Latest Scores

[Canalman]

Well done KC. Played the 2nd half with the old fashioned Dublin grit I was afraid had been lost forever to the County. How the KC management still play McBarron absolutely baffles me......it imo will cost them in the future if they continue with him. Way better home grown players available.

As for the big decisions, I think that the 1st goal was dodgyl and the 2nd one legit. In defence of the officials it is hard to penalize when the goalies don't play the ball which imo was the case today.As for the sending off while I think it was harsh there can be no real quibbling about it given that it came about 2 mins after a similiar "high challenge" by Crokes.
Ross O'Carroll was immense when needed as was Darren McGee.
Before Rhode start complaining about the referee they should look at their own wides and their keeper who had a 'mare.

16 0f the 19 KC players used today  were Dubs and there will be 1 less blow in on the team come the semi final vs Corofin/Tír Chonail Gaels.
Rhode imo did a little bit too much rolling around on the ground, which was very surprising for an Offaly team who are traditionally a good hard sporting football county.

[Canalman]

Sorry, forgot to congratulate the Limerick champs on winning the Munster championship.(am relying on the word of a previous poster)
Saw highlights of Kilmurray Ibrickanes win in the semi on TG4 last week and the conditions were unreal with a storm blowing down the pitch. Their pitch is less than a mile from the atlantic. No joke, the high kick outs were being blown back over the 21 hard line....never seen the like of it before.

[Bord na Mona man]

Rhode really blew this one.

Sadly though, I felt that even being 5 or 6 points up, a Crokes goal would have knocked the stuffing out of them.
Rhode are a fine team, but over the years they haven't always coped with pressure finishes.
A few players wilted, when Rhode couldn't buy a score in the second half.

They got off to a flyer, Niall Mc was taking Paul Griffin to the cleaners as he has done on previous occasions. Anytime Rhode got inside the Crokes 45 they looked like scoring. Also Anton Sullivan at only 17 years of age was looking lively in attack.

Kilmacud looked sluggish as Rhode's fast running game caused them problems.
Early on Crokes committed a few drag backs by the neck and head high tackles on Rhode players running past. I was surprised at the red card (Westmeath ref and all that), but felt it was eventually going to happen as Crokes were skating on thin ice with the high challenges. In the end it was probably no use to Rhode, the ref gave a good few calls to Crokes for a long time after that and only started to give a few charity frees to Rhode towards the end when they were a beaten docket.

Just before half time, when Padraig Sullivan shot over the bar when there was a goal on, you almost got the feeling that it was going to come back and haunt them.

Rhode's high tempo game was not sustainable for the entire game. Not in December on a heavy pitch against Crokes side with a considerable size advantage and star quality also. Rhode expended a lot of energy in the first half. They tended to use a lot of short, sideways passes to get out of their own half.
They took a of high risk option which work early on when you are sharp, but cost you later on when fatigue sets in and you have less support players to bail you out.

Unfortunately I felt they were a beaten team as soon as the first goal went in. Kilmacud had time and momentum on their side. Crokes had also switched Ross O'Carroll onto Niall McNamee to help stem the haemorrhaging at the back.

Rhode mirrored the Offaly senior team in that they seemed incapable of wrestling back a game once the worm turns against them. They had plenty of chances to draw level as Crokes never pulled after the second goal. Setbacks like the lucky goals seem to deflate Offaly teams.

It's hard to know how good Crokes are. They had an element of good fortune to get out of Dublin too. So either their name is on the cup, or they'll run out of luck.
On the few occasions when they did actually put together purposeful moves, they looked useful. However unless they managed to put together a more sustained 60 minutes, they'll be pipped by a more ruthless side than Rhode.

In the stand we also got treated to a live Ross O'Carroll-Kelly show in the stand. I mean towtally!
It was the "Croowkes goys" against "those mockers". Dort-speak at GAA matches is as odd as brown turf on Pullagh bog. To top it all, some middle aged, upper class, Cruella De Ville type bag in a fur coat, sitting behind me decided to whip me around the head with her gloves when the Crokes goal went in. I suppose clapping for those bogtrotters earlier on just wasn't cricket.

You'd have to question the wisdom of spreading the GAA to posh parts of Dublin.
Maybe it was a blessing that the GAA were barred from rugby schools for so long. 

[Jinxy]

In the stand we also got treated to a live Ross O'Carroll-Kelly show in the stand. I mean towtally!
It was the "Croowkes goys" against "those mockers". Dort-speak at GAA matches is as odd as brown turf on Pullagh bog. To top it all, some middle aged, upper class, Cruella De Ville type bag in a fur coat, sitting behind me decided to whip me around the head with her gloves when the Crokes goal went in. I suppose clapping for those bogtrotters earlier on just wasn't cricket.

You'd have to question the wisdom of spreading the GAA to posh parts of Dublin.
Maybe it was a blessing that the GAA were barred from rugby schools for so long. 

You were lucky you didn't get a belt of a riding crop about your lughole for such impudence!

[Maguire01]

Only caught the second half of teh Leinster final. Thought the standard was pretty poor.

Rhode's kicking was brutal towards the end - they had plenty of chances to wrap it up.

[orangeman]

Well done KC. Played the 2nd half with the old fashioned Dublin grit I was afraid had been lost forever to the County. How the KC management still play McBarron absolutely baffles me......it imo will cost them in the future if they continue with him. Way better home grown players available.

