Down Club Hurling & Football

[5 Sams]

I hear Burren Thirds couldn't field on Sunday, unusual for them!

At the other end of the spectrum we played Kilcoo 3rds last week and they had two lads playing who saw action in the Ulster club championship last year!!!

[passedit]

Div 3 is almost a month into action and early season favourites Kilclief and Dundrum have suprisingly dropped pointsalready. Drumaness and dromara lead the way at this stage and a young ardglass team are starting to gel together and hopefully will kick on.

Division 3

Team      Pld   Won   Draw   Lost   For   Against   Diff   Points
St Colman's Drumaness      3   3   0   0   71   25   46   6
St Paul's      3   3   0   0   61   51   10   6
Dromara      3   3   0   0   44   39   5   6
Bright      2   2   0   0   37   15   22   4
Ardglass      3   1   0   2   67   51   16   2
Kilclief      3   1   0   2   41   45   -4   2
Aughlisnafin      3   1   0   2   42   47   -5   2
St Michael's      2   1   0   1   21   36   -15   2
Mitchels      3   0   0   3   36   55   -19   0
Killyleagh      3   0   0   3   32   59   -27   0
Dundrum      2   0   0   2   17   46   -29   0

Big surprise is Dundrum, albeit they have lost to two of the favourites. Are both Mc Comiskeys lining out ?

[ardtole]

I think both McCommiskeys are playing, Dundrum have two tricky games next at home to dromora and away to St Pauls who have both started well. Some strange results this year that very few would have predicted.

[charlieTully]

Div 3 is almost a month into action and early season favourites Kilclief and Dundrum have suprisingly dropped pointsalready. Drumaness and dromara lead the way at this stage and a young ardglass team are starting to gel together and hopefully will kick on.

Division 3

Team      Pld   Won   Draw   Lost   For   Against   Diff   Points
St Colman's Drumaness      3   3   0   0   71   25   46   6
St Paul's      3   3   0   0   61   51   10   6
Dromara      3   3   0   0   44   39   5   6
Bright      2   2   0   0   37   15   22   4
Ardglass      3   1   0   2   67   51   16   2
Kilclief      3   1   0   2   41   45   -4   2
Aughlisnafin      3   1   0   2   42   47   -5   2
St Michael's      2   1   0   1   21   36   -15   2
Mitchels      3   0   0   3   36   55   -19   0
Killyleagh      3   0   0   3   32   59   -27   0
Dundrum      2   0   0   2   17   46   -29   0

Big surprise is Dundrum, albeit they have lost to two of the favourites. Are both Mc Comiskeys lining out ?

are Ballykinler not playing senior football at all now?

[umpire]

I think Ballyholland will do well this year in Div 1. may well finished in top 4. they have the 3 Murphys brothers are all back playing for Harps!!

[5 Sams]

I think Ballyholland will do well this year in Div 1. may well finished in top 4. they have the 3 Murphys brothers are all back playing for Harps!!

You could be right but we have a few starters goin abroad for the summer. We were hammered by injuries last year (4 cruciates) so touch wood every one else stays healthy this year.

[whitegoodman]

Burren are not going to be the threat of prior years as they have 6 or 7 lads not there from previous years all who would have played county football.

Kilcoo will still be the team to beat but Bryansford will be my dark horses as Dawson always has his teams ready and well motivated in his first couple of years in charge.  Also felt that Pete held them back a bit with what looked a very good squad on paper.  The bridge and Castlewellan will also be around the top 4but unlikely to win anything.

Can't see Ballyholland being anything more than mid table, they won't have any relegation problems but are still too reliant to Murtagh for scores.  They have also lost a very good manager.

With all due respect to both teams I would be surprised if either Glenn or Tullylish reach double figures.

As someone else said the point should walk div 2

[5 Sams]

Burren are not going to be the threat of prior years as they have 6 or 7 lads not there from previous years all who would have played county football.

Kilcoo will still be the team to beat but Bryansford will be my dark horses as Dawson always has his teams ready and well motivated in his first couple of years in charge.  Also felt that Pete held them back a bit with what looked a very good squad on paper.  The bridge and Castlewellan will also be around the top 4but unlikely to win anything.

Can't see Ballyholland being anything more than mid table, they won't have any relegation problems but are still too reliant to Murtagh for scores.  They have also lost a very good manager.

With all due respect to both teams I would be surprised if either Glenn or Tullylish reach double figures.

As someone else said the point should walk div 2

Agree 100% about your comment about the loss of Shane. But, while I know a lot of people think he is a header, I really do believe we have the best coach in the business in charge now. Two things remain to be seen. Can he keep the head and can he match his undoubted coaching skills with similar managerial skills. BTW I'm not talking out of school. He knows what's ahead. I'm really looking forward to it and I know our lads are really chomping at the bit....bring it on.

