Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Think Owen Gallagher got the last gasp goal (not Mc Grady) both of whom had excellent games.
Not the same Conor Mc Cann. Hes a year too old. This ones not too bad either.

Some match and a great battling display. Job not done yet but hopefully our management team will have learned more than theirs. Still there to be won.

Ryan Murray was class too I thought. Stepped up big time.

[The Brick]

I think our U-21`s can put it up to Armagh and quietly confident of a big result tonight. Athletic grounds at 8pm.

Is this Bakers fifth year as under 21 manager?

They will be lucky if they can get within 5 points of Armagh!

Must have been luck

As i said 'lucky'. 2 goals coming into injury time and again 4 points down 5 mins to play in extra time. Should have been dead and buried. Armagh wont make the same mistake in replay.

[imtommygunn]

I think our U-21`s can put it up to Armagh and quietly confident of a big result tonight. Athletic grounds at 8pm.

Is this Bakers fifth year as under 21 manager?

They will be lucky if they can get within 5 points of Armagh!

Must have been luck

As i said 'lucky'. 2 goals coming into injury time and again 4 points down 5 mins to play in extra time. Should have been dead and buried. Armagh wont make the same mistake in replay.

Who's rubbed you up the wrong way??

[Gizzy15]

I think our U-21`s can put it up to Armagh and quietly confident of a big result tonight. Athletic grounds at 8pm.

Is this Bakers fifth year as under 21 manager?

They will be lucky if they can get within 5 points of Armagh!

Must have been luck

As i said 'lucky'. 2 goals coming into injury time and again 4 points down 5 mins to play in extra time. Should have been dead and buried. Armagh wont make the same mistake in replay.

Who's rubbed you up the wrong way??

Me thinks me?

So the timing of goals decides if it's luck or not? I thought that during play a goal was a goal?

So if you get two goals in the first 3 minutes and draw or win are you lucky?

If you get  6 points in a row in the seven minutes leading up to half time and draw the game are you lucky?

One team may score unanswered points in a first half and the other team do the same in the second half(maybe extra time). What makes one team lucky?

[bannside]

Twenty three points to twenty three after 80 minutes. You make your own luck!
During that time we created at least the same amount of scoring chances. There was a huge wind factor too Brick that you probably are not aware of if, as I suspect, you werent at the game!

[Gizzy15]

Twenty three points to twenty three after 80 minutes. You make your own luck!
During that time we created at least the same amount of scoring chances. There was a huge wind factor too Brick that you probably are not aware of if, as I suspect, you werent at the game!

No was not at the game, but your twenty three points to twenty three points after 80minutes was exactly what I was saying, the Brick called it luck I was pointing out what you have just wrote above, each of my points were a question to Brick if you read them. Btw sorry for posting on a game I didn't attend,  the amount of posts on this board will fall dramatically if that becomes a precondition.

[bannside]

Misunderstanding there Gizzy. My comments were meant for Brick - I think you and I are on the same page. You missed a cracker though. The old saying "you couldn`t write the script" was made for last night.

It wasnt all pretty though. I thought some players did noticably better than others last night and we will need them all showing up next Wednesday night. Cant fault the effort and the character though and we dont see enough of that in Saffron. Credit to all for that ..... but now the standard has to be maintained.

[country bumpkin]

Under-21 replay at Newry.............f c u k..........................are we wearing the red and black??

[AntrimRealist]

I totally understand how ludicrous that assertion looks tonight Minder on the back of recent performances. Cant argue with the stats AQMP has posted either. But we have to hold on an aspiration to play at a higher level - because once we concede that possibility we might as well all throw the towel in.

Two years ago Derry and Monaghan were in disarray (by their standards, not ours). They appointed two men that I had promoted for Antrim, as both were available at that time. Mc Iver took Derry out of div 2 at first attempt and look at them today beating the Dubs and near top of Division One. Definitely on a very progressive curve. Malachy O Rourke won an Ulster c`ship at the first attemp, and also won promotion from div 3. And still progressing. Remarkable progress as he had already demonstrated at The Loup (Ulster club winners) and with Fermanagh with whom he remarkably prepared to draw an Ulster final against Armagh in 2008.

Disarray can be turned around lads, but it takes vision, leadership and a united desire. As a dual county where our hurling budget is set to more than double our football budget, its clear that our co board are totally disinterested in football. Thats the reality, most of them either dont care or dont know. As I said before - which is worse?

And as for having any ambition for Antrim Football - just speak to John Rafferty or Seamus Mc Eneaney who were both interviwed for the post several months ago, and listen to what they have to say about how their ambitious plans were knocked back. Youre not allowed to have any ambition for Antrim Football. Get used to it. A bag of balls and away you go and can you pitch share with Under 21`s like good lads. Chickens coming home to roost now, arnt they??