As for the big decisions, I think that the 1st goal was dodgyl and the 2nd one legit. In defence of the officials it is hard to penalize when the goalies don't play the ball which imo was the case today.As for the sending off while I think it was harsh there can be no real quibbling about it given that it came about 2 mins after a similiar "high challenge" by Crokes.
Ross O'Carroll was immense when needed as was Darren McGee.
Before Rhode start complaining about the referee they should look at their own wides and their keeper who had a 'mare.

16 0f the 19 KC players used today  were Dubs and there will be 1 less blow in on the team come the semi final vs Corofin/Tír Chonail Gaels.
Rhode imo did a little bit too much rolling around on the ground, which was very surprising for an Offaly team who are traditionally a good hard sporting football county.

You like the foriegners then ? 

[under the bar]

Rhode's keeper should be charged with cowardice for the 2nd goal.  Unbelievable

[orangeman]

Rhode's keeper should be charged with cowardice for the 2nd goal.  Unbelievable

It was horrendous alright. But still felt sorry for him. He must feel awful poor chap. Goalie is not a nice place to be when the shit hits the fan.

[Canalman]

Orangeman, have no problems with talented outsiders playing with clubs in Dublin but I have a big problem with overrated country players taking the place of a more talented young local  prospect. Our own club learnt this to our cost (especially the hurlers). Imo an absolutely poisonous message to send out to your underage players.

I see in the papers that Rhode were talking about playing "The United Nations" today and no doubt they revelled in the psychology of this.When the real KC team is picked there will be 13 local lads on it but it will still have the" United Nation "tag I'm afraid.

By the way don't write off Tír Chonail Gaels, have a mate in London who knows one of their players and by all accounts they fancy themselves against Corofin.

Looks like Xmaglen in the AIF.

[Declan]

Fair play to Crokes but Rhode kicked it away. Thought O'Sullivan's sending off was harsh as from where I was standing it look liked the Rhode lad slipped a bit which made the tackle look worse but haven't seen it on TV. McNamee was excellent in the first half but bottled it late on even running away from a free and letting a half back take it - not what I'd have expected but pressure does funny things to lads. Rhode keep definitely had one eye on the forward for the second goal but to score only one point in the second half against 14 men was criminal stuff. Griffin was excellent in the second half but he is no corner back. O'Carroll did well but his brother was the difference in the Crokes back line when he came on. Darren Magee caught a few great balls as well in the second half and Kavanagh got through and amount of work. I've seen Crokes 3 times this year and thought they should have lost all 3 games but they keep finding a way to win games - not a bad trait for a team to have.  One final point - Thought a few of the Rhode lads were watching too much premiership stuff they way they went down grasping their faces but as one of the culprits was only a young lad - no.17 - I'll give him the benefit of having time to grow up.Didn't come across any D4 types on the cheap side of the ground though only decent club men and women!!!!

[Hardy]

Sadly, the face-clutching and dramatic rolling is what we can expect from the generation reared on Sky soccer.

Unless we decide to do something about it. When are we going to do that?

[orangeman]

Sadly, the face-clutching and dramatic rolling is what we can expect from the generation reared on Sky soccer.

Unless we decide to do something about it. When are we going to do that?

[/b]


I couldn't agree with you more - it's now time to act against this type of behaviour. We all hate it but refs do nothing about it - if they were sent off immediately for it, it would soon stop.

[mattockranger]

that would be a very harsh sending off!!

very hard to curb the trend
it stems from when players are applauded by management for taking a dive and slowing the game down
tying laces, feigning injury when the opposition are having their dominant period to stall their momentum and give an unfair advantage.

another point Brian kavangh was the main culprit for this diving also, one dive in the first half after he got blocked was disgraceful!

[brokencrossbar1]

Jeez some of you lads are unreal.  You are talking about Cross and The Crokes playing in an AI final, before Cross have even had a chance to play the replay!!!!  Please everyone note that it s not anyone from Cross posting this tripe.  Very disrespectful indeed to Ballinderry, Corofin, Tir Chonnail Gaels(who will give Corofin one hell of a game) and Drumcollogher.  I hope to God that we do have the chance to make it to Croke Park, but let's finish off the outstanding games before even looking there.
Well done to Crokes yesterday, they are a fine side and will give any team in the competition their fill of it.  The have a number of tasty forwards and are solid defensively, with a strong middle sector.  They would have to be favourites for the competition now no matter who comes through, given they came through a strong Dublin championship and won the Leinster  Final when their backs were to the wall.  This showed a great amount of character.

[tonesfirstandlast]

Jeez some of you lads are unreal.  You are talking about Cross and The Crokes playing in an AI final, before Cross have even had a chance to play the replay!!!!  Please everyone note that it s not anyone from Cross posting this tripe.  Very disrespectful indeed to Ballinderry, Corofin, Tir Chonnail Gaels(who will give Corofin one hell of a game) and Drumcollogher.  I hope to God that we do have the chance to make it to Croke Park, but let's finish off the outstanding games before even looking there.
Well done to Crokes yesterday, they are a fine side and will give any team in the competition their fill of it.  The have a number of tasty forwards and are solid defensively, with a strong middle sector.  They would have to be favourites for the competition now no matter who comes through, given they came through a strong Dublin championship and won the Leinster  Final when their backs were to the wall.  This showed a great amount of character.

It's Crossmaglen's to lose  a nd well you know it. As Donal and McKenna have been saying, the replay with ballinderry will be wee buns and none of those other teams are in your class, you are just a machine.