Antrim Football Thread

[glens abu]

The intermediate is the only competitive championship. Senior is Galls to lose with only Cargin to possibly challenge--boring

Not boring if your winning!!

Listen Cargin and St Galls aren't at fault here, St Galls and Cargin go full pelt at training, have had good juveniles and good coaching in place for years and are successful because of it. It is up to the other teams to get to that level. St Galls are going flat out this year. Worried that Cargin could beat them, should they meet.

It maybe shows a lack of ambition possibly by other teams who maybe don't put the effort in cause they believe they will eventually get beat by one of the big two. We can't be great forever.

What has happened to Lamh Dhearg Milltown I thought they had great potentiel with good minors coming through,has the new management team they put in place this year not fulfilled that or do they need a few years yet?

[bloodybreakball]

MILLTOWN:
if you look at the age profile of your team, take sean kelly for example, is he 29? he is as fit as a fiddle and prob could go at a good club standard for another 6/7 years at least. then you have sean burke and cj at 23/24, who are probably coming into their best years. after that group and any younger players can be improved with the experience of training and playing with the quality players in your club and blooded in gradually. or do youse expect a lot of players to retire at the one time? (Wishful thinking)
i think cargins improved and i hope they will give yous a real rattle, still have to get by Lamh Dhearg and Creggan though.
Antrim football is like the all-ireland senior hurling championship in the last 5 years. All commentators said that the other hurling counties had to improve and bring themselves up to the standard that Killkenny (St. Gall's) have set, it took maybe three years building but tipp did that. Now, like milltown says about St. galls, it is up to the other clubs in antrim to break into the top 2, cargin and st.galls.
in antrim the best hope for breaking into antrim's top 2 to is arguably/maybe creggan and possibly st brigids or st. johns.

[Milltown Row2]

The Lamh Dhearg minors are just that, kids, they will need to bed in and they will certainly come on in a few years providing they stay.

The last championship team of Lamhs was based on a good minor team (beat my minor team in final ) so they have history of developing good minors in seniors.

We won many a minor championship and only a couple have manged to break onto the senior team. We have lost many a good player from that age bracket

[Glensman]

I would rank them the following (largely follows league form with a few deviations):

1. Galls – out on their own, still. As has been noted have been playing competitive championship matches v good teams from other counties. Results of late in the league see them getting up a head of steam. Hard to stop.

2. Cargin – seem to be going rightly. Good blend of experience (not necessarily years, but football) and some of those good minor and under 21 teams. If it is to be their year and they are to beat the Galls everything needs to go right for them.

3. Lamh Dhearg – they gave Creggan and Brigids right pastings in the league I see and seem in good form. The two Herrons around the middle/HB/HF and Paddy inside make them a decent prospect. I assume Ryan Murray will be starting for them – having the stand out minor player in the county is a good thing.

4. St Johns – should be confident and rightly so of setting up a match v St Galls having beat Brigids twice this year. Despite their recent league game which I would read nothing into they could pull off an upset v St Galls if they retain their discipline and get scorers to support Neeson and McFall. Should have beaten St Galls last year (especially after Stewart getting sent off) and should take good heart from that.

5. Creggan – slightly unknown but will beat Ahoghill. If they play Cargin it will be warfare but Cargin look like they have a little too much for them.

6. Moneyglass – tough that they are playing St Galls. If they got it right on the night they could give them a rattle with Brady and Boyd (but will come up short).

7. St Brigids – understand that they are in a serious bit of disarray this year. Scraped past Aghagallon in the league there and given Dunloy eased past Aghagallon in the intermediate championship it doesn't bode well. Believe from a friend who knows one of their players there has been a substantial amount of in-fighting and they don't have a manager at present. Shame, have potential to come good but it won't be this year or for a few more.

8.Ahoghill – unfortunately though they appeared to have tried hard this year the top of Division 2 appears to be their level and unless I am sorely mistaken they'll be out after they play Creggan.


Semi pairings will be (would take an evens bet on this):
Cargin v Creggan
St Johns v Galls.

Final
Galls to beat Cargin in the final by 5.

[Joxer_man]

I would rank them the following (largely follows league form with a few deviations):

1. Galls – out on their own, still. As has been noted have been playing competitive championship matches v good teams from other counties. Results of late in the league see them getting up a head of steam. Hard to stop.

