Messages

Have to say congratulations to Warrenpoint Minors on comprehensively beating their lovely neighbours from Burren in the Minor championship final on sunday. running out easy winners the result was never in doubt, and if truth be told they shpuld have bate them out the gate by more. Nice to lift the minor title and well deserved after tasting defeat in the last few finals. With a good 12/13 of the same players available again next year all augurs well for the Blues. Also worth pointing out that there were 6/7 panel members involved with that Burren minor team who live in Point. The transfer system alive and well in Burren still.

With the Point having lifted both the All County Minor and Premier Reserve Championships at the expense of Burren they could be goin all out for a clean sweep if they win against Bosco on sunday.

The name says it all ''Diaorhea''. Glad to see you still crying bout Burren and them taking players. Thanks for all those you have sent up the road.  Enjoy your Minor win seem to remember you having quite a few good minor teams that eventually went to the soccer or pub.

You should be looking at why players go up the road. Easy to blame others than to look hard at yourselves. Pity to tarnish your win by being a knob.


Good luck

Why not take in neutral refs for the championship ie Antrim/ Armagh and vice-versa

because that would mean other counties having to take our referees for their championships!!!!
I think not

Well I'm back , for years I haven't seen a victory like this for us.
Traditional values versus money values over the top paid managers , mental gurus etc.. !
It was a game between a small rural club versus the club that began paying crazy money to managers in this county .
One club managed by a guy who represents all that is good about gaels and the other by a club with a history of Antrim men all paid very well , motivated by money with very close associations with soccer .One club representing all the values that  the GAA is about versus another that apparently  takes in Warrenpoint,Rostrevor ,Tullylish as part of its parish .
The modern club versus the club.The club that pays managers, mental gurus all on a gravy train versus the club perched in the mountains.
What a night !


Well The Gael, Firstly congratulations to the Stone for a deserved victory, 7 points down at half time no one could have seen it.
Ambrose and polly stood up and lead like real couunty players, with young Steven Doran and Michael Ireland following suit.

However with regard to your sensationalist comments on Burren paying managers and how Longstone seem to be squeaky clean in that regard, let me remind you  Frank Dawson had a well paid stint in your "wee rural club" followed by the well paid Jody Gormley and now you would have us all believe that Gregory is doing community service in the mournes.

Wise up, enjoy a well deserved win and remember you are now up on the pedestal, but before you get up there, take the championship with you, as last night proved you never know when you can come falling from the same pedestal you put yourself up on.



                                  the gael takes no prisoners !!

Hard to not sound like Roy Keane, but time for we done ok but beat by a better team is over, We let the hype get to us.
We abanbdoned everything we done well in first half in second and resorted to put it in and hope it sticks.

Donal O'Hare should have stayed on and taking him off to be replaced by a half fit Danny Hughes was disastrous.
Dan McCartan  was cleaneed out 2nd half and lucky to stay on. Brendan McCardle was very good gopng forward on front fooot but he hadnt a clue defensively and was a weakness. We badly missed Garvey and his cutting edge.

Choc is a great lad but not county class, his hoof and hope kicks highlighted willingness but not a know how on how to use the ball.

Mc kernan was alert and willling but when is he gonna realise if he kicks it,it just might not go over,  better to take next and possibly better option.

James has an impossible task to lift them for next week  but no better man, where there is a will there is a way.

One last lash for benny and co and then it just might be a year to rememember

Declan Moore R.I.P, sad to hear another Gael gone before his time

I think it is vital for Div 1 & 2 to go ahead  this week. Just make it a starred game and do away with one of the other starred games later on. The clubs will have been tailoring their training to suit friday nights start. We have to respect the effort every player puts in whether they be county or club.

Great that Down are in the semi final but we have to also ensure the development of all club players to ensure the standard is kept up. As a above play away and replace the fixture later in the year.

Any truth in the reports from Kilcoo and Under 21's. I think competitive challenge games is what any team needs particularly our county teams but reports of fighting are not good.

If Kilcoo used this challenge as a way of settling old scores from club games its not ideal. In saying that I would say the under 21's were sent out and told not to hold back and they got what they looked for. A good physical battle. As is the case alot of the time, reports of fight night probably exaggerated.

Armagh, Tyrone and the likes wont be standing of them in the championship letting them get a breather when the ball is up the field, so I'd honestly say a good test of their mettle wont do any harm.

[2012 ManagersDivision 1]

2012 Managers

Division 1

Kilcoo - Jim McCorry
Mayobridge - Francie Poland with Stephen Poucher as trainer
Burren - Frank Dawson
Bryansford - Pete McGrath
Ballyholland - Shane Mulholland
Clonduff - Paul McShane and Tony Wilson
Saval - PJ Magee
Longstone - Greg McCartan
Castlewellan - Liam Hardy
Downpatrick - Kyran Smyth


Division 2

An Riocht - Eamonn O'Rourke & Brendan Morgan
Rostrevor - Gerard Colgan
Liatroim - Jarlath Austin
Loughinisland - Bundy Mason with John Morgan as trainer
Shamrocks - Mickey Linden
Kilclief - Kevin Blaney
Annaclone - Johnny McCumiskey
Warrenpoint - Conor Tinnelly
Clann na Banna -
Carryduff -


Division 3

Ballymartin - Eamon Burns
Drumgath -
Tullylish -
Darragh Cross - Pat McMahon
Bosco - Raymond Tumelty
Glasdrumman -
Glenn - John Kennedy & Sean McClorey
Atticall -
Ardglass - Collie Savage
St Johns -
Saul - Cathal Murray
Drumaness - Coke Laverty


Division 4

Bredagh - Michael O'Callaghan
Dundrum - Francie Toner
Mitchels -
Dromara -
St Pauls -
Bright -
Teconnaught - DJ Morgan
St Michaels -
Aghaderg -
Aughlisnafin - Emmett Devlin
Ballykinlar -

O'Rourke would probably need an intercounty transfer fellas, but he is not up to County standard, played well against Burren in the first half Monday night but completely disappeared in the 2nd when Paddy Mohan was put on him and Mohan hasnt been able to break into the team all year.


