Antrim Football Thread

[Squareball71]

He was in a lot of pain last night... looked a very serious injury... good luck for his return!!

[4father]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

Yip, you definitely have been here before. 

Good luck to young CJ, nothing to be laughed at.

[imtommygunn]

  That's unfortunate - especially with the hip sorted. Real shame. Hope he recovers quickly.

[AQMP]

Bit of an experimental look about it but I suppose that's what the McKenna Cup is for?

I might get my wife to bring her gear with her down to Casement tomorrow, by the look of things she might get on.  That Bradley fella is an idiot of the first order.  

Tyr 1-12 Ant 0-10.  Your missus might have made the difference!

CJ's injury is no joke.  BBC reporting a broken fibula.  Best of luck to the fella and hope we see him back to full fitness sometime this year.

[Rasharkin Gael]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

mmmmmmmmm....says alot about the poster!

[MickeyMacMhagUidhir]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

mmmmmmmmm....says alot about the poster!

Amazing, a Rasharkin person with a conscience, what next?

[MickeyMacMhagUidhir]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

Yip, you definitely have been here before. 

Good luck to young CJ, nothing to be laughed at.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, just airing an opinion 

[Milltown Row2]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

Yip, you definitely have been here before. 

Good luck to young CJ, nothing to be laughed at.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, just airing an opinion 

Whats your opinion then on the Johnstons leaving 'your ' club for Rossa then?

I was speaking to a real St Johns man the other day, he seems to think it's a done deal

[Gold]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

Yip, you definitely have been here before. 

Good luck to young CJ, nothing to be laughed at.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, just airing an opinion 

Whats your opinion then on the Johnstons leaving 'your ' club for Rossa then?

I was speaking to a real St Johns man the other day, he seems to think it's a done deal

What?! Who?

[Milltown Row2]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

Yip, you definitely have been here before. 

Good luck to young CJ, nothing to be laughed at.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, just airing an opinion 

Whats your opinion then on the Johnstons leaving 'your ' club for Rossa then?

I was speaking to a real St Johns man the other day, he seems to think it's a done deal

What?! Who?

Keep up Gold, there seems to be some sort of fall out and they are off to Rossa to play hurling. I thought they would go to the best Belfast hurling club 

[MickeyMacMhagUidhir]

Suspected broken ankle tonight for CJ McGourty, playing for UUJ.

Well, he is never likely to break his brain.   

Yip, you definitely have been here before. 

Good luck to young CJ, nothing to be laughed at.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, just airing an opinion 

Whats your opinion then on the Johnstons leaving 'your ' club for Rossa then?

I was speaking to a real St Johns man the other day, he seems to think it's a done deal

I was talking to Mickey myself today at Casement.  His lad Ciaran is happy to be with Rossa and has no regrets.  However, Rossa people are Rossa people and Naomh Eoin people are Naomh Eoin people.  The two lads may find it hard to settle all the same. If kids are not happy with any club, I am all for them moving on.  They don't owe clubs that much. 

[MickeyMacMhagUidhir]

Antrim opened their Casement 2012 yearbook this afternoon (what about Fermanagh last Sunday?)and while a 5 point defeat to Tyrone means that last year's McKenna Cup progress won't be matched, there was still plenty of positives to be taken from what was an entertaining game. 

Antrim started with a few new faces as Baker and his team continue the search for new Saffron talent, and a few boys will have enhanced their chances of a gaining a place on the team come the league. In the opening exchanges possession was shared but Tyrone had more shots at the posts. The 3 times All Ireland champions had left their shooting boots somewhere on the M1 however and hit too many wides.

Four of Antrim's first half points came from play and there some excellent scores among them from midfielder Conal Kelly and in particular Brian Neeson. Indeed Neeson shone brightly in the first half and alongside his two points he could have had two more only for one dropping short and another hitting the post. Paddy Cunningham was playing a deeper role and hit a terrific score from play and one from a free to leave Antrim with a two point half time lead.

By this stage the Red Hands had already looked to the bench for a bit of experience and had introduced someone called Stephen O'Neill. They upped the tempo at the start of the second half and hit 6 unanswered points to race into a 4 point lead.

Antrim too had experienced players to call on and the introduction of Aodhán Gallagher and Tomas McCann steadied things at midfield and provided another focal point of the attack. Conal Kelly's second point of the game signalled a Saffron revival and further scores from McCann and Cunningham brought Antrim to within a point of Tyrone.

