Antrim Hurling

[johnnycool]

Looking like Offaly in the relegation play off, eminently winnable you would have hoped.

[imtommygunn]

I would say Offaly are better than Laois. I guess we'll see.

[Onthe40]

very disappointing from Antrim yesterday, it was like waiting for a wake up to happen or rise it to another gear and it never happened.. they didn't bring the required intensity to win the game
when they got the goal, you were thinking right thats the call now to up it for last 5mins but still it didn't happen..
some of the wides they hit were criminal as well in comparison to Laois
I don't think they'll survive the playoff..hope Im wrong

[Antrim Coaster]

It was obvious that Cheddar Plunkett targeted this match as one that Laois could win, especially in Portlaoise.

Laois took big hammerings v Waterford and Kilkenny but kept enough of their powder dry whereas Antrim put in massive effort in their three games.

Cheddar did the same thing last year when Laois came to Corrigan for a dead rubber league match which Antrim won but it was a different story when Laois played Antrim in a Liam McCarthy playoff. Absolutely hockeyed Antrim off the park. Cheddar stated at the time that Laois learned an awful lot about Antrim after the match at Corrigan.

2 championship games for Antrim last year but they played league hurling in both after emptying the tank v Clare and Laois and drawing with Wexford.

Relegation match v Offaly / Limerick is a must win.

Down on the cusp of Division One hurling - hope they make it.

[north_antrim_hound]

Ok hypothetical scenario, if we beat Tipp ( no I'm not high, they are going real bad ) does that put Laois back to bottom on scoring difference if they lose their last match.

[Antrim Coaster]

A few points to take from the game and season so far, it was always going to be a battle, considering the teams we would be meeting, we have put in great displays against teams that have been battle harden in Div 1 for a while. Bar the second half against Dublin we have matched a lot of the bigger teams.

Chedder had penciled in this game from the start, this is your season defining game, they were pumped up so much that they had a man sent off and we still couldn't match the fight, we panicked and played hail Mary balls into the forwards which is meat and drink to defenders, our body language at halftime walking off the pitch was poor, or looked poor from watching on TV others at the game could probably have a better view on that.

This is all before we go on about free takers, Neil has stepped up and nailed hundred of frees over the years, there is a different type of temperament required to do that for the club and county and he has in most cases gets the big scores, whether the weather or pressure was different yesterday I don't know, but I rather have him on the pitch.

In the second half we had 3 other top notch free takers, Clarkey has been brilliant last season, I'm not sure why he hasn't been involved as much this year, James had an arm  injury so that's why he hasn't been involved as much, so that was a factor also possibly. Cunning generally dead eye too.  That aside I was more concerned with our approach play and accuracy from open play never mind frees.

We lost the match over the 73 minutes we played, hopefully that game will give them a kick up the hole

17 wides in total for Antrim, 10 in the second half playing with the breeze. 13 wides for Laois. That tells a story in itself.

Laois playing with a man down seemed to be able to get their scores much easier compared to Antrim who played into Laois hands, especially on the 40 where Laois packed that sector.

I seen Daniel McKernan winning a ball in midfield surrounded by 4 Laois players and it was Antrim who were supposed to have the extra man

[Antrim Coaster]

Ok hypothetical scenario, if we beat Tipp ( no I'm not high, they are going real bad ) does that put Laois back to bottom on scoring difference if they lose their last match.

In the unlikely event that Antrim should beat Tipp they'd be on 2 points with Laois and I think it goes head to head so Laois would appear to be safe.

There will probably be a few Offaly spies having a gook look at Antrim next match.

[Antrim Coaster]

Ok hypothetical scenario, if we beat Tipp ( no I'm not high, they are going real bad ) does that put Laois back to bottom on scoring difference if they lose their last match.

In the unlikely event that Antrim should beat Tipp they'd be on 2 points with Laois and I think it goes head to head so Laois would appear to be safe.

There will

That should read good look.

[Kidder81]

It's head to head so we are in the relegation playoff regardless. As for Laois targeting this game, I would have thought we would be doing the same

[Milltown Row2]

It's head to head so we are in the relegation playoff regardless. As for Laois targeting this game, I would have thought we would be doing the same

Yeah and I assume they did, they just were far more hungry.. Sometimes the better team doesn't beat the dogged team and that's what happened yesterday, whatever selection of players that played probably would have lost, they'll know how the lads are reacting best, better than us from the outside looking in.

[imtommygunn]

Were we really the better team though?

[Milltown Row2]

Were we really the better team though?

Not yesterday but we've proved to be a better team against the likes of Waterford Kilkenny and first half v Dublin

[imtommygunn]

The reality is those games don't really matter when it comes to relegation points. Unfortunately Laois have shown this year and last that they are better than us 

(Or at least they know how to beat us)

[north_antrim_hound]

The reality is those games don't really matter when it comes to relegation points. Unfortunately Laois have shown this year and last that they are better than us 

(Or at least they know how to beat us)

Better than us for sure, the Mc Donagh play off in Parnell last year was embarrassing and they beat us yesterday with 14 men.

[groundlie]

Not the worst Antrim performance I've ever seen. Laois away always tough. Too many basic errors. Especially disappointing with 14 men and we couldn't push on. Tipp there for the taking, no doubt about it . Gleeson will have them fired up.