Ulster Senior Football Club Championship 2011

[brokencrossbar1]

I thought perhaps your best player today was your number 2. Can't mind his name. Boys that are meant to be your lesser players are marking decent, and Niblock is actually decent at county level,  county players out of it. That's very hard to compete against and gives your other bigger players a freer reign. Clarke more or less unmarkable at that level too.

Based on that I would say you'll win by 4 or 5 against Ballinderry but you'll get more of a game.

Burren I would expect to be your biggest challengers.

No 2 is James Morgan and was very good today, particularly so when he had a yellow after about 3 minutes!!!  He will be on the Armagh squad next year if they have any sense.  Niblock was St Galls most dangerous forward but the reality is that for most of the game he was ploughing a very lonely furrow.  Jamie thinks about 2 moves ahead of most markers at this level but Ballinderry will have a plan for him no doubt!  I would think that Kevin McGuckian will be ear marked to do an ear-marking job on our Jamie!!!

[Smokin Joe]

If the doctor was sent off why was he still on the pitch?

McQuillan was at least consistent in that regard.  He had earlier sent off the St Galls mentor wearing the number 1 bib, but he refused to leave the field when asked to by an Ulster official.

[Orchardman]

Fair play to cross today, sounded like a great performance.
Milltown, probably wrong to drag ballymacnab into the equation, your club won an all-ireland 2 years ago, and I still can't understand how they did it, but they did and good luck fot it. Yes, it would be great if we had more contenders in the armagh championship against cross, but to me the semi final against pearse og was the real final, and their was 4 points in it. Poor ballymacnab enjoyed an easier run to the final, and did well for their first year ever in div 1.

One thing I would say is that playing against cross and watching, i always knew it would be a hard tough game of football. But there are far worse clubs in armagh where you would be expecting sly digs and dirty thumps, so I don't agree with a lot of what has been said about them. Though i wasn't at the game today.

One final point to wind up our tyrone friends, but also a serious point::For such a great football county with a supposed brilliant club scene, your record in the ulster club is brutal! dromore failed again today, i think errigal have won it twice but no other club have won an ulster and I can't even remember too many being in ulster finals, strange.

[Milltown Row2]

We beat the team that beat Cross in the Armagh Championship. So we  (Antrim Football) can only judge the teams in Armagh by that, Cross far better than the teams in Armagh, 25 points better

As for CJ following up on that player he was wrong and sent off accordingly, no less a trap than the players who didn't get caught or by the trap of a doctor ya had on the sideline.

I won't back down on the Hanratty incident. He wasn't going for the ball and that's why the referee blew for the foul. In fact he actually should have got a yellow card follwed by a red, but McQuillian lapped it in fairness. If one of our players did that I'd say the same, I'm not biased enough to say otherwise and so should you BC1.

Cross as I've i said before are brilliant and should, barring a shock win Ulster and another All Ireland.

[brokencrossbar1]

We beat the team that beat Cross in the Armagh Championship. So we  (Antrim Football) can only judge the teams in Armagh by that, Cross far better than the teams in Armagh, 25 points better

As for CJ following up on that player he was wrong and sent off accordingly, no less a trap than the players who didn't get caught or by the trap of a doctor ya had on the sideline.

I won't back down on the Hanratty incident. He wasn't going for the ball and that's why the referee blew for the foul. In fact he actually should have got a yellow card follwed by a red, but McQuillian lapped it in fairness. If one of our players did that I'd say the same, I'm not biased enough to say otherwise and so should you BC1.

Cross as I've i said before are brilliant and should, barring a shock win Ulster and another All Ireland.

CJ was sent off for 2 books not for following through on Paul Kernan as he lay on his back on the ground and dislocating his shoulder.  We'll agree to differ on the Johnny Hanratty incident, I am not saying he wasn't going in hard but I dispute there was real malice in it.  For us to beat Ballinderry, never mind win Ulster, we will need at least one of the 2 injured lads back.

[Milltown Row2]

Has Kernan not history with the shoulder? Having that injury myself it can happen at anytime. Cj is about 11 stone FFS, with the build of your team i doubt very much he would do any damage. Sent off and rightly so, said so himself.

Thought McKenna was the best player on show followed by Clarke who impressed me again and actually better than last time i seen him playing for Cross last year in the latter stages of the All Ireland. Very composed and as said already, thinking about the next plays, he was showing players were to go before he had the ball.

I'm gutted for the players off course. We were missing a few of our best players as i said before today, we need those lads playing to have a chance. On today's performance from Cross i don't think it would have mattered

[Stevie Nicks]

Was at match today and have to say was disappointed with St Galls really thought they would put it up to cross, Ballinderry might be a different challenge the next day. Totally cleaned out in midfield, Gallagher was obviously a big miss. For Cross, Morgan was outstanding in the first half and am looking forward to him in the Morgan Fuels Jersey in the new year. Cunningham had a good game but have to agree was lucky to survive after his challenge before half time. On a side note did the Galls number 9 get two yellows and stay oin the pitch?? A number of boys round us maintained he already had a yellow before getting one towards the end.

[sammymaguire]

I think the spread of county players in the huge club base means they struggle to provide a major challenge in Ulster as its a major achievement to win Tyrone county championship on its own and I might be wrong but I don't know if it's held in the same regard in Tyrone as it is in Armagh, Derry and Down...

