Antrim Football Thread

[Rasharkin Gael]

Interesting half forward line. This has been the weakest link in the team for a number of years so good to see baker trying some new players in here. Murray is an excellent talent, haven't seen Armstrong but have heard good reports and Marron has been good for m'glass last season do deserves his chance. Fermanagh will be hard to beat with the new impetus the management team has given them and most of their more talented players back.

[Gold]

Interesting team for sunday. C Kelly is very languid on the ball with good hands but will be interesting to see how he fairs at midfield as he's not the tallest. Fermanagh's midfield wouldnt be the bulkiest so he may fair well.

Hope 11 plays well we need an option to support Niblock there.

Glad to see Magill back--when in shape is our best leader of the attack

Half back line is 1st class

#saffronarmy

[4father]

Oh dear, not a good start at all.

[Rasharkin Gael]

Anyone at enniskillen. Can't have been good. I feared for a Fermanagh backlash with their new set up but I thought we would have been more competitive. Still, it's important for baker to give new players a chance to try an unearth some talent so can't criticise .

[imtommygunn]

Read a wee bit on the fermanagh thread on it. Mick McCann sent off and apparently wheels fell off after that. Quigley hit 1-3 in last 15. Sounded like, according to fermanagh thread, he should have been off.

Sounded like McCloskey/ Little ran the show. Two good players who unfortunately we wouldn't have the like of...

[Rasharkin Gael]

Little and quigley are good players, hard to handle when on form. Was going to go to Brewster park this morning but ended up taking kids to albin and the chipmunks 3 ( chip wrecked), complained about it at the time but by that result I think I made a wise move!!

[haranguerer]

Little only came on in the second half - looked lively at times, but certainly didnt run the show. McCloskey was good at centre-half back, but he hadnt much to do on Marron to be honest, and with the ball in hand hes a very good player. Marron is a sublime kicker, but question marks over his workrate and ability to evade a marker, and he didnt show that well yesterday (not on his own in that regard by any means).

Fermanagh had a lot more possession, and should have been further ahead than 3/4 at ht, and the 3/4 they were ahead when M McCann was sent off. Once he went, fermanagh did pull away a bit, but even with that missed plenty too.

Fermanaghs mf was a big unknown, but did well. For Antrim though, Conall Kelly looked comfortable on the ball, scored a great goal, and will be a good addition. Aodhan Gallagher was anonymous, when he would have been expected to be dominant.

Neither antrim corner back was great, R Johnston hadnt a bad game, but Quigley was on fire so hit 1-8, I'd say 1-4 from play(?)

Entire antrim forward line was anonymous for long periods, though magill was an option. He was too isolated though.

[AQMP]

Was at the game.  Pretty shambolic from Antrim.  Great goal from Kelly in Antrim's only good move of the match but apart from that little positive from the game.  Fermanagh were up for the game more and wanted to win it.  The scoreline flatters them a bit as Antrim more or less switched off after the sending off.  Mark Little wasn't on long enough to run the show, sounds like a Fermanagh poster getting his players mixed up!  McCloskey was very comfortable as the extra man and caught the eye after McCann got the line but wouldn't say he ran the show either.  I actually thought Ricky Johnston played Quigley very well and he only got 2 (I think) from play up until Antrim went down to 14.  He should have got the line in ithe fisticuffs, looked like a sly dig at Michael Armstrong while he was on the ground after being fouled.  Fermanagh seem to favour the high tackle under Canavan.

On that performance Fermangh probably will get out of Div 4 and Antrim haven't a sweat of getting out of Div 3.

[Glensman]

Agree with most of the above.

Johnston did rightly getting out in front a couple of times as quite a bit of ball raining down on him/Quigley in first half. One wonders though how he'll do when he is marking a player who can run the length of himself.
Actually thought the corner backs weren't too bad...they were pretty exposed for most of the game and out in front a few times. Though Daly caught slightly for pace on the first goal you'll see in the clip he caught his man, knocked him off the ball but the ball broke for him and he sidefooted it in. Shame...one would have hoped his man was met earlier when he set off.

