Armagh Club football & hurling

[fitzroyalty]

Thats the way they run the championship in Down and it works well. To be honest I think its a good idea because some teams are in the senior championship and shouldnt be and others are playing division 1 football but enter the intermediate championship!

+1 for example clann eireann and newtown or more intermediate sides than culloville and sarsfields

IMO Charlie they'd all be IFC standard apart from Culloville. Hope this change comes into play in the next year or so. Would make the leagues more meaningful with a bit more to play for at the end of the season

[pintsofguinness]

Can someone confirm this because a pearse og man assured me it was Gospel last night, that all Div 1 and top 4 Div2 this year will contest the senior championship next year.

Has to be passed as a rule - but I agree.  However there is one issue with this.  I can see teams "throwing" games to ensure they are in a lower championship.  This would only work if they re-introduced some sort of relegation/promotion system that ensured all teams were competitive to the end.  Oh wait - they tried that and useless club delegates voted it out because it didn't happen in their day - average age 73.5

They voted it out because it was ridiculous!

[winsamsoon]

Clans B team beat Cullyhanna tonight by 10 in the B championship. Think Og's beat St pauls by 5 in the other semi

[fitzroyalty]

Good win for Clans. A lot more free flowing than when we met last year. Would I be right in saying Cullyhanna rested a few players for the JFC?

Comments re referee were spot on btw!

[lurganblue]

Competitive game from the start in a repeat of last years semi final. The clans were bitterly disappointed with our own performance last year and felt this was a perfect opportunity to put that right.

Clans raced into a 6-1 lead which was then hauled back by st pats to leave only 2 points in it approaching half time. The clans then got a vital goal just before the break.

A quick goal at the start of the second half set the clans to run out comfortable enough in the end, despite st pats never giving up the fight.

The less said about the ref the better.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Competitive game from the start in a repeat of last years semi final. The clans were bitterly disappointed with our own performance last year and felt this was a perfect opportunity to put that right.

Clans raced into a 6-1 lead which was then hauled back by st pats to leave only 2 points in it approaching half time. The clans then got a vital goal just before the break.

A quick goal at the start of the second half set the clans to run out comfortable enough in the end, despite st pats never giving up the fight.

The less said about the ref the better.

Missing Marsden's clear push on our full back in the lead up to the crucial 3rd goal was disgraceful right enough.

[lurganblue]

You think the third goal was crucial??? I saw no push.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Good win for Clans. A lot more free flowing than when we met last year. Would I be right in saying Cullyhanna rested a few players for the JFC?

Comments re referee were spot on btw!

No there weren't any players rested - that's pretty much the team that's been playing all championship albeit that there would be one or two that could have been brought in from division 4 team that weren't. You could argue we should have played as strong a team as possible given that this will be our last chance to win this competition but its a difficult balancing act - obviously we want to put in a decent performance against Belleek on Friday night.

Anyway congratulations to Clan na Gael - worthy winners on the night. Goals win games and they took their chances well. best of luck particularly to the one or two lads from the board who I think may have been playing.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

You think the third goal was crucial??? I saw no push.

No doubt you didn't but then supporters tend to see what they want to see, particularly when it comes to refereeing decisions. And in Clan na Gael's case, they see it, then spend innordinate lengths of times whinging and crying about some perceived injustice.

As for it being crucial, it finished the game as a contest. At 8 points down with 25 minutes we at least had a slim chance, once the 3rd goal went in it was all over.

[fitzroyalty]

TAC, is your Division 4 team a different squad of players to the B-team? Or would it be mostly the same? Either way you's have some pool of players!
What I mean is that surely a lot of Division 4 players could have come in if eligible but didn't because of your junior game.
Out of sheer interest, how would that Clans team fare in Division 4, in your opinion?

[lurganblue]

TAC I hate going on about a ref and the last thing I will say about him is that I even saw some of your players laugh at some decisions or lack of decisions in some cases.

Fitz that's an interesting question but I don't think we have the pool of players to sustain it.

[fitzroyalty]

Oh I know, we more than likely don't. Doubt we'd be able to afford it either. A St Paul's player said to me last week he'd reckon we'd do alright in the 3rd but I feel that is an exaggeration.

[PatDaly]

Armagh's quest for a first ever Ulster U-21 hurling crown fell short at Casement Park. Their opponents Antrim successfully defended their title courtesy of a 0-21 to 0-16 triumph.

In their first final at this grade since 1979, Armagh set the early pace.

Michael Johnston's charges led by 0-5 to 0-2 after 11 minutes, with Kieran McKernan, Conor Coulter, Michael Lennon, Martin Maguire and captain Nathan Curry all splitting the posts.

Antrim bounced back by landing four of the next five points, full-forward Darren Hamill leading the charge.

Hamill, a senior panellist, tallied up ten points for the Saffrons - five in each half - with Antrim sneaking a 0-9 to 0-8 interval lead thanks to a score from the Shane O'Neill's clubman.

Cormac Donnelly pushed the hosts two points clear on the restart, but Armagh slotted over the next four points. Coulter and McKernan were particularly impressive in front of goal, as the underdogs moved 0-12 to 0-10 ahead in the 36th minute.

Crucially, Armagh were restricted to just four points in the closing stages, as Donnelly (0-5) and man-of-the-match Hamill (0-10) drove Antrim to more silverware.

The Antrim youngsters will now face Tipperary in the All-Ireland U-21 semi-finals on August 21, with Leinster champions Dublin and Galway meeting in the other last-four tie.

ARMAGH : P Kelly; R Comiskey, P Gaffney, JJ Hughes; S McNaughton, N Curry (0-1), D Carville; K McKernan (0-7, 6f), M Maguire (0-2); P Monaghan, M Lennon (0-2f), D Carville: C Corvan (0-1), C Coulter (0-3), M Moan. Sub: T Duffy for Monaghan.

ANTRIM : E Gillan; K Molloy, C Donnelly (0-5, 4f), L McAuley; C Carson, S Shannon, J Campbell; PJ O'Connell (0-2), E Laverty; M Devlin, T McCann (0-1), C Rocks; M Armstrong (0-3), D Hamill (0-10, 4f), C Quinn. Subs: M Lynch for Laverty, T McAlister for McAuley, G Laverty for Devlin, S Woulaghan for Rocks.

Referee : D Magee (Down).

[IVEDECIDED]

Oh I know, we more than likely don't. Doubt we'd be able to afford it either. A St Paul's player said to me last week he'd reckon we'd do alright in the 3rd but I feel that is an exaggeration.

Ive been saying for years Clans should have a team in division 4. Its bullshit we dont have the pool  of players the only thing lacking is a few lads (Committee types) who could be bothered organising and maintaining it. We have 40 odd every year on the senior panel for the first few months untill certain lads quit because they dont get much playing time (Among other reasons) We also have a considerable "back catalogue" of players, a mixture of young and old.

I think the club need to start considering this because all due respect to the B system but its puke in respect to growing and developing young players

[orange2009]

Videos, interviews and match report as Armagh came within a whisker of causing a huge upset in this years Ulster Under 21 final against Antrim in Casement Park.

http://armagh-gaa.com/Hurling/News/VIDEO--Heartbreak-from-U21-Hurlers-as-they-are-nar.aspx