Antrim Hurling

[theskull1]

 

Dunloy didnt let Cushendall get going especially around midfield, where Cushendalls midfiled was awful. i thought your backs where suspect though Skull, 3 goals and only for a few fumbles and a bad umpires decision (was up to the left of the goals - def over the line) there should have been more goals.

i am not sure what you should take from the game skull, overall i thought Dunloy played really well with alot of big performances, but in the end of the day if jackie carson had off went for a goal at the end of the game yous would have been beat. (have been told he thought there was only a point in it so took his point)

Nobody will know that more than Dunloy G-I-T. Fortunately its history now. A new hunt a new hound awaits

[girt_giggler]

was lots of over-carrying decisions i thought myself, but to me majority were correct! bar one that i remember clearly - Shorty was taken out over on the dunloy line by what was nothing short of a rugby tackle, happened right in front of me, was brutal. the lad got straight up and tried to carry on & was then blown for over-carrying. strange decision.

anyway thought dunloy fought for everything yesterday, were really pumped up, & couple of their oul hans certainly rolled backed the years.

Pitch also was in poor nick as someone has said. not as poor as we were v cushendun though 

[theskull1]

What about Malachy Molloys in the first half when he was tripped? If he'd have fell he would have got a free but he stayed on his feet but by the time he regained his balance the ref blew the whistle.... and then the other blatant one which comes to mind was Darren Quinns in the second half. He leaps 2 foot into the air catches the ball lands and is tackled to the ground man lying on top of him and the ref blows the whistle again....crazy stuff

[NAG]

Was at the game yesterday and thought it was as gritty and hard hurling as you are going to get anywhere in Ireland

Dont think the pitch suited the teams either way and the breeze played it part too. Good decision by dunloy to play against it in the first half. They really got into the faces of the cushendall players from the first whistle, really admired thier attitude and togetherness.

Now to the game.

Dunloy backs were under severe pressure most of the first half and coped really well. Thought cushendall didnt work the ball enough they were too willing to shoot form anywhere around the pitch and that made the ball to their forwards less than quality. Karl, Shane and Brian D all guilty of this. Mid field was non existant because of the breeze, shorty did sweep up alot of loose ball along with molloy but didnt really affect the game in a positive manner. Molloy still doesnt look comfortable as a mid fielder.

Dunloy probably were most effective in their half forward line in that they stopped Cushendall's strongest line from dominating and setting up play, they also picked off some nice scores.

Dunloy's inside forward line looked like they could rip cushendall apart but never really did, until O'Kane at the end with some vital scores. Young graffin gave richmond his fill of it in the first half.

Thought the game should have been away form cushendall earlier but credit to them they fought hard and got some lucky breaks.

Better team won on the day!

[Balboa]

Wasnt at the game yesterday but the ref was the fella that was ref in Minor Final (drawn game) few weeks back and he was atrocious, fella at match yesterday said he was poor again yesterday. Some strange decisions.

[theskull1]

I could see where the ref was trying to let the game go and agree thats what they all should be doing but why spoil it by blowing up these silly over carrying decisions? If a player takes two steps and then ships a hard tackle he should be allow an extra step or maybe two (but no more than that) to hurl on ....that is letting the game flow IMO. That is how good all Ireland referees seem to do it. Another thing I'd like to know is how a man can get a yellow card for tapping a ball on a mans helmet (he dropped like a stone  ) yet another man only gets a black card for maliciously lashing out with the stick as he tumbled to the ground after being fouled himself.

Don't really like getting on the backs of referees as they have one of the hardest job to do, but frustrations do come out and I do think reflecting on poor performances (same as an team would do ) will only make them better over time.

[imtommygunn]

I find the Ballycastle score quite worrying as they have a few boys who are reckoned to be great hopes for Antrim hurling in McAuley and young Donnelly and they have never yet seemed to count at all in senior hurling. Anyone any opinions on how boys like that are developing? (Don't want to be harsh on young boys but thought they would be starting to develop now...) I would actually say the same for Joey Scullion...

Dunloy are still hard to watch. In Dick O'Kane and Paddy Richmond they probably have two of the best three scorers in club hurling in antrim - with winker being the notable other one. They also have quite a bit of big game(winning) experience and this should stand them in good stead for the final.

For Loughgiel previously it would have been a catastrophe to lose 5 finals in row - now that catastrophe would be at least ten times worse if they lost it to dunloy!!

[Balboa]

I could be wrong but i think the Shamrocks would prefer to play Dunloy in the final, Cushendall seemed to have their number.

[theskull1]

I find the Ballycastle score quite worrying as they have a few boys who are reckoned to be great hopes for Antrim hurling in McAuley and young Donnelly and they have never yet seemed to count at all in senior hurling. Anyone any opinions on how boys like that are developing? (Don't want to be harsh on young boys but thought they would be starting to develop now...) I would actually say the same for Joey Scullion...

Its the lack of fight in Ballycastles performances which is really worrying for them. I thought with the backroom team they had coupled along with the success in the U21's that they would have brought something more to the table against Loughgiel.

[maxpower]

i thought especially given the conditions it was a fair good game og hurling yesterday played in the right spirit for championship.  Cushendall were worthy champions and Dunloy knew it would take a hell of an effort to beat them.

