Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

I made it up for the 2nd half of the Johnnies game.
St Johns were very busy and too much movement for the Oisins - much better work rate.
Glenarrife are very poor - really carrying alot of players around the pitch.
From what I heard Rossa could have beaten Cushendall - so how the same bunch lost against this Glenarrife team is baffling.
Things dont look good for Lamh Dearg with a heavy defeat against a St Pauls team they would have beaten handily in recent years.

You weren't the ref were you ?! He only made it for the second half too, Terry O'Reilly did the first half, more about him later. Yeah we were very poor and you are right about carrying players but we have no choice, we have lost 8 first team players from last season, no team could absorb that. I actually didn't think we would win a game this year and that's being brutally honest, and if we can sneak a win at home we will probably stay up. Can't see Rossa winning more than 3 games. I said last year another few years in Div 2 would be the best thing for us. I don't mind gettin bad beatings against Shamrocks, Loughgiel but St Johns are no better than average, we made them look like Kilkenny yesterday.

One of the St Johns forwards was in on goal yesterday and our man pulled his jersey, O'Reilly blew for a free, the forward scored anyway and he awarded the goal. Must have his own rule book, he also should have sent McFall off in the first half when the game was competitive, pulled a dirty stroke right in front of him, ref saw it and gave him a yellow. Fair enough if he didn't see it but he did and chickened out of making a big decision.

One of the McCallion;s was standing along with me - even thru Johnnies bias they agreed with that.

He sent two lads off (straight reds) in a South antrim hurling game last week for deliberate striking (each other) so he'd have no bother sending anyone off for deliberate striking. I wasn't there but he probably booked him (in his view) for, rough play, use the hurley in a careless manner, to make a pull with the hurley that's not consistant with playing the ball, all three I've mentioned are yellow card offences. He's nothing to gain in keeping a player on the pitch

[Gizzy15]

I made it up for the 2nd half of the Johnnies game.
St Johns were very busy and too much movement for the Oisins - much better work rate.
Glenarrife are very poor - really carrying alot of players around the pitch.
From what I heard Rossa could have beaten Cushendall - so how the same bunch lost against this Glenarrife team is baffling.
Things dont look good for Lamh Dearg with a heavy defeat against a St Pauls team they would have beaten handily in recent years.

You weren't the ref were you ?! He only made it for the second half too, Terry O'Reilly did the first half, more about him later. Yeah we were very poor and you are right about carrying players but we have no choice, we have lost 8 first team players from last season, no team could absorb that. I actually didn't think we would win a game this year and that's being brutally honest, and if we can sneak a win at home we will probably stay up. Can't see Rossa winning more than 3 games. I said last year another few years in Div 2 would be the best thing for us. I don't mind gettin bad beatings against Shamrocks, Loughgiel but St Johns are no better than average, we made them look like Kilkenny yesterday.

One of the St Johns forwards was in on goal yesterday and our man pulled his jersey, O'Reilly blew for a free, the forward scored anyway and he awarded the goal. Must have his own rule book, he also should have sent McFall off in the first half when the game was competitive, pulled a dirty stroke right in front of him, ref saw it and gave him a yellow. Fair enough if he didn't see it but he did and chickened out of making a big decision.

One of the McCallion;s was standing along with me - even thru Johnnies bias they agreed with that.

He sent two lads off (straight reds) in a South antrim hurling game last week for deliberate striking (each other) so he'd have no bother sending anyone off for deliberate striking. I wasn't there but he probably booked him (in his view) for, rough play, use the hurley in a careless manner, to make a pull with the hurley that's not consistant with playing the ball, all three I've mentioned are yellow card offences. He's nothing to gain in keeping a player on the pitch

Come on MR2 we both know that it would be easier for a ref to send two relatively unknowns off in a Southey match rather than sending a county or ex county player off at home in a div 1 match. This shouldn't be the case I know but some refs find it easy to exert their knowledge of the rule book when deciding the punishment of lesser teams or players than the bigger teams or better known players. An opinion I know but one I feel hat is valid.

[Milltown Row2]

Me personally Gizzy15 it makes no difference, you need to be consistant.

I can't make judgement on it as I never seen it, I just gave you some rules in the book that you can use as a guide to make a call. I'm still learning the rules (honestly) the thing is, the referee needs to make that call right away and stand over it. If he
feels as if he got that wrong in hindsight, there is fcuk all he can do about it. But I don't (and Terry has been doing it for a while) think he would feel intimidated by anyone in Corrigan

[NAG1]

Tough going for the Down lads at the minute and I wouldn't be surprised to see another couple of big scores being rattled up against them.

I personally don't see the panic to get the number of games played in such a short space of time and then have a break with no games for weeks after.

So it is really hard to judge where anyone is at performance wise at the moment.

[btdtgtt]

Tough going for the Down lads at the minute and I wouldn't be surprised to see another couple of big scores being rattled up against them.

I personally don't see the panic to get the number of games played in such a short space of time and then have a break with no games for weeks after.

So it is really hard to judge where anyone is at performance wise at the moment.

Possible bonus win for St John's then if Ballycran don't have county players available?

[NAG1]

Tough going for the Down lads at the minute and I wouldn't be surprised to see another couple of big scores being rattled up against them.

I personally don't see the panic to get the number of games played in such a short space of time and then have a break with no games for weeks after.

So it is really hard to judge where anyone is at performance wise at the moment.

Possible bonus win for St John's then if Ballycran don't have county players available?

Yeah I would have thought these were the types of games St John's should be targeting.

[johnneycool]

Tough going for the Down lads at the minute and I wouldn't be surprised to see another couple of big scores being rattled up against them.

