Antrim Hurling

[Sleeping giant]

There's always begrudgers mate.   On all walks of life.   Ballygalget winning today just doesn't leave us in a semi.   Ulster needs winning. But there's a small bit of hurt after last years semi.  Not wanting to look to far infront.  But we again maybe have something to prove. 

[Milltown Row2]

Loughgiel won without getting out of second gear, there was no fight from Cushendall they hit aimless balls into crowded areas, they had about 4/5 players that didn't hurl at all, too many boys went missing on the biggest day of the year.

Loughgiel were very measured very disciplined and played a great brand of hurling, everyone of their players are well drilled and knew were their players were, all clearances form defence were measured, the defence and midfield linked up well and the space they created was embarrassing.

Winker had a quiet game by his standards but was involved in a lot of scores (creating them) the fielding by Loughgiel was up there with county lads, cross field balls line balls, they mixed it up well.

Terry did a great job also, though in fairness there wasn't much niggling going on so he didn't have to worry about that and the game flowed (for Loughgiel)

So when the win Ulster they could give it another push, they seem better than a couple of years ago.

I got 2 pieces of feedback on the games from and st john's and Rossa - both identical to that!
Is that good or bad for u mr2?!

Well congrats to all shamrocks - I personally think and I don't hear anything different that they might prove to be the best team ever out of Antrim. Is that contentious?!

I also hear their fitness leveled were massive - reading between the lines that would tell me this outfit know more than a county championship has been their aim?!

Toying around with us SiE?
Good luck for another all-Ireland?!

How was the venue?

Good or bad for me?

I just mean urs not often johnnies and Rossa agree let alone agree with u or galls!
Maybe that says something about loughgiel dominance!

what does it say?   Any team run down wants to drive on,  special day in our club.  Won't always be days like today.  But I wanna honestly say I feel Cdalls pain.   We've had many a hard day.

Yeah but I don't know anyone who's run them down for their ability these last few years, great team. Bench mark for the rest and up to everyone else to raise it. Been saying it for years, people have thought the same of our club to in the football but it's up to the rest to get up to that standard, once they do we'll have a better county football and hurling team, I firmly believe that.

Well done by the way, I've a Dall man as good friend he'll be are smarting over this

Oh as for the best Antrim club team ever, very hard to claim this title yes they have won 4 in a row yes they have won the All Ireland club but there have been some cracking teams, Ballcastle team of the 80's was a cracker your own team in those years, the Dunloy team was also special as was the Dall team of a few years ago. Go back again further and you had the great Rossa team. Enjoy it while it last

[Sleeping giant]

Cheers MR2.  I no more than anyone it won't last forever.    Other than the odd outburst.   I've tried to be gracious in winning.  It's along road.   Those you pass on the way up you pass on your way down.   But I hope we've a year or 2 left in us.   Us being a very over the hill team 

[johnneycool]

There's always begrudgers mate.   On all walks of life.   Ballygalget winning today just doesn't leave us in a semi.   Ulster needs winning. But there's a small bit of hurt after last years semi.  Not wanting to look to far infront.  But we again maybe have something to prove.

Whilst we won handily enough today after a bad start we're a good few steps down from the standard Loughgeil are at. Can't see us trouble Loughgeil, but hope the young lads on the team learn a valuable lesson on where they're at and the gulf in speed of hurling, stickwork etc may stand to them in later years.

Will the Ulster council revert to a 'home and away' arrangement for Ulster club fixtures in the absence of Casement?

[Hirty Darry]

I'm gona upset the trend here and back the dall to win by 3 points.

They have a lot of good young players in their ranks, plus they are hungry to win it this year. I seem that from them on sat past. The youth they have brought in has strengthen them and with that good minor team working its way up it bodes well for them.

Lgiel are still damn good but age is the thing that's catching them up. Too many on the wrong side of 30. Do they have the same drive to win it again? Maybe but is it the same as cushendalls? I don't think it.

I do think lgiel are a good team, great players amongst them like Eddie, liam and shay who can win games on their own. I just feel that theirs a change in the guard coming.......

I was of this opinion as well DR until I watched their performance on Sunday .... I was only basing my opinion on the results and hadn't seen them in action until Sunday.  It would appear their experience over the last number of years has given them a guideline as to when and how they should increase their intensity.  They also have a wealth of strength in depth as proven on Sunday .... I should have done my homework before lumping on Cushendall!   

Starting to worry about my Cushendall prediction now to be honest.

I see it going one of two ways ....

Cushendall narrowly or a landslide victory by Loughgiel (they have never had one in a Final recently and if they click it could well happen this year)

Hardstation/SIE

See my above post prior to the final.  I admitted I was worried about my Cushendall prediction after seeing Loughgiel's performance in the semi-final, they did click and it was a landslide victory as I said

Watson, even though he didn't score much, was majestic and instrumental in everything Loughgiel done up front.

