2016 All Ireland U-21 football championship

[Syferus]

Gutted - goals win games. Better team I thought but Dublin expect to win whereas our lads hope to win and abdicated responsibility  when scores were there for the taking.

Still they died with their boots on. One thing I learned today is that the true Dub fan is a minority. Unless played at home in Croke Park Dublin are poorly supported. Would be nice to be so complacent.

Full round of Juvenile and Senior games on today along with the Hurlers playing Limerick.

There is no bandwagon like a Kildare bandwagon and expecting to win today would've brought a few along - they skulk back with the best of them when it suits.

With the two favourites in Kildare & Ros now gone, it's pot luck with Dublin v Mayo.

In fairness Dublin's poor underage support is well established. It's a pity for a county so big. Cork nearly as bad and are worse at senior.

[Dinny Breen]

Gutted - goals win games. Better team I thought but Dublin expect to win whereas our lads hope to win and abdicated responsibility  when scores were there for the taking.

Still they died with their boots on. One thing I learned today is that the true Dub fan is a minority. Unless played at home in Croke Park Dublin are poorly supported. Would be nice to be so complacent.

Full round of Juvenile and Senior games on today along with the Hurlers playing Limerick.

There is no bandwagon like a Kildare bandwagon and expecting to win today would've brought a few along - they skulk back with the best of them when it suits.

With the two favourites in Kildare & Ros now gone, it's pot luck with Dublin v Mayo.

Dublin supporters at the hurling - good one! All the money in the world can't get supporters out to watch that manufactured team.

[Hound]

Kildare fans weren't long turning on their own players when the comeback started!

If they concentrated on supporting their lads, the big crowd might have counted for something. At least a large contingent got out to avoid the traffic, even though a late goal could have turned it all around...

But in reality, it's not very important, other than for the players and their friends/families. In the overall scheme of things Dublin and Mayo would have today's win way down the list of priorities for this year

[heffo]

Gutted - goals win games. Better team I thought but Dublin expect to win whereas our lads hope to win and abdicated responsibility  when scores were there for the taking.

Still they died with their boots on. One thing I learned today is that the true Dub fan is a minority. Unless played at home in Croke Park Dublin are poorly supported. Would be nice to be so complacent.

Full round of Juvenile and Senior games on today along with the Hurlers playing Limerick.

There is no bandwagon like a Kildare bandwagon and expecting to win today would've brought a few along - they skulk back with the best of them when it suits.

With the two favourites in Kildare & Ros now gone, it's pot luck with Dublin v Mayo.

Dublin supporters at the hurling - good one! All the money in the world can't get supporters out to watch that manufactured team.

If nothing else, Kildare are still AI champions in how to lose ungraciously.

[ck]

Both Mayo and Dublin came from well behind to win. Interesting stuff.
Anyone from Cork or Kerry here? What are yee like?

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

I didn't hear too many complaints from Kildare fans about the players today, there may have been groans of frustration when bad decisions were made but in general it was very good support from Kildare throughout. We are a frustrated lot given how starved of success we are.
The size of the Dublin support was pathetic especially given how handy Navan is as a venue for them.

Although disappointed with the result I'm very proud of the Kildare performance today, the effort was incredible and they showed plenty of bottle. Con O'Callaghan was unmarkable and is a special talent, if he wasn't on the field it would have been an easy win for Kildare. He will replace B Brogan soon enough.

The Referee was fantastic, he was fair to both sides, allowed the game to flow brilliantly and allowed shoulders. I can't remember the last time I can say that about a referee.

[Gael85]

Nice unexpected win for Dublin today. Lorcan Molloy and Michael Deegan won their 3rd Leinster u21 in a row. We have nothing to lose going in against Mayo now. Still think Kerry are the team to beat. Missing 5/6 key players through injury who are coming back at the right time.

[Farrandeelin]

You gotta love GAA. Mayo don't win many all Irelands, but a few weeks ago we were finished, and Castlebar lost and all was going up in smoke. Two wins in 6 days against an average senior Ros side and a good u21 Ros side means Mayo aren't all bad. Crazy stuff, and that's just one county.