On another note, had any of you seen Sean Clarke from An Riocht playing this year, had an absolute stormer against Burren earlier in the year playing @ wing half and seemed to have it all, speed, skill and an eye for the posts but somehow or other ended up playing @ centre half in the return fixture.

I thought he was one for the call up but wondered how he faired in other games

Johnny Parr would definitely be worth considering.

Also in the forward line Donal O'Hare would have to figure

Your opening comments forevergreen are very honest but the last comment is way out of line. I entered the pitch at 7.05 and the lights were on and cut off about 7.10. You seriously need to know all the facts before slagging off the officials there. Im not a county board official or rep, but there was no point in letting people in and paying their money and maybe having to postpone the game and as another poster says it was also for health and safety reasons. There may not have been as many officials running about as there would be on a Down match but the officials their did have respect for the supporters. I would love to have heard your comments if you had of paid in, didn't get your money back and were not able to go to the refixture!!!!!
[/quote]


Fair enough true blue if lights were on then cut off again and as you rightly say Health & Safety takes all precedent but should we not be asking serious questions as to why the lights in pairc esler are continually cutting out, alot of money was invested in Newry for the best facilities but on a number of occasions they have cut out, apparently happened last week in an under 21 game

Firstly fair play to Mayobridge for the way they played last night. Plenty of appetite for the game and played a good hardworking brand of football. Some big performances from them particularly Keith Quinn @ midfield, McKernan couldnt cope with him in the air and this was the bridge's platform. O'Rourke played well in the first half but was completely snuffed out by Paddy Mohan in second. Brady looked lively and Gerard McCartan was a pale shadown of the player he was earlier in the season.

As someone said earlier Bridge got a fluke goal and never looked back, but sometimes you have to grasp the chance and they did. Fair play.

From our own perspective Burren were inept, showed a total lack of interest in the game and I just wish they had played the game after the championship final, it would have been good preparation for Ulster and would have helped get good game time for the subs, which would have helped, given the injuries and suspensions we then had in Ulster. Have to say that whilst we were only missing Anton & Sean from Ulster Final, had we had a full quota, Eamonn & Connor Toner , Declan Rooney, Eamonn McGovern would all have been in starting berths and this also weakened the bench, however for Burren to come out and play as they did last night was shambolic.

People talk about tiredness, when you are in a league semi-final, tiredness is not an excuse, the bridge and Kilcoo have both been waiting and bridge looked fresh and they simply wanted to win more. They deserved it.

On a different note and I think all supporters would agree, the county board are a disgrace, turned up @ Pairc Esler last night, gates not open. lights not on and people standing about. Yes it was a Monday night in december but there wwas no urgency to get the game started and it looked like a money saving exercise to keep lights off as late as possibe, its a wonder they didnt give us all candles on way in. You can be damn sure if Down were playing on a saturday night, the lights would be on from 4 O'Clock and all the suits would be out in full peacock mode making sure they were seen. Last night was a joke from an organisational point of view. No respect for the supporters but always someone there to take your money.

Yeah BCB, our running game is grand but when its not working we have to have a plan B and unfortunately at the minute we dont have one. Plan B would probably have been Eoin into the edge of the square , as he did to great effect last year. We are a good team and one that is learning. To become a great team we have to become more rounded and the lads outside of the first 15 have to up their game too.

We had too many lads let the game pass them by. I have no doubt the 3 weeks in a row took its toll but when you get to an Ulster Final tiredness is just a mental block.

Hopefully today will prove the making of the boys in that its a hard lesson but hopefully one which they can use to motivate themselves and use to focus on getting back.

We just arent cute enough yet but that'll come, we need to get the walking wounded sorted and come back stronger as a unit next year.

In the meantime enjoy your journey south after the winter and hopefully we'll see you this time next year but that's a years hard work away but hard work that must be done.


 

Broken Cross Bar, you could maybe get a lend of a saddle from Alan Higgins in midfield, hanratty was riding him all day. If ever there was a case for a double yellow for persistent fouling Hanratty is it, and he is a big shite when it comes to it.

That said best team won. Cross played a good direct brand of football that payed massive dividends. Clarke's off the ball running was hard to contain, although Gerard should have come in front, possibly too much respect there!!

The sending off was disastrous but good to know the boul Joe McQuillan will be getting the new advert for laser surgery, he seen something from 70 yards away that neither the ref nor Mr Sludden did. Higgins was a joke all day, missed numerous fouls on both sides and if he was booking McKeown for his tackle at the last, it was a red. came through McArdle and both feet of the ground!!!

Cross were clinical when it counted and apart from Donal O'Hare and Alan Higgins who gave everything, we have alot of boys who need to ask themselves why they didnt come out and empty the tank.

Cross will take a bit of stopping but we will go back to the drawing board and plan for next year.

Good luck to cross in the all ireland series.

The injuries and Eoin's suspension were all killer blows but when the boys on the field dont perform it's hard to stomach.

Great day for football. The pundits are saying Cross but I think are boys have the ability and belief, time for a changing of the guard!!!!!


AR AGAIDGH LE CHEILE!!!!!

AN BOIREANN ABU!!!!