Ulster U21 Championship 2013

[The Trap]

Tyrone put a massive effort into this under 21 campaign, training for almost 6 months several times a week. Had Brian Dooher and Philly Jordan along with Munroe and McAnenly. Costly match for club Tyrone!

[Mourne Rover]

It is notoriously hard to relate u21 teams to their minor counterparts of three years previously. Down's three star men from the minor side of 2010 were Niall McParland, Shea McCartan and Caolan Mooney. All three were missing tonight, with McParland presumably injured, McCartan at Burnley and Mooney in Melbourne, and yet Down seem to have won pretty comfortably.

[everymanaman]

Tyrone put a massive effort into this under 21 campaign, training for almost 6 months several times a week. Had Brian Dooher and Philly Jordan along with Munroe and McAnenly. Costly match for club Tyrone!

One barrier removed to the start of ACL though

[Gold]

Hard to work out how good Derry is, Antrim had some good players but couldn't settle themselves and gave away some very poor goals. Derry are very young, but i move Ryan Bell to midfield, the games seems to pass him by at no.11. Speirs of Magehrafelt is very good. Ryan Ferris is injured i presume he still U-21. Missing due to long term injury would been the 2 1st choice midfielders, McGilligan and Bradley,

Derry no good

Antrim three ahead but shit togs and gave away two shite goals for nothin. Heads then dropped. Antrim prob had better players but shit them, all in the head

Derry won't go much further

[Norf Tyrone]

Is there any benefit to having an U21 team? In this day in age of rising costs, insurance, physio, transport etc etc, is there value for money in an Inter county U21 team that has between 1 and 5 games per year?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Tyrone put a massive effort into this under 21 campaign, training for almost 6 months several times a week. Had Brian Dooher and Philly Jordan along with Munroe and McAnenly. Costly match for club Tyrone!

Saving it for the Seniors, with a bit of luck! 

[Captain Obvious]

Is there any benefit to having an U21 team? In this day in age of rising costs, insurance, physio, transport etc etc, is there value for money in an Inter county U21 team that has between 1 and 5 games per year?

Was benefit when Tyrone won 2000,2001 U21 All Irelands. Another bad result for Armagh underage team, can't have many complaints when you only manage 1-5.

[drici]

Well, that was unexpected!)

History versus the the most cursory eye on proceedings would have a Dún na nGall win on paper (once the team came out) never mind looking into the McKenna Cup team overlap. (30/100 the Bookies were fooling eejits into on the History part).

donegal u-21 team

Donegal Team

1.Peter Boyle
2. Kevin McFadden (C)
3. Ciaran Cannon
4. Pauric Carr
5. Eoin McHugh
6. Martin O'Reilly
7. Conor Parke
8. Caolan Ward
9. Luke Keeney
10. Leon Kelly
11. Conor Gibbons
12. Ryan McHugh
13. William Gillespie
14. Patrick McBrearty
15. Odhran Mac Niallais

[nrico2006]

Grugan and O'Neill have both been injured for quite a while and as far as I know they have both only been back a matter of weeks.  Grugan had a very good 2012 with Omagh too.

[mylestheslasher]

Great win for Cavan against a good Monaghan team last night. Couldnt get to it but I hear that it was a top game. I fancy us to do well if we can keep the focus and intensity. Some of our lads were just on the way back and that tough match will stand to them.

[Wee Roddy]

I had my suspicions about this conveyor belt of talent that everyone talks about. As a close follower of club football, very few of these lads stand out in the club championship series. A minor All Ireland is very over rated in my opinion and can often lead to players getting the old "im think im better than I am". When the U21 championship is played at this time of the year it is very difficult to guauge with the biggest and most physical teams often winning. Having said that with so many players involved with the seniors it may be difficult for them to come down to a level mentally to play an U21 challenge match.

Even less convinced about some off these lads now. Is it possible that Ronan O'Neill carried this team and with his recuparation from injury obviously not complete, they are just a run off the mill team? Players can bulk all they want but the outstanding young players like McBrearty, Cillian O'Connor, Murphy, Aidan Walsh, Ciaran Kilkeeny.....they are alot physically stronger than our crop naturally and no bulking will really really change this

[charlie linkbox]

Good game in Breffni Park.