Love him or hate him, he showed another side to his game yesterday - he may still be immature off the field - but on the field his touch, vision and reading of the game is second to none.

Thought Graffin tried hard for Cushendall ... if only they had a few more with his attitude and determination.

The wee McFadden lad in midfield for LG has some engine covered a lot of ground as he did in the semi.

Also thought big Scullion followed up an excellent Semi-Final with another fine display in the Final.

[jftj]

Easily Antrim's best team,surely the doubters and 'aye buts' will have to admit the truth at last. They were never even out of second gear today, they won at a canter.

personally i think lougheil would have to win another all ireland in my eyes to overtake the great dunloyside.now iknow dunloy never won that elusive all ireland but they beat a lot of great sides and with a little bit of luck could have won a couple.this lougheil side could be just peaking right now and will be hard to stop this year.

[Hirty Darry]

Easily Antrim's best team,surely the doubters and 'aye buts' will have to admit the truth at last. They were never even out of second gear today, they won at a canter.

personally i think lougheil would have to win another all ireland in my eyes to overtake the great dunloyside.now iknow dunloy never won that elusive all ireland but they beat a lot of great sides and with a little bit of luck could have won a couple.this lougheil side could be just peaking right now and will be hard to stop this year.

Paddy Power seem to think they can do it. Establised as favourites now for the club All-Ireland after yesterdays performance....

[Minder]

Easily Antrim's best team,surely the doubters and 'aye buts' will have to admit the truth at last. They were never even out of second gear today, they won at a canter.

personally i think lougheil would have to win another all ireland in my eyes to overtake the great dunloyside.now iknow dunloy never won that elusive all ireland but they beat a lot of great sides and with a little bit of luck could have won a couple.this lougheil side could be just peaking right now and will be hard to stop this year.

Paddy Power seem to think they can do it. Establised as favourites now for the club All-Ireland after yesterdays performance....

I would say it's because they are one of the few to have completed their championship and have a perceived cakewalk in Ulster.

[johnneycool]

Easily Antrim's best team,surely the doubters and 'aye buts' will have to admit the truth at last. They were never even out of second gear today, they won at a canter.

personally i think lougheil would have to win another all ireland in my eyes to overtake the great dunloyside.now iknow dunloy never won that elusive all ireland but they beat a lot of great sides and with a little bit of luck could have won a couple.this lougheil side could be just peaking right now and will be hard to stop this year.

Paddy Power seem to think they can do it. Establised as favourites now for the club All-Ireland after yesterdays performance....

Probably based on their easy ride to the AI semi-final stage, we'll be lucky to keep the ball pucked out to them.

Expect those odds to lengthen when the other three semi-finalists are known.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Called it wrong. I thought the dall would have done better but they never turned up. Lgiel didn't get out of second gear, much better team and totally deserved to win. 

[johnneycool]

That wee run out against Kilmacud Crokes a few weeks back must have done Loughgeil the power of good.

[theskull1]

All in all it was just another brick in the wall ....eh SIE? 

[Seamroga in exile]

 

All in all it was just another brick in the wall ....eh SIE? 

I was feeling comfortably numb last night to be fair.   

[BlackandAmber]

St Galls by 24pts
Cloughmills by 15pts
Ballycastle by 13pts
Cushendall by 11pts

maybe some chance that Dunloy might have fared better given the rivalry but I doubt it.

Loughgiel put the rest in their place and did it pretty easy too.  Congratulations to them.

Is there any club that can look at them selves and say next year or the one after we'll compete with them? Again I doubt it.
They've shown that they are a long way ahead of the rest of Antrim. It would take a big improvement or a Loughgeil collapse fo anybody else to win.

What odds 6 in a row?

[NAG1]

St Galls by 24pts
Cloughmills by 15pts
Ballycastle by 13pts
Cushendall by 11pts

maybe some chance that Dunloy might have fared better given the rivalry but I doubt it.

Loughgiel put the rest in their place and did it pretty easy too.  Congratulations to them.

Is there any club that can look at them selves and say next year or the one after we'll compete with them? Again I doubt it.
They've shown that they are a long way ahead of the rest of Antrim. It would take a big improvement or a Loughgeil collapse fo anybody else to win.

What odds 6 in a row?

Its a strange one B&A, Dunloy could and should have beaten LG in the final last year and didnt and LG bounce back this year to win it even more comfortably. If they had lost that one who knows what would have happened this year.

Fact is they won it and won this year at a canter.

All the chat around Ballycastle and St Johns are they any closer to competing than they were this time last year?
Will they be any better next year?