[Milltown Row2]

Was at match today and have to say was disappointed with St Galls really thought they would put it up to cross, Ballinderry might be a different challenge the next day. Totally cleaned out in midfield, Gallagher was obviously a big miss. For Cross, Morgan was outstanding in the first half and am looking forward to him in the Morgan Fuels Jersey in the new year. Cunningham had a good game but have to agree was lucky to survive after his challenge before half time. On a side note did the Galls number 9 get two yellows and stay oin the pitch?? A number of boys round us maintained he already had a yellow before getting one towards the end.

No, he only got one

[brokencrossbar1]

Was at match today and have to say was disappointed with St Galls really thought they would put it up to cross, Ballinderry might be a different challenge the next day. Totally cleaned out in midfield, Gallagher was obviously a big miss. For Cross, Morgan was outstanding in the first half and am looking forward to him in the Morgan Fuels Jersey in the new year. Cunningham had a good game but have to agree was lucky to survive after his challenge before half time. On a side note did the Galls number 9 get two yellows and stay oin the pitch?? A number of boys round us maintained he already had a yellow before getting one towards the end.

A few round me thought that as well but when David McKenna got booked no 9 was simply spoken to and not booked.  I don't think he got 2 yellows.

[ogshead]

Hanratty got hurt trying to hurt someone else so fcuk him. Have no problem with that. Cross superior team have said it here previous and with no messing. Mentioned winning by 6 i was wrong.

As for benny saying that other armagh teams are good. Shows he knows fcuk all about football. Or can't he count? We were beat by seven. Nab beat by 25!

Football terms Cross on different planet. As said already no need for the messing about.

If the doctor was sent off why was he still on the pitch? Two times they have staff coming on and hitting people from behind!!

Well we were only beat by them by 4 so that must make us 3 points better then you lot!!

[Milltown Row2]

Hanratty got hurt trying to hurt someone else so fcuk him. Have no problem with that. Cross superior team have said it here previous and with no messing. Mentioned winning by 6 i was wrong.

As for benny saying that other armagh teams are good. Shows he knows fcuk all about football. Or can't he count? We were beat by seven. Nab beat by 25!

Football terms Cross on different planet. As said already no need for the messing about.

If the doctor was sent off why was he still on the pitch? Two times they have staff coming on and hitting people from behind!!

Well we were only beat by them by 4 so that must make us 3 points better then you lot!!

When it really mattered we beat ya's.

[Trout]

You really have to say that AI St Galls won was one of the softest  you will see.

[Milltown Row2]

You really have to say that AI St Galls won was one of the softest  you will see.

Of course Trout, they are the easiest things in the world to win. How many has your club won?

What a stupid thing to post, stick to Shinner bashing

[Gold]

Hanratty should have got a 2nd yellow and gone, concussion or not. Ball was gone and he took out the man, yellow card.

Galls didnt believe from the start, too interested in niggly stuff after a free instead of moving ball long.

First goal Brady dropped a free catch, it came down off his knee to Clarke, what happened thereafter for that goal words cant describe.

Galls missed their injured players.

Galls took forever on the ball as they'd noone to hit it too until O'Hare went into FF. After the first ball high into O'HAre for the Galls goal the next ball was kicked wide to left footed Stewart on the left, the ball after was kicked in low. A blind man would have kicked ball after ball on O'Hare's head, not in front of him, not to the side, up above him. It gave Galls a focal point and frightened Cross. Granted McKenna caught a few that werent well directed, but ball after ball would have yielded goals.

Re Jamie Clarke--he is a joy to watch, an unreal talent, slippery, smart, awesome but if he was on the Galls team would Cross have let him mozzy around as he did today, winning ball after ball? Doubt it --Francie/Mickey Linden anyone?!

Game was never really a contest.

Cross play seriously on and a bit over the edge, it annoyed many neutrals i was with but it works for them. Their physio will have given CJ a sore back in the morning, he'll have whiplash for a week--he buried him from behind. They move the ball so quick and are so sharp. Galls on the other hand carried the ball into tackles when they should have laced it.

Cross corner backs were great--boy on Niblock is great and McKeown is also--tough as they come.

CJ cant play corner forward at that level without a big man to mouch off--he still stands pointing his hand in the air as if he's Kieran Donaghy--he rarely runs out in front for a ball. 3 times in 1st half i noticed Galls on the ball around midfield with not one forward inside the Cross 45. 0-2 at half time and 0-1 from play wont win these games.

Good idea to finally send Darren to FF but too late--cross had scored 3 goals (take a bow Jamie Clarke) by that stage.

Colin Brady didnt win one ball hit into Clarke all day. Good passing into Clarke, Clarke's serious pace and guile and Gall's lack of mean streak meant Clarke had a field day. Also Brady dived in many times as Clarke caught possession. As Clarke runs for a ball he slows, waits till his marker is right behind him, collects possession and spins his man, turning on a sixpence--he must have done it 20 times to Brady today

Cross going well but like any team if they concede early and go behind they will be vulnerable. Say Galls got the early goal and bombarded balls into Darren from the start,it may have been different.

I'd have Enda Muldoon on at 14 and send ball in on top of him the next day from the start