To tell you the truth I expected more out of this team after last year's roller coaster ride but sure what can you do? Some good performances by our newer players and a number of our better players were marked out of it. Overall it made for a very poor game of football but hats off to Peter Ford, he had a game plan and he pulled off a win. Don't know what it is about these Galway lads but they seem to need the brains of a Mayo man to bring out the best in them ;-)

Half Time

Conditions were fantastic, not a breath of air, clear skies, perfect surface in Pearse Stadium but the heat was oppressive. We were blessed to be sitting in the shade of the stand for the minor game and a lot of the senior game but everyone in the Terraces was baked alive, so how the players managed to cope with those conditions I'll never know. Everyone who played football on that pitch deserved the full respect of anyone watching.

Time for Ice Cream

I felt sorry for the minors who really blew their chances at a title. They must've had seven goal chances blocked and saved. If they'd taken the points instead they'd have surely won the match. Still, they're not dead and buried yet and have another chance through the infamous back door.

It was a long, long day - up early to beautiful blue skies in Castlebar which clouded (fogged over) until we hit the outskirts of Galway. God but it was like being out on the Continent once that mist boiled off - you could see it receding out across Galway Bay as we breakfasted with the holidaymakers and Mayo people who'd stayed over and 'gone on the rip' the previous night in Galway.

Mayo Baby

Breakfasted and a few small wagers placed with Mr Powers, and off we hit up the side of Leisureland through the gorgeous, cooling shade of the trees and onwards to the cauldron of Pearse Stadium.

One of Each

Poor football, wrong results on the day but a great day out with family and friends. By the way there's a lovely Italian eating house down in the middle of Salthill - the steaks are great and they've an almighty wine list (but we were too jaded to take advantage with a long drive home ahead of us and we'd already had a few cooling beers whilst watching Tyrone and Armagh and Cork n Kerry).

The 'Rich' Seats

So onwards through the back door - not a bad route if you can gain a head of steam along the way so who knows.

A long but pleasant day and a long road home in defeat.

Here's to more great days out in the future. Up Mayo !

For the Full Gallery of Photos taken by Green n Red Forever at the Connacht Final - 10 July 2005