Antrim Hurling

NAG · March 09, 2009, 09:39:52 AM

Very poor result at the weekend and I am pretty suprised to hear some sympathy for the boys going on the beer on the saturday night.

I dont think there is any room for it at the moment especially with these tight games in this tight divison.

We understand this is an volunteer sport but the fact they could have held on for one night makes it even worse IMO.

theskull1 · March 09, 2009, 01:33:00 PM

Reality is NAG that they shouldn't have been available for selection after playing two compeditive matches over the weekend. There wasn't much hurling done in the NHL at the weekend so why Antrim had to play especially when they have so many students on the panel is beyond me. Would have thought we should have got this match refixed

NAG · March 09, 2009, 01:42:28 PM

Yeah I agree skull but the realty is that the match was fixed and it was an eminently winnable match for antrim even playing without the poly boys, but they should have been available for the bench. After a good warm up and with the proper cool downs and preparation they would have been good to give 15-20mins if required if not then great.

But the fact remains that they choose to have a night on the tiles (which Im not denying the boys at this point if it is at the right time) instead of preparing in the best way to get antrim the right result at the weekend.

clootfromthe21 · March 09, 2009, 02:06:35 PM

Quote from: theskull1 on March 09, 2009, 01:33:00 PM
Reality is NAG that they shouldn't have been available for selection after playing two compeditive matches over the weekend. There wasn't much hurling done in the NHL at the weekend so why Antrim had to play especially when they have so many students on the panel is beyond me. Would have thought we should have got this match refixed

Skull, I think the story was that the GAA refixed the match for yesterday. Antrim went to them complaining that they had a clash with the Ryan Cup, the "GAA" (whoever fixes these things) said that's grand, pick whatever date you and Westmeath can agree on, Antrim went with a couple of dates to Westmeath (including a midweek fixture under lights), Westmeath said get stuffed (either because they had genuine issues with the suggested alternatives or, if you believe the conspiracy theories, because we got into the Leinster Championship and they didn't, so they were going to play ball with us) and so we were forced to play the fixture yesterday.

On the availability or otherwise of the Poly players, you will see there is the usual nonsense going on over on the County website ("I hear that . . ." "Would you stop spouting rubbish . . etc). I don't know where the truth lies but would make a couple of points.

1. I was at the Ryan Cup Final - while I appreciate the Poly played the previous day, it wasn't the most intense of matches I have ever seen. If (and it is a big if), the County players had wanted to, I think they could have played the next day rightly with a proper night's rest etc, with perhaps the exception of Shorty who got a bad enough knock.

2. If the Poly were staying down in Dublin for the night (for a Fitzgibbon dinner etc), while I would not have been especially happy with it (if it is my place to be happy or not!), I could understand the great temptation to stay down and go on the piss in Dublin. I was a student once - i know the pressures!

3. However, and I have no evidence of it other than per this Board, if they all came back up to Belfast on the Saturday night and simply went on the piss in the Bot on Sunday afternoon, that in my opinion is pretty bloody poor. Even if they were not playing, I think they should have headed over to Casement for a couple of hours - at least it would have been a break in the drinking!

All in all though, to be drawing with Westmeath, at home, after beating Wexford the week before is not good enough. The team that did play should have enough pretensions about itself to beat Westmeath, and beat them well. Per a couple of the match reports, while the ref did appear to get carried away with injury time, it would seem Westmeath had a legitimate point not counted and several good goal chances.

milltown row · March 09, 2009, 02:07:55 PM

Quote from: The Dark Knight on March 08, 2009, 08:33:46 PM
Now MR U know that i am not talking S***, tell the lads on the site the truth, he did! Even the auld boy lost the plot with him!! Youngfella get a life and get real, slanging ask his team mates they will confirm it!! take off the tinted glasses boys, and MR you should set yourself up on this site as one wise old owls, have the stones and call it as it is..........

look TDK you've obviously have it in for the McGourtys. i was not at the Annual dinner and cannot comment on his actions. what i do know is that he played both college games and still managed to be at Carrick-on-Shannon for the Letrim game (the hurlers did not bother) he also trained with the county footballers on the friday night i believe. my stones are fine TDK.

now if you want to come on here and rubbish peoples families then at least put your own name on the board. or do you not have the "stones" for it.

slow corner back · March 09, 2009, 04:47:18 PM

I did note that CJ did manage to turn out for the county footballers unlike the hurlers mentioned above. Fair play to him for making the trip to Carrick and he came up with an important score at the end.

milltown row · March 09, 2009, 07:22:51 PM

possibly groundlie, and it makes no difference to the league as we will still have to beat Offaly down there. but the drink culture can't be a good thing, as said earlier one night off the booze would do no harm.

winning games every week will set us up better for the Dublin match. I'm sure they will bounce back for the next game

milltown row · March 09, 2009, 07:37:00 PM

yes and i enjoyed that culture myself, but these are the lads that are meant to be making a difference to Antrim Hurling. expectations of us "fans" probably to high i suppose, ah well I'll be there in September watching the Cats again giving a master class.

i wonder what the drink culture is like in kilkenny, maybe our Southern boys can fill us in

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Square Ball · March 16, 2009, 10:50:10 PM

Looking at the u16 hurling fixtures, who is Sentanta?

Last Man · March 17, 2009, 07:20:36 AM

Setanta are from Donegal, they have an ex L'giel fella called Campbell up there who is pushing the hurling hard. I think they have a ball alley built beside the pitch from memory. How many Antrim clubs are just thinking about that?

Square Ball · March 17, 2009, 10:06:07 AM

Quote from: Last Man on March 17, 2009, 07:20:36 AM
Setanta are from Donegal, they have an ex L'giel fella called Campbell up there who is pushing the hurling hard. I think they have a ball alley built beside the pitch from memory. How many Antrim clubs are just thinking about that?

I know theres a Setanta from Donegal, but I couldn't really see them coming from Donegal to play a Down team in the Antrim league!!

JamesH · March 17, 2009, 10:57:30 AM

square ball , Is that the South Antrim league that Seatanta are playing in?

Square Ball · March 17, 2009, 12:03:51 PM

Tis indeed, they are playing Bredagh in the first round, there are a few Down clubs in there, the three Ards clubs, Bredagh and carryduff. I cant see a Donegal team playing in the South Antrim league?

Last Man · March 17, 2009, 12:05:52 PM

Well it wouldn't surprise me, there is a big push on Donegal hurling at the minute at under age. The county HDO is that enthusiastic he'd wear you down at times. I remember a couple of years ago going up to play Setanta in the UHL, we took a joke of a team up( no sarcastic remarks please) and they beat us of the park. Yer man Campbell was near in tears that an Antrim team had come up to play them at home.