Ulster Colleges

[trailer]

Popped over to watch St Pat's Academy V St Pat's Armagh last night in the Rannafast final. Armagh led at the break by 2 points they got a fairly fortuitous goal in 1st half from a high ball into the square. Academy made hard work in first half running into a well organised and strong Armagh defence, who bottled them up and turned them over. HT 1-5 0-6
Academy better setup after the break and stopped running into the Armagh defence. Switching the play well to get a few danger men to catch handy marks as well as strong runners coming at better angles to break them down. Got a bit of a run on them. Armagh got another fairly lucky penalty to come back a them but Academy had a bit too much in the end running out 0-16 to 2-6 winners.

Good game. Best for Academy probably Joel Kerr, Liam McGeary and big lad in MF. Stewartstown lad.
Armagh Cathair Hughes, and Matty Daly.

https://teamtalkmag.com/rannafast-title-for-academy/

was it not the kildress lad in midfield...quality player..

Could have been. I didn't know him tbh and the fella I was with said Stewartstown. Apologies if it was Kildress lad. Good player.

[trailer]

Couldn't make it last night but I was at Armagh's last 3 Rannafast games, Dungannon beat us by 6 in the group stage so we knew it was going to be a big ask last night (& thats their 3rd Ulster title in a row for this group), but it bodes well for the future (& for my club as we'd 7 or 8 on show) should be competitive in the MacRory for a couple of years, noticeable that Dungannon & Abbey in the semi were that bit bigger generally. One of Dungannon's best players is young McGeary believe he's been starting on the MacRory team all year as well, a shame that he's in the Tyrone underage set up as him & his family are Armagh through & through, a major slip up there on our part.

As for the MacRory, was at all of Armagh's games including a few warm up games, unlucky to be departing at group stage after 2 x 1pt defeats and beating half a Maghera team (with half an Armagh team tbf). Was at Ronans v Bessbrook last week.

I predict a Maghera v Dungannon final.

Serious player. But he's with The Moy and lives in Tyrone and at a Tyrone school, so probably difficult enough for Armagh to pickup. But one for the future.

[Armagh18]

Couldn't make it last night but I was at Armagh's last 3 Rannafast games, Dungannon beat us by 6 in the group stage so we knew it was going to be a big ask last night (& thats their 3rd Ulster title in a row for this group), but it bodes well for the future (& for my club as we'd 7 or 8 on show) should be competitive in the MacRory for a couple of years, noticeable that Dungannon & Abbey in the semi were that bit bigger generally. One of Dungannon's best players is young McGeary believe he's been starting on the MacRory team all year as well, a shame that he's in the Tyrone underage set up as him & his family are Armagh through & through, a major slip up there on our part.

As for the MacRory, was at all of Armagh's games including a few warm up games, unlucky to be departing at group stage after 2 x 1pt defeats and beating half a Maghera team (with half an Armagh team tbf). Was at Ronans v Bessbrook last week.

I predict a Maghera v Dungannon final.

Serious player. But he's with The Moy and lives in Tyrone and at a Tyrone school, so probably difficult enough for Armagh to pickup. But one for the future. 

Collegeland blood in him?

[Walter Cronc]

Maghera and Omagh not the teams to beat going by previous years? Maghera missing their best player in Danny McDermott. Injured for Glen in Ulster club semi final.

[bennydorano]

Maghera and Omagh not the teams to beat going by previous years? Maghera missing their best player in Danny McDermott. Injured for Glen in Ulster club semi final.

They are on course for a semi meeting

[lurganblue]

Couldn't make it last night but I was at Armagh's last 3 Rannafast games, Dungannon beat us by 6 in the group stage so we knew it was going to be a big ask last night (& thats their 3rd Ulster title in a row for this group), but it bodes well for the future (& for my club as we'd 7 or 8 on show) should be competitive in the MacRory for a couple of years, noticeable that Dungannon & Abbey in the semi were that bit bigger generally. One of Dungannon's best players is young McGeary believe he's been starting on the MacRory team all year as well, a shame that he's in the Tyrone underage set up as him & his family are Armagh through & through, a major slip up there on our part.

As for the MacRory, was at all of Armagh's games including a few warm up games, unlucky to be departing at group stage after 2 x 1pt defeats and beating half a Maghera team (with half an Armagh team tbf). Was at Ronans v Bessbrook last week.

I predict a Maghera v Dungannon final.

Good lad Benny.  I noticed from the school Facebook that there is a decent amount of Harps ones on the team.  I didnt see a single Pearse óg player.  Am i wrong in that? 

[bennydorano]

No, correct, bit of an anomaly, apparently the year below is full of Ogs and no Harps at all!

[lurganblue]

Yes that is true I believe. There is a strong 3rd year ógs connection that do also fill the 4th year team.

[Goals_Will_Come]

Tyrone schools flying again. Three of them topped their MacRory groups as well and automatically through to the Quarter Finals.

Any word on how other Tyrone schools are going? I was interested to see how the Dean got on in MacLarnon.

Won 1 (St Eunans, Letterkenny) and Drew 1 (Loreto Milford). Play Abbey on Monday. A win sends them through to the Quarter Finals as group winners where they would play the winners of St Louis' Ballymena and Aquinas Belfast. A defeat puts them in a Play Off Game against St Pius for a place in the Quarter Finals.

[Brendan]

Lavey men kicked off the Maghera panel for playing hurling according to twitter

[Wildweasel74]

You think lads aren't fit to play a couple of games but no problem making them train multi times a week

[toby47]

I wonder is there more to it?

Chrissy McKaigue is the manager, and has been getting a touch under the tweet by a few comments. Surely no bigger club man or duel player advocate? 

[tonto1888]

Is this definitely true? Very poor if so

[johnnycool]

I wonder is there more to it?

Chrissy McKaigue is the manager, and has been getting a touch under the tweet by a few comments. Surely no bigger club man or duel player advocate? 

He'd hardly be the first manager/coach who it looking to build his reputation on the back of a few schools trophies and is entirely focused on that.

The fact that these lads were representing their club in an Ulster minor semi-final is quite galling that the school whose next game isn't till next week felt the need to exclude them for playing for their very club!!!

Stop forcing kids to chose between codes.

[toby47]

I wonder is there more to it?

Chrissy McKaigue is the manager, and has been getting a touch under the tweet by a few comments. Surely no bigger club man or duel player advocate? 

He'd hardly be the first manager/coach who it looking to build his reputation on the back of a few schools trophies and is entirely focused on that.

The fact that these lads were representing their club in an Ulster minor semi-final is quite galling that the school whose next game isn't till next week felt the need to exclude them for playing for their very club!!!

Stop forcing kids to chose between codes.

The school twitter page even tweeted a good luck post to Lavey's minor hurlers for the game. Very strange. Other players should back their team mates, hard at a young age though. McDermott would have been player for Glen this weekend too, if he didn't get injured - would he have been kicked off panel? Makes me think there has to be more to it, not saying it makes it right.