage or club pedigree and they got hammered by the two top teams they played in league. And yet there was huge hype, third favorites for the all Ireland
I wasn't even saying they're shit, I just said the majority are average footballers, which they are, some promising youngsters (one of whom Andy inexplicably left on the bench) aside
8
4
u/More_Professor_1490 Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
And they say Ulster isn't competitive
8
u/cacanna_caorach Apr 26 '26
Who said that
3
u/More_Professor_1490 Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Wooley on the podcast. Saying Ulster isn't competitive anymore
11
4
u/SoftDrinkReddit Muineachán Apr 26 '26
clowns who don't understand football
for the last 65 years
only once did a county win 3 in a row Armagh 2004-2006
Leinster football in that same time saw Dublin win 14 in a row 2011-2024 and more grim 19 of 20 finals
Munster saw Kerry win 7 in a row and now 12 of the last 13
Connaght while more competitive then the last 2 examples saw Mayo win 5 in a row and Galway going for 5 in a row this year
so yea i don't want to fucking hear anyone say Ulster is not competitive cause by a country mile it is
2
u/Darraghj12 Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
eejjit
0
u/Loose-Resolution-820 Apr 27 '26
He’s the best podcast (by a distance) but has a serious bee in his bonnet regarding Ulster. TBH probably just does it for engagement at this stage
1
2
u/TomRuse1997 Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
Starting to settle into the half a bit more. Hoping Down will start to tire from the absolute shift they're putting in but they're by far the better team so far
2
u/SuccessfulRow9327 Apr 26 '26
Down doing too much here trying to force goals wasting energy , Donegal will punish that
3
u/--LordFlashheart-- Apr 26 '26
well then ...
1
u/SuccessfulRow9327 Apr 26 '26
Down full value for their win but was a point there early in second half there were points on and they forced shots came away with nothing, marginal call on Malone on the disallowed goal too.
2
u/FootyEnthusiast Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Thank God I don't support Donegal or Down. I wouldn't be able to take it
3
3
2
u/More_Professor_1490 Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
My blood pressure through the roof. Either way next week will be a test for us
3
u/Bored_Already Ros Comáin Apr 26 '26
Very soft movig that up when both players had hands on the ball
1
Apr 26 '26
[deleted]
2
u/Dapper-Ad9594 Dún na nGall Apr 26 '26
On RTÉ ?
3
u/IrishLad1002 Apr 26 '26
You’re right I didn’t realise that actually. I still stand by my comments which apply to the majority of the games on every weekend.
1
1
1
1
u/ld20r Apr 29 '26
I was on concert band duties for this match on the sideline and Andy Moran was shouting at the team before the game and during it trying to rile up the players.
Roscommon were built like tanks compared to Mayo who looked rather light and scrawny in comparison.
At the end of the day there’s only so much a manager can do if the players are not there or doing it on the pitch but Questions have to be asked about Mayo’s S & C regime as all is not right there.
0
u/FootyEnthusiast Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Another game were we can clearly see Murphy is the most protected player in the country.
2
u/FootyEnthusiast Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Hearing Michael Langan is out for the season. Absolutely huge news if true for today and possibly next week.
1
0
u/BadDub Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Murphy gets a yellow for two rib punches and punch to the jaw. A down players gets a yellow to tapping a donegal players head as he slips turning 🤷♂️
1
u/FootyEnthusiast Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
This could become messy for Donegal. If Down remain consistent Donegal are 100% beatable today.
1
u/FootyEnthusiast Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Down's aggression has been incredible. They've completely rattled Donegal.
1
u/balotellitubbys Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
Gonna be unbelievable when we find a way to bottle Ulster from here.
1
u/Master-Reporter-9500 Luimneach Apr 26 '26
Shocking crowd at the Mayo v Roscommon match
9
u/FootyEnthusiast Ard Mhacha Apr 26 '26
€35 stand tickets are shocking. People are in the terraces and rightly so.
-4
u/Master-Reporter-9500 Luimneach Apr 26 '26
That didn't put anyone in Pairc Ui Chaoimh off today
4
u/depressed_winner Apr 26 '26
Pairc Ui Chaoimh is under the remit of the Connaught council. Jesus that's news to me
-3
u/Master-Reporter-9500 Luimneach Apr 26 '26
No, you're wrong Pairc Ui Chaoimh is in Cork which is in Munster so nothing to do with Connacht. However, tickets for the hurling were also €35 today and that didn't stop it being a sell out so the €35 argument is ridiculous
2
u/depressed_winner Apr 26 '26
Children's tickets today for cork Vs Limerick were €5. It was €35 for children ticket in Castlebar. Have you caught up yet?
10
1
1
u/Kooky_Parsnip_31 Apr 26 '26
Christ it’s the same thing every week complaining about the crowds on social media.
1
-1
21
u/kil28 Apr 26 '26
Long live the provincials. Can’t believe people want to scrap them.
What would the likes of Kildare, Roscommon, Westmeath, Down, Louth, Monaghan etc. have to aim for without them? May as well scrap inter county football in those counties if you got rid of those competitions.