Connacht minor football championship 2014

[ross4life]

Quarter final

June 21st Sligo v Galway - Markievicz Park

Semi finals

June 28th Roscommon v Leitrim - Hyde park
June 28th Sligo/Galway v Mayo - Pearse stadium/Markievicz Park

Final

July 13th  -----------  v -------------  -  Pearse stadium/MacHale Park

9 days from the start of this championship no real expectations with our crop this year only 4 starters left from last year our U-16 teams in 2012,13 were less than great and at schools levels it was one of our worst years however with the same management team as last year you never know.

Galway current favourites for the Connacht title. Were very close to winning back to back Connacht minor league titles. They have the pick of the two Galway sides that reached Ted Webb final two years ago and sure to have a few from the Mountbellew school team that won a Connacht title.

Sligo good at schools level again this year St. Attractas reached the Connacht final beating    
St. Jarlaths along the way and Summerhill just missed out on the final. Sligo pushed us and Mayo all the way at minor level the last two years.

Mayo don't seem to be at the level of last year only one win in the minor league (against us) but their school team St. Geralds won back to back Connacht titles and one of their teams won the Ted Web cup last year.

Leitrim won the minor league this spring beating Galway,Mayo,Sligo and ourselves along the way their U-16s teams were fairly handy the last two years. Its the best Leitrim minor team since the early 90s and the least of their expectations will be beating us in the semi final.

The Connacht finalists will play Ulster opposition in the All Ireland quarter finals.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Given the draw and venues you would nearly expect a repeat of the league final between Galway and Leitrim but I think there's a decent chance that at least one of them will slip up somewhere.

Galway looked a level above everyone else in Connacht during the league until they played Leitrim in the last game and blew a 6 point lead to lose by a point. Galway did miss a clatter of goal chances in that game alright.

[Syferus]

Ssssh. We'll see how good Leitrim are when heat's on. Winning the minor league didn't do Galway any favours last year and I wouldn't be as quick as some to write off our U16s form in the last two years.

Fantastic opportunity to have Leitrim rolling up at the Hyde as favourites.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Ssssh. We'll see how good Leitrim are when heat's on. Winning the minor league didn't do Galway any favours last year

In fairness they lost after extra-time to the eventual All-Ireland champions. Had they won that game they could well have gone all the way themselves. That was a good side.

[Farrandeelin]

That was the making of Mayo last year GBB. I was raging with myself that I didn't go to the game itself. Anyway, Mayo minors are no where near as good as they were last year. I don't know much about Sligo, but Galway will probably reach the Connacht final this year if they beat them on Saturday.

[Syferus]

Ssssh. We'll see how good Leitrim are when heat's on. Winning the minor league didn't do Galway any favours last year

In fairness they lost after extra-time to the eventual All-Ireland champions. Had they won that game they could well have gone all the way themselves. That was a good side.

They also conceded five goals, even to that Mayo FF line that was a big red flag. We had our own goal troubles last year too. We got a handle on it eventually but unless Galway did too they weren't going near the AI.

Connacht football is at a good level and the three unfancied teams have live chances of upending the odds.

Shehroz Akram is the Rossie in Rhubarb colours to keep an eye on this year.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Ssssh. We'll see how good Leitrim are when heat's on. Winning the minor league didn't do Galway any favours last year

In fairness they lost after extra-time to the eventual All-Ireland champions. Had they won that game they could well have gone all the way themselves. That was a good side.

They also conceded five goals, even to that Mayo FF line that was a big red flag. We had our own goal troubles last year too. We got a handle on it eventually but unless Galway did too they weren't going near the AI.

They conceded some awful soft goals from high balls against Mayo but it shows you good they were that they were still in that game all the way through despite the goals they let in. They would definitely have been contenders had they got a second chance and maybe an opportunity to rejig a few things.

[sligoman2]

I haven't heard much from the Sligo camp.  Is tommy brehony the manager?

We beat Mayo in the league but got hammered in the other games.  Hoping we put up a good show against Galway next week

[Mano]

Sligo good at schools level again this year St. Attractas reached the Connacht final beating    
St. Jarlaths along the way and Summerhill just missed out on the final.

Wouldn't read too much into this. The Sligo minor team will be almost entirely an amalgation of the 2 school teams mentioned with nothing much coming from the West or East of the county.

[Rossfan]

Looks like a short sharp one game season for us this year
Ah well ........

[ross4life]

Sligo team and subs

1   Daniel Cafferky    (Bunninadden)
2   Aaron Clerkin   (St.John's)
3   Conor Heraghty   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
4   Liam Henry   (St.Mary's)
5   Conor Watters   (St.Molaise Gaels)
6   Gerard O'Kelly Lynch   (St.Mary's)
7   Cian Gilmartin   (Tubbercurry)
8   Paul McNamara   (St.John's)
9   Darragh Cummins   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
10   Stephen Connolly   Coolaney/Mullinabreena
11   Kyle Cawley   (St.Mary's(
12   Niall O'Dowd   (Coolaney/Mullinabreena)
13   Jason Perry   (Tubbercurry)
14   Nathan Rooney   (St.Mary's)
15   Gerard Brady   (St.Molaise Gaels)


16   Conor McGovern   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
17   Eddie McGuinness   (Tubbercurry)
18   Mark O'Dowd   (Enniscrone/Kilglass)
19   Paul Kilcoyne   (St.Mary's)
20   Finnian Cawley    (St.Farnan's)
21   Dylan Kilgallon   (St.Mary's)
22   Darragh O'Brien   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
23   Darragh Kilcoyne   (Tubbercurry)
24   Cian Lally   (Drumcliffe/Rosses Point)


