Sligo Club Football & Hurling

[magpie seanie]

I agree with most of what you said on the Summerhill game. It was a bit mind boggling how Summerhill contrivd to miss so many chances up until the last few minutes but one the confidence rose they looked really good. I also think a telling factor was the strength of Summerhill's bench. Muirdeachs lost a few good lads through injury (I believe the injury to the centre back is quite serious so best wishes to him) and it weakened them but any substitutions Summerhill made improved matters. A good few lads from our club involved so I know a good bit about them and I'm possibly biased but I can't understand how one lad in particular isn't starting (he came on wing back in extra time wearing 32).

Anyway, in the forwards Colleary from Drumcliffe (no. 15, you're correct) has a sweet boot on him and looks a fine player. 13 is Heraughty from Calry and is a livewire but looked to be short of confidence at times. He landed a peach of a score and took off from there in extra time particularly. With a bit of tuition which doesn't curb his natural directness he could be serious too. I remember him scoring two goals to win the North Division junior final against us last summer. A rawness about him but great talent. Was surprised when no 8 got taken off but it worked well. The big lad who came in upset Muirdeachs about the middle and no 8 came on again later and played great.

You mentioned Liam Óg and Charlie and fair play to them but I'd like to mention my former team mate Shane Reynolds. This team is a good few years in the making and the work of teachers like Shane in giving their free time is absolutely priceless.

Final thing to say is that nothing is won yet. This team can and needs to improve quite a bit to win a final. Overall a good day and very enjoyable.

[SLIGONIAN]

Ya Id like to wish him a speedy recovery aswell, it was very unfortunate coming together but it looked a serious injury.

Looking forward to the final now and might go to the Attractas semi aswell as ive plenty of spare time. Not familiar with the names of the players at all so looking forward to the match reports in the papers. It was hard to believe the strength in depth, the subs made massive impacts, because im not familiar with the underage club outside of my own, I wouldnt have a clue who should be starting.

The forwards were a little headless at times and raw, but when I seen some of the shooting yday I was thinking, its typical IMO of soccer players playing gaelic, im sure some of them lads are playing junior soccer or whatever, but if they commit to gaelic now they would improve there ball striking no end and composure..just a small point but I kinda got that impression. And hopefully when the choice has to be made of which path to follow theyll make the right choice.

As you said nothing won yet but even still yday for me was about Sligo Minors, and I saw plenty to be seriously optimstic about. Its great to see so much talent in 1 team. We just need to keep them on the right track.

[SLIGONIAN]

Sligo u21s beat Donegal by a point with Michael Murphy playing at the weekend. Might not be such a lost cause after all but only 2 weeks to go.

Did anyone find out why the game with Galway is fixed for Carrick?

[SLIGONIAN]

St Attractas beat Rice college by a point 1-14 to 1-13 AET to get through to the B Connacht final.

Well done and good luck to both St Attractas and Summerhill in there Connacht Finals.

U21 game fixed for Tuam on Paddys day at 2.30.

[SLIGONIAN]

Both A & B Connacht Finals in Charlestown double header on Sat 13th March

St Attractas (Tubbercurry) v St Louis (Kiltimagh) 13.00

Summerhill (Sligo City) v St Geralds (Castlebar) 14.30

[SLIGONIAN]

Was at the game today lads, we were embarrasing. I seen no effort, passion or pride in the jersey. I cant reiterate how poor wexford were either and that was the only thing that stopped this being a serious hammering.

Sligo were woeful, no player gave 100% only mullen. To send a team down the day before and spend that expense on the teams preparation was a waste of money. The players had no interest in winning this game. It wasnt even the mistakes that annoyed me, it was the workrate.

Why in SLIGO are we not guarnteed 100% on game day? Can someone explain to me the mentallity of a county footballer who commits, does all this training and then puts 30% effort in on the sunday?

And our management need to have a long hard look in the mirror too.

