Connacht Club Championships 2017 - Senior/Intermediate/Junior Football & Hurling

[Owenmoresider]

Brigid's, Castlebar, Corofin and Tourlestrane in Connacht again, how novel 

[Syferus]

Brigid's, Castlebar, Corofin and Tourlestrane in Connacht again, how novel 

Brigids had their fill today despite the two late goals giving the scoreline gloss. Well run clubs win titles, it's up to the chasing pack to put work in to develop players. Brigids won a cracking minor final today too and that's the engine that will keep them knocking around the top in Roscommon and Connacht.

[sligoman]

Poor game in Sligo today.

Tourlestrane deserving winners but made it tougher than they should have. The old guard are still carrying Harps but they do seem to have some good young players coming through, they'll really struggle when Donovan, Gallagher, Taylor and the Cryans pack it in though as they're carrying the team at present and all are well in their 30s now.

Think Tourlestrane could do 4 or 5 in a row at this rate and it's not even a vintage team for them, much weaker than the team they had 10-15 years ago.

What age is Shane O'Grady for Harps? Looks a decent prospect. Liam Gaughan has the ability but I think will need a few years of gym work before he's ready for county. Tourlestrane are a solid side but lack any real star quality to make any impact in Connacht. I can't see them causing Castlebar any problems who could score goals for fun if they saw the ease at which balls in on the square caused mayhem in the Tourlestrane defence today.

[mrhardyannual]

Good final in McHale Park. Castlebar were worthy winners but it was in doubt until the last few minutes. Ballintubber with the wind took a couple of points of a lead into the second half. They settled quicker than Mitchels but never pulled away. Good tactical play on both sides. Paddy Durcan took up Diarmuid O Connor with Ger McDonogh on Cillian. Shot taking on both sides was superb in the first 20 mins with every shot at scoring being successful and no wides. James Durcan, twin of Paddy was doing damage and was very unlucky to be black-carded. Ballintubber stretched the lead to three points but Castlebar came back with some great scores to lead by two. Cillian O Connor got a second yellow but it only served to galvanise Ballintubber. A goalbound effort from DOC was blocked down and a monster (second) point for McDonogh won the game.

Mitchel's were greatly improved on their form in recent games and despite playing midweek, finished much the stronger. Signs of wear and tear on Ballintubber and their period at the top of club football in Mayo may be coming to an end. Mitchel,s will need to improve up front if they wish to progress but they are building momentum. Barry Moran was greatly involved after being invisible in the last few games. Paddy Durcan was immense and must have pushed Ger McDonogh for MOTM. Well balanced Mitchel's side with James Durcan leaving a calling card for the watching Mayo manager (as did Michael Plunkett of Ballintubber). And a young Johnny Maughan at corner-back did all that was asked of him. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Cracking Intermediate final between Kiltimagh and Moy Davitts ended in a draw. Kiltimagh led by six points with less than ten minutes left and looked good value. Moy Davitt's score 1 04 to lead by a point only for Kilty to draw level. Replay next Saturday.

[mrhardyannual]

Great to see Toreen not only overcome the Prentys but hammer them in the Mayo SHC final. 2-10 to 0-06.

Toreen are one of the best anomalies in the GAA.

I think your knowledge of Ballyhaunis hurling needs an update. Whatever they have done was done without any aid from John Prenty who would be seen as anti-hurling in Ballyhaunis. Perhaps that knowledge will make you change allegiance.
Incidentally Ciaran Charlton who won a hurling title with Tooreen yesterday performed well for Kiltimagh in the Inter Football Final today.

[Syferus]

Great to see Toreen not only overcome the Prentys but hammer them in the Mayo SHC final. 2-10 to 0-06.

Toreen are one of the best anomalies in the GAA.

I think your knowledge of Ballyhaunis hurling needs an update. Whatever they have done was done without any aid from John Prenty who would be seen as anti-hurling in Ballyhaunis. Perhaps that knowledge will make you change allegiance.
Incidentally Ciaran Charlton who won a hurling title with Tooreen yesterday performed well for Kiltimagh in the Inter Football Final today.

Not in the least. With Pearses winning their first Roscommon title in nearly 30 years it will be a very novel Connacht pairing next time out for both Tooreen and PP.

[rosnarun]

Good final in McHale Park. Castlebar were worthy winners but it was in doubt until the last few minutes. Ballintubber with the wind took a couple of points of a lead into the second half. They settled quicker than Mitchels but never pulled away. Good tactical play on both sides. Paddy Durcan took up Diarmuid O Connor with Ger McDonogh on Cillian. Shot taking on both sides was superb in the first 20 mins with every shot at scoring being successful and no wides. James Durcan, twin of Paddy was doing damage and was very unlucky to be black-carded. Ballintubber stretched the lead to three points but Castlebar came back with some great scores to lead by two. Cillian O Connor got a second yellow but it only served to galvanise Ballintubber. A goalbound effort from DOC was blocked down and a monster (second) point for McDonogh won the game.

Mitchel's were greatly improved on their form in recent games and despite playing midweek, finished much the stronger. Signs of wear and tear on Ballintubber and their period at the top of club football in Mayo may be coming to an end. Mitchel,s will need to improve up front if they wish to progress but they are building momentum. Barry Moran was greatly involved after being invisible in the last few games. Paddy Durcan was immense and must have pushed Ger McDonogh for MOTM. Well balanced Mitchel's side with James Durcan leaving a calling card for the watching Mayo manager (as did Michael Plunkett of Ballintubber). And a young Johnny Maughan at corner-back did all that was asked of him. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Cracking Intermediate final between Kiltimagh and Moy Davitts ended in a draw. Kiltimagh led by six points with less than ten minutes left and looked good value. Moy Davitt's score 1 04 to lead by a point only for Kilty to draw level. Replay next Saturday.

