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We scored 2-09 against a top tier competitive team. We could have scored more but didn't take some chances, Tyrone would hammer all div 4 teams.

My gripe is we should be at least looking to have our whole  squad up to a physical standard (there was a few meeting the standard) then the management can at least put their plan in place!

In general we've always had players that were physically smaller than our opponents! Hurling also, we need to produce bigger players

They would hammer most division 2 teams. Also look what Dublin did to Louth who had 14 men for most of the game.

Agree on the physical size. Hurling and football we always seem to not produce many physically big players for whatever reason.

We have won about 5 ulster c'ship matches in my lifetime and I'm far from a child! It is beginning to look like there will be a second tier. It will be interesting to see how that pans out. It could help us or it could be the death of county football.

I see there has been a similar discussion about size and conditioning on the Derry pages after their game v Tyrone.  Derry would surely have a more settled squad than Antrim over the last few years and also have the well conditioned S'neil players.

Are Tyrone doing something different to both of us then?

Interesting point on final venue again!
Looks like it'll be in either Dunloy or Loughgiel then depending on tomorrow's result?

So annoyed I can't get to the match - if it's not much trouble can people post updates.
I struggled getting Twitter news tonight - is there any accounts to follow for tomorrow?

Final to be in Ballycastle regardless of whos playing.  Its still classified as the county hurling ground.

Hahaha apologies to all from St Galls for this slight! The big 3 1/2 I should say

Hard to know which part of this is the worst. Do you think Tommy Walsh is gone because he lobbed it down the field. He's gone because his legs are gone. Buckley and Joyce have some hurling to do before they get even near one the most decorated hurlers in history
Let's see how the kilkenny players your spouting about get on without him and JJ for the next ten years
I don't even know what you mean by working the ball out
Are your referring to  short passing whilst keeping possession to a man gets the ball that's in space and can make a better delivery or shoot
I think your watching to much soccer
Now can you name me one antrim player who can win possession in defence  and midfield and make room for himself to get fast low ball into a forward
We don't have a hogan most teams don't so lay it of  to a support player In space before you closed down
I was posting in relation to our forwards on Sunday. To suggest if we got the ball in faster with lower trajectory is going to yeild a better return is  speculating
That's still a 50/50 ball in my book. Is if Jackie tyrrell or paul murphy couldn't cope with that
Imm sick listening to this fast low chest height ball for the foward theory
A good corner back or full back will be out In front winning it anyway
Our forwards got some bad ball on Sunday but they good some good ones to with the same result
I would say if you ask a kilkenny back who they hate marking they say someone like bonner maher because it doesn't matter what way the ball comes in he's a handful
Maybe when Ryan leaves you can pitch for the manages position and we can Play like kilkenny
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http://www.pjwallacecyclesandtrophies.ie/analysis-joe-dooley-hurling-league/
20/30/40 yard passing. Any one of our quick and light forwards can beat a corner back out over that distance with an accurate pass coming their way.  They have no excuse not to, it's drilled in from u10s.  They should be working in training on different runs to make depending on who is coming out with the ball and in what area of the pitch.  Even have the half forwards making dummy runs to hit the space they leave behind.  In my opinion Neal McAuley is one of the best passers we have and tried to hit a different pass into the forwards than the ones they got no joy from. 
Someone stated before that we should be able to shoot from 80/90 yards and take scores.  Some of our midfield have been trying to do that and nearly always ends up with the ball drifting wide/dropping into the keepers hand/useless ball on small forwards.  Anyone who has played full back will tell you they'd be happy with a team dropping balls in all day because all you have to do is break the ball and someone sweeps.
Bonner Maher has a good hand on him yes, he's also got about the highest work rate of any forward ive ever seen and a savage desire to win that dirty ball.  How often does he lay it off with a short handpass to Bubbles/Noel McGrath/Seamus Callinan and they pick off an easy score. Its always when he gets put under pressure and ties up 2/3 defenders. Our forwards don't seem to make the same supporting runs off each other. 

And I couldn't possibly be considered for the County job, I haven't got a brogue and I'm not from one of the big 3! 