It was at HB/Midfield/HF that we were exposed.
Loughrey was his usual self up and down and good tackling - save for a couple of dodgy hand to toes which will hopefully be ironed out with more on field training.
Crozier and Scullion were anonymous and their men got on a few good balls. Tony is learning to kick the ball with the inside of the boot, which is good.
Same with Gallagher and Kelly re the anonymity (save for a good finish by Kelly for the goal). Gallagher made a couple of catches but was off the boil, while Kelly has a great engine, is comfortable on the ball itself and should be an asset his passing in to the forward line left a little to be desired - 3/4 going over the endline.
Murray/Cunningham (started at CHF) and Armstrong weren't really at the races. Paddy sits off and tries to pick a pass too much instead of the hard graft (maybe its the soft wet bal of winter but he wasn't getting the distance from play/frees he normally does and a few dropped short...Armstrong looks for the tackle/contact instead of avoiding (always think this is senseless).
Agree re Marron, sweet kicker of the football and good on the ball but drifts in and out.  Colm Duffin largely anonymous but didn't get alot of ball.

Magill was a plus...good on ball, couple of good scores, lay off for the goal. When he trims down a bit with training and if he sticks at it he'll be an asset as a target man as others have said. He wasn't impressed to be taken off and re this specific game I agree with him - but hoping Bradley was just giving game time to others...Magill is very impoortant to us.

Tomas McCann came on and looked lively but had a couple of chances to immediately turn on the ball and go at the last man...he needs to do this more and use his running/speed.
Mick McCann is great player but let himself and his teammates down yesterday...post the fight in which he was booked he gave the refereee no alternative but to send him off. Antrim had been on a roll up to that point and they died from there.

Agree re the high tackles from Fermanagh...don't think anything malicious save for a rugby tackle by McCluskey for which he only got ticked. Reckon it was just start of the year/tired legs stuff.

Alot to work on for Antrim.

[AQMP]

Aye, Magill looked to have taken the quare hump at being subbed!  Understandable as he was Antrim's best forward (not saying much).  Fully fit and committed he could be a big plus for Antrim later in the year.This was my first look at a few of these players.  Michael Armstrong had a few positives, he was always looking for the ball and is a worker as he covered a fair bit of ground and looks to have a bit of potential once he learns that even at McKenna Cup level you don't have the time for the extra solo or hop.  Maybe it's modern football but both sets of players seemed happy to take the ball into the tackle as Plan A which on a day like yesterday led to a lot of spilled ball/lost possession.  Conal Kelly was good with the ball in hand and "looks" like a footballer, if you get my drift.  He got 1-1 in a poor overall team performance, but as you say Glensman some of his passing was a bit off.  None of the rest really stuck out.

[Magicsponge]

Though it's never nice to lose, especially to a Fermanagh team who have been so bad recently, I wouldn't be overly concerned with the result. At this early stage in the season the results don't necessarily give a good indicator of how a team will do. Look at last year, Donegal lost to Tyrone and Fermanagh, only beating Jordanstown and they went on to have a great year. I'm not predicting an All Ireland Semi Final but I definitely think we have what it takes to get out of Division 3.

Also I see CJ seems to have had a good game for UUJ against Donegal

[Rasharkin Gael]

See in the Irish snooze baker has the team training 5 nights a week! Thats a bit rough , if its true, its a long season.

[Magicsponge]

See in the Irish snooze baker has the team training 5 nights a week! Thats a bit rough , if its true, its a long season.

Isn't that the norm at this stage. I'm sure most of the bigger counties probably are doing at 5 or more sessions a week, both Donegal and Dublin are doing the early morning sessions. I think it's a bit excessive, 3 times a week should be enough and let the players do their own stuff on their free days. When the club training starts up again there could be a bit of bother trying to accommodate everyone

[ManInBlackandGreen]

I hear Croke (CC) have washed their hands of the Rasharkin/Antrim/Ulster Council appeal, and referred it back, nothing new there! Now we see who has the courage of their convictions, terrible slight on referee's and there safety going forward, this should be fun. Time for the Referee's committee to do the right thing and give all referee's a voice and deal with their safety at games, as stated couldn't care less about the appeal process and what happens, but no excuse's from the committee now process has taken it's course lets now deal with the real issues, and take responsibility for once!

[AQMP]

See in the Irish snooze baker has the team training 5 nights a week! Thats a bit rough , if its true, its a long season.

Brendan Crossan was at a different game to me!