Down Championship Predictions Competition

[Square Ball]

has anyone lost any teams yet? or are we all still standing at this stage?

[Bacon]

In the hurling this weekend I expect Ballycran to beat Portaferry by 3 points in the IHC.  It will be a tight game and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Ports won it. In the JHC semi on Sunday Ballela should edge past Bredagh. Again, a tight game but the scoring ability of the McCuskers should see Ballela through.

[Pull Hard Hes No Relation]

I also expect Ballycran to beat Portaferry but agree it could go either way - also expect Ballygalget to see off Liatriom tonight in the other semi- final and as I said on the other Down thread we will then have the farce of 30 Ards players being "exlcuded" from the championship hurling next year if one of the three Ards clubs wins this competition.

JHC is very hard to call and to be honest can see positives and negatives for both Bredagh and Ballea, without doubt Ballea have the more talented individual players in terms of Mal Magee, Johnny McCusker, Daniel Mc Cusker but Bredagh have more strength in depth. This will really come down to how Bredagh deal with those three because if they can minimise their impact they have the better spread of hurlers to win.

What the crack with U16s playing in these championships heard Ballygalget got hauled over the coals for doing so against Portaferry in the JHC.

[Colonel Cool]

Apparently it was passed at congress last year - youth players can only play one level above. So u12 player can play u14 but not u16. u16s can play minor but not adult. 
The Galgets have been playing u16s in the 3rds all year and claimed they never heard of the rule. Very few seem to be aware of it outside Portaferry who reported Ballygalget after the JHC match (which Portaferry won).
I think there were 4 young fellas involved who have all now been suspended and will miss u16 and minor matches. A sad affair which won't help relations between Ports & Galgets.

[Colonel Cool]

PS - Forgot to say I predict a win for Liatroim tonight and Ballycran tomorrow in IHC. Ballycran and Ballela to win on Sunday in the Junior Championship. There should be some good tight matches.

[johnneycool]

Apparently it was passed at congress last year - youth players can only play one level above. So u12 player can play u14 but not u16. u16s can play minor but not adult. 
The Galgets have been playing u16s in the 3rds all year and claimed they never heard of the rule. Very few seem to be aware of it outside Portaferry who reported Ballygalget after the JHC match (which Portaferry won).
I think there were 4 young fellas involved who have all now been suspended and will miss u16 and minor matches. A sad affair which won't help relations between Ports & Galgets.

Ballygalget were aware of a rule but our understanding of the rule that was anyone under 16 years of age couldn't play adult. The four lads who played in the juniors were all over 16 as per their birthday but it turns out they would need to be 16 before the first of January this year. A misunderstanding on our clubs part and the four lads are suspended through no fault of their own.

The Ports and ourselves haven't been pulling for a while and with the debacle the other week where Ballygalget turned up with an U-18 team and the Ports an U-17 team. I don't know enough about how the hurling board run the minors to say who was in the right or wrong but it isn't good for all the youngsters caught in the crossfire.
Time for some people on both sides to catch a grip

[Whitehair]

IHC
Ballygalget v Liatroim, LIATROIM, although its a bit of a toss up IMO, Liatroim played the best hurling we came up against.
Portaferry v Ballycran, PORTAFERRY, im not sure of the strength of their team but Ballycran arent all that hot. I expect the eventual winners to come from the other side of the draw.

JHC
Ballycran v Warrenpoint, BALLYCRAN
Ballela v Bredagh, BALLELA, makes for a good match, heres hoping we come through the winners.

I think the Cran v Point match is at 1 with ours at 3, both in Darragh Cross on Sunday.

[Bacon]

Liatroim beat by Ballygalget last night in Kilclief. There were a few on here tipping them for the IHC. With only Ards reserve teams left in the championship, do Liatroim go on to represent Down in Ulster?

[Bacon]

A couple of big shocks in the Junior hurling championship. Bredagh beat hot favorites Ballela well and Warrenpoint beat Ballycran by a point. Most posters on here were tipping Ballela to win this competition and no one tipped The Point to bet Ballycran! That's the championship for ye.

[Aristotle Flynn]

Senior Football: Mayobridge
Mayobridge are still the team to beat. Kilcoo, Castlewellan, Rostrevor, Burren & Bryansford are all contenders when you look at the draw but it's the Bridge I'll have my money on.

Senior Hurling: Ballygalget
Ballygalget to win it and if Matin Coulter is fit they'll Ulster a rattle too.

Intermediate Football: Downpatrick
Ballyholland are one of the best footballing teams in the competition. Another one is Saval. But the best footballing team doesn't always win the championship. I'm going for Downpatrick.

Intermedate Hurling: Ballycran
Don't know much about it but I reckon they are as good a bet as any.

Junior Football: Drumaness
Too good for Division 4 and if they keep their soccer lads on board they can win the double. Bosco & Mitchel's are the main threats.

Junior Hurling: Ballela
Only Division 1 team in the competition and they have a good draw.

Premier Reserve Football: Mayobridge
The Bridge have stenght in depth and can win this one as well as the SFC if the stay injury free.