[Ballaghman]

Great win today by a team that showed composure when many other (Mayo) teams would have panicked and lost. Delighted for the two Ballagh lads Mike and John and also Joe Keane too. Hopefully the lads can kick on and improve for the semi final, they'll definitely need to based on today's display.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Tough one to take. Same old story with Kildare. We had the chances to win it but we just didn't take them. Fair play to Dublin. They just had that little but more composure than us.

[Rossfan]

You gotta love GAA. Mayo don't win many all Irelands, but a few weeks ago we were finished, and Castlebar lost and all was going up in smoke. Two wins in 6 days against an average senior Ros side and a good u21 Ros side means Mayo aren't all bad. Crazy stuff, and that's just one county.

Not that good a Ros U21 side.
About 6 players who wouldn't have got a look in on our 2012/14/15 teams. Couldn't get over loss of Mullooly and Compton.
Also contrived to fcuks up a game they should have had won after 20 minutes.
Such is our lot I suppose but at least the five Seniors  can concentrate on the real stuff from here on.

[The Hill is Blue]

Gutted - goals win games. Better team I thought but Dublin expect to win whereas our lads hope to win and abdicated responsibility  when scores were there for the taking.

Still they died with their boots on. One thing I learned today is that the true Dub fan is a minority. Unless played at home in Croke Park Dublin are poorly supported. Would be nice to be so complacent.

Full round of Juvenile and Senior games on today along with the Hurlers playing Limerick.

There is no bandwagon like a Kildare bandwagon and expecting to win today would've brought a few along - they skulk back with the best of them when it suits.

With the two favourites in Kildare & Ros now gone, it's pot luck with Dublin v Mayo.

Dublin supporters at the hurling - good one! All the money in the world can't get supporters out to watch that manufactured team.

There's nothing like a gracious loser.

Well done to both teams but particularly to the Dublin lads who never gave up the fight.

Once again Kildare have shown that hype doesn't win matches.

COYBIB

[blanketattack]

Dublin underage teams never get much of a support. Doubt most of them knew game was on. And Kerry are and have been clear favourites for this competition. They dont seem to know that either.

For Kerry
Pros: Jack O'Connor and his experience in winning.
2 All Ireland minor winning sides involved this year.

Cons:
Lack of experience at this level, the majority have 1 or 0 previous games played prior to this year. None of the panel had won a game at u21 before. Tactically u21 very different to minor so experience is vital.
7 players injured including their best forward and best midfielder.
Very young team. Majority of team were minor last year, previous year's minor making up most of the rest, so quite young and lots of players giving away 2 years of strength and  conditioning to many opponents.
No senior players. Cork have 3 or 4. Both last year's finalists had 5 or 6. Think you need some senior players to have a decent chance.

[From the Bunker]

You gotta love GAA. Mayo don't win many all Irelands, but a few weeks ago we were finished, and Castlebar lost and all was going up in smoke. Two wins in 6 days against an average senior Ros side and a good u21 Ros side means Mayo aren't all bad. Crazy stuff, and that's just one county.

Yeah great week for us getting back on the Saddle. Always said this was an important game for us to win (even more so than the senior game at the Hyde).

[Ringfort]

Fair fucks to Mayo as much as it pains me to say it. You get rode early on, take whatever bit of luck or break goes your way and try and inch out the win from nothing in the closing stages, hoping all the while that it's not your opponents day.  Nothing wrong with that and nothing any other team in Ireland would scoff at. Fortunate but fair and square win for the red and green again.

Back to the senior set up for us now. We have had a great run at U21 for several years and I would be very disappointed if that didn't translate that into one or two senior Connacht titles in the coming years. But we are coming from a lowly position and in my lifetime (33yrs) I've barely seen us beat Galway or Mayo so any kind of provincial achievement would be most welcome in my book.

A respectable championship showing would do me, as I'm accustomed to little but ignominy and shame.

The league and recent years underage has been great for us, but until we produce on the senior championship field we are nobodies.