The Ruddy Report – 12/01/01


Coming Soon to The Ruddy Report:

The Ruddy Interview

First up will be an Interview with the Mayo u-21 manager and former Mayo Senior Footballer
Kevin McStay.

  • Want to know something about the structure and management of Mayo’s teams?
  • Want to question a policy you think is misguided?
  • Want to comment on any issue?

This is your chance to participate – just email your questions to me at johnruddy@currane.net before the
30th January and I will put them to Kevin.

Hastings Cup (U-21 Football) Football Preview: Mayo Vs Tyrone
This Saturday Mayo U-21’s face their toughest test this season with a long trip up to Omagh to play defending All Ireland Champions Tyrone. This will be a hard match for Mayo and will test their strength of character, particularly as several of their most important players are missing including Shrule/Glencorribs Trevor Mortimer, Billy Padden and Micheal Webb are also doubtful.
The fact that Kevin McStay was involved in a car accident recently means their most instrumental person injured. Mayo have kept themselves busy over the Christmas period training very hard and after already defeating Leitrim and Donegal they should be looking good for this game.
With all the injuries there will be a lot of new players in for contention, including Paul Finnerty, Sean Grimes, James Gill, Alan Dillion, and Micheal Keane. Mayo manager Kevin McStay believes this game will be an important one for Mayo as it will determine where they stand in comparison to the best team in the country at the moment!!
Prediction: Mayo have been playing well lately but this is the reigning All Ireland Champions and with players missing we will be asking a lot for them to win, but I have stuck by Mayo all year and they haven’t let me down yet so I’ll hope for a Mayo win!

FBD Connaght League Preview: Mayo (Seniors) Vs Leitrim
Mayo head off this Sunday to Carrick on Shannon to start off their FBD Connaght League Campaign for the year 2001. Mayo are believed to be heading there with a fairly strong squad with a few U-21 players missing (Marty McNicholas, Ronan Loftus, James Gill, Sean Grimes and Paul Coady) due to an U-21 Fixture on the Saturday. They will only be missing Peter Burke and Trevor Mortimer through injury and they will also be missing their Crossmolina contingent as they are holidaying in the canaries. Mayo are supposedly enjoying their second week on weight training this year and looked very good in a challenge match last week when they thrashed Tralee IT.

The game begins at 2pm in Carrick on Shannon.

Prediction: Should be an easy one for Mayo: although they’re missing a lot of players they should win this well.

Your View

Apologies are extended to my readers of this section but I am unable this week to bring you “Your View” due to examinations which I have been studying for and start this week coming but don’t worry “Your View” will be back soon.