Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Rossa are sitting very comfortably beneath the radar and were excellent by all accounts. Really impressed with them when they demolished us in a league game when they a half a dozen players missing. Any team that hopes to beat them will need their A game that's for sure.

[Milltown Row2]

Its Cargins to lose....

The lads have won 13 odd titles, 8 in a row 2 all Ireland finials on win 2 ulster's Kilmacud titles and numerous runner up leagues  .... They have represented the club and Antrim so well over the years and when the county was lagging we at least showed that in Antrim there are good footballers...

I've had some fantastic road trips over the years, great weekends away and some serious celebrations following this team... They owe the club nothing and I'm sure they are gutted, but hopefully they'll dust themselves down and we can put our efforts into the next generation.....

Well done Ahoghill on last night, great crowd down good atmosphere pitch looked great.

[bannside]

In my opinion that St Galls performance last night would still have beaten last year's Cargin. St Galls men who are in the know thought their team was as well prepared as ever, and pre throw in were expecting the usual result! Albeit the hurling did come in the way of ideal preparation, but a dual club expects that upheaval.

No, the difference wasn't down to anything St Galls did wrong. Cargin a different animal under Brennan who rules with an iron fist. If Brennan had been there last year Cargin would have won then too. Surely youse can see that.

[country bumpkin]

Its Cargins to lose....

The lads have won 13 odd titles, 8 in a row 2 all Ireland finials on win 2 ulster's Kilmacud titles and numerous runner up leagues  .... They have represented the club and Antrim so well over the years and when the county was lagging we at least showed that in Antrim there are good footballers...

I've had some fantastic road trips over the years, great weekends away and some serious celebrations following this team... They owe the club nothing and I'm sure they are gutted, but hopefully they'll dust themselves down and we can put our efforts into the next generation.....
Said it all MR2..........Gall's have been superb and really carried the Saffron flag high in both the provincial and National stadiums and they owe their supporters nothing.
Cargin have been close, but all too often not close enough, but they have also given us Toome folk a tremendous time both in victory and defeat.
Character has always been questioned within the green and white but how can such have ever been in doubt when they have returned from agonizing defeats time and time again.
The trick for ur boys is can they follow the Cargin lead in that sphere...........2016 will certainly test resolve with the likes of Sean Kelly, Terry O' Neill, Anto Healey, Kieran Mc Gourty and all those the wrong side of 30.
Hope they can return to the big stage, but it will not be easy.
Well done Ahoghill on last night, great crowd down good atmosphere pitch looked great.

[Milltown Row2]

In my opinion that St Galls performance last night would still have beaten last year's Cargin. St Galls men who are in the know thought their team was as well prepared as ever, and pre throw in were expecting the usual result! Albeit the hurling did come in the way of ideal preparation, but a dual club expects that upheaval.

No, the difference wasn't down to anything St Galls did wrong. Cargin a different animal under Brennan who rules with an iron fist. If Brennan had been there last year Cargin would have won then too. Surely youse can see that.

There was a bounce of a ball in it last year... A half block on McCann's shot... Always small margins in these games... Had we stuck over the 3 easy chances at the start of the second half the game could have went the other way... For me watching the game we didn't get to see Sean Kelly in the ball enough driving forward getting the usual score.... Injured or tactical... But that's not him last night. We also need to change things up too, we've done so well with a style of play that its become our undoing... Brennan has won one game, if you think the other teams are going to lie down then give them the title now!

[Points a Good Score]

There is always a massive amount of talk about 'match ups' before big games these day and on last nights viewing I feel Cargin got theirs spot on. Kevin O'Boyle did a great job on Micky Pollock, you only have to look back at last years final and Pollock running Justin Croizer (albeit half fit) ragged for an hour. Justin on Niblock was massive as well although Niblock picked up an injury and looked laboured up to that he had been very much on the periphery. Bar a great score in the opening salvo CJ was kept pretty quiet by Donagh Mc Keever.

Midfield was important as well, St Galls have shown for years the importance of strong running, hard tackling no frills midfielders and I feel Cargin replicated that last night in their set up with both John Carron (who kicked a great score) and Gerard McCann going through a mountain of work and breaking a glut of ball, it takes that kind of unglamorous work to win big games. That in turn allowed Mick McCann to play a role with more freedom and took the onus of being the primary ball winner round the middle off his shoulders, a move that can no one can deny had a huge bearing on the game. Was suprised St Galls left Anto Healy on him as long.

For me the biggest difference and it outlined Cargins approach to the game was Tomas McCann, its probably fair to say that Sean Kelly has got the better of Tomas over the last number of games and in turn carried St Galls forward with his ability to get the ball from back to front, however every time Tomas got the ball last night he drove at Kelly putting him on the back foot and drawing frees or setting up scores. Like the Cargin team he never took a backward step all night.

