Galway v Antrim NHL

[The Truth]

The thing is Sambo used to hammer Dinny in the paper for not going full pelt in the league. I dont think its a case of not trying, more that we are totally out of our depth against this sort of opposition.

[slow corner back]

We beat this opposition last year and were competitive against the Cats and Tipp. Loosing by 20 points to anyone is not acceptable. Will be intrested to hear a report, did we collapse in the second half like in the walsh cup or were we out of our depth all along

[Syd The Sailor]

Slow Corner Back.....I dont think it is a matter of going easy in the league, it is more a case of being totally out of our depth against opposition like this. Sambo used to hammer Dinny in the Irish News for not taking the league seriously so it will be interesting to hear what he says. As regards beating Galway last year, we will never catch them as ill prepared like that again, they were back from their team holiday in China about 36hrs before the match. I was at the Kilkenny match and if it was a dry day we would have got hammered, a couple of the players told me the same. Do you remember the conditions against Tipp? so in those two instances i would say the awful weather was a good leveller for us.

[slow corner back]

Syd,
fair point about the weather. I am still intrested to hear a report to see if the team ran out of steam. To quote woody from earlier this week, its not rocket science to get a team to a competitive level of fitness. However in the walsh cup we ran out of steam after 50 mins against wexford. Compare our result with dublins. The Cats and Galway are of similar standards as are antrim and dublin. Loosing by 20 points is never acceptable. If you are fit and determined you should always be competitve especially in February

[Syd The Sailor]

I think "Milltownrow" was going down and said he would have a report on Monday. Agree with you about fitness levels, there should not be much difference in any of the teams in terms of fitness, if everyone is determined enough and willing to get ripped in a beating of this scale should not happen at intercounty level. I just worry what Kilkenny will do to us after getting a kick up the arse by Dublin, i cant imagine them being complacent twice, you get the idea Cody isnt the kind of manager to let that happen.....

[Baile an tuaigh]

What ever way you look at it or no matter what reasons we come up with. The bottom line is Antrim have only a handfull of clubs to pick from and our resources are very small. This is why we compete better at club level than County. It is because the areas with the greatest catchments will always come to the top. Places like Offaly are an acception. Who like Antrim have slim pickings but have the advantage of being geographicaly located in the hurling zone.

Plus the added fact that Galway have been punching well below their weight. Loughnane was brought into harness the large pool of talant Galway has and has said himself that if he can't bring an All-Ireland to Galway in two years he will be deemed a failure. I always new this fixture was going to be hell for Antrim. Tough times for Antrim a head but sure were well used to it by now.

[theskull1]

All valid comments Baile an tuaigh.

At one level I feel sorry for the players and at another I don't (well to some anyway). Too many people think we are better than we really are and expect us to come on leaps and bounds simply because Sambo and Woody have taken over the reins. The reality is that the targets set out for the team is unrealistic. We don't have the quality in enough depth to survive at the this level in hurling. Why do we think we do? But some leading players on the team went on record last year to say that they wanted a regime change to bring things on. I hope those players are as quick to come on and give us their views this week (let me just say I agree with Syd's post regarding the fortunate results we got last year - I think the points he makes are totally valid) but it is obvious that a managerial change isn't the panecea that many thought it would be ( I hope to be proved wrong in time)

My biggest gripe with all this is that Antrim train and train and play challenge match after challenge match,  hoarding players thoughout a season and at the end of it all we end up with is the same old same old. Hurling is in depression in Antrim and I feel that the hoarding of County players year after year (and the domino affect of this) is thee a major reason why hurling is at such a low ebb in Antrim.  What about getting back and making club hurling enjoyable again in this bloody county? In the long run it will bear more fruit than the current short sighted approach which is doing nothing but erode the foundatuions of the game itself. I would gaurantee that if an Antrim team was selected for the championship based purely on players performing well in a regular league program (so no orginised Antrim training until about 2-3 weeks before their championship)  they would be as good as the Antrim team who had prepared for 8 months for that same game. So why sacrifice so much for so little?

But I'm pretty sure that the opposite will happen. I expect to see more challenge games pencilled in an attempt to turn things round. The County didn't arrange hurling fixtures for a Wednesday night for nothing

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway shot to the top of the Division 1B standings as they looked sharp in Ger Loughnane's first National League Division 1B game at the helm with a 3-25 to 0-12 win over Antrim at Pearse Stadium.

Kevin Broderick scored 1-02 in the opening half at Pearse Stadium - he batted home a 16th-minute goal for the Tribesmen, who had former minor captain John Lee debuting at centre-back.

