Antrim Football Thread

[Catch and Kick]

Our 'big player' including Kobo, Mick Mc Cann, with Tomas did go awol today and although Mr Mc Quillan was poor he did not beat us. Cross were there for the taking but a litany of unforced errors, and gifting of easy access frees caused the demise.
We were three up with only a couple of minutes to the break when Mick sent into the kepers arms from about thirty yards and the clearance led to a point at the other end which was quickly followed by two more (both gifted) and Mc Conville,and Mc Entee who had both looked far from happy a few minutes earlier looked relieved to go in at the break on terms.
The second half saw a more relaxed Cross, but despite going a man down Cargin came within a whisker of getting a goal in the latter stages when James Laverty drilled just wide of the posts when a goal would have seen only a point in it.
But hey Brennan stays and we will back in 2016 and no retirements planned....looking for number seven.........Wanna bet MR2 ?

Michael McCann had a fine first 25 mins but faded when moved to CHF. Margin owners midfield early on and Carron dominated with McCann. Kobo and Tomás very poor. MaGill immense - no one could handle him. Close dangerous too. Thought Cargin didn't hit that full forward line quick enough in the 2nd half. Too slow moving ball forward.
actually thought Mick McCann had a good game. Kobo started well but seemed to lose a bit of confidence when the game started to stretch. Tomas looked injured to me, same as the end of the lamh dhearg game.  Magill was  superb, close had a great 1st half, crozier and tony very steady.  to me it was the difference in the two benches as when cross struggled in an area they brought on a sub who was an improvement. Cargins subs didn't work and for me actually weakened rather than improved.  Cross made tactical adjustments throughout the game, especially at midfield which was a sign of good in-game management.  Cargin much the better side in the first half but mcquillan gave them a lifeline with some strange calls and a good side like crossmaglen don't need a 2nd invitation.Cross team and supporters were very happy to be level at the short whistle.  took Cargin 10 mins to get over the first goal and once they had composed themselves again and got back into the match the deserved 2nd yellow killed it. 14 men pushing forward got slaughtered on the counter in the last 8 minutes.

[Erinlong]

Seriously disappointed with Tomas, hope he plays county this year because he has a point to prove. Cargin needed him to stand up today.

Not everyday Cargin will play a team like cross that are experienced and very clued into how to move through ulster.They had enough of the ball to win the game but made silly mistakes which in Antrim they wouldn't have been punished for.
As for Kobo,Mick mccann and Tomas mccann
Kobo just had one of them games that he looked tired compared to his normal energetic self
I thought Mick mccann played well
Tomas is injured he was playing with a ripped quad,and has been for 4-5 weeks.which would have been nice going in to play cross with him flying fit like the st galls game

[Milltown Row2]

Seriously disappointed with Tomas, hope he plays county this year because he has a point to prove. Cargin needed him to stand up today.

Not everyday Cargin will play a team like cross that are experienced and very clued into how to move through ulster.They had enough of the ball to win the game but made silly mistakes which in Antrim they wouldn't have been punished for.
As for Kobo,Mick mccann and Tomas mccann
Kobo just had one of them games that he looked tired compared to his normal energetic self
I thought Mick mccann played well
Tomas is injured he was playing with a ripped quad,and has been for 4-5 weeks.which would have been nice going in to play cross with him flying fit like the st galls game

Maybe next year the draw will be kinder for Cargin,  build up a lot of steam before meetin a team like Cross or Kilcoo in the final

[Erinlong]

Iv a feeling st galls will pick themselves up for next year and be pushing it.so I wouldn't be as confident as Cargin getting another chance at it as easy as saying the draw could be kinder next year. And if we do hopefully have everyone fit.
The experience is the only positive Cargin can take out of it.

[Milltown Row2]

Iv a feeling st galls will pick themselves up for next year and be pushing it.so I wouldn't be as confident as Cargin getting another chance at it as easy as saying the draw could be kinder next year. And if we do hopefully have everyone fit.
The experience is the only positive Cargin can take out of it.

