Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Some weekend lined up in Dublin the football finals and the 1916 centenary events. Exactly 100 years this weekend.

Big shout out to Fitzy/Gearoid/Big Joe/wee Pat and all the team on our first visit to Croke Park for a few years. Would be great to win the match and hopefully put on a performance in front of the cameras and hundreds of our young supporters going down in buses from clubs across the county. A win tomorrow and The Green Glens will get a fair old blast in Jury's Croke Park Hotel about 6 o clock.

[theskull1]

Take a look at the crowd and then someone tell me why a 30+ thousand seater Casement is good for Antrim 

[MoChara]

I think we lost it in the mid field they were catching everything including our kick outs

[Gold]

We kicked it away. When we got 1-11 we shouldve kicked on and got 1-20. Awful wides and kicks into keepers hands. We were the better team just didnt take our scores

[curious]

better team for first half only, total disintegration in second half, if Louth had kicked half of their second half wides, they would have been out of sight. Serious issue with kickout plan, if any exists, reckon Antrim lost most of Kerr's kicks. Banging it down the middle all the time is a disaster
On that showing ,qualifiers after Fermanagh

[ONeill]

Was there a strong wind blowing over the Hill in the first half? Antrim seemed reluctant to shoot from any distance whereas Louth were banging them over into the Canal. Neeson had one of those days in the first half. Didn't see much of the second half but if Antrim had been out of sight at half time it wouldn't have been a fluke. Louth had a modern approach to defending; Antrim a bit more open.

[bannside]

Going from a couple of points down to five up at the interval left us a bit complacent. Everyone I spoke to at the break thought we were well in control, and I'd say the players thought that too.

Mick had a great chance to level it but it wasn't to be. Came home today to find a big Louth flag planted in the fence between our house and the neighbours. He is from Drogheda originally - obviously enjoying his moment!

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Lads 2 very poor teams. But entertaining all the same.

[Gold]

Tomas was v good and I thought was pulled down for a potential penalty in 2nd half that ref waved away

I thought R Johnston and KOBO were playing great but I think we weren't great around the middle. Mick McCann is good out there but other than that we are lacking in that position as you go up to a higher level. I'm maybe being harsh but im talking about men in that position who take the game by the scruff of it's neck when it is going against you, catching clean ball and driving a team on by scoring a point to stem the tide like Tohill, O Se etc...I just don't think we have that at the minute/or the boys haven't reached that level yet (im not saying they ever would meet those men's level but I mean chipping in by scores or clean catches to turn the tide!).

Neeson had an off day at a time when a few more scores would have killed the game as a contest. He should've been subbed earlier for Murray. Didn't happen for Murray either but that happens some days. I think our misses meant panic set in a bit and thus Louth tails went up and they realised we were caught in the headlights and they threw the shackles off and went hell for leather.
I'm certain we are better than them and would beat them 9 times out of 10 but we need to learn to have a killer instinct and not panic when things aren't happening for us

There has been a defo improvement this year and you cant win them all. I believe we are better than Fermanagh and should beat them if we play with intensity the whole match.

It's great to see the buy in from the players that we didn't have last year and their efforts are appreciated by many, even if the attendance didn't show it on Saturday. Reality is that a Div 4 final will not draw the crowds but hopefully championship will.... and a win or 2 there would see the fair weather fans back out again

[FermGael]

Tomas was v good and I thought was pulled down for a potential penalty in 2nd half that ref waved away

I thought R Johnston and KOBO were playing great but I think we weren't great around the middle. Mick McCann is good out there but other than that we are lacking in that position as you go up to a higher level. I'm maybe being harsh but im talking about men in that position who take the game by the scruff of it's neck when it is going against you, catching clean ball and driving a team on by scoring a point to stem the tide like Tohill, O Se etc...I just don't think we have that at the minute/or the boys haven't reached that level yet (im not saying they ever would meet those men's level but I mean chipping in by scores or clean catches to turn the tide!).

