Down Club Hurling & Football

[Johnnysboys]

County finals week ahead

Dromara to win v Auglisnafin with ease winning the double this year.
Drumgath to win the intermediate v Banbridge in a final that two teams are well versed with each other
Burren to come up short again v Kilcoo. I think the gap is closing but Kilcoo have the know how and can mix their game up to suit the opposition best in the county.

[Armaghdog]

JHC final now Ballela v Castlewellan with E Belfast paying the price for their first round hammering in Castlewellan as score difference knocked them out despite a good 5 point win v Ballela. Ballela after their win v Castlewellan now favourite for the championship but will be wary of a younger up and coming team.
Shamrocks v Carryduff was tight and shows the gap between the lower SHC and IHC teams isn't much. Maybe time for a rethink of the championship format in Down. Fair play to Shamrocks who too it to the wire.

[johnnycool]

Liatroim made us work for it today.
I think we only took the lead 15 minutes into the second half.

I think we racked up the better part of 17 wides yet again, the same as against Carryduff and anything remotely like that stat in the final in two weeks and we'll be beat by double digits 
Liatroim didn't trouble our keeper enough and maybe their strength in depth wasn't there with the Murphys gone.
Pierce Og probably the pick of their players and we finally got him subdued in the second half, the big left hander, Eoin McCrickard caught some good ball too  until Cathal Coulter went back onto him and played on his catching hand.

Ports will go into the final as warm favourites but sure we'll give it a lash, there's nothing to lose.

[Armaghdog]

On today's evidence JC can't see Galgets getting near Pferry but they are there and as you say will give it a lash. Good to see Point competitive with Bredagh in intermediate.

[johnnycool]

On today's evidence JC can't see Galgets getting near Pferry but they are there and as you say will give it a lash. Good to see Point competitive with Bredagh in intermediate.

We're a bit of a jekyll and Hyde outfit at the moment, mixing the sublime with the absolute ridiculous a few seconds later. 
Poor shooting today but everything sailed over the bar against Bredagh and in the round robin against Portaferry.
We'll need a high percentage to go over in two weeks time.

On Bredagh, I wonder if they gave some of their minors game time?
They didn't against us and they'd some poor enough hurlers on instead.
Let them at it.

[Splash]

JHC final now Ballela v Castlewellan with E Belfast paying the price for their first round hammering in Castlewellan as score difference knocked them out despite a good 5 point win v Ballela. Ballela after their win v Castlewellan now favourite for the championship but will be wary of a younger up and coming team.
Shamrocks v Carryduff was tight and shows the gap between the lower SHC and IHC teams isn't much. Maybe time for a rethink of the championship format in Down. Fair play to Shamrocks who too it to the wire.

Not sure if Ballela are favourites to be honest.

Yes, they beat Castlewellan, but Castlewellan have performed better overall in the championship.

Hammered East Belfast, and hammered Ballyvarley, whereas Ballela lost to East Belfast, and it's probably fair to say they got out of jail free against Ballyvarley with some decisions going their way.

This is not to say they aren't well fit to beat Castlewellan. Ballela are a dogged team, but Castlewellan will have learnt from their last encounter and id be surprised if they make the same mistakes again.

Páirc Esler will suit Castlewellan style of play more I'd say, and if they do play their way, and not the way Ballela want them to play, I would have them as favourites.

Of course though, Ballela have the know how on both beating Castlewellan, and winning Junior Championships. If they get their match ups right they'll be well fit go straight back up to intermediate.



Was expecting a bigger winning margin for Carryduff, Shamrocks were impressive. I would definitely agree, we need a rethink on the championship structure. What is the point in having an intermediate final that is the exact same as last year? Bredagh could feasibly win back to back intermediate championships.

[Ardstick]

Senior

Ports looking miles above the competition but the Galgets will always battle to the end. Maybe a year or 2 still to wait for Jeremiah. Liatroim showed they are more than capable of fighting for themselves without the Belfast and Ballela blow-ins, promote and coach within the best way forward and they should be all the stronger for that.
Surely final is back in the Ards, far better atmosphere than a big empty Newry.

Intermediate

Two close enough matches for the Belfast teams and another close affair ahead again. Maybe Carryduff with a wee bit extra?
Interesting that the bottom 2 senior drop into intermediate but bottom 2 intermediate dont drop into junior? Just wondering what the thinking is behind that system??

Junior

Ballela back into another junior final even though they got beat by East Belfast and finished 3rd in the group. A table within the table gets them through?? Will be an interesting final with Castlewellan, who probably think this is their time. Will need to stop the goals going in and rely on their speed and youth to get over the line. Ballela have still some of the old guard playing and may just have the neck of winning tight finals.

Great few finals ahead and hopefully good crowds come out to support the small ball.