Always an experience and the more you play in it the more you learn from it, Cross are the standard bearers in Ulster and have been since winning their revival in Armagh.... there have been some teams that stayed as long as we did and got nothing to show for it  ... Enniskillen Gaels being one of them Cavan Gaels had a long stretch in Ulster too but Cross, Ballinderry and ourselves managed a few finals and wins ... but you definitely need a bitta luck along the way

[Spike]

Does anyone feel Cargin or St Galls could make an impact in Ulster again in the next few years?  Both sides have the team to hold their own but do they have the squad/bench to turn to when things aren't working or key players are injured?  Physically Cargin were a match for Cross which is encouraging for all Antrim teams to know they can go toe to toe with Cross.  Its the options available to cross when things were going wrong that enabled them to get back into it.  Can Cargin or St Galls realistically compete at the top table? Neither side can depend on being lucky enough to have full, fit and healthy squads for an entire Antrim championship and Ulster campaign.

[imtommygunn]

Realistically I think Cargin need to start dominating antrim and get a year or two in ulster before they are prepared. St Galls have that behind them wheras cargin don't but if they become dominant who knows. I don't think the standard of the antrim championship prepares you well enough for ulster. I would say the same of fermanagh and probably even donegal (and maybe tyrone too oddly).

When your championship isn't of as high a standard then it tends to only be experienced teams who dominate their own championship who do well in ulster.

[Milltown Row2]

This is where it becomes bad for a county team when one team dominates its championship,  it has an adverse effect on the county panel...

Cargin I'd imagine will win a couple more championships with that current team, but have they players coming through that will improve it? Their bench (as has been said already) was pretty poor and keeping an injured player on (if he was injured) tells me that there is no depth to Cargin ...

We are re building and we may win the odd championship but to dominate again like we did I don't think that will happen unfortunately

[Hectic]

It is more than 5 yrs now since St Galls have been a force in Ulster and they are on the decline in Antrim.  St Johns, if they can bring their youth on through will be the next dominant force.

[Milltown Row2]

It is more than 5 yrs now since St Galls have been a force in Ulster and they are on the decline in Antrim.  St Johns, if they can bring their youth on through will be the next dominant force.

They have been strong in juvenile for years and years... when was their last Championship?  They are slowly but surely losing their "tradition" in my view.....

Like I've said countless times we couldn't stay at the top of the tree every year and would eventually drop along with the also rans... but its been a blast and hopefully with a bit of hard work and luck we can generate another decent set of players

Rossa me be the closest to trouble teams as their juveniles the last few years have been impressive, St Endas need to be at the top table regularly to get the benefits of their good juvenile teams

[Hectic]

Look I am taking nothing away from St Galls at all they have had an absolutely outstanding run and things do come in cycles.  You mention Rossa - they recently got torn a new as*e in the U21s by Aghagallon - a competition that St Johns will win with ease, possibly with no team getting within 10 points of them.

[NAG1]

Look I am taking nothing away from St Galls at all they have had an absolutely outstanding run and things do come in cycles.  You mention Rossa - they recently got torn a new as*e in the U21s by Aghagallon - a competition that St Johns will win with ease, possibly with no team getting within 10 points of them.

MR2 was pointing to the fact that St JOhns have been producing quality juvenile teams for more than a decade now maybe even more, but they do not have the ability to keep them and translate through to senior level. For whatever reason they have wasted a decade of talent with not even a close senior championship run to show for it.

Call it tradition bad management or whatever it is, if any other club had lost the amount of talent that St Johns have conspired too there would be serious questions being asked of them as well.

[imtommygunn]

St Johns as a club seem to favour hurling these days too. Maybe that's just a view I get from the outside looking in... St Galls always seemed to put the emphasis on the football moreso than hurling.

[Milltown Row2]

Look I am taking nothing away from St Galls at all they have had an absolutely outstanding run and things do come in cycles.  You mention Rossa - they recently got torn a new as*e in the U21s by Aghagallon - a competition that St Johns will win with ease, possibly with no team getting within 10 points of them.

That's great and I hope they do win well and go on to bigger and better things .... just the last 15 years as told me different.. as for Rossa they have put up a better show at Senior level than the Johnnies this year

[jdyok]

MR2, your analysis is usually spot on, but I would have a different opinion regarding the strength of St John's underage teams over the last decade or even two. When the minor football C'ship was won in 2011, it was the first win in 21 years. That team has stayed the distance, winning U-21 football on 2 occasions; it'll take a good team to beat them this year. That squad have been dominant throughout their juvenile years. St John's minors prior to this have been average at best for 20 years and this has been reflected in an inability to compete seriously at senior level. It's careless and easy to say that they have been unable to retain and develop players anymore that any other club. Frankly, the raw materials have not been there. The talent is there currently, but of course it won't translate into success at senior level without a huge effort...