Neeson had an off day at a time when a few more scores would have killed the game as a contest. He should've been subbed earlier for Murray. Didn't happen for Murray either but that happens some days. I think our misses meant panic set in a bit and thus Louth tails went up and they realised we were caught in the headlights and they threw the shackles off and went hell for leather.
I'm certain we are better than them and would beat them 9 times out of 10 but we need to learn to have a killer instinct and not panic when things aren't happening for us

There has been a defo improvement this year and you cant win them all.

It's great to see the buy in from the players that we didn't have last year and their efforts are I believe we are better than Fermanagh and should beat them if we play with intensity the whole match.appreciated by many, even if the attendance didn't show it on Saturday. Reality is that a Div 4 final will not draw the crowds but hopefully championship will.... and a win or 2 there would see the fair weather fans back out again

Where do you base that assumption from?
Honestly here and no messing because I have had two years of being told that Antrim have better players than Fermanagh.

[imtommygunn]

I fail to see where it's coming from too.

Fermanagh are a decent side with quite a number of good players. Eoin Donnelly would make most teams in Ireland and there are a few others none too shabby.

If we raise our game and are organised we can definitely compete with them and maybe get a win but Fermanagh should be strong favourites and rightly so.

[FermGael]

I fail to see where it's coming from too.

Fermanagh are a decent side with quite a number of good players. Eoin Donnelly would make most teams in Ireland and there are a few others none too shabby.

If we raise our game and are organised we can definitely compete with them and maybe get a win but Fermanagh should be strong favourites and rightly so.

That I can understand.

[AQMP]

I fail to see where it's coming from too.

Fermanagh are a decent side with quite a number of good players. Eoin Donnelly would make most teams in Ireland and there are a few others none too shabby.

If we raise our game and are organised we can definitely compete with them and maybe get a win but Fermanagh should be strong favourites and rightly so.

That I can understand.

I'll have a pint of whatever Gold is on.  Fermanagh stuffed us twice last year (by 13 points in the qualifiers if memory serves me right).  They held their own in Div 2, beat Meath and drew with Tyrone and away to Galway, three teams we're nowhere near.  I've been to a few Fermanagh games this year and I was at the Div 4 final.  Honestly, I expect Fermanagh to win this by at least 6-8 points.  They are much better than us.

Antrim have no killer instinct.  We were 5 up after 45 mins and should have pushed on and won that game comfortably, instead we gave away two bad goals (to add to a really soft one after a couple of minutes).

[Gold]

Right a couple of years ago we were well ahead in championship. ..I believe showing we are better and have more talented players

We then sat back and showed our lack of killer instinct and nearly blew it...if we can get over that freezing mentality I believe we are better...granted it's a big if

Last year we didn't have the team of 2014 or this year....it was a C team and doesn't count. We had no Niblock, Neeson or Tomas or Mick McCann...you're talking our top 4 forwards. If fermanagh didn't have quigley or the corrigans they would be toothless too

Fermanagh have done it v Galway etc though and we haven't. ..I'll maybe be proved wrong but we'll see

[FermGael]

Right a couple of years ago we were well ahead in championship. ..I believe showing we are better and have more talented players

We then sat back and showed our lack of killer instinct and nearly blew it...if we can get over that freezing mentality I believe we are better...granted it's a big if

Last year we didn't have the team of 2014 or this year....it was a C team and doesn't count. We had no Niblock, Neeson or Tomas or Mick McCann...you're talking our top 4 forwards. If fermanagh didn't have quigley or the corrigans they would be toothless too

Fermanagh have done it v Galway etc though and we haven't. ..I'll maybe be proved wrong but we'll see

Well ahead. Really?
I may be wrong but did Antrim not need a goal line clearance by O'Boyle from McCluskey with the last kick of the game to deny Fermanagh the win.
We were caught cold that day but by the end it was Antrim that froze and were hanging on.