2. Cargin – seem to be going rightly. Good blend of experience (not necessarily years, but football) and some of those good minor and under 21 teams. If it is to be their year and they are to beat the Galls everything needs to go right for them.

3. Lamh Dhearg – they gave Creggan and Brigids right pastings in the league I see and seem in good form. The two Herrons around the middle/HB/HF and Paddy inside make them a decent prospect. I assume Ryan Murray will be starting for them – having the stand out minor player in the county is a good thing.

4. St Johns – should be confident and rightly so of setting up a match v St Galls having beat Brigids twice this year. Despite their recent league game which I would read nothing into they could pull off an upset v St Galls if they retain their discipline and get scorers to support Neeson and McFall. Should have beaten St Galls last year (especially after Stewart getting sent off) and should take good heart from that.

5. Creggan – slightly unknown but will beat Ahoghill. If they play Cargin it will be warfare but Cargin look like they have a little too much for them.

6. Moneyglass – tough that they are playing St Galls. If they got it right on the night they could give them a rattle with Brady and Boyd (but will come up short).

7. St Brigids – understand that they are in a serious bit of disarray this year. Scraped past Aghagallon in the league there and given Dunloy eased past Aghagallon in the intermediate championship it doesn't bode well. Believe from a friend who knows one of their players there has been a substantial amount of in-fighting and they don't have a manager at present. Shame, have potential to come good but it won't be this year or for a few more.

8.Ahoghill – unfortunately though they appeared to have tried hard this year the top of Division 2 appears to be their level and unless I am sorely mistaken they'll be out after they play Creggan.


Semi pairings will be (would take an evens bet on this):
Cargin v Creggan
St Johns v Galls.

Final
Galls to beat Cargin in the final by 5.

Very well put but i reckon ahoghill might spring a surprise v creggan

[The Worker]

Div 1 result:

Aghagallon  2-13 0-15 Cargin   

[Joxer_man]

Div 1 result:

Aghagallon  2-13 0-15 Cargin   

must be a mistake . . .

[Gold]

Aghagallon  2-13 0-15 Cargin  -some shock maybe wet night had something to do with it. Cargin suit a dry day with their pace. Cargin may have been missing a few but it's results like this and their weak temprement that will see them beat by Galls.

Ahoghill St. Marys  2-10 1-10 St Brigids  -Ahoghill may beat Creggan in championship. Brigids have gone backwards

St Johns  1-10 0-7 Creggan  -Having thought about it Johns for me are the only team capable of beating Galls due to their 4 giants. If they stuck 2 of these big men in at full forward and hammered ball into them early on i think they could get goals and then it would be a case of hanging on. Getting ahead of St Galls in the ONLY way to beat them. Creggan have gone backwards (or stood still) too

Lamh Dhearg  1-6 0-10 St Galls  -Wet night in league-Galls did what they had to and kept opposition to 6 points, mostly from frees

Rasharkin  0-14 2-8 Moneyglass  Rasharkin did well to get a point after the weekend's humiliation. Moneyglass are hit and miss and generally dont travel well so would be happy enough with the point

[intheknow11]

Cargin missing 4 from sundays game, were 10 up at ht when they replaced gerard o boyle, scullion, crozier, close and james laverty. After a few unforced errors they then found themselves in a game which they had no interest in.(thats how it looked anyway) Championship on there minds??!! We'l have to wait and see

[Milltown Row2]

Of course it is

[Atticus_Finch]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/14507655.stm

?  Is he now an employee of BBC Sport or is this a once off ?

Last time i checked i thought McGourty was going to be a politician - I'm guessing he wisely had a rethink after Fianna fail's disastrous showing at the last general election.

Before that i think he was going to try his hand at a legal career.

The man should be a careers teacher if you ask me ...

Is he back playing ball now ? 

[Milltown Row2]

Any upsets this weekend? Cargin seem to have the biggest hurdle

[Past It]

Any of you st galls men know how many men you can have in the panel for kilmacud 7's?

[Milltown Row2]

Only ten!!

[Milltown Row2]

Christ this thread is some craic!!

St Johns are 1/2 to beat St Brigids think that's not bad value considering St Johns will have improved from last year and playing good football this year by all accounts