Fell a bout 25 miles too far .

don't think ballintubber are gone yet a lot of talent there and disote the draw the 2 of them seemed to have pulled further away from the pack .
Jason gibbons absence from mayo looks very odd I thought he has been excellent all year as least as good as when he was playing for mayo.
on the plus side brian regan looked very much the county man in the intermediate final and should be given good run out in the FBD and league to test his mettle

[magpie seanie]

Tourlestrane County Champions

1-13 to 1-9

Watched it on youtube and the quality of the video and commentary was excellent.  Well done to all involved.

Congrats to Tourlestrane. Great achievement to do back to back titles for the first time in almost 30 years. They were always the team to beat and despite some difficult times against Tubbercurry the first day and in yesterdays final they did the business. Well done too to the Co Board on the excellent streaming of the games. They deserve criticism a lot of the time but certainly deserve praise when they get things right like this. Good luck in Connacht. It'll be tough but I'm sure they'll represent us well. Fair play also to Harps. Were expected to be turned over in the quarter, semi and well beaten in the final but showed their mettle each time. They will struggle to replace those older guys when the time comes but maybe they'll be around a little while yet.

[magpie seanie]

Big win for St John's yesterday v  aughnasheelin
2-13 to 0-4 I think

Ya, great result for them alright. Game was switched to Bekan and I heard from a John's clubman they were not made aware of it properly and were very annoyed about it. Maybe they channelled that anger into a strong performance.

[mrhardyannual]

Good final in McHale Park. Castlebar were worthy winners but it was in doubt until the last few minutes. Ballintubber with the wind took a couple of points of a lead into the second half. They settled quicker than Mitchels but never pulled away. Good tactical play on both sides. Paddy Durcan took up Diarmuid O Connor with Ger McDonogh on Cillian. Shot taking on both sides was superb in the first 20 mins with every shot at scoring being successful and no wides. James Durcan, twin of Paddy was doing damage and was very unlucky to be black-carded. Ballintubber stretched the lead to three points but Castlebar came back with some great scores to lead by two. Cillian O Connor got a second yellow but it only served to galvanise Ballintubber. A goalbound effort from DOC was blocked down and a monster (second) point for McDonogh won the game.

Mitchel's were greatly improved on their form in recent games and despite playing midweek, finished much the stronger. Signs of wear and tear on Ballintubber and their period at the top of club football in Mayo may be coming to an end. Mitchel,s will need to improve up front if they wish to progress but they are building momentum. Barry Moran was greatly involved after being invisible in the last few games. Paddy Durcan was immense and must have pushed Ger McDonogh for MOTM. Well balanced Mitchel's side with James Durcan leaving a calling card for the watching Mayo manager (as did Michael Plunkett of Ballintubber). And a young Johnny Maughan at corner-back did all that was asked of him. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Cracking Intermediate final between Kiltimagh and Moy Davitts ended in a draw. Kiltimagh led by six points with less than ten minutes left and looked good value. Moy Davitt's score 1 04 to lead by a point only for Kilty to draw level. Replay next Saturday.

Fell a bout 25 miles too far .

don't think ballintubber are gone yet a lot of talent there and disote the draw the 2 of them seemed to have pulled further away from the pack .
Jason gibbons absence from mayo looks very odd I thought he has been excellent all year as least as good as when he was playing for mayo.
on the plus side brian regan looked very much the county man in the intermediate final and should be given good run out in the FBD and league to test his mettle

Brian Reape? Hard to argue against his getting a run but he would need to show more urgency and workrate.

[Syferus]

I think urgency and workrate are the nice way in Mayo of saying lads like Reape and Irwin are too slow for senior IC.

[mrhardyannual]

I think urgency and workrate are the nice way in Mayo of saying lads like Reape and Irwin are too slow for senior IC.

No. It's a way of saying that they don't work hard enough. Reape played well last Sunday but on two occasions in the second half when play broke down in the Kiltimagh back line he failed to make any effort to tackle the player emerging with the ball even though he was closest to the play. I didn't mention Irwin.

[Syferus]

I think urgency and workrate are the nice way in Mayo of saying lads like Reape and Irwin are too slow for senior IC.

No. It's a way of saying that they don't work hard enough. Reape played well last Sunday but on two occasions in the second half when play broke down in the Kiltimagh back line he failed to make any effort to tackle the player emerging with the ball even though he was closest to the play. I didn't mention Irwin.

It was exactly the same words bandied around when Irwin was in the conversation a couple years ago. Honestly, I've seen enough of him to say he probably is too cumbersome for senior IC.

Reape I'd need to see more of to be sure of but slowness in mind or body by itself can cause pretty much everything you've just said.

I've seen reems of forwards who try their best but couldn't catch up to a back who has a head start on them let alone tackle them no matter what they tried so at times they just don't engage at all. AOS would be the best example of that at senior at the moment.

[magpie seanie]

What's going on with Intermediate football in Galway? I heard wind of an objection?

[magpie seanie]

I had my facts totally wrong in a comment I made earlier on this thread that I have since removed. I apologise for the comment.