2009 Minor Championships

[An Laoch]

Any thoughts on these minor games? Kerry doubtless have a decent side with the Sceilge lads there...


From Hogan Stand

A busy Wednesday evening in the GAA sees the Munster Minor Championship get underway as well as the final of the U21 Ulster Championship and Ladbrokes have odds available on all four games this evening.

Tipperary football is enjoying something of a purple patch at the moment and they have the chance to take the greatest scalp of all at Semple Stadium this evening when the young prodigies of Kerry come to town. The Kerry side boasts members of the Colaiste na Sceilge team which recorded a dramatic victory over St Mary's Edenderry in the Colleges All Ireland Final at the weekend. Ladbrokes have installed the Kingdom as 8/15 favourites here with the Premier available at 7/4 to send Kerry in the direction of the provincial backdoor.

Cork are a warm order at 1/3 as they host 11/4 chances Limerick at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, while the bookie has also gone a short price on Clare at 1/4 to beat Waterford who have been priced at 3/1.

Casement Park is the venue for the Ulster Under 21 Final where young stars such as Paul McComiskey and Stephen Forker will be in action as Down take on Armagh. Down are 4/5 favourites to contest Saturday's All Ireland semi final against Mayo, while Armagh are 5/4.

Munster Minor Football C'ship Match betting
Tipperary     7/4
Draw     15/2
Kerry     8/15

Waterford     3/1
Draw     10/1
Clare     1/4

Cork     1/3
Draw     15/2
Limerick     11/4


Ulster U21 Football Final Match betting
Down     4/5
Draw     15/2
Armagh     5/4


2009 All Ireland U21 Football Championship Tournament Winner
Cork     15/8
Mayo     5/2
Dublin     10/3
Down     5/1
Armagh     13/2

[sam03/05]

tyrone must be in with a good shout again
considering both omagh and dungannon reached macrory final

[marym]

Both Cork and Kerry won tonight.

[drici]

Kerry 1-11 Tipperary 1-06

Clare 1-15 Waterford 1-05

Cork 2-12 Limerick 1-06

[drici]

Play-Off One
Waterford v Limerick

Play-Off Two
Tipperary v Waterford/Limerick

Semi Finals:
Kerry v Clare

Cork v Tipperary or Waterford/Limerick

[DownFanatic]

Play-Off One
Waterford v Limerick

Play-Off Two
Tipperary v Waterford/Limerick

Semi Finals:
Kerry v Clare

Cork v Tipperary or Waterford/Limerick

I like the way that Munster MFC runs with the second chance and that.

[mountainboii]

Play-Off One
Waterford v Limerick

Play-Off Two
Tipperary v Waterford/Limerick

Semi Finals:
Kerry v Clare

Cork v Tipperary or Waterford/Limerick

I like the way that Munster MFC runs with the second chance and that.

Yeah Ulster could do with something similar. Armagh and Tyrone have both been going fairly well in the Ulster League, suggesting that both have decent teams, but the year is going to be over for one of them before the end of May.

[down6061689194]

From what I've heard it will be a minor miracle if Down win it.

No value in 5/1

[drici]

Play-Off One April 20th
Waterford 0-09 Limerick 0-06
   
Play-Off Two April 25th
Tipperary 1-15 Waterford 0-06

Semi Finals:  May 13th
Kerry v Clare

Cork v Tipperary

[KIDDO 4]

Kerry 2.10,Clare 1.4 , Munster minor championship semi final tonight in Tralee.

[western exile]

From what I've heard it will be a minor miracle if Down win it.

No value in 5/1

excuse your pun!

[Zulu]

Tipp beat Cork in the other semi final 13 - 10, I'd love to know what they're doing down in Tipp that they're all of a sudden they're producing strong underage teams. Maybe onlooker could fill us in on what they're doing in underage football because whatever it is, it's working.

[Onlooker]

That is a hard one to answer Zulu.  I was at Tipp's earlier matches against Kerry and Waterford and I really did not see this one coming tonight and I  thought that Cork would be too strong.  Having said that Tipp lost to Kerry by 5 points and beat Waterford by 12 and yet most Tipp people felt that the team had not played well in either game.  I suppose standards and expectations are rising.  A huge amount of work has been done at under age level and it is bringing results at Minor and Under 21 level for a few years now.  You could not say it has happened all of a sudden as this will be Tipp's 4th Munster Minor Final in the last 8 years and they also beat Cork in the semi final in 2006.  The Under 21's have been beaten in the last 3 Munster Finals and in each of those years they lost out to the All Ireland winners and I would say that they could have beaten Kerry in 2008 and should have beaten Cork this year.  With 4 decent minor teams and 3 excellent Under 21 teams it is clear that the young players are coming up through the ranks.  That extra time victory over Down in the Div. 3 final and another extra time victory tonight is very significant IMO.  It speaks volumes for the new found spirit and confidence in Tipp football teams.    I am sure that the performances of the Senior and Under 21 teams were of huge value, mentally, to the minors tonight.   Neither should we forget the Ladies Footballers who won the All Ireland Intermediate title by beating Clare in Croke Park last year and have this year been promoted to Div. 1 of the National League.   I suppose it is the old story of the rising tide lifting all boats.  What ever the reason these are great times for football in Tipperary.  Long may it continue.

[Zulu]

Long may it continue indeed Onlooker, I didn't mean to suggest it all happend this year as I know Tipp have been doing very well in recent years. But I meant that when before you might produce the odd decent team you are now producing very good minor and U21 teams constantly which augers well for the future. You say there is a lot of work going on at underage but is it organised and did a group of Tipp football people come together and set out a plan to improve Tipp football by the year X or what has happened? I haven't heard of any Tipp football development plan yet as you say all Tipp football teams are doing remarkably well at the moment.

[Onlooker]

I would have to admit that most people in Tipperary are as surprised as anyone else at the turn around in Tipp's football fortunes and I suspect that some of us almost feel that it is too good to be true. However, I am reading in the Tipperary GAA Yearbook 2009, that last year over 400 players were involved in County development squads at Under 14, 15, 16 and 17.  I presume that this refers to both Football and Hurling squads.  These players would have played on Divisional teams representing North, Mid, West & South Tipp both inside and outside the county, and would have come from their clubs to those Divisional teams.  With regards to football, the schools in the strong football areas have upped their act very much in the last few years.  Abbey CBS, Tipperary have won a couple of Munster Senior Football "B" titles and played in the "A" grade this year.  Clonmel High School got to the Final of the Under 16 1/2 "A" Football and Colaiste Dun Iascaigh, Cahir won the All Ireland Vocational Schools Senior "B" title.  These 3 schools would have supplied 10 or 11 of the starting 15 against Cork last night.  I believe that the quality of the coaching has been excellent at these schools.  At inter county level, Peter Creedon was an excellent manager for the Minors and Under 21's.  The Under 21's were managed by the Senior Management this year, because of the number of players on both teams and this has worked out very well.  The minors have had young management teams for the last few years with selectors who are still playing or just retired.  The thought has also struck me that the Under 21 and Minor footballers are lads that grew up in what could be called the Declan Browne era of Tipperary football and I am sure that many of them must have been inspired by his brilliant skill, great attitude and outstanding commitment to the Tipperary jersey.  There have been several references too, in the county, to the fact that the centenary of Tipperary's last All Ireland Football title is just 11 years away and perhaps this has helped to concentrate minds of the job of raising football standards in the county.  There was a feeling that something had to be done as soon as possible.