The Armagh Harps Thread

[bennydorano]

0-10 each tonight v Keady, very good performance from an understrength team.  At home next week to Clady, all eligible and interested players to assemble for 6pm.

[Rufus T Firefly]

Define eligible and interested.

[Spiritof98]

Benny sorry I could make it last night, whole house down with a virus, It thought it was in Abbey, took a spin up about 8 to find Abbey empty. Keep my informed about next week.

[bennydorano]

B report for anyone that's interested.

Harp's B team travelled to Keady for their first fixture of the year with a panel of only 17 players Harps fielded a young side backboned with a few experienced players.

Harps played with the Sun and wind at their backs in the first half and used the elements to good effect leading 0-6 to 0-1 after 20 minutes with scores from play from Damien McShane, Neil McArdle, Ciaran McKenna and 3 long range frees from Marty McKenna.  Keady replied with 3 points in quick succession to narrow the gap to 0-6 to 0-4; with halftime fast approaching Harps tagged on two late points from the industrious Matthew Cartmill and another Marty McKenna free to leave it 0-8 to 0-4 at the break.  In the second half Keady, with the wind at their backs, scored 4 unanswered points to draw level.  Entering the final quarter a Ciaran Clifford point temporarily lifted the siege for Harps, but Keady replied with 2 points to lead for the first time with only minutes remaining, but Harps showed great fighting spirit launching attack after attack and were finally rewarded when an injury time Marty McKenna free crept over the bar to leave the final score Harps 0-10 Keady 0-10.

An excellent team performance, with outstanding contributions from C Clifford, N McArdle, M McCoy, M McKenna, M Kelly & M Cartmill.  The team lined out as follows: Sean Daly, Jamie Black, Ciaran Clifford(0-1), Laurence McKenna, Jim Marley, Neil McArdle(0-1) (C), Marty McCoy, Marty McKenna(0-5f), Gareth Richards, Michael Kelly, Ciaran McKenna(0-1), Mark Lennon, Colin McBride, Damien McShane(0-1), Matthew Cartmill(0-1).  Subs: Paul Hagan for Mark Lennon; Not used, Declan Morris & Gregory Kerr. 

Harps are at home to Clady next Wednesday night, all eligible players to assemble in Abbey Park for 6pm. 

[Rufus T Firefly]

Thanks for that report Benny - interesting reading. Great to see Martin McKenna back strutting his stuff. He's bound to be in the running for a Senior place?

[Rufus T Firefly]

Harps v Mullabawn

Harps kicked off their 2007 league campaign at Abbey Park this afternoon when they hosted Mullabawn. The match, played in excellent conditions, was a tight and entertaining contest that kept the large crowd on their toes until the final whistle. Ultimately though for the Harps it was to prove extremely disappointing, as they fell to a two point defeat.

Harps played into the dressing room goals in the first half, with the aid of a slight breeze and soon had the opening score with a Joe Quigley free kick. Mullabawn   equalised with a point from a free, taken by their number thirteen. Nippy was unlucky to see his long range effort for a point come back off the upright, and Mullabawn took advantage of this let off to race up the field and notch the first point from play. Mullabawn were looking threatening with each attack and a bad error in the Harps' defence gifted another point, and they further extended their lead with a point from another free. Harps though dug deep and managed the next four points of the game; the first three were Joe Quigley frees, with the fourth an excellent fisted effort from Nippy, as he jumped highest in the square to meet Joe Quigley's high sideline kick.

Play started to get scrappy at this point with both sides guilty of some bad shooting. At this stage Darren Ward was introduced for Harpo in the attack – Darren went top of the left and Ebbie moved out to the half forward line. Harps managed the last score of the half – Minnie Holmes running on to a long ball over the top, cutting inside and seeing his goalbound shot well saved by the Mullabawn keeper at the expense of a point.

Half time, Harps 0-06, Mullabawn 0-04.