[whitegoodman]

Have heard great things about Poucher as a coach from lads from various clubs but there would still have to be question marks as a) great coaches don't always make great managers and b) he has been about a while now and as yet has been unable to keep any sort equilibrium on the sideline for a prolonged period of time.

We will see, it should be interesting anyway..........

[downjim]

Burren have lost a lot of players and will struggle to keep the pace with the magpies. Dawson seems to have the Ford in a bit of shape and organisation so they wil fancy their chances.The town will find it tough to have a year like last year.Clonduff, the Bridge, the stone etc will trouble the top teams but won't win much. Kilcoo to retain both their trophies.

[supersub]

Who exactly have Burren lost?

[elk]

Burren are not going to be the threat of prior years as they have 6 or 7 lads not there from previous years all who would have played county football.

Kilcoo will still be the team to beat but Bryansford will be my dark horses as Dawson always has his teams ready and well motivated in his first couple of years in charge.  Also felt that Pete held them back a bit with what looked a very good squad on paper.  The bridge and Castlewellan will also be around the top 4but unlikely to win anything.

Can't see Ballyholland being anything more than mid table, they won't have any relegation problems but are still too reliant to Murtagh for scores.  They have also lost a very good manager.

With all due respect to both teams I would be surprised if either Glenn or Tullylish reach double figures.

As someone else said the point should walk div 2

I am struggling to understand how Warrenpoint will walk Div 2 this year as they were a very poor team in Div 1 last year and obviously out of their depth. In times when most clubs squads are being weakened with lads leaving the country have they been able to buck the trend and strenghten their squad ? I know they have 3 players in the county squad but sure they won't be available all the time to line out for their club.

[Down Follower]

Burren are not going to be the threat of prior years as they have 6 or 7 lads not there from previous years all who would have played county football.

Kilcoo will still be the team to beat but Bryansford will be my dark horses as Dawson always has his teams ready and well motivated in his first couple of years in charge.  Also felt that Pete held them back a bit with what looked a very good squad on paper.  The bridge and Castlewellan will also be around the top 4but unlikely to win anything.

Can't see Ballyholland being anything more than mid table, they won't have any relegation problems but are still too reliant to Murtagh for scores.  They have also lost a very good manager.

With all due respect to both teams I would be surprised if either Glenn or Tullylish reach double figures.

As someone else said the point should walk div 2

I am struggling to understand how Warrenpoint will walk Div 2 this year as they were a very poor team in Div 1 last year and obviously out of their depth. In times when most clubs squads are being weakened with lads leaving the country have they been able to buck the trend and strenghten their squad ? I know they have 3 players in the county squad but sure they won't be available all the time to line out for their club.

Elk, the thing is Warrenpoint should have never have been so poor last year - it was bordering on shameful the way they performed in the last third of the league.  However they have been revitalised with their under 21 success at the end of last year and these young lads together with the older players including 3 county players as you say will be more than enough to see them home.

I keep waiting on Poacher to really make the big breakthrough as a manager so maybe this will be his year.  Have the Harps got the players for him to do it though??

[supersub]

Burren are not going to be the threat of prior years as they have 6 or 7 lads not there from previous years all who would have played county football.

Kilcoo will still be the team to beat but Bryansford will be my dark horses as Dawson always has his teams ready and well motivated in his first couple of years in charge.  Also felt that Pete held them back a bit with what looked a very good squad on paper.  The bridge and Castlewellan will also be around the top 4but unlikely to win anything.

Can't see Ballyholland being anything more than mid table, they won't have any relegation problems but are still too reliant to Murtagh for scores.  They have also lost a very good manager.

With all due respect to both teams I would be surprised if either Glenn or Tullylish reach double figures.

As someone else said the point should walk div 2

I am struggling to understand how Warrenpoint will walk Div 2 this year as they were a very poor team in Div 1 last year and obviously out of their depth. In times when most clubs squads are being weakened with lads leaving the country have they been able to buck the trend and strenghten their squad ? I know they have 3 players in the county squad but sure they won't be available all the time to line out for their club.

Elk, the thing is Warrenpoint should have never have been so poor last year - it was bordering on shameful the way they performed in the last third of the league.  However they have been revitalised with their under 21 success at the end of last year and these young lads together with the older players including 3 county players as you say will be more than enough to see them home.

I keep waiting on Poacher to really make the big breakthrough as a manager so maybe this will be his year.  Have the Harps got the players for him to do it though??

If he's good enough he'll get it out of what he has

[whitegoodman]

Who exactly have Burren lost?

Gerrard McCartan
Anton McArdle
James McGovern
Eamon McGovern
Shay McArdle
Declan Rooney (if you count from the championship winning team)