Antrim Hurling

[imtommygunn]

It's hard to understand what goes on with it. It honestly feels like a university marketing project rather than the pro of a county.

Anyway I don't like complaining about volunteers but would be nice to see better.

Two weeks to o'loughlin gaels. Definitely a better fixture than ballyhale anyway. Hopefully winnable. McManus vs huw lawlor a big one. Mike's butler and paddy deegan in there too.

[Milltown Row2]

It's hard to understand what goes on with it. It honestly feels like a university marketing project rather than the pro of a county.

Anyway I don't like complaining about volunteers but would be nice to see better.

Two weeks to o'loughlin gaels. Definitely a better fixture than ballyhale anyway. Hopefully winnable. McManus vs huw lawlor a big one. Mike's butler and paddy deegan in there too.

Those three players were stand out performers today, the speedy corner forward takes players on every opportunity..

Gaels are beatable..

[SaffronSports]

I thought the post from the PRO was quite funny, to be honest. You could probably see 100 posts like that any weekend across all sports.

McKaigue was right in Neil's face then got completely skinned a minute or two later so I thought it was decent banter. Said as much to the SV lads but they hid my post and unfollowed me.

[Tony Baloney]

I thought the post from the PRO was quite funny, to be honest. You could probably see 100 posts like that any weekend across all sports.

McKaigue was right in Neil's face then got completely skinned a minute or two later so I thought it was decent banter. Said as much to the SV lads but they hid my post and unfollowed me.

He tends to have a lot to say to his opposite number. Remember him at the same craic against Dunloy last year.

McShane said in an interview he was ready for the road after the Dunloy match. I think this team has reached their pinnacle and on the downward slope so who knows what he'll do but I can't imagine tje annual canter through the Derry c'ship will keep him interested for much longer.

[imtommygunn]

I thought the post from the PRO was quite funny, to be honest. You could probably see 100 posts like that any weekend across all sports.

McKaigue was right in Neil's face then got completely skinned a minute or two later so I thought it was decent banter. Said as much to the SV lads but they hid my post and unfollowed me.

I wouldn' lose any sleep over that.

Yeah O'Loughlin Gaels are as beatable as you'd get for a KK team. It's obviously a very tough game but I think there's a chance.

[NAG1]

Post edited to delete withdrawn post.

I thought the post from the PRO was quite funny, to be honest. You could probably see 100 posts like that any weekend across all sports.

McKaigue was right in Neil's face then got completely skinned a minute or two later so I thought it was decent banter. Said as much to the SV lads but they hid my post and unfollowed me.

I thought the post from the PRO was quite funny, to be honest. You could probably see 100 posts like that any weekend across all sports.

McKaigue was right in Neil's face then got completely skinned a minute or two later so I thought it was decent banter. Said as much to the SV lads but they hid my post and unfollowed me.

[/quote]

SV have no legs to stand on to be commenting on this with some of the stuff they have come out with.

This is a volunteer doing a difficult job. The commitment alone to get to the games is massive let alone the rest of the time required for the role.

Sean Kelly was recognised as probably the best in the business during his tenure, so there was always going to be a difference when he left the role. 

As for the game itself, SN looked completely off the pace, touch non existent and tactics more than questionable. As has been said above some stand out performances on the other side.
Feels like a changing of the guard in Derry for sure, if any of the other teams can get up a level.

[Milltown Row2]

I'm not using twitter so get less offended.. What was the post about?

[johnnycool]

Post edited to delete withdrawn post.

I thought the post from the PRO was quite funny, to be honest. You could probably see 100 posts like that any weekend across all sports.

McKaigue was right in Neil's face then got completely skinned a minute or two later so I thought it was decent banter. Said as much to the SV lads but they hid my post and unfollowed me.

I thought the post from the PRO was quite funny, to be honest. You could probably see 100 posts like that any weekend across all sports.

McKaigue was right in Neil's face then got completely skinned a minute or two later so I thought it was decent banter. Said as much to the SV lads but they hid my post and unfollowed me.

SV have no legs to stand on to be commenting on this with some of the stuff they have come out with.

This is a volunteer doing a difficult job. The commitment alone to get to the games is massive let alone the rest of the time required for the role.

Sean Kelly was recognised as probably the best in the business during his tenure, so there was always going to be a difference when he left the role. 

