Down Club Hurling & Football

Started by Lecale2, November 10, 2006, 12:06:55 AM

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johnnycool

Not far off the mark as usual there Splash.

The Senior game will come down to how much of a dog fight our lads are prepared to make if for the Portaferry forwards in particular. If our defenders stand off their men or play from behind it could be a long day for them. They must get tight to the two Sands brothers and young McGrattan in particular and be as physical as allowed to be by Peter Owens.

On the flip side of that, our young forwards will need to offer a goal threat as we'll need three goals IMO to win on Sunday. In Michael O'g and Shea we have that but it will depend on the ball into them and getting one on ones with their respective markers. If we do that then we've a chance.
We better bring our shooting boots as well, the amount of wides we hit in the semifinal just won't do.

Midfield wise I think we've the advantage with Cathal and Timmy Prenter, both like to carry the ball up the field, both having pace to get away from players, just need to make the right decisions when shooting or passing.

I'd be expecting our half forwards to go deep for Portaferry puck outs and force Pierce Smyth to go short, something he's not comfortable doing and then pressurise the man on the ball.

Allowing ball to land in the spaces in our defence will need to be cut out as Portaferry don't have great ball winners in their forwards if under it. They tried big Trainor up there for that reason, but the experiment failed and he's now back in their defence where he's more comfortable.

The bookies will have Portaferry as hot favourites and they're seldom wrong but we'll go in with a punchers chance and see where it gets us.

Just hope the weather doesn't make a shíte of it.

Ferry boat is off and the Portaferry Road to Newtownards is down to one lane so it'll be a long journey to the game, but sure, it's better than sitting on yer hole at home...



 



Ardstick

Great insight from Splash, couldn't add much to that!  Unfortunately wont get tonight with work, changing my mind all the time, think The Town by 4/5 points. Hoping the Senior will be closer that many are saying. The Galgets never lie down and will give it all, will need a few goals and hope for clean sheet. Ports by 6.  Need a good weekend of Hurley the Football was very disappointing. Antrim final on too - Dunloy to get back to the big time?

johnnycool

Junior wise Castlewellan seem to be a bit underwhelming. I saw them in the Div1 game against our lads and they've some really good hurlers but then the standard drops off considerably and that's probably their biggest achilles heel.

You need good cover in all positions and not just the spine of the team.

Underage wise they'd a few lads sanctioned to play for Portaferry at minor as O'Rahillies didn't field and breaks in the development path are hard to make up when you don't field, so those few lads that didn't play elsewhere won't have played a lot of hurling this year and that's never good.
They need to get that U16 up through to adult level and then they'll make inroads beyond junior level, but they should still have enough for Ballela.

The Ballela lads are hardened and know how to eek out wins come championship even though league is normally a disaster zone for them due to low numbers. That will catch up with them hence why the likes of St Patricks amalgamations are key for their survival as well as the lads playing U14 for Liatroim.


As for intermediate I can't see past Bredagh. They have the better all round hurlers but I've said this before they need to be throwing in those good minors into the mix ASAP rather than the big slow mollockers they have in their forwards.
Yeah, the big mollockers will do a job for you on a shitty night in October, but you need to be thinking of the bigger picture.

Carryduff will give it a right lash, they'd a decent league run in Antrim Div2, maintaining their position which is a good bit higher of a standard than Down Div1 so do have a basis for improvement, but I still think Bredagh have the better key hurlers and I don't see the Carryduff lads who can nullify them for the hour.


Going for the following;

Castlewellan
Bredagh
Ballygalget (heart rather than head)



 

johnnycool

Sweet lord...

Is Donal Nugent involved in every team from just off the Bann Road?

Ballela hurlers
Liatroim Camogs (with his Da)
Liatroim Hurlers

He must get getting some good feeds in the Anglers Rest with wee Andy.

KeyboardWman

Any new managerial appointments made?

