Messages

Always wonder what might have happened with ballycastle had they beat cushendall that year they were something like 11 points up in.

Aye, big lead at half time, 9 points up I think, playing with a significant breeze in the first half.

Big Conor Carson made a serious amount of high catches in the second half to set up a good few scores to haul Cushendall back into it that day.

Where did Saul McCaughan ever end up ? Was some player.

[they'll hardly take these 4 teams to dunsilly will the]

they'll hardly take these 4 teams to dunsilly will they ?
Dunloy v Lougheil @ Ballycastle
CDall v Ballycsstle @ Dunloy or Lougheil

Would be more sensible IMO

Knowing the Antrim County Board they'll play the semi finals in Armagh or Newry

Surely with a North Antrim final they will have the cop on to stage the final in North Antrim instead of Corrigan

Tbf Antrim are only partially responsible for the casement project - I would put the fault a lot more with ulster gaa...

Ulster GAA are at fault, however Antrim have contributed to the balls up.

We did purchase 12 acres of land a while back just a few hundred yards above the Randalstown roundabout on the Antrim road...

The plan was to develop into pitches....

Anybody know what happened.....I presume Antrim still own that land.....??

I know that particular plot of land was advertised for sale a couple of years / 18 months ago.

Don't know if it was ever sold. At the time I thought it would be a stupid move to sell, as through time it could be developed as a championship venue.

Road network handy for almost every team in the county.

But, after all,  it is Antrim, who have managed to completely f**k up the Casement project.

In senior and junior you have 6 from 8 going through. Ultimately it boils down to all the other competitions taking 6 rounds to complete while this one is already 7 so probably not easy to find space for an extra knockout stage, especially for dual clubs.

CCC are under enough pressure to schedule championship matches between hurling and football. Its a thankless task and fair play to them for managing to achieve that.

Re the 3 teams from 4 in the SHC, its done away with a few dead rubber matches especially this weekend with Ballycastle and St Endas battling it out for a quarter final place in what would be a meaningless match otherwise,

I remember one year the senior championship consisting of two groups of 5 with the top two from each section qualifying for the semi finals.

[but this one is only 4 of 10]

Most of the teams involved in intermediate hate the format too. Every other competition in football and hurling sees over half the teams through the groups but this one is only 4 of 10. Scheduling is rough too. 6 of the teams that played tonight play again on Saturday.

Probably because its a 10 team championship

Fairly big shock in IHC tonight, St Paul's beating Sarsfields at the death in the bear pit

That result has put the cat among the pigeons.

4 teams on 2 points, Glenariff on top with 4 with one game left as have St Pauls. Creggan, Glenravel and Sarsfields with 2 games to play.

Leading up to an exciting last couple of rounds.

IHC doesn't disappoint.

[Tir Na Nog and Cushendun are in pole position at the minute]

Championship only starting now. Some decent games next time out. St Endas v Ballycastle knockout hurling. Group 1 is a foregone conclusion. Can see both Dunloy and Cushendall with a month off and maybe a trip down south pencilled in. Fancy creggan and sarsfields to advance. Cant see Oisins beating sarsfileds in the bear pit. Other group is a bit more interesting, Carey and St Galls arent dead and buried yet. Although id say Tir Na Nog and Cushendun are in pole position at the minute, can change fast. Cloughmills into a semi and a month break. LD V Armoy for the group win and Rasharkin v Davitts in another knock out game. Toss of a coin between All Saints and GNM for 2nd id say. Ive no idea what the set up in junior B is. Assume its a league with top 2 playing in a final?

Play each other next match at The Rigs in what should be an entertaining affair.

[Loughgiel v Naomh Eoin]

I'm more looking for if there's 3 teams tied etc. I know in the league they don't it a really weird way so just trying to get on top of it all now.

Its either head to head, score difference or as mentioned score difference between the two teams when they played each other.

Obviously confirmed to the clubs when being sent out championship regulations by CCCC. A tad confusing to the mere mortal though.

Id have thought it was head to head firstly.

Rossa and St Johns are both on 2 points with a -5 point scoring difference

I think its a bit of stretch to think Clooney Gaels will beat Rossa to even make it a possibility.

Dunloy play the Johnnies while Rossa are at home to Ahoghill.

On paper it looks like 2 home wins to leave Dunloy on top, Rossa in second and Naomh Eoin in third which would leave the quarter finals Loughgiel v Naomh Eoin and Rossa v the winners of Ballycastle / Naomh Eanna.

Semi final matches are an open draw I believe.

Should read Loughgiel or Cushendall who play each other in the final group stage match - winner to progress to the semi finals.

I'm more looking for if there's 3 teams tied etc. I know in the league they don't it a really weird way so just trying to get on top of it all now.

Its either head to head, score difference or as mentioned score difference between the two teams when they played each other.