There were so many talking point about the game it was incredible,

firstly the 'goal' cushendall got in the first half, didn't cross the line, it got as far as the line and was picked of the ground (so should have been a free) there was a case for square ball.

Actually thought Cushendall may have been hard done by with a point in the second half as well.  it seemed to nearly go straight over the post, was a very close decision and thankfully it went for us.

the numerous over carrying decisions that went against us were also key to keeping Cushendall in the game at times, as was especially there third freak goal.

great credit to the squad for not letting the goals get to them, this time last year bad goals beat us, but after each goal we quickly scored to get the momentum back.

[milltown row]

lads, over carrying is rife, it's four bloody steps, if he's being fouled and advantaged is allowed then he will give some more so the game can flow. some players always take too many steps usually forwards, very annoying being a defender when you go to make a tackle after he has the ball only for him to run on unpunished for over carrying

[Give-it-Timber]

firstly the 'goal' cushendall got in the first half, didn't cross the line, it got as far as the line and was picked of the ground (so should have been a free) there was a case for square ball.

think you have this one wrong max, the ball was def over the line, once if not twice and your right the goalie did lift it of the ground and how the umpire didnt see any of the 3  i dont know as i could see the the ball over the line and lifting of the ground from where i was.

i dont think that should be dwelled on though, not sure if it would have made much difference in the end, the better team won, Most of Cushendall players got out of the game exactly what they put into it.

looking forward to a good final.

[maxpower]

i initially thought that it had crossed the line, maybe my dunloy bias coming through now but i seem to recall it being struck of the defenders leg on the line the struck again as the player was lying down, it seemed to be under his leg as he lay on the line.  no way to tell if the whole ball crossed the line, and if it did it was a very very tight call.  certainly wasn't the foot over the line some are suggesting. 

anyhows as you say no sense dwelling on maybe's,

anyone know the schedule for the day of the finals, is the football on first?  I remember a few years back we were in the All-Ireland final two years on the trot and both years it was the first game, the reason was to make sure the hurling got the pitch when it was in its best condition.  sorta thought that made sense

[davincicode]

Can i just say this after reading the posts from yesterdays game, i am a blow in from Dublin playing here for a few years, i have watched in my own opinion two of the best games in Antrim for a least 3-4 years. The first was the Minor Final at casement, absolutely awesome game, you would be hard pushed in this island of ours to find better, fantastic spirit skill and a very mature attitude from both teams, and yesterday at L/guile again a great spirit fight determination and just what the Doctor ordered as far a good hard physical hurling, long time since i witnessed that!!

The same Referee for both games, they have a part to play in their contribution to that, and yet you still give out, no wonder Antrim Hurling is where it is, just like the British Press always looking to put people down. I hear gripes about the southern game and how the officials in antrim contribute  poor officiating which is then reflected on the county and club performances. Lads its time to give credit where it is due, i for one thought his approach in both games was 100% correct, he let the game get on with itself, and when people took advantage of that he stepped in, as all good referees who understand the game should.

Congratulations Garrett Duffy( St Galls ), two great performances, i wish you ever success if you can stick this sort of bitching, good luck to you. Come to Dublin if it gets to much, they are crying out for good referees.

[theskull1]

lads, over carrying is rife, it's four bloody steps, if he's being fouled and advantaged is allowed then he will give some more so the game can flow. some players always take too many steps usually forwards, very annoying being a defender when you go to make a tackle after he has the ball only for him to run on unpunished for over carrying

Can i just say this after reading the posts from yesterdays game, i am a blow in from Dublin playing here for a few years, i have watched in my own opinion two of the best games in Antrim for a least 3-4 years. The first was the Minor Final at casement, absolutely awesome game, you would be hard pushed in this island of ours to find better, fantastic spirit skill and a very mature attitude from both teams, and yesterday at L/guile again a great spirit fight determination and just what the Doctor ordered as far a good hard physical hurling, long time since i witnessed that!!

The same Referee for both games, they have a part to play in their contribution to that, and yet you still give out, no wonder Antrim Hurling is where it is, just like the British Press always looking to put people down. I hear gripes about the southern game and how the officials in antrim contribute  poor officiating which is then reflected on the county and club performances. Lads its time to give credit where it is due, i for one thought his approach in both games was 100% correct, he let the game get on with itself, and when people took advantage of that he stepped in, as all good referees who understand the game should.

Congratulations Garrett Duffy( St Galls ), two great performances, i wish you ever success if you can stick this sort of bitching, good luck to you. Come to Dublin if it gets to much, they are crying out for good referees.

I would prefer to call my comments constructive criticisms davincicode. He did indeed let alot of physical challenges go which I think was good refereeing and how it should be ( I have stated this already and is a change for the better in Antrim refereeing terms). But I have difficulty when he doesn't allow a "little bit" of advantage to the man in possession when he ships these tackles to play on. To me yesterday especially on such a sticky pitch it certainly wasn't needed. An above average number of over carrying decisions were blew yesterday. I think I know what "over carrying" looks like and most of yesterdays decisions were not overcarrying IMO. If every ref was as tight on this milltown then fair enough but they are not hence the annoyance at the varying interpretations. Glad you enjoyed the games dc