[johnnycool]

Senior

Ports looking miles above the competition but the Galgets will always battle to the end. Maybe a year or 2 still to wait for Jeremiah. Liatroim showed they are more than capable of fighting for themselves without the Belfast and Ballela blow-ins, promote and coach within the best way forward and they should be all the stronger for that.
Surely final is back in the Ards, far better atmosphere than a big empty Newry.

Intermediate

Two close enough matches for the Belfast teams and another close affair ahead again. Maybe Carryduff with a wee bit extra?
Interesting that the bottom 2 senior drop into intermediate but bottom 2 intermediate dont drop into junior? Just wondering what the thinking is behind that system??

Junior

Ballela back into another junior final even though they got beat by East Belfast and finished 3rd in the group. A table within the table gets them through?? Will be an interesting final with Castlewellan, who probably think this is their time. Will need to stop the goals going in and rely on their speed and youth to get over the line. Ballela have still some of the old guard playing and may just have the neck of winning tight finals.

Great few finals ahead and hopefully good crowds come out to support the small ball.

Yeah, Ports will go into the final as big favourites and from all sources who were at their game, they'd blew Ballycran away with their pace and aggression.
We've more pace than Ballycran in general and may be able to keep with their forwards pace wise to apply more pressure on their shooting which we'll need to do to have any chance as well as have a goal threat of our own which we believe we have.

To cut a long story short we'll need to have a good day and Portaferry to have a below par day to pull this one off but sure it'll be a good learning curve for a lot of our lads.

Final in Newry in two Sundays time at 4PM and the Ferry boat will be off during this time so it'll be a trip "around the road" for both teams..

No one in Ballygalget is complaining which is quite strange 

I'd be surprised if Bredagh don't win the Intermediate, they've more scope for improvement than Carryduff IMO, but Carryduff did beat them in the round robins by a fortuitous goal, Bredagh won't be so lenient again.


Castlewellan need to be winning the junior to get kicking on and have a platform for their young hurlers to aspire to. Ballela always seem to be hanging in there and dogged to say the least. They need young blood to keep going and that St Patricks team had some decent U16's but that's a year or two away sadly.

[TakeTheMark]

Surely final is back in the Ards, far better atmosphere than a big empty Newry.

There have been numerous posts recently saying that the rest of the county should be doing more for hurling, then at the first opportunity you want the final moved away from the county ground up to the Ards away from the rest of the county?

[ardtole]

If there are 2 teams from Ards in the final, surely it's only logical to play the final over there, particularly if the ferry isn't running.

[johnnycool]

If there are 2 teams from Ards in the final, surely it's only logical to play the final over there, particularly if the ferry isn't running.

The obvious choice is McKenna park, but I'd suggest neither team wants to play on such a tight pitch.

[Ardstick]

If there are 2 teams from Ards in the final, surely it's only logical to play the final over there, particularly if the ferry isn't running.

The obvious choice is McKenna park, but I'd suggest neither team wants to play on such a tight pitch.

It really should be in the Ards, dont know why "TakeTheMark" is up in arms at that suggestion, nothing to do with promotion.(Int and Junior finals in Newry to go to) Having been at many a final in the Ards and a couple in Newry its not even a comparison, far better occasion and atmosphere, and haven't even mention the fact supporters and players having a 100 mile round trip instead of a 4/5 mile trip, common sense stuff really. Jonny would the clubs or even Board be in favour of tossing for the venue? Just a thought.

PS I'm thinking this final might be closer than people might expect.

[johnnycool]

If there are 2 teams from Ards in the final, surely it's only logical to play the final over there, particularly if the ferry isn't running.

The obvious choice is McKenna park, but I'd suggest neither team wants to play on such a tight pitch.

It really should be in the Ards, dont know why "TakeTheMark" is up in arms at that suggestion, nothing to do with promotion.(Int and Junior finals in Newry to go to) Having been at many a final in the Ards and a couple in Newry its not even a comparison, far better occasion and atmosphere, and haven't even mention the fact supporters and players having a 100 mile round trip instead of a 4/5 mile trip, common sense stuff really. Jonny would the clubs or even Board be in favour of tossing for the venue? Just a thought.

PS I'm thinking this final might be closer than people might expect.

I know it wasn't even discussed in Ballygalget either by the team management or club executive.

Our minors went to Newry and our seniors will be going too.

I can't speak for Portaferry.

[dec]

If they want to promote hurling in the Newry / South Down area they should give out free tickets to the schools and clubs in the Newry area to encourage a bigger crowd at the game.

[thewobbler]

If they want to promote hurling in the Newry / South Down area they should give out free tickets to the schools and clubs in the Newry area to encourage a bigger crowd at the game.

Honestly I'm not overly sure it would help. I don't believe the price is a deterrent.