Hard2Listen2

Quote from: KeyboardWman on October 18, 2024, 05:33:22 PMAny new managerial appointments made?

Which teams are currently looking new management teams?

LC

Quote from: johnnycool on October 18, 2024, 02:55:52 PMSweet lord...

Is Donal Nugent involved in every team from just off the Bann Road?

Ballela hurlers
Liatroim Camogs (with his Da)
Liatroim Hurlers

He must get getting some good feeds in the Anglers Rest with wee Andy.

I listened to his podcast a couple of times, it wasn't the worst.

Don't know why he stopped it.

Splash

Thanks lads glad yous are enjoying the hurling chat

Splash

Quote from: Ardstick on October 18, 2024, 12:30:19 PMGreat insight from Splash, couldn't add much to that!  Unfortunately wont get tonight with work, changing my mind all the time, think The Town by 4/5 points. Hoping the Senior will be closer that many are saying. The Galgets never lie down and will give it all, will need a few goals and hope for clean sheet. Ports by 6.  Need a good weekend of Hurley the Football was very disappointing. Antrim final on too - Dunloy to get back to the big time?


Good weekend of hurling does the heart good after the football  ;D

Antrim final be close I say. Hard to call. Going to go for Dunloy to get back on top- but wouldn't be surprised if Cushendall go and make it back to back.

Derry final on as well. Hard to see Slaughtneil not making it 12 in a row.

First round of Ulster between Derry and Antrim Champs will give a good lay of the land and show us where our Senior Champions need to be.

Splash

#43224
Quote from: johnnycool on October 18, 2024, 12:10:28 PMNot far off the mark as usual there Splash.

The Senior game will come down to how much of a dog fight our lads are prepared to make if for the Portaferry forwards in particular. If our defenders stand off their men or play from behind it could be a long day for them. They must get tight to the two Sands brothers and young McGrattan in particular and be as physical as allowed to be by Peter Owens.

On the flip side of that, our young forwards will need to offer a goal threat as we'll need three goals IMO to win on Sunday. In Michael O'g and Shea we have that but it will depend on the ball into them and getting one on ones with their respective markers. If we do that then we've a chance.
We better bring our shooting boots as well, the amount of wides we hit in the semifinal just won't do.

Midfield wise I think we've the advantage with Cathal and Timmy Prenter, both like to carry the ball up the field, both having pace to get away from players, just need to make the right decisions when shooting or passing.

I'd be expecting our half forwards to go deep for Portaferry puck outs and force Pierce Smyth to go short, something he's not comfortable doing and then pressurise the man on the ball.

Allowing ball to land in the spaces in our defence will need to be cut out as Portaferry don't have great ball winners in their forwards if under it. They tried big Trainor up there for that reason, but the experiment failed and he's now back in their defence where he's more comfortable.

The bookies will have Portaferry as hot favourites and they're seldom wrong but we'll go in with a punchers chance and see where it gets us.

Just hope the weather doesn't make a shíte of it.

Ferry boat is off and the Portaferry Road to Newtownards is down to one lane so it'll be a long journey to the game, but sure, it's better than sitting on yer hole at home...



 




Very interesting there JC.

Agreed- midfield is the one area of the field the Ports seem to be a bit lacking in.

If Ballygalget doing everything right, there's no reason they can't win today. But I do feel like they'll have to get everything right.

Still though, should be a good game if the weather allows it.

Long trek without the boat and the road situation, but sure what else would you be at. Only one day a year.

Splash

Quote from: LC on October 19, 2024, 03:55:07 PM
Quote from: johnnycool on October 18, 2024, 02:55:52 PMSweet lord...

Is Donal Nugent involved in every team from just off the Bann Road?

Ballela hurlers
Liatroim Camogs ( :o with his Da)
Liatroim Hurlers

He must get getting some good feeds in the Anglers Rest with wee Andy.

I listened to his podcast a couple of times, it wasn't the worst.

Don't know why he stopped it.