Hopefully our under 21`s (on their shoestring budget) will offer some glimpse of a better future when they meet Armagh on Wednesday night. If we really want a blueprint for the future then we should be watching closely at what Cavan are doing at this level.

But then again ANY blueprint would be a start, wouldnt it?

We will do well to beat Armagh tomorrow night. Were inept v Derry last year. Hope we go out and play with guts and fire from the start--not waiting to see what they do first and then trying to make a comeback when the game is gone.

Tipp aren't a bad side but conceding 3-20 to them is unreal.

Managers can only do so much, players make the difference.

We massively miss Loughrey (constantly broke gain line, setting up points and goals and also our best defender) , not having a  focal point in attack and Tomas McCann also. Terry O'Neill and A Gallagher are losses too, although both are gone a while now. If you think back to our 1 point win v Donegal and 3 point win v Cavan in 09--those players were all playing well and are all still of playing (perhaps peak) age.

Gold, interested in your observations on Loughrey. Can you explain what the gain line is Gaelic Football?

[bannside]

Think what Gold is saying is straightforward. No one was better than James Loughrey at breaking a tackle (which takes a man out) therefore gaining an advantage. Thats the gain line - breaking the line between your opponent and the goals you are laying into. Plus Locky was big on leadership and demanded better from those around him. No surprise that he has been well received in Cork.

[oneclubonelife]

Been away working-all things seem rosy in the Antrim garden, bar the casement saga. U21 get a good result on Wednesday night and all is good again. What is with the seniors in that they are now the bottom team in Ireland. Its a good job Fermanagh is in a bigger mess than Antrim coming up to the championship. Bannside-how are things in Portglenone. Was talking to a member who was telling me that senior team preparations have be very difficult because Portglenone have 5 players away with county and that there are a spate of injuries to the U21 team that they haven't been able
to join senior training. Hardly ideal preparations 2 weeks till the league starts. Are there any other immediate teams in Antrim whose preparations have been "handicapped" coming up to start of season.

[Milltown Row2]

Been away working-all things seem rosy in the Antrim garden, bar the casement saga. U21 get a good result on Wednesday night and all is good again. What is with the seniors in that they are now the bottom team in Ireland. Its a good job Fermanagh is in a bigger mess than Antrim coming up to the championship. Bannside-how are things in Portglenone. Was talking to a member who was telling me that senior team preparations have be very difficult because Portglenone have 5 players away with county and that there are a spate of injuries to the U21 team that they haven't been able
to join senior training. Hardly ideal preparations 2 weeks till the league starts. Are there any other immediate teams in Antrim whose preparations have been "handicapped" coming up to start of season.

I'd say that most clubs have problems early doors but the focus for most will be championship and the way Antrim are going at the minute Portglenone will have all their county players back at the buisness end of things, and maybe able to push on from the under 21 championship win last year.

What side of the draw are Portglenone? Cargin or Galls?

[country bumpkin]

Been away working-all things seem rosy in the Antrim garden, bar the casement saga. U21 get a good result on Wednesday night and all is good again. What is with the seniors in that they are now the bottom team in Ireland. Its a good job Fermanagh is in a bigger mess than Antrim coming up to the championship. Bannside-how are things in Portglenone. Was talking to a member who was telling me that senior team preparations have be very difficult because Portglenone have 5 players away with county and that there are a spate of injuries to the U21 team that they haven't been able
to join senior training. Hardly ideal preparations 2 weeks till the league starts. Are there any other immediate teams in Antrim whose preparations have been "handicapped" coming up to start of season.

The short answer is neither.................................but if you scroll on down to the Intermediate you will find that Casement's meet O' Donnells in the first round.

[Milltown Row2]

Been away working-all things seem rosy in the Antrim garden, bar the casement saga. U21 get a good result on Wednesday night and all is good again. What is with the seniors in that they are now the bottom team in Ireland. Its a good job Fermanagh is in a bigger mess than Antrim coming up to the championship. Bannside-how are things in Portglenone. Was talking to a member who was telling me that senior team preparations have be very difficult because Portglenone have 5 players away with county and that there are a spate of injuries to the U21 team that they haven't been able
to join senior training. Hardly ideal preparations 2 weeks till the league starts. Are there any other immediate teams in Antrim whose preparations have been "handicapped" coming up to start of season.

The short answer is neither.................................but if you scroll on down to the Intermediate you will find that Casement's meet O' Donnells in the first round.

Shoe in then!!

[bannside]

Boys training for Sigerson, club under twenty one, county under 21 and county seniors should be fit enough when leagues start. Be more worried about burning out before the business end of the club season tbh. A couple of our lads have had NO break at all during the winter.

Im only talking about a couple of players in our club, but its important the club gets something out of them too at the business end.