Reserve Football: Rostrevor
Bredagh? You're having a laugh Bacon! This is always won by teams from South Down.

Only faller so far is Ballela in the Junior Hurling. I wouldn't change any of the rest.

[DownFanatic]

SFC Quarter Finals

Longstone v Kilcoo - Both are similar teams with a similar style of play. A couple of years ago a wise head told me that there was a SFC in the current Longstone team within 5 years. Therefore this year may be too soon for them and Id expect Kilcoo to turn in a good performance and win after coming through two tough 1st Round examinations.

Bryansford v  Loughinisland - Bryansford are a better team I think and have too much Championship nous for an up and coming Loughinisland team. Id say the Island are more focused on retaining their Division 1 status than a good Championship run and Id expect a more determined Bryansford side to progress.

Mayobridge v Rostrevor - Rostrevor are well equipped to cope with the Bridge challenge for at least a half but soon enough they will succumb. The Bridge are starting to fire on all cylinders and they will possess too much guile for Aidan Farrell's men. Therefore I can see Mayobridge hitting the last 4 with something to spare.

Burren v Castlewellan - Burren at the moment are the best equipped to challenge the Bridge and if they play anywhere near their potential then they will be too good for Castlewellan. The Town will pose a tough task but Burren are well up to it.


IFC Quarter Finals

Darragh Cross v Dundrum - I never make a call on our own games.

Ballyholland v Tullylish - Ballyholland are by far a more superior team and will win this without changing in to top gear. Since its Championship Tullylish may stay close in the 1st half but Ballyholland have the more experience and will win through.

Ballymartin v Carryduff - This is not as clear cut as some may predict. Carryduff have overcome a huge barrier in their disposal of fierce neighbours Bredagh and physcologically they will be in good shape. Ballymartin werent tested by Saul but if they play to their full potential they should just squeeze through in what could a much tighter game than expected.

Downpatrick v Saval - Very hard one to call. Both teams are of similar standard. In 2005 when the RGU won the IFC they had a much better team than they have today. Saval have improved in that period by a bigger margin. Coupled with this is the fact that the South Down men faced a sterner test in the 1st Round against Kilclief. Therefore Saval to edge it though it may take a replay.


JFC Quarter Finals

Drumaness v Aughlisnafin - This game shouldnt even be happening. A total mismatch. The prospective champions - Drumaness - in my eyes to progress with at least 25 points to spare.

Bright v St Johns - You just never know with Bright at this level. They'll either beat St Johns by 10 points or not field. Thats how unpredictable they are. St Johns are nowhere near the standard required to win this title and therefore Im plumping for Bright to progress.

Bosco v Ballykinlar - A total no brainer. Bosco to win handy enough.

St Michaels/Mitchels v Aghaderg - The winner of St Michaels/Mitchels will probably have too much for Aghderg in this game. Im thinking St Michaels to account for the Newry men before eeking past the Derg in to the Semis.

[Whitehair]

In relation to our defeat by Bredagh we were missing our best player in Dan Mc Cusker who was a huge loss but i still thought we'd the capability to win on sunday, being only 5 down at half time with a strong breeze at our backs second half. The heavy conditions didnt suit our mainly small and light team but some lads put in a well below par performance. Had we won the junior champ it would have papered over alot of large cracks reguarding our team, no manager, next to no training and worringly no comradery. Anyways good luck to Bredagh in the final, hope their hard effort pays off.

[Square Ball]

Whitehair

was at the match and was pretty worried at the start of the second half when we were 5 up playing with a stiff breeze, us scoring the first 3 pointer seemed to rattle a lot of the players and morale seemed to slump a little. hard to come back from that with your best player missing.

[Smiler An Dun]

JFC Replay

Mitchells 1-13  St. Michaels 2-14 (aet)

[Pull Hard Hes No Relation]

Intermediate clashes went as I thought this weekend, Liatriom for the first time in the past few years experienced an Ards side before the senior championship had been played and learned that they are a totally different proposition.

Ballygalget had a far stronger side than what has played in the League thus far but I still expect the Crans to win out in this come the final.

Bacon - Newry Shamrocks intend asking the CCC to force a play off between themselves and Liatriom to see who represents Down in the Ulster Championship, no way should Liatriom just be given a free rein to enter particularly given that they shouldn't even have been in the competition this year. My question is this will the winners of Ballygalget V Ballycran be allowed back next year or will we have the nonsense of 30 hurlers being excluded from championship hurling in 2008.

In the junior was surprised by the margin of Bredagh's victory but not the fact that they won particularly when I learnt Danny Mc Cusker wouldn't be playing. Bredagh are a better side than people give them credit for and I expect them to win the championship now. Indeed it could well be a Bredagh V Warrenpoint final as I beleive that Portaferry emptied the bench V the Crans in the IHC in an effort to pull that out of the bag and the Seasiders should reap the benefits this weekend in Castlewellan.

Ballea are in big diffs in terms of personnel it would be a shame if the senior team started to really struggle after building such fine facilties this year. Their delegate supposedly asked for them to remain in Division 1 of the league next year which I find surprising, thought they would have been better dropping down and re-building again