Mullabawn made the early running in the second half and had a bad wide, which was quickly followed by a point from a free. Harps returned to the attack and Martin McKenna collected a bad clearance and pointed easily from thirty yards. Harps continued to press and Dynesy met a high ball across the square with both fists. However the ball agonisingly came off the far post and was cleared to safety. Joe Quigley added a further point from a free after Collie Holmes was fouled, to open up the Harps' biggest lead of the match. However all this hard work was undone in a single moment of carelessness. A long ball into the Harps defence was gathered on the left wing. The attacker drew several defenders before feeding the ball inside to the inrushing number six who had come up unmarked, and he found the net from close range. The wind was now in the Mullabawn sails, and they added a point from a free. Harps responded with a sense of urgency. Joe Quigley was wide with a long range free and Paul Dynes broke clear of the cover but saw his goalbound shot cleared by a combination of keeper and defender. Play was now end to end. Mullabawn's number ten added a point, but Ebby Toal cancelled this out with a well taken point. A brilliant long range Joe Quigley pointed free followed another Mullabawn wide, to give the Harps supporters hope. However Dynesy had a bad wide and this was punished with a point from a long range free at the other end. Joe Quigley yet again added another brilliant long range point from a free, but this was to be Harps last score. Despite having a couple of attempts at points to take the lead, it was Mullabawn who broke up for two further points, the second an expertly taken kick from an acute angle. Harps threw everything into attack in the last few minutes, and were perhaps guilty of panicking a little by going for goals too early – a close in free was lobbed into the square at a time when a draw was still within reach.

Final score, Harps 0-11, Mullabawn 1-10.

This was obviously a very disappointing start to the season. Harps appeared to be in control ten minutes into the second half but were undone by a bad defensive lapse, and they never fully recovered thereafter. Harps in contrast had several goal chances throughoput the game, but they failed to find the net on each occasion, and that ultimately was the difference. Best for the Harps were Collie Holmes in defence and Joe Quigley in attack. The Harps fielded as follows.

Gareth Richards, Jungle McKee, Martin Gill, Liam McAuley, Gerard McDonagh, Collie Holmes, Chuckie Morris, Martin McKenna 0-1, Nippy Swift 0-1, Harpo McKenna (Darren Ward), Smackers McAnaney, Joe Quigley 0-7 (0-7 frees), Ebby Toal 0-1, Minnie Holmes 0-1 and Paul Dynes.   

[Orior]

Harps v Mullabawn

Final score, Harps 1-10, Mullabawn 0-11.

This was obviously a very disappointing start to the season.

Rufus T Firefly in horrible typo shocker!

[Rufus T Firefly]

Harps v Mullabawn

Final score, Harps 1-10, Mullabawn 0-11.

This was obviously a very disappointing start to the season.

Rufus T Firefly in horrible typo shocker!

Thanks Orior - wishful thinking on my part! 

Just shows how often it's read in the first place, as I put that up a couple of hours ago!!   

[Passing_Interest]

harps2002champs, benny

Hold on a wee minute lads.
I spent a few hours in the company of other club men last night.
Like it or not we are the subject of loads of conjecture at the minute around Peader and Nippy in particular.

Knowing I'm a Harpsman, they gave me a load of stick about our Club.
They cited a litany of examples of obstruction for transfers (Donnelly, McKinney, Jordan, Grimes), standing in the way of Mullabrack entering a B team in Mid competitions, disillusion of senior players with the current management setup.
As always I defended the Club as best I could but they seemed much more equipped with evidence - allbeit anecdotal - from committee meetings and mid board meetings and the likes.

Not wishing to stir these things any more than seems the case already, and being fully aware that I'll be accused of being from the "other end of town" or similar -
Is there anything the Club can tell us here to ease the discomfort a lot of us Harpsmen are feeling at the current spate of bad publicity ?

[full back]

Once I give the boy the slapping that Benny told me to give him .........
Just want to add that the news about Toal came from within your club, its not as if outsiders are making it up lads
Perhaps it is just a rumour & he isnt going to Mullaghbrack

[maddog]

Cheers for the reports Rufus and Bennydorano, keep them coming.

[Rufus T Firefly]

What about you Maddog? Hope you and the good lady are keeping alright - you missed a great day at the races - and I nabbed young Inch for his membership!! 

[maddog]

What about you Maddog? Hope you and the good lady are keeping alright - you missed a great day at the races - and I nabbed young Inch for his membership!! 

good enough for the wee man, you should have backdated it.

[Candyman]

F.A.O Full back....
The whole Toal rumour started off a while back but now its generally just a joke as there isn't any truth in it???
As for the transfer declines, i cant comment as I (like many fellow harpsmen) havent got the full facts on this matter...

[full back]

F.A.O Full back....
The whole Toal rumour started off a while back but now its generally just a joke as there isn't any truth in it???

Didnt know that Candyman-it takes a while for gossip to get to the sticks!