Antrim Football Thread

saffron sam2 · February 27, 2008, 09:24:29 PM

Quote from: ONeill on February 26, 2008, 10:37:55 PM
Quote from: hardstation on February 26, 2008, 10:35:58 PM
Play with the wind.
Any scoop on the line up for Saturday? Who has been going well at training?

CJ McGourty'd be a worry. He has been eating some big dinners lately with custard an all.

Although, they tell me, he doen't like anchovies in his lunchtime curry.

Glensman · February 28, 2008, 12:14:00 PM

Good to see a few more Antrim heads involved in the Sigerson, can be no bad thing at all.

Always thought that was one of our downfalls coupled with not much McRory action.

imtommygunn · February 28, 2008, 05:59:04 PM

Agree Glensman.

If you read the headlines about Queens UUJ it's Cunningham and McCann getting them. Gallagher seems to be getting good press too. Good to see. Few other boys there too who'd be no slouches either.

CiKe · February 28, 2008, 07:24:06 PM

I wondered what happened to Doot, played a lot against him at underage and at that level he was probably one of the best in the county. Am I right in thinking he had some sort of serious knee injury? Never knew he had gone to Kerry and assumed he had just given it up

Cruncher · February 29, 2008, 10:05:27 AM

Anyone aware of how many people involved in wednesday's sig panels are part of the antrim setup?

imtommygunn · February 29, 2008, 11:22:37 AM

Any predictions for the Offaly game?

Tomas McCann and Paddy Cunningham for J'Town

Justin Crozier, James Loughrey and Aodhan Gallagher for J'Town

Not sure about other panelists. Thought Andy McLean was at J'Town and Kevin Niblock was at Queen's so maybe they were subs?

Few St Mary's players from Antrim too. Pollock and McGourty anyway - maybe more.

PlayWithTheWind · February 29, 2008, 01:36:36 PM

Andy McLean has finished university
Kevin Niblock is now at St Marys

Sean Burke - sub for Queens
Conor Murray - panelist for J'Town

Quote from: CiKe on February 28, 2008, 07:24:06 PM
I wondered what happened to Doot, played a lot against him at underage and at that level he was probably one of the best in the county. Am I right in thinking he had some sort of serious knee injury? Never knew he had gone to Kerry and assumed he had just given it up

heard a rumour "Doot" made the last 40 of the Kerry panel last year, dont know if theres much truth in it.

imtommygunn · February 29, 2008, 04:07:02 PM

He's definitely a very talented forward that boy and will maybe help take St John's out of the slump they seem to currently be in.

Antrim to surprise Offaly and win by two...

AZOffaly · February 29, 2008, 04:19:26 PM

Quote from: imtommygunn on February 29, 2008, 04:07:02 PM
He's definitely a very talented forward that boy and will maybe help take St John's out of the slump they seem to currently be in.

Antrim to surprise Offaly and win by two...

I don't think Antrim winning would be a surprise.

imtommygunn · February 29, 2008, 04:22:20 PM

Sure was it not only the other year they were in the Leinster final AZ?

Offaly have a few handy footballers - not least Niall McNamee. I think it would be a big surprise for Antrim to beat them - but it's not an impossible task.

AZOffaly · February 29, 2008, 04:26:53 PM

On paper we might have a strong enough team, and lads lilke Niall McNamee, Ciaran McManus, Karol Slattery (injured), Thommo Deehan etc would be useful for many county teams in in Ireland, but games are not played on paper.

Last year was a disaster. Dublin beat us by 5 in a Leinster semi final, and it should have been 25. We were relegated into this Division, and Wicklow knocked us out of the TM Cup (but I wouldn't really count that).

This year the word coming from the camp is that preparations are better, and players are more committed. The win against Carlow in Carlow was a good win, however the struggle past Tipperary in Tullamore last time out was a bit worrying.

Antrim have been flying in the league so far, with to really good wins in Ennis and Aughrim.

Antrim are at home.

If Offaly are fully focussed and fully fired up, and play to their abilities they should win. However, Antrim will be fired up, and are playing well, so anything less than that will probably spell defeat, and I have my doubts about this Offaly team. Hopefully they prove me way wrong, but I'll be pleasantly surprised if they do.

imtommygunn · February 29, 2008, 04:42:49 PM

Based on what you say then it's a good test of where either team are at really.

Antrim have a strong 15 out. They'd be stronger with the two McGourtys but through one circumstance or another they're not there. It's still a strong enough team they have out though. I'd maybe like to see Tomas McCann on it but that aside close to best 15.

imtommygunn · March 02, 2008, 01:10:07 PM

No comments on the game?

It was a game that Antrim should have won - they were much the better team for the second half and a few dubious decisions at the end cost them it. Having said that Offaly were robbed of McManus at the start of the second half in one of the most ridiculous sending offs I've ever seen - two very innocuous challenges. He was dominating and his sending off was the reason we were so much the better team second half.

There are some promising signs in that team but that full back line seriously needs sorting out!! That aside with McGourty back the FF line looks good. Terry O'Neill had a massive game for Antrim yesterday as did Scullion (in the half backs but certainly not in the full back line!). Kevin Niblock wins lots of ball but you would maybe sometimes question his decision making - he gets a lot of ball though.

Hopefully we can hold on for promotion now - should have been two points but I hope it shows Jody that Scullion should be in half back and he maybe needs to address his full back line. McLean to come back though and that should help. It maybe highlights now that he was a bit quick to get rid of Colm Brady - not too late to get him back I'd have said.

Maximus Marillius · March 03, 2008, 10:50:16 AM

Quote from: hardstation on March 02, 2008, 09:01:40 PM
Tohill reckons Antrim's recent wins are due to Brolly. The emoticon most relevant to his facial expression is
Lyons says he'll not hold his breath. Wish he would, for ages.

did ye hear the Mc Gourty interview where he said the reason for being dropped from the county squad was due to his committment to a womans team FFS...does he have a clue at all what it takes at the very top. Then Jody comes on and says that the queens womans team was not the reason...it was another reason he was not prepared to discuss. Mc Gourty will catch himself on some day...but by that time age will have caught up with him and his mc county

career will be over

Gold · March 03, 2008, 11:46:02 PM

Antrim didnt half kick some wides the other night

had enough chances to win 7 games.

i hate the hush amoung supporters that invariably occurs at the end of antrim games--we never go on and fuckin win a tight game

bit of an improvement though to be fair

Scullion is a flying machine but is headless, Terry O'?Neill got through a mountain of work and was brilliant at times in the 2nd half
Convery was not great when he came on and has plyed much better at full back before.
Kev Niblock got a lot of ball but seems afraid to shoot.
Magill scored a few nice points but faded out of the game.
Cunningham needs to contribute more from play

i think it will tight to beat Carlow and Tipp--a couple of early goals against us and we could be goosed