Obviously confirmed to the clubs when being sent out championship regulations by CCCC. A tad confusing to the mere mortal though.

Id have thought it was head to head firstly.

Rossa and St Johns are both on 2 points with a -5 point scoring difference

I think its a bit of stretch to think Clooney Gaels will beat Rossa to even make it a possibility.

Dunloy play the Johnnies while Rossa are at home to Ahoghill.

On paper it looks like 2 home wins to leave Dunloy on top, Rossa in second and Naomh Eoin in third which would leave the quarter finals Loughgiel v Naomh Eoin and Rossa v the winners of Ballycastle / Naomh Eanna.

Semi final matches are an open draw I believe.

Still refusing to answer my question. Have a good day 'chap'

What sort of a question is that to ask as to why would the Lynches full forward be wrestling with his opponent?

You may enquire from the player himself as I would have no access to his train of thought at any time nor do I know who he is.

You're going to have to accept it that Lynches were beaten by a better team and are in danger of not making the senior hurling final. That is not the fault of the referee or his team of officials.

I take it you'll be attending the next refereeing course for new referees?

I'm more looking for if there's 3 teams tied etc. I know in the league they don't it a really weird way so just trying to get on top of it all now.

Its either head to head, score difference or as mentioned score difference between the two teams when they played each other.

Obviously confirmed to the clubs when being sent out championship regulations by CCCC. A tad confusing to the mere mortal though.

Id have thought it was head to head firstly.

Rossa and St Johns are both on 2 points with a -5 point scoring difference

[Full back should have been off due to persistent fouling and holding off the bal]

You still haven't answered my question as to why full forward would start wrestling.

Not once in my posts have i mentioned a straight red.

Full back should have been off due to persistent fouling and holding off the ball. Multiple times as photos show.

So the Lynches player should have remained on the pitch ?

He was holding and dragging as much as the Lavey player.

Neither offence merits a straight red if you're going to use the logic that the Lavey full back should have been sent off.

[Lynch's could have benefited from the situation better by getting the ball into the full forward more often drawing attention to the potential fouls and then picking up frees.]

The referee booked both players as they were both involved in wrestling each other to the ground in the goalmouth. The referee consulted his umpires and the linesman before issuing the yellows and I would presume this was to check what they had seen and to confirm no red card offences such as striking had taken place. Taken on its own merit for this individual incident the two bookings looked to be the correct decision.

From what I saw both players were at it throughout the match, and it wasn't possible to tell who started anything. Whilst you would say the defender is most likely to start the holding, a forward may also do so to get the defender involved aso they can win an easy free in front of the posts or get the opponent booked or sent off. Particularly if the ball into the full forward was unlikely to reach them. I thought Lynch's could have benefited from the situation better by getting the ball into the full forward more often drawing attention to the potential fouls and then picking up frees.

It was clear from early on that the referee was going to let things go and both teams seemed to take advantage of this without stepping over the line. In a tight game the referee's decisions, or in this case lack of decisions can always be queried. But Lynch's loss was more down to not taking as much advantage of the conditions in the second half especially since their goals had put them in a good position at half time.

That's what the umpires are there for. They could easily see who started the pulling and if they were miked up like our antrim friend has stated, it could have been nipped in the bud early. They took the cowardly option of ignoring it.

We often see instances in football of frees been given for holding inside. Not once did the donegal ref do this yesterday. As i say weak officials.

The two players were warned about their behaviour by the umpires.

The pulling and dragging was not ignored.

Why dont you take up refereeing chap, if you think its so easy, especially in a full on championship match and see how you get on.

Why would the full forward initiate any wrestling? He's a much faster player. I've seen both of them play both codes multiple times.

Full back should not have lasted the 60 minutes. Weak officials.

It is 100% true that the ref went to Eamon Hasson after speaking with his two umpires. He took the easy option of booking both players.

Brendan McTaggart photography on Facebook. 3 examples of the holding. Kevin lynches also scored a free in first half due to similar. FF missed the ball, FB held onto him so he couldn't reach rebound.

You may watch a lot closer next time Antrim Coaster.

The Lynches full forward was at it as much as the Lavey full back. Fact.

On what basis would you have sent off the Lavey full back if you state that he should not have lasted the 60 minutes and not the given the Lynches full forward the line ?

There was nothing to suggest a straight red for either player.

As previously mentioned, if the officials were miked up the Lavey full back and the Lynches full forward would have probably been booked in the first half followed by a second yellow in the second.

Would you rather the referee not consult his officials and make an incorrect call - hardly weak officiating if the referee took soundings from his officials.

You state weak officials – have you ever thought of taking up the whistle yourself if you genuinely feel you could make a positive contribution to refereeing GAA matches.

As for watching a lot closer, I was right beside the play.