I personally don't see the panic to get the number of games played in such a short space of time and then have a break with no games for weeks after.

So it is really hard to judge where anyone is at performance wise at the moment.

Possible bonus win for St John's then if Ballycran don't have county players available?

If was in Ballycran's position I'd be insisting that Down County board do the calling off of the game or their county contingent line out for the club.
What other option would they have unless they agree to play without their county contingent, BUT then by the precedent set last year by Antrim county board where they called off our league game vrs Portaferry at the request of St Johns as there was a feeling that Portaferry would field a weakened team due to them playing championship a week later, giving us an unfair advantage in a relegation battle.

Surely the men from Whiterock wouldn't want that accusation thrown at them this year if other teams in the relegation mire objected due to the weakened nature of the Ballycran team??

[NAG1]

Tough going for the Down lads at the minute and I wouldn't be surprised to see another couple of big scores being rattled up against them.

I personally don't see the panic to get the number of games played in such a short space of time and then have a break with no games for weeks after.

So it is really hard to judge where anyone is at performance wise at the moment.

Possible bonus win for St John's then if Ballycran don't have county players available?

If was in Ballycran's position I'd be insisting that Down County board do the calling off of the game or their county contingent line out for the club.
What other option would they have unless they agree to play without their county contingent, BUT then by the precedent set last year by Antrim county board where they called off our league game vrs Portaferry at the request of St Johns as there was a feeling that Portaferry would field a weakened team due to them playing championship a week later, giving us an unfair advantage in a relegation battle.

Surely the men from Whiterock wouldn't want that accusation thrown at them this year if other teams in the relegation mire objected due to the weakened nature of the Ballycran team??

Wishful thinking JC

I just don't get after how ever many years of this county system now that we can't come up with a programme of games that is fair to the clubs who have county players and to those that can play without.

How many Sundays from July to end of August will we all be sitting kicking our heels with no game?

[johnneycool]

Tough going for the Down lads at the minute and I wouldn't be surprised to see another couple of big scores being rattled up against them.

I personally don't see the panic to get the number of games played in such a short space of time and then have a break with no games for weeks after.

So it is really hard to judge where anyone is at performance wise at the moment.

Possible bonus win for St John's then if Ballycran don't have county players available?

If was in Ballycran's position I'd be insisting that Down County board do the calling off of the game or their county contingent line out for the club.
What other option would they have unless they agree to play without their county contingent, BUT then by the precedent set last year by Antrim county board where they called off our league game vrs Portaferry at the request of St Johns as there was a feeling that Portaferry would field a weakened team due to them playing championship a week later, giving us an unfair advantage in a relegation battle.

Surely the men from Whiterock wouldn't want that accusation thrown at them this year if other teams in the relegation mire objected due to the weakened nature of the Ballycran team??

Wishful thinking JC

I just don't get after how ever many years of this county system now that we can't come up with a programme of games that is fair to the clubs who have county players and to those that can play without.

How many Sundays from July to end of August will we all be sitting kicking our heels with no game?

Its not easy in all fairness with the Down team playing in a different competition and out on different days to the Antrim team who're currently kicking their heels in terms of games. I'm sure Kevin Ryan is all on for playing away at club games at the minute whereas Gerard Monan must be pulling his hair out at the amount of games his players have played in the last few weeks and the more likelihood of soft tear injuries down to just no recovery time between games.

From a club perspective, we'd obviously like to give every game a proper go, but its hard when lads have played 90 minutes the previous day in Trim or wherever and then to face a Dunloy side we'd be doing well to keep to 7 or 8 points with a properly prepared team and go and take a 20+ point tanking. Its not good for morale but we've been there before, probably with a much stronger and maturer squad than we currently have though and we're relying on the young lads to respond in the right manner.

There's 18 rounds of games to get in before club championship kicks in around August, so there's not that many free weekends/sundays as you'd think.

[btdtgtt]

Interesting points on weakened teams - don't start me on the effect of county fixtures again!

Also note that cushendall sent an under21 side to glenarrife which gifted them 2points!

I'm sure hardstation etc noted the effect on Rossa - who in fairness have been playing without county players in their matches I attended.

Level playing field? Not at all.
But that's the nature of league hurling - a test of squad rather the fifteen.

[imtommygunn]

Johnnies Ballycran is off.

[johnneycool]

Johnnies Ballycran is off.

Nice gesture by the Johnnies. 

[Minder]

Interesting points on weakened teams - don't start me on the effect of county fixtures again!

Also note that cushendall sent an under21 side to glenarrife which gifted them 2points!

I'm sure hardstation etc noted the effect on Rossa - who in fairness have been playing without county players in their matches I attended.

Level playing field? Not at all.
But that's the nature of league hurling - a test of squad rather the fifteen.

If that was their u-21 team they were playing half of them were over age

[btdtgtt]

U21 / reserves.

Surely u are not suggesting ur neighbours sent their legitimate team round?
The point remains.

[Leyland]

7 30 PM    Ruairí Óg    ---    ---                               Lamh Dhearg                                         
7 30 PM    Naomh Gall    ---    ---                       St Mary's Rasharkin                 
7 30 PM    Na Sairseil/Patrick Sarsfields    ---    ---Mac Uilin CLG             
7 30 PM    Loughgiel Shamrocks    ---    ---         St John's GAC   

Cushendall, St Galls and Shams for the U21 semi finals

Ballycastle could have a tough time with Sarsfields. Paddies dumped them out 2 years ago and this ref has some history with the Town too. He sent off 2 players and management pair in a league game last year.  Sarsfields to win could be a good bet.

Black and amber you have been quiet on our u21 run recently.......given your last time mentioning them was predicting Sarsfields to turn them over.........

How's the golf going