At this time the game turned; Tomas McCann collected a great ball and hit a powerful shot on the run bringing off a great save from John Devine. Shortly afterwards the Antrim half forward unit lost possession and in the subsequent play Tyrone went the length of the field, exploiting space, and eventually Stephen O'Neill netted. Had McCann's effort gone in, who knows?

Afterwards Liam Bradley took the positives from the game.
"We don't like losing and it didn't look a 5 point game. If one of our goal chances had gone in, it could have been different but our lads will learn from that."

Next up for Antrim is the final Power NI McKenna Cup game V Queens on Wednesday night, before the national league starts on Saturday 4th February.

Brendan Mulgrew

Mulgrew must have been at a different game than the one I was at.  Pure f**king crap.  We will still be talking about the same fundamental issues this time next year and we will not have moved any further on.  You can talk about big, strong lads, strength and conditioning all you want, it will take a lot more than that in my book.  That idiot Bradley is a real bufoon.  Put it like this, if he is not good enough as the Messiah in Derry, he's not any good for us.

[Rasharkin Gael]

u21 footballers beat by Armagh on Sunday at Aghagallon, 2-12 t0 2-09. Forwards once again extremely wasteful but still not a bad result so early in the season.

[AQMP]

Antrim opened their Casement 2012 yearbook this afternoon (what about Fermanagh last Sunday?)and while a 5 point defeat to Tyrone means that last year's McKenna Cup progress won't be matched, there was still plenty of positives to be taken from what was an entertaining game. 

Antrim started with a few new faces as Baker and his team continue the search for new Saffron talent, and a few boys will have enhanced their chances of a gaining a place on the team come the league. In the opening exchanges possession was shared but Tyrone had more shots at the posts. The 3 times All Ireland champions had left their shooting boots somewhere on the M1 however and hit too many wides.

Four of Antrim's first half points came from play and there some excellent scores among them from midfielder Conal Kelly and in particular Brian Neeson. Indeed Neeson shone brightly in the first half and alongside his two points he could have had two more only for one dropping short and another hitting the post. Paddy Cunningham was playing a deeper role and hit a terrific score from play and one from a free to leave Antrim with a two point half time lead.

By this stage the Red Hands had already looked to the bench for a bit of experience and had introduced someone called Stephen O'Neill. They upped the tempo at the start of the second half and hit 6 unanswered points to race into a 4 point lead.

Antrim too had experienced players to call on and the introduction of Aodhán Gallagher and Tomas McCann steadied things at midfield and provided another focal point of the attack. Conal Kelly's second point of the game signalled a Saffron revival and further scores from McCann and Cunningham brought Antrim to within a point of Tyrone.

At this time the game turned; Tomas McCann collected a great ball and hit a powerful shot on the run bringing off a great save from John Devine. Shortly afterwards the Antrim half forward unit lost possession and in the subsequent play Tyrone went the length of the field, exploiting space, and eventually Stephen O'Neill netted. Had McCann's effort gone in, who knows?

Afterwards Liam Bradley took the positives from the game.
"We don't like losing and it didn't look a 5 point game. If one of our goal chances had gone in, it could have been different but our lads will learn from that."

Next up for Antrim is the final Power NI McKenna Cup game V Queens on Wednesday night, before the national league starts on Saturday 4th February.

Brendan Mulgrew

Mulgrew must have been at a different game than the one I was at.  Pure f**king crap.  We will still be talking about the same fundamental issues this time next year and we will not have moved any further on.  You can talk about big, strong lads, strength and conditioning all you want, it will take a lot more than that in my book.  That idiot Bradley is a real bufoon.  Put it like this, if he is not good enough as the Messiah in Derry, he's not any good for us.

The Fermanagh game was played in Enniskillen, not Casement.

[bannside]

Its early days and to be honest a lot will depend on the type of training thats going on. The players love the new conditioning programme and Paddy Finn (Paul Mc Flynn) and Geroid are creating a good impression too, according to the players Ive spoken too.

Much bigger tests ahead, and it is vital to time your run properly to have something in the tank for the championship. We should have one priority this year - away to Monaghan in the championship. Give me a victory there (very possible) and I wouldnt give a toss about Division Three - just as long as we get enough points to stay up. Its all about the summer months, everything else is second fiddle.

Except in Antrim, of course! Lets get to a league final in Croke Park and lots of newspaper coverage - and then go out like a light when it matters most! Hopefully Paddy Finn will bring true championship tradition to the set up, ala An Lub.