McKenna Cup 2024

[Our Nail Loney]

Follow link if want to see photos of todays game between Armagh and Antrim, copy and paste into address bar if can't click on it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16144312@N07/sets/72157612113615739/detail/

Did anyone else see the scoreboard at end of game (see photos) Armagh won 0-12 to 0-10 yet the score was given as Armagh 0-12 to Antrim 1-11 with another goal being added after the game was ended making it 0-12 to 2-11, someone must have had a few to ward off the cold or left a kid to look after the last few minutes of the game.

Great work there emainmacha

[Feckitt]

Armagh v Antrim 2300
Cavan v Queens 300
Down v St Marys 3000

All of the above from Irish News

Any other attendance figures?

[under the bar]

Will any of the mckenna cup games be televised?

[Armamike]

The Armagh Antrim game was poor enough.  The positives from Armagh were the new keeper who looked very impressive - good in the air and some great saves. Donaghy was solid at the back and the likes of Moriarity and Shannon when he came on looked very sharp.  Up front there wasnt much to get excited about apart from Henderson. He looked sharp and as others have said, he showed very well for the ball. With a bit of coaching and mentoring he might have something to offer in the league.  Conor Clarke made his mark on the game when he came on late on. Got on the ball a lot and for the most part made some intelligent passes.  He did kick a couple astray though. Again he's another one who's worth another look.  The other new lads who started in the forwards didn't get themselves into the game at all.

[corn02]

The Armagh Antrim game was poor enough.  The positives from Armagh were the new keeper who looked very impressive - good in the air and some great saves. Donaghy was solid at the back and the likes of Moriarity and Shannon when he came on looked very sharp.  Up front there wasnt much to get excited about apart from Henderson. He looked sharp and as others have said, he showed very well for the ball. With a bit of coaching and mentoring he might have something to offer in the league.  Conor Clarke made his mark on the game when he came on late on. Got on the ball a lot and for the most part made some intelligent passes.  He did kick a couple astray though. Again he's another one who's worth another look.  The other new lads who started in the forwards didn't get themselves into the game at all.

I heard Rodgers was exellent. McEvoy will start next week and will need to perform. Good competition.

[mackers]

The Armagh Antrim game was poor enough.  The positives from Armagh were the new keeper who looked very impressive - good in the air and some great saves. Donaghy was solid at the back and the likes of Moriarity and Shannon when he came on looked very sharp.  Up front there wasnt much to get excited about apart from Henderson. He looked sharp and as others have said, he showed very well for the ball. With a bit of coaching and mentoring he might have something to offer in the league.  Conor Clarke made his mark on the game when he came on late on. Got on the ball a lot and for the most part made some intelligent passes.  He did kick a couple astray though. Again he's another one who's worth another look.  The other new lads who started in the forwards didn't get themselves into the game at all.

I heard Rodgers was exellent. McEvoy will start next week and will need to perform. Good competition.

His shot stopping and ability under the high ball was impressive but some of his kick outs were dodgy, noticed Aidan O'Rourke going into him before one of his kickouts and having a word. Thought Donaghy really stood out and hopefully he gets a good run, Finn mo was good until he went off. The established men didn't go particularly well although Ronan Clarke played better in the 2nd half when he played where he should have. Malachy Mackin showed in glimpses what he is capable of with a few strong runs through the middle but did some silly things also and the Antrim midfield dominated large parts of the game. Henderson showed some good touches of football and is well worth another few games. Thought that Conor Clarke turned the game when he came on as Antrim had dominated the third quarter. He used the ball well.

[Orior]

His shot stopping and ability under the high ball was impressive but some of his kick outs were dodgy, noticed Aidan O'Rourke going into him before one of his kickouts and having a word. Thought Donaghy really stood out and hopefully he gets a good run, Finn mo was good until he went off. The established men didn't go particularly well although Ronan Clarke played better in the 2nd half when he played where he should have. Malachy Mackin showed in glimpses what he is capable of with a few strong runs through the middle but did some silly things also and the Antrim midfield dominated large parts of the game. Henderson showed some good touches of football and is well worth another few games. Thought that Conor Clarke turned the game when he came on as Antrim had dominated the third quarter. He used the ball well.

Hmmmm. Interesting.

[Leo]

Down v St Marys 3000

All of the above from Irish News

Any other attendance figures?