All whilst still hurling away himself with St John's, too. Fair play to him.

Whatever he's doing in those clubs along the Bann Road though it seems to be working  :o

DownFanatic

How will the Down clubs fare in the Ulster series? Surely Portaferry are in a good position for a serious tilt at Ulster?

johnnycool

Sadly some of our key players didn't really perform as we'd have needed them to have a chance and that was the crux of it. We knew John McManus wasn't fully fit due to pulling his hamstring in the semifinal and he was sluggish yesterday which is understandable, but some of our other senior county players really need to have a word with themselves, with only Prenter showing anything of note.

Ports played with a huge wind in the first half (Pierce Smyth pucked one the full length of the field and it went wide) and we were holding on pretty well until the first goal went in. We lost our shape a bit for a while and allowed the spaces to develop in front of Daithi Sands in particular who caused untold damage and then the other two goals went in and it was always going to be an uphill battle from then on.
We struggled to get good ball into our forwards as the ball was hanging in the air allowing the sweeper to get over and then Mick O'g and Shea were having to compete with two and three defenders at a time. The goal at the end of the first half gave us a flicker of hope but that was about it.

We needed a good start to the second and we rattled over a few points but so did Tom McGrattan from needless frees well within his range and we did manage a second goal and something Portaferry would be concerned about is their inability to deal with high ball right down on top of their keeper when he has company around him.

Ports were well worth their win and they're straight into an Ulster final with the winners of Cushendall and Slaughtneil their opponents, the Dall will be expecting to win that and certainly won't lack any confidence/arrogance when they meet Portaferry in the final.

For us I think we need new leaders to step up within the younger group and drive the team on, some of the older lads really disappointed me yesterday, you'd think their first final in seven years would be motivation enough to bust yourself for every ball, but evidently not. The half dozen 17 to 22yo's I can slightly understand if things got away from them as it was their first crack at it...





clonian

I missed the game on Friday night but Ballela's experienced players got them over the line. Jonny McCusker knocked over 10 points to help the club his 7th junior medal over 20 years. He was on the bench as 14/15 year old in 2000 when Ballygalget beat them in the final - I think this was his 10th final in all. With him and Mal Magee playing they always have a chance. They'll hope to hold onto all the new recruits to push on next year, in Jonny's interview before the game he said it was the first time in years the jersey bag was emptied so hopefully it looks up and they can keep going and then get a few lads from that U16 team through in 2 years time.

I see Derry have let their reigning Intermediate champions compete in their junior final this year so that should be another ulster junior title heading to Derry. That's a joke of a system and it's not the 1st time it's been brought up. Ballela got beat by Coleraine a few years ago in the ulster junior final the year after they got to the ulster intermediate final.

johnnycool

Quote from: clonian on October 21, 2024, 12:12:30 PMI missed the game on Friday night but Ballela's experienced players got them over the line. Jonny McCusker knocked over 10 points to help the club his 7th junior medal over 20 years. He was on the bench as 14/15 year old in 2000 when Ballygalget beat them in the final - I think this was his 10th final in all. With him and Mal Magee playing they always have a chance. They'll hope to hold onto all the new recruits to push on next year, in Jonny's interview before the game he said it was the first time in years the jersey bag was emptied so hopefully it looks up and they can keep going and then get a few lads from that U16 team through in 2 years time.

I see Derry have let their reigning Intermediate champions compete in their junior final this year so that should be another ulster junior title heading to Derry. That's a joke of a system and it's not the 1st time it's been brought up. Ballela got beat by Coleraine a few years ago in the ulster junior final the year after they got to the ulster intermediate final.

Derry have six teams, do a round robin championship, top two senior final, next two are in the intermediate final and the bottom two into the junior final..

It works for them, so why not!


As for the Down Junior final, is there a dispute over Ballela having 16 players on the park for a few minutes?

A blood sub stayed on the park for a while after Jonny McCusker had been returned to play, anyone else hear that?