[You have to be able to contest and win 50/50 ball at county level or have a unit that can create the space with defenders delivering with pin point Accuracy to where he's running]

He said sorry so let's drop it
mc Fadden wasn't playing on Sunday which was strange
If loughgeil had the best six forwards in the county I would ha e no problem with them starting
LG have been very organised at getting there forward space at club level
When they are going well it was nice to watch
Unfortunately county defenders are quicker thinking and usually have more pace and stronger
Different game all together
Ii think this is why Eddie struggled a bit with the saffron jersey on
You have to be able to contest and win 50/50 ball at county level or have a unit that can create the space with defenders delivering with pin point Accuracy to where he's running
A good corner back will be there before you anyway. You just won't open up defences as easy
The conditions where faster yesterday than v Limerick and in the second half we where behind the play big time
Young Clarke had a good game on hickey two weeks ago, but yesterday's conditions would have been a different story

That is the most out dated statement that keeps being thrown out around these parts.  There isnt a single County team worth their salt that stands by this anymore.  Even Kk have dropped the likes of Tommy Walsh for half backs (Kieran Joyce, Cillian Buckley) and midfielders (Lester Ryan, Richie Hogan) who are better at working the ball out and delivering balls to forwards that have a 70/30 chance of sticking.

Obviously not every single ball can be this and the 50/50 will sometimes be the only option.  Can anyone explain to me why for the last three years we have insisted on working the ball out of the half backs and midfield until we have a little space and then humping a ball with snow on it on top of Clarky/Pj/Conor McCann/Hamill?  Why do we stop working the ball at our own 65?  The forwards fight and try but more often than not the ball is straight back onto our half backs who have to work like hell and eventually run out of steam for the last 10mins.

Final is set for Athletic Grounds in Armagh I think 

Was I was at a different game?
Team photos with the cup for a while on the pitch!
Check the Antrim post this week!
And judging by the game they certainly were in the right championship!
Not sure about that gizzy - I think the intermediate has been the right idea for Rossa to re-build.

Hardly jubilant scenes in the photos. 
On the "judging by the game" comment, did St Galls put in a better performance on Sunday?

I'd nearly go as far as to say the Intermediate Game was a better standard than the Senior one.  At least players could hand pass to their own team mates and take their points! 

Would the very subdued celebrations from the Rossa players at the weekend back up the theory that they shouldn't have been in the Intermediate this year?  Clearly meant nothing to them...will they apply themselves any more now with an All Ireland run on the cards?

Ok, my predictions for the championship semi finals. What do you think?

Senior:
Cushendall V Dunloy - Cushendall by 3
St Galls V Sarsfields - St Galls by 4

Intermediate:
Carey V Rossa - Carey by 2
Armoy V Glenariff - Glenariff by 9

Junior:
Rasharkin V Glenarm - Glenarm by 3
Glenravel V St Agnes - Glenravel by 2

Cushendall by 3
Galls by 6

Rossa by 8
Glenariff by 12

Rasharkin by 20
St Agnes by 1

Anybody else hearing talk of the Derry teams moving into the Antrim leagues for next year?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ohkfTX6dr0Y


Nobody running around after the referee looking the red card anyway.  Would have been a melee up here. 

JJ as far as im concerned theres a bit of the zealot in you. i was trying to highlight how bad the ref was. this rampage your on about preferential treatment. bullshit!!!! the reason we didnt win the c'ship was clear for anyone from the 'dall to see. a simple refusal to work like dogs to get to the top. the hard miles needed during the winter simply werent done. the holiday 3 days b4 c'ship was a summing up of the collective attitude. and by the way in defending big conor  are you just going to airbrush over the fact that he spent 40mins barraging around like a bull in a china shop trying to get himself sent off!!!! only again for mc graths incompetence we would surely have been down to 14 an awful lot sooner. sorry i used to think you were quite a reasonable talker but your fairly recent conversion to communism has left you with no mind of your own. toe the party line like a good little boy, like you have been told to. no room for an opinion of your own in the brave new world!!!

HA!  Excellent

Shams should play in Casement against St Johns, think its only way they can get something positive out of playing that match, ie shooting practice into the goals

Its in Ballycastle on Sat 15th.  Not sure about the Dall/Dunloy one

Saw E.H was doing the line at the KK Tipp match and Herbie was 4th official for the minor game.  Probably a toss up for the final between the two of them

Does it really matter a shite who the county manager is?  At the end of the day we'll be happy if we:
1. Win Ulster
2. Don't get relegated in the league
3. Don't get a tanking in Leinster
4. Don't get a tanking in the qualifiers

If we do any more than this (ie.  winning first game in Leinster/qualifiers)  then it's a successful year. 

All this chat about needing a coach for the hurling side and a manager for the "spin/PR"...catch a grip!  We had one boy make an absolute tube of himself with this "spin/PR" and now we need someone specifically to deal with it?  Surely to god we have men within the county with enough gumption not to say that Brian Corcoran's finished or to ring RTÉ to lose footage.

I think if Dick wants the job it's his.  He's an excellent coach and didn't lose himself in the papers when he left the set up this year.  As for boys not playing for him because he's from Dunloy...they all managed it just fine when he was at Jordanstown.