This sort of attendance at a January McKenna Cup game against a colleges team shows just what having good spectator facilities at Esler Park is all about.
Two years ago Down vs The Poly drew a crowd of 200 to Burren. Last year the same fixture at Esler Park topped 3000.

[corn02]

2300 - Armagh

300 - Cavan

I think 3k at Fermanagh.

[topgun]

The Attendances may not be the same next week £8/10 Euro in no student rate for a competition that has 3 student sides in it is very disappointing, if there was tv coverage of the armagh game yesterday ud have switched over after 10 mins very poor game antrims best player was an armagh man. armagh were very poor against a 2nd nearly 3rd string antrim side.

[Armamike]

The Armagh Antrim game was poor enough.  The positives from Armagh were the new keeper who looked very impressive - good in the air and some great saves. Donaghy was solid at the back and the likes of Moriarity and Shannon when he came on looked very sharp.  Up front there wasnt much to get excited about apart from Henderson. He looked sharp and as others have said, he showed very well for the ball. With a bit of coaching and mentoring he might have something to offer in the league.  Conor Clarke made his mark on the game when he came on late on. Got on the ball a lot and for the most part made some intelligent passes.  He did kick a couple astray though. Again he's another one who's worth another look.  The other new lads who started in the forwards didn't get themselves into the game at all.

I heard Rodgers was exellent. McEvoy will start next week and will need to perform. Good competition.

His shot stopping and ability under the high ball was impressive but some of his kick outs were dodgy, noticed Aidan O'Rourke going into him before one of his kickouts and having a word. Thought Donaghy really stood out and hopefully he gets a good run, Finn mo was good until he went off. The established men didn't go particularly well although Ronan Clarke played better in the 2nd half when he played where he should have. Malachy Mackin showed in glimpses what he is capable of with a few strong runs through the middle but did some silly things also and the Antrim midfield dominated large parts of the game. Henderson showed some good touches of football and is well worth another few games. Thought that Conor Clarke turned the game when he came on as Antrim had dominated the third quarter. He used the ball well.

I don't know what McDonnell was at sticking Clarke out to midfield - he didn't look comfortable at all there and just got in the way of things i thought.  The only position for Ronan is full-forward and he's pretty handy in that role. Mr Versatility he ain't.  It's very early days yet but that type of mindset from McDonnell doesn't fill me with confidence for the year ahead.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Down v St Marys 3000

All of the above from Irish News

Any other attendance figures?

This sort of attendance at a January McKenna Cup game against a colleges team shows just what having good spectator facilities at Esler Park is all about.
Two years ago Down vs The Poly drew a crowd of 200 to Burren. Last year the same fixture at Esler Park topped 3000.

If there was 3,000 at the St Marys game you'd have to imagine there will be a big attendance this Sunday for Tyrone if the weather is any way decent. Looking forward to Tyrones first game of year.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

With the Tyrone team not coming back to later this week Id guess some of the new guys will get a run out this week. Hopefully Stephen O'Neill will be fully fit,great to see him back.

[AFS]

His shot stopping and ability under the high ball was impressive but some of his kick outs were dodgy

Thought the very same. Although Rodgers is very evidently a great shot stopper, could we afford having a goalie that balloons every kick out a mile in the air but hardly reaches the 45?

Positives for me were Donaghy and Finn Mo looking very comfortable in the FB line, although they'll face much sterner tests in the coming weeks and months; JP Donnelly not looking too out of place either and therefore giving us another option in the HB line, not that we're particularly short on HBs though; Henderson showing alright, but he didn't do enough to dispel the doubts surrounding him but he should get a decent run of games in the FF line all the same; and Conor Clarke when he came on, although far from polished he showed glimpses of skill and did wee things that suggests there's a good county player in him somewhere.

Negatives were most of the new lads not doing a lot; O'Rourke looked nervous and gave away a couple of silly points in the first half; McDonnell tried hard but did little, the same could be said of Feeney; Midfield was, as we're now used to, shite. Mal Mackin scored a few points but that shouldn't paper over the fact that he was totally ineffective in his primary role - as a ball winner, Toner was equally ineffective though.

Noticed from the team photograph in the Examiner today that there were only 23 players togged out, anyone know whats up with the other 7 lads that are supposed to be on the McKenna Cup panel?

All in all not a lot to get excited about I suppose, hopefully the next couple of months won't be as dull.

[stiffler]

armagh were very poor against a 2nd nearly 3rd string antrim side.

At least half the team that started yesterday should start come the championship.