As for the game itself, SN looked completely off the pace, touch non existent and tactics more than questionable. As has been said above some stand out performances on the other side.
Feels like a changing of the guard in Derry for sure, if any of the other teams can get up a level.
[/quote]

SN cantered through the Derry championship, hard to see them losing that particular crown for a while but they'd have been disappointed in the performance yesterday.

They went nip and tuck last year with Dunloy and like yesterday their touch let them down at key moments and TBH I could see why they lumped high ball in on top of the Cushendall defence as they coughed up scores when Portaferry did it, Dall learned their lessons though, the making of a smart team is learning and changing.
Maybe they weren't taking SN for granted and knew they had to step up and duly did.

One thing of note and you Antrim lads won't agree with me but McManus is the best protected forward in the province, he gets frees no other forward gets and McKaigue has probably pulled and dragged like that at lads, hurling and football for years and never got pulled on it like he was yesterday. Clarke is right, they are fouls all day long and I'd like it eradicated from the game as it's lazy defending but give all forwards the same protections.

As for putting McManus on Lawlor, I'd do everything but, Lawlor is by far the best out and out defender in Ireland and I'd put a sacrificial lamb in on him, try to make him stand on the edge of the six yard area and take him out of the game and pick off my points further out.
In saying that they've also got Mikey Butler and Deegan to tie up most attacking threats and this is where the rest of the Cushendall lads who stepped up yesterday will need to do the same again.

[Milltown Row2]

O'LG's have a knack this year in getting over the line, just.

Na Fianna missed the boat on that one on Sat afternoon, their misses were very scoreable, its an area that Cushendall should be better, they have experience also at this level

Mikey Butler and Deegan will be the winning of this game for Gaels, if Cushendall break even with them they have a chance

[imtommygunn]

I would agree on the Lawlor thing JC. I think they should put someone like Sean McAfee on him (who didn't start yesterday) as he would give it to him physically at least.

Your McManus point is an interesting one. You could possibly be right. I felt McLaughlin for example had to work harder for his frees (if he got any). His hurl was being held a lot yet McManus maybe got softer ones though tbh I felt most of them were probably merited.

[saffman]

Regards lawlor & O'L

Its not cushendalls decision who lawlor picks up.

If they want Lawlor marking McManus then he will, in the KK county final lawlor played much of his game around the middle as he picked up cody. Despite fennelly being edge of the square.

O'L have 3 of the best defenders in the game and will decide how they want to matchup.

Regards McManus he was absolute quality as always however glad to see others noticing how easy he gets it off referees. Any contact and refs are quick to give him a free for his theatrics, antrim refs are even more susceptible to him than yesterday.

[Oso]

Regards lawlor & O'L

Its not cushendalls decision who lawlor picks up.

If they want Lawlor marking McManus then he will, in the KK county final lawlor played much of his game around the middle as he picked up cody. Despite fennelly being edge of the square.

O'L have 3 of the best defenders in the game and will decide how they want to matchup.

Regards McManus he was absolute quality as always however glad to see others noticing how easy he gets it off referees. Any contact and refs are quick to give him a free for his theatrics, antrim refs are even more susceptible to him than yesterday.

I agree with this. Lawlor is good enough and athletic enough to play anywhere, so don't assume he'll be on the edge of the square. I do think Cushendall will need to focus on hitting more scores from further out around their half forward like. Ultimately that's what let Na finna down, they couldn't take those scores.

The one big thing going for Cushendall is that Oloughlin gaels dont have the same goal threat as Ballyhale always had.

[NAG1]

O'L are definitely no Ballyhale but they do have their own strengths.

Middle 3rd (as pretty much always) will be the winning of this game.

Na Fianna watched Deegan stroll up through the middle time and time again without a glove on him.

Would not expect this to be the case in the Semi-Final.

[saffman]

I think your getting mixed up in who the PRO is..

I don't believe Sean runs the Antrim Social media pages anymore and hasn't done for a number of years (happy to be proven wrong)

I know Sean done an excellent job and if anything was a credit to have run our social media (Yes I'm a fan i know) however the posts which are attracting negative coverage I believe is the new PRO

[imtommygunn]

Not the new pro any more. A few years in it I think. Btw that post above is as low a post as I have seen and tbh would be better removed.

Now can we move on... cushendall to beat olg... anyone?