It was great entertainment with two teams just going at it and no dirty stuff. Very exciting at the end of normal time when they were level and both teams kept turning the ball over to each other when trying to break forward for a winner. Jack McCarron had a chance to put Monaghan ahead near the end but put it wide. Then Cavan hit three wides before the end that could have won it for them. It was good stuff.

Cavan marginally the better team throughout but Monaghan stayed with them for the whole game and matched them until we ran out of steam in the second half of extra time and Cavan pulled away a bit.

I think the Cavan bench was the difference. Their subs made a real impact. No. 22 stood out and No.18 and No. 24 were impressive. Their subs gave them the extra legs to pull away in the end.

Sherry and Dooney caught most of the clean ball in midfield for Monaghan but Cavan were far better on the breaking ball and that was another factor in their win.

Honourable mention to Monaghan. Great attitude, plenty of skill and they put in a hard 80 minutes' work. Had we jumped this hurdle I think we'd have made an impact this year. McGuigan and Paudie McKenna were good in defence and Daniel McKenna was a real threat up front until he succumbed to cramp near the end. You couldn't fault the effort. It's just a pity we couldn't clinch it in normal time as the boys were out on their feet in extra time and you just felt Cavan were going to pull away.

Cavan No. 5 was my man of the match.

That's a good Cavan team with a strong bench. They'll take a bit of stopping.

[God14]

very very dissapointing from a Tyrone perspective. We've had some talent in the U21 grade over the past 5 years, and no silverware to show for it bar the odd shamrock cup
Take nothing away from Donegal - worthy winners by all accounts. I just feel that as underdogs, their sole focus since January would have been on last nights match, whereas maybe some of our lads had their eyes on bigger days & occasions. Certainly from a supporters perspective we were hoping for an Ulster title & possibly even a tilt at an AI
We've definitely underachived at this grade. Trileacman is spot on when he says you cant blame the management. Equally alot of these players will still go onto the senior set up to become key players.

... I wonder would results be different if this tournament was run off in June or July? ..I think with the smaller skillful footballers Tyrone tend to produce maybe the firmer sod would bring out in the best in them.

[rodney trotter]

Good game in Breffni Park.

It was great entertainment with two teams just going at it and no dirty stuff. Very exciting at the end of normal time when they were level and both teams kept turning the ball over to each other when trying to break forward for a winner. Jack McCarron had a chance to put Monaghan ahead near the end but put it wide. Then Cavan hit three wides before the end that could have won it for them. It was good stuff.

Cavan marginally the better team throughout but Monaghan stayed with them for the whole game and matched them until we ran out of steam in the second half of extra time and Cavan pulled away a bit.

I think the Cavan bench was the difference. Their subs made a real impact. No. 22 stood out and No.18 and No. 24 were impressive. Their subs gave them the extra legs to pull away in the end.

Sherry and Dooney caught most of the clean ball in midfield for Monaghan but Cavan were far better on the breaking ball and that was another factor in their win.

Honourable mention to Monaghan. Great attitude, plenty of skill and they put in a hard 80 minutes' work. Had we jumped this hurdle I think we'd have made an impact this year. McGuigan and Paudie McKenna were good in defence and Daniel McKenna was a real threat up front until he succumbed to cramp near the end. You couldn't fault the effort. It's just a pity we couldn't clinch it in normal time as the boys were out on their feet in extra time and you just felt Cavan were going to pull away.

Cavan No. 5 was my man of the match.

That's a good Cavan team with a strong bench. They'll take a bit of stopping.

It was a very good game of Football. No 5 was Darragh Mcvitty, he was selected at half back in the match programme but started out at half forward with Gerard Smith going half back, but McVitty Idropped back as a sweeper and done really well. Used the ball well and made some vital interceptoins.

22 was Joe Dillon a regular starter in the last 2 years. I would think he will be starting the next day, made a great impact when he came with 2 class points in extra time. 24 was Connor Madden  he also got 2 brillant scores in extra time. Minor player from last year. 18, was Aaron Watson also Minor last year.

Felt the Cavan midfield was being over run at times, I was a bit shocked that Michael Argue lasted as long as he did until he was replaced.
Cavan have a strong bench and it made the difference.

[Itchy]

Real tough battle tomorrow with Cavan an Down locking horns. Don't know much about this Down team but they had a comfortable win against Armagh. I'm hoping our much tougher opening game will stand to us and with one or two tweaks to the starting lineup I think we can squeak through.