David Tierney nabbed the hosts' second goal, just before the break, as they led 2-09 to 0-05.

Eugene Cloonan, who struck five first half points, took his tally to 1-10 with a late goal. The Saffrons' scorers included Karl McKeegan, Liam Watson, Patrick Richmond and Brendan and Michael Herron.

Galway were forced into a defensive reshuffle before the throw-in, losing both corner backs to injury, with Damien Joyce ruled out due to the flu.

Antrim's midfield duo of McKeegan and Brendan Herron were by far the visitors' most effective unit throughout, and the pair shared out three points in the opening minutes.

But Broderick's goal helped Galway wrestle back control and with Richie Murray firing over an excellent line ball, Loughnane's charges led 1-04 to 0-03 by the midpoint of the half.

Michael Herron and Watson, who was an effective presence at centre forward, kept Antrim ticking on the scoreboard before Tierney sent an unstoppable shot to the Saffrons' net, having rounded goalkeeper DD Quinn.

The mismatch continued into the second half as two shots from a sharp-looking Cloonan and another from Niall Healy sent Galway into a 2-12 to 0-05 lead.


Antrim managed to reel the hosts back in with a brace from Watson and a lovely flicked effort from Richmond, but there was a touch of inevitability about the closing half-hour.

Quicker to the ball and showing some neat touches in front of goal, Galway topped off their opening day win with man of the match Cloonan, who cracked over three brilliant '65s, notching his goal and Niall Healy ending his afternoon's work with his third point.

Twelve months ago, Antrim shocked the men from the west with Johnny McIntosh, who hit 1-07 that day, central to that victory.

Unfortunately the Oisin Glenariffe clubman is currently recovering from a groin operation, but it is very doubtful if he would have made a difference in Salthill.

Loughnane had his players primed for this one, and despite a flurry of positional changes, there was nothing new Antrim managers Dominic McKinley and Terence McNaughton could do to thwart Galway.

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[Baile an tuaigh]

"theskull1" I have maintained that we have to get our own domestic scene right before we concentrate on the County team. The lack of club games during the good weather is nothing short of disgracefull. It is by no coincidance that Antrim traditionaly played their best hurling when we had regular competive league and championship club games at home. The Ulster hurling league is a good idea which should be built on. I agree with your post in its entirity.

[GaillimhIarthair]

A very poor match in which neither manager will have taken too much from the result for varying reasons.  Antrim started well and were the better side for the first 10 - 15 mins and a little more composure in front of the posts would have had them 3 - 4 points up in that period.  It took Galway 10 mins to register our first score (Cloonan free) and after a few more points were tagged on it became very lobsided.  The HT score was something like 2-09 to 0-03 after goals from K Broderick and D Tierney and the game was over as a contest.  McKeegan and Watson were Antrims two best players over the 70 mins and certainly deserved more for their efforts.  No points rating any of the Galway lads from this game as they were not really under any pressure for the vast majority of it.  The limerick game away will tell alot more.

[Syd The Sailor]

I see Loughnane reckoned Antrim "gave up" yesterday. If that was the case we have a long year ahead of us....

[milltown row]

Sorry for the delay, of work until today. Now the match report, what I was looking for was commitment, good fitness, competing for the ball and good stick work. Well we had all of that and it lasted for 10 mins. We collapsed again the minute a goal went in. before that Antrim should have been at least 5/6 points to the good. Great early work from Brendan and Micko Heron. Karl McKeegan played with no hang ups from the game last week and scored a great early score.

I though Barney (although he was one of our better defenders) was fit but how your man got the ball before him to score the goal was beyond me. In my opinion I thought our full back and full forward were too inexperienced and didn't really compete. Our heads dropped and there was no fire in the belly.   We seemed to be easily pushed off the ball, and panicked our shots. We were fumbling easy ball and losing possession, high ball was going in to our forwards giving them no chance. Where as Galway played low and cross field ball all the time and we didn't catch on, they were first to the ball had so much time to strike it. We hurried clearances to Galway men and as Ger put it we just gave up!!!

The gulf in class was clear, I fear for Antrim hurling. Sort out the club leagues get regular competitive hurling within the county senior teams should be playing 18 league games and then Championship. Not the debacle we have had for the last number of years.

[Syd The Sailor]

Johnny Campbell is one of these palyers that gets a chance no matter who is the manager, he has had more than enough chances and isnt good enough. Dont rate Mc Keague either at full back, i would prefer someone with a more commanding presence, i have a feeling Eugene Cloonan will have a field day on him.

Milltown.......I hate to say i told you so!!! He just does not have a physical enough presence