Antrim Football Thread

[Grace Murphy]

Portglenone management gone i hear

[bannside]

Nonsense lol.

Cargin deserved their win, another league in the bag, well done.

5th /6th in league okay with most of us.

Big question is what will management find from here in the next few months. That's the challenge for JMK and in fact for most managers.

[Take the Mark]

That 1 might sting a little bit more than your average league defeat Bannside as it seemed to me you were going all guns blazing at a fairly scarce looking Cargin team and managed to throw a 6 point lead.

By the way are you related to Colm McDonald by any chance? 

It seemed your boy could foul til the cows came home and Colm still wouldn't have booked him

[EOC1923]

Nonsense lol.

Cargin deserved their win, another league in the bag, well done.

5th /6th in league okay with most of us.

Big question is what will management find from here in the next few months. That's the challenge for JMK and in fact for most managers.

With the top 4 league play off again this season there is no league secured.
BS When you ask 'what will the management find from here'?, unless it is some new players I don't honestly see Portglenone in the mix, but it will depend on the QF and SF draws of course. Creggan and St Brigids much further down the line than them higher calibre players in their squads as well. From the games I have seen they would be the top 2 contenders behind Cargin. Only my opinion

[Milltown Row2]

Is the current Portglenone team better than the team that got to their last county final?

[Caesar]

Nonsense lol.

Cargin deserved their win, another league in the bag, well done.

5th /6th in league okay with most of us.

Big question is what will management find from here in the next few months. That's the challenge for JMK and in fact for most managers.

With the top 4 league play off again this season there is no league secured.
BS When you ask 'what will the management find from here'?, unless it is some new players I don't honestly see Portglenone in the mix, but it will depend on the QF and SF draws of course. Creggan and St Brigids much further down the line than them higher calibre players in their squads as well. From the games I have seen they would be the top 2 contenders behind Cargin. Only my opinion

Hard to disagree with this

[EOC1923]

Is the current Portglenone team better than the team that got to their last county final?

Much the same, but will 5 of the top 6 get drawn on one side of the draw again leaving Portglenone a clear run to the final? It's doubtful

[bannside]

I'm personally not judging PG1 on league performance because that hasn't been a priority. I've alluded to that numerous times this year, so 5th/6th...we are cool with that.

To my eye Creggan looked strong when we played them last week. Big and physical in right places. They're definitely in the mix and well ahead of us atm, and they're  not the only ones.

Casements are much lighter than last year, that would worry me. Some of their best ball winners in the county final are not around, for different reasons. So I'd worry about that part of their game.

[bannside]

That 1 might sting a little bit more than your average league defeat Bannside as it seemed to me you were going all guns blazing at a fairly scarce looking Cargin team and managed to throw a 6 point lead.


Just for balance, Cargin played with 10 of their county final starters. Casements played with 9.
Two sides to every story...

Cargin get a goal from what many thought was a foul and a free out on Daniel McNicholl. Ball spilled and it's in the back of the net. A few mins later we miss a one on one, inches wide. 6 pt turnaround.

Small margins lads, no sour grapes here, as I say it wasn't any kind of priority.

[Take the Mark]

Of course you'd be right not to be drawing any lasting conclusions from the league however it was plain to see last night that Portglenone were out to lay down a marker or banish a demon - whatever way you want to paint it. Failed to do so, from 6 up.

Who are the best ball winners that aren't around apart from Niall McKeever?

Oh and Bannside - I'm not sure about Portglenone but Cargin also had 9 :-)

[NatSoSaff]

Decent game last night at home to Whitehill. Looked as if we were going to run up a cricket score after 15 minutes. They came back well to their credit.

That should be the top 4 finalised as I don't see any slip ups from the current 4 in the next league round, meaning Portglenone will miss out.

I imagine all 4 sides wouldn't mind getting a trophy in the cabinet at this stage. St brigids will want to retain it and the other 3 have went without it long enough now to want it back.

No doubt holidays will have an impact on all 4 clubs.

[bannside]

Take Your Mark, I'm not going to be getting worked up about a game I had no big expectation of, no matter who was playing or wasn't playing.

Anything happening in Mid June is too early to be concerned about what might happen in August or September.

And I emphasise the word "might", because you need a strong panel to win anything, and at the minute we look a bit light.

[BigGreenField]

We are talking about Belfast schools combining for the purposes of team training and preparation for Ulster College fixtures.

What they do to sustain that after the competition is over I haven't a clue. Go back to their clubs and county development squads I assume..

What do you propose?

My starting point is it's good to see something new being tried and if it exposes schools as to what is needed (and begins to build the culture needed)at a higher standard that is great.

two things, what evidence is there from elsewhere that amalgamations at schools long term lift standards? Down hurling, Derry City, Donegal? Amalgamations can't run forever so when they end how are higher standards delivered and embedded.

if this is a 3 or 4 school amalgamation then that means a panel of 25(?),  best 6 or 7 from each school. That leaves 3 or 4 schools with the rest of their panel at a lower level again. for the lads in the amalgamation they get to play at a higher standard but for the 75 lads not in it they end up playing at a lower standard.

It's worth a go however a plan continues to be needed for raising collective standards in order that the ground is fertile for when the amalgamation ends.

If we believe county coaching is better than club then to me this involves significant expansion of development squad programme both on skills and S&C. Building the culture of self improvement.

I also think schools should be open to and be given (by Croke:Ulster Gaa) an annual review in the quality and quantity of in school training and coaching and S&C (doesn't have to be disclosed). Direct Gaa resources to this schools willing to get better. The same should apply to clubs and if clubs don't get their house in order then players should be free to transfer away.

That is a different environment and perhaps a step away from everyone doing their best.

[BigGreenField]

Decent game last night at home to Whitehill. Looked as if we were going to run up a cricket score after 15 minutes. They came back well to their credit.

That should be the top 4 finalised as I don't see any slip ups from the current 4 in the next league round, meaning Portglenone will miss out.

I imagine all 4 sides wouldn't mind getting a trophy in the cabinet at this stage. St brigids will want to retain it and the other 3 have went without it long enough now to want it back.

No doubt holidays will have an impact on all 4 clubs.

All saints fielded reserves last year, I do wonder with new rules producing more demands athletically on players, if clubs actually want to have 2 intense games or wouldn't mind a week or two down time, league silverware or not.

[InnocentByStander]

You can count PG1 out of the championship now. Cargin got stuck in and hit them hard they lay down and threw away a 6 point lead.

By laying down i literally mean it, their full back caught the ball and looked like something out of the premier league he let out this cry and held his hand to his face. Collie to his credit was having none of it he fisted it to david johnston who stuck it in the net. Embarrassing stuff.

Everything goes through their blow in he is their only threat in the forward line if he gets injured they wont make it out of the group. Outside of McKeever they were full strength, BS is playing it off if i was a PG1 man id be very worried.