Galway team

1 Ronán Ó Beoláin(Ml Breathnach)
2 Ruairi Greene(Killanin)
3 Seán Andy Kelly(Leitir Mór)
4 John Donnellan(Tuam Stars)
5 Aidan Claffey(Moycullen)
6 Colin Brady(Corofin)
7 Kieran Molloy(Corofin)
8 Micheal Daly(Mountbellew/Moylough)
9 Niall Daly(Kilconly)
10 Matthew Reddington(Dunmore MacHales)
11 Colm Mannion(Mountbellew/Moylough)
12 Dylan Wall(Cofofin)
13 Eoin Finnerty(Mountbellew/Moylough)
14 Peter Cooke(Moycullen)
15 Paul Mannion(Kilconly)

[Mano]

Sligo team and subs

1   Daniel Cafferky    (Bunninadden)
2   Aaron Clerkin   (St.John's)
3   Conor Heraghty   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
4   Liam Henry   (St.Mary's)
5   Conor Watters   (St.Molaise Gaels)
6   Gerard O'Kelly Lynch   (St.Mary's)
7   Cian Gilmartin   (Tubbercurry)
8   Paul McNamara   (St.John's)
9   Darragh Cummins   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
10   Stephen Connolly   Coolaney/Mullinabreena
11   Kyle Cawley   (St.Mary's(
12   Niall O'Dowd   (Coolaney/Mullinabreena)
13   Jason Perry   (Tubbercurry)
14   Nathan Rooney   (St.Mary's)
15   Gerard Brady   (St.Molaise Gaels)


16   Conor McGovern   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
17   Eddie McGuinness   (Tubbercurry)
18   Mark O'Dowd   (Enniscrone/Kilglass)
19   Paul Kilcoyne   (St.Mary's)
20   Finnian Cawley    (St.Farnan's)
21   Dylan Kilgallon   (St.Mary's)
22   Darragh O'Brien   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
23   Darragh Kilcoyne   (Tubbercurry)
24   Cian Lally   (Drumcliffe/Rosses Point)


Galway team

1 Ronán Ó Beoláin(Ml Breathnach)
2 Ruairi Greene(Killanin)
3 Seán Andy Kelly(Leitir Mór)
4 John Donnellan(Tuam Stars)
5 Aidan Claffey(Moycullen)
6 Colin Brady(Corofin)
7 Kieran Molloy(Corofin)
8 Micheal Daly(Mountbellew/Moylough)
9 Niall Daly(Kilconly)
10 Matthew Reddington(Dunmore MacHales)
11 Colm Mannion(Mountbellew/Moylough)
12 Dylan Wall(Cofofin)
13 Eoin Finnerty(Mountbellew/Moylough)
14 Peter Cooke(Moycullen)
15 Paul Mannion(Kilconly)

As predicted only 1 player out if the 24 from the east and west division's of the county. Disgraceful. We are essentially picking from half the county at underage level. Eastern Harps again not represented, shamrock gaels another big amalgamated club who specialize in infighting with no representation.

[ross4life]

Half time Sligo 0-3 Galway 1-8

[galwayman]

FT Galway 1-13 Sligo 1-7.

Galway v Mayo next Saturday in Connacht semi final

[Syferus]

Sligo team and subs

1   Daniel Cafferky    (Bunninadden)
2   Aaron Clerkin   (St.John's)
3   Conor Heraghty   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
4   Liam Henry   (St.Mary's)
5   Conor Watters   (St.Molaise Gaels)
6   Gerard O'Kelly Lynch   (St.Mary's)
7   Cian Gilmartin   (Tubbercurry)
8   Paul McNamara   (St.John's)
9   Darragh Cummins   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
10   Stephen Connolly   Coolaney/Mullinabreena
11   Kyle Cawley   (St.Mary's(
12   Niall O'Dowd   (Coolaney/Mullinabreena)
13   Jason Perry   (Tubbercurry)
14   Nathan Rooney   (St.Mary's)
15   Gerard Brady   (St.Molaise Gaels)


16   Conor McGovern   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
17   Eddie McGuinness   (Tubbercurry)
18   Mark O'Dowd   (Enniscrone/Kilglass)
19   Paul Kilcoyne   (St.Mary's)
20   Finnian Cawley    (St.Farnan's)
21   Dylan Kilgallon   (St.Mary's)
22   Darragh O'Brien   (Calry/St.Joseph's)
23   Darragh Kilcoyne   (Tubbercurry)
24   Cian Lally   (Drumcliffe/Rosses Point)


Galway team

1 Ronán Ó Beoláin(Ml Breathnach)
2 Ruairi Greene(Killanin)
3 Seán Andy Kelly(Leitir Mór)
4 John Donnellan(Tuam Stars)
5 Aidan Claffey(Moycullen)
6 Colin Brady(Corofin)
7 Kieran Molloy(Corofin)
8 Micheal Daly(Mountbellew/Moylough)
9 Niall Daly(Kilconly)
10 Matthew Reddington(Dunmore MacHales)
11 Colm Mannion(Mountbellew/Moylough)
12 Dylan Wall(Cofofin)
13 Eoin Finnerty(Mountbellew/Moylough)
14 Peter Cooke(Moycullen)
15 Paul Mannion(Kilconly)

As predicted only 1 player out if the 24 from the east and west division's of the county. Disgraceful. We are essentially picking from half the county at underage level. Eastern Harps again not represented, shamrock gaels another big amalgamated club who specialize in infighting with no representation.

How many would have been deserving of starting spots? Surely there isn't a conspiracy among manager to black-list underage players because of the club they're from?

Six points isn't a hammering by any means but Sligo have been knocking on the door of an underage break-through for too long now.