A great win for Cargin and far from the demise of St Galls.

Some excellent score taking as well, sets up a real classic between the parish rivals in the semi final

[Atticus_Finch]

Very enjoyable game last night.  If you wanted an argument of why there should be no back door in club championship you could base it on that game.  There was a tangible intensity to the game and you could see what it meant to both teams.

Turning point for me was as has already been pointed out by MR was the start of the second half from St Gall's when they kicked three consecutive wides. Which is very uncharacteristic of a team that had one maybe two wides the whole first half.  What was even more uncharacteristic was the sideline ball which led to the goal.  The sideline ball could have arguably been a free for Cargin as it seemed Magill was pushed as he went down for the ball as it went out of play.  The resulting sideline was kicked towards Kerr and mcKernan hijacked the pass and only seemed to have one thing on his mind as he bore down on goal.  He had a good goal opportunity in the first half and I'm wondering did john Brennan remind him of this at half time !

After that Cargin showed the composure that St Gall's have done in previous years by retaining the ball, in a sevens football style and only making the pass if it was clearly on.

There were a number of excellent Cargin performances.  They got the upper hand at midfield with a superb game from Mick McCann and some great fielding by John Carron as well. Defensively they were very impressive as well.

The victory clearly meant a lot to Cargin folk but I'm sure they will wake up this morning realising that it will count for almost* nothing if last night's victory is not converted into silverware. While Cargin are deserving of the favourites title from here on in,  Creggan, Lamh Dearg and Rossa will be thinking they are all in with a shout.  *clearly getting the monkey off their back still counts for something.

The only thing I was disappointed about last night was that JB seemed to be a bit more subdued than his usual championship self.  Couple of pitch walk ons but no real fireworks !

Credit to Ahoghill for once again putting on a great show. Stewarding, traffic control, speaker announcements all Top notch. 

St Gall's have had a great run, I'd say those lads will be there or thereabouts for the 7s competition this year as usual. 

MR I think that was two years ago when it was very close, your lads won comfortably enough last year from what I can remember. Could be wrong on that.

[ONeill]

Turning point for me was as has already been pointed out by MR was the start of the second half from St Gall's when they kicked three consecutive wides. Which is very uncharacteristic of a team that had one maybe two wides the whole first half.  What was even more uncharacteristic was the sideline ball which led to the goal.  The sideline ball could have arguably been a free for Cargin as it seemed Magill was pushed as he went down for the ball as it went out of play.  The resulting sideline was kicked towards Kerr and mcKernan hijacked the pass and only seemed to have one thing on his mind as he bore down on goal.  He had a good goal opportunity in the first half and I'm wondering did john Brennan remind him of this at half time !

Michael McCann deserves a lot of credit for stemming that early onslaught from Galls in the second half. He recognized that Cargin were panicking after a composed first half and you could hear him telling a few players in no uncertain terms to calm the feck down. It was him then who nabbed a score to get their second half going and they never looked back.

As for the lad who goaled, he was reminded of his lack of intestinal fortitude in the immediate aftermath of his fisted goal chance and I'd say he made a point of rectifying that.

Galls have too much talent not to tag on a couple of Antrims before the guts of that side retire but the amount of miles on the clock and injuries means they're far from being serious Ulster winners again. Although an extended break from championship football could re energize the batteries.

Ahoghill stewards were excellent. Did their job and did it well.

[gallsman]

We won a championship a few years ago via a back door, IIRC. Was it Cargin who'd beaten us earlier back then?

[Milltown Row2]

Yep at up the country and we beat them in final handy... Was scrapped next year I think

[gallsman]

Yep at up the country and we beat them in final handy... Was scrapped next year I think

Aye, just thinking about this stuff about monkey off the back etc. Cargin have to kick on from this and at a minimum win the championship before talk like that is anything more then words.

[Milltown Row2]

Yep at up the country and we beat them in final handy... Was scrapped next year I think

Aye, just thinking about this stuff about monkey off the back etc. Cargin have to kick on from this and at a minimum win the championship before talk like that is anything more then words.

Was only quarterfinal they'll get past their neighbours, who like Cargin for years against us have a mental block.... Lamhs have beaten Cargin (in Casement) in championship before so they wont be overawed by them should they meet...

Bit Cargin have an extra gear and should they win Antrim do well in Ulster, I hope

[stiffler]

What was the attendance last Nite?

Probably a bigger crowd than what will at the final .

[Milltown Row2]

Not sure but as big a crowd I've seen in a while

[country bumpkin]

What was the attendance last Nite?

Probably a bigger crowd than what will at the final .

Big crowd alright but try and get a figure....................bet u will be told 5/600.