On player analysis, none of the FB are fit, Harrison was poor defensively, very loose, and loves to run forward and get bottled up, Donovan again very loose, and both corner backs should of been punished more by wexford, mcguire had a nightmare, misjudging loads of high balls, causing a 1 goal and maybe at fault for the third with greene, very letharthic, day for the FB line.

Hb line simple, if Ewing plays against mayo we wont win, I blame the management, he hasnt the pace for intercounty, poor passer aswell, no vision, Quinn was ordinary enough, didnt cover his area that well and doesnt get involved enough, was disappointed. J davey didnt do or was involved in much again underpar for him.

Mullen, probably the only player who gave a 100%, did lots of unseen work, tackling and harrieing other players attackers, and made a nuisance of himself, doesnt add much quality but at least he gave the effort.

TT, honestly if I was manager he wouldnt wear Sligo jersey again. No effort and when he gets the ball he thinks hes in the back garden. Only gave any effort when the game was lost which angered me even more.

Costello, in the 1st half was the only player to show quality besides free taking, his passing and vision was consistently good but any good work he did then was undone by his lack fo effort in the 2nd, shying out of tackles, and fumbling the ball, and over ambitious shooting and passing.

Breheny, absolute passenger from play, but vital from frees. The management decided stupidely to take him off with 25 mins to go and guess no free taker on the field, we missed 5 or 6 vital frees from his side with the game in the melting pot. Take a bow Kevin and his 3 wisemen, horrendous management.

F Quinn, this man lasted whatever minutes touching the ball 3 times and fouling the rest.

Coen and Kelly, not a good day. Both showed and ran for the ball in the 1st half, but got atrocious supply and were dragged miles from goal, then when they got there chances they both proceeded to make the worst attempts at shooting ive seen in a long time, kelly missed a 20yd free straight in front of the posts and kicked loads of wides and kicked a ball that was worst attempt at point ive ever seen, if it reached a high of 5 foot from the ground id be suprised. The 2 of them lost confidence then and old habits of you to me to you to me to you again ensued.

Lastly Sean Davey started and didnt touch the ball 5 times in our half and skyed one effort wide.

Gilmartin came on for Mullen and did better than most.

For whatever reason the players decided they didnt want promotion, and isnt sad they didnt tell us beforehand so the 10 or so Sligofans the bother of going to wexford. Walsh just stands there and says nothing, when players arent giving 100% he should be raring up at them. His taking off of Breheny cost us 5 or 6 points and may have made a difference. No else can take frees and he wasnt any worse than the rest from play.

Today was perfect conditions for football, and we didnt score in the second half until a fluke goal in injury time. A brief summary of the play was wexford opened brightly and there pace opened up our defence, they got peno which wasnt , but what can you, they missed loads of easy point chances after and our defence was loose, way to loose.

We got frees to get us back into it. Simple as that. Costello made some good passes which helped us open them, kelly and coen made plenty of runs but got slow supply and had to come too deep, you know the usual.

In the 2nd half we owned the ball for first 15mins, but never looked like creating much and then made 2 mistakes for goals. Everything was slow lethargic, couldnt careless kinda play.

Kelly looked afraid to shoot again, twisting and turning, but only excuse for him was sigerson.

You know we might get a reaction the next day against Offaly, but this performance will live a while in the memory. Not giving 100% is just not on anytime no matter what the future holds. We have a mountain to climb and for me and anyone at the game today it wasnt disappointment coming home it was anger. My advice if your not going to do yourself the justice of giving 100% then dont commit.

I hope the players read this. There are always consequences on here to critising players, but honestly just get a tape of the game and see if you dont think they deserve it.

[magpie seanie]

It must have been bad cos the beacon of light from Dublin was fairly cutting about the performance in his epistle on sligogaa.ie. All this from the guy who has in the past criticised others for criticising the team! His list of Sigerson winners is hilarious too. There's two Sigerson medals in the one family in Strandhill, both of whom served the county (one for a good while at senior also) but of course they are forgotten as is another Sligo lad who was on DCU's panel this year. It must be killing him that Summerhill are in the A final and he can't ignore them (managed by a Coolera native who also gets forgotten in a lot of the commentary about this team).

That's that off the chest!

[Mano]

That would be Karl O'Neill with UCG in 2003 and i assume Sean O'Neill was involved with Sligo IT when they won it. Brendan Egan also won a Sigerson with DCU in 2006. I'm also fairly certain that Noel McGuire did not win a sigerson - he got to a few finals alright with UCD.

[Westie]

Ah yes, there is a good few more around the county but don't let facts get in the way of a good story. To be honest I was a member of that organisation the first 2 -3 years it was set up and had a few great nights in Shelbourne Pk which is why it shocks me sometimes when I see some of the rámais that is written. Having said that boys from our side of the county stopped going because it was all about the south (and even me with family down there, could see it). Plus a good few from our side of the county have played in A colleges finals over the years, and won(and captained) Mayo vocational schools to All Ireland titles, but........

Then again our trumpets are not as loud!!!

[SLIGONIAN]

Westie was any of muirdeachs lads from Sligo this yr?

Like to wish Attractas and Summerhill all the best for Saturday. Lets bring 2 Connacht titles over the border.

[Westie]

Only had one lad on it at full forward.

Had 5 on the first year team last year who won the A championship.

Our lads, split between Muredachs and Enniscrone.

No more than yourself though, good luck to both schools on Saturday.

[magpie seanie]

That would be Karl O'Neill with UCG in 2003 and i assume Sean O'Neill was involved with Sligo IT when they won it. Brendan Egan also won a Sigerson with DCU in 2006. I'm also fairly certain that Noel McGuire did not win a sigerson - he got to a few finals alright with UCD.

He was superb in the games I saw him in when they won it, can't believe I forgot about him.

Really hope Attracta's and Summerhill can do it and don't see any reason why they can't.

[SLIGONIAN]

Ya my club is like yours all right, I was just thinking Summerhill missed out on Kennedy, Kelly, 2 Gilsenans, Burns, all would of made Summerhill stronger last 2 or 3 yrs when they were minors... but actually some of them played for Donegal Vocational schools county team and Kennedy with Grange Vec I think.

I suppose going forward any underage talent coming through my club should be identified as early as possible and coaxed into going to summerhill, it is hard when they make that choice at 13 though. Aswell as unsettling as it maybe get them change after junior cert level aswell would be an option, you know theyd have played u16 with Sligo.. Now that Summerhill have got there act together any kid and parents with aspirations of developing there football will probably choose Summerhill now anyway.

Id say therell be a fair following from Sligo on Saturday. Looking forward to it.

[SLIGONIAN]

I just seen on Sligogaa.ie our 125 yr history book is being published, a whole 800 pages. I cant help but thinking that is going to be one of the most depressing books ever. Anytime at matches when I read a programme and all previous results are printed, it annoys me. I just think we in Sligo should forget about the past. Live in the now and create a better future. Our past should not be honoured IMO. Weve underachieved massively in a 5 county province, and especially with talented players weve had over the yrs.

[magpie seanie]

I just seen on Sligogaa.ie our 125 yr history book is being published, a whole 800 pages. I cant help but thinking that is going to be one of the most depressing books ever. Anytime at matches when I read a programme and all previous results are printed, it annoys me. I just think we in Sligo should forget about the past. Live in the now and create a better future. Our past should not be honoured IMO. Weve underachieved massively in a 5 county province, and especially with talented players weve had over the yrs.

Don't agree with you Sligonian on this. The 100 years book was a good effort and I am lead to believe that this is in a similar vein. Each year has a piece on the county but most is dedicated to club results and the club aspect. I don't think that documenting the past is necessarily celebrating it or celebrating the failures. To learn from the failures we shouldn't just put them under the carpet like we usually do.