Ulster Club SFC 2016

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

I was wrong again.

Congratulations to slaughtneil. All their big guns turned up, Rogers, McKaigue and patsy, but I was massively impressed with McNeill and feeney.

What happens from here is largely irrelevant; slaughtneil probably won't win any of the three All-Irelands, but they've done something no other club has ever done and most likely will ever do.

Enjoy tonight and the next few weeks, my fellow parishioners.

[Il Bomber Destro]

If ever a game summed up the hand pass solo blight of modern Gaelic football that was it. Dire game from a purists point of view. Two functional superbly athletic teams with very little in the way of skilled football. Johnstone and Branagans would have wanted their own ball at times such was their failure to get their head up and try and execute a kick pass. Stick the head down and take 2 or 3 solos before offloading. Rinse repeat. Then Slaughtneill tried to run the clock down by playing keep ball with over 5 minutes to go by going over and back the field in a possession type game. As an earlier poster said, bring back Scotstown and Cross who tried to play positive attacking football where players actually tried to kick pass the ball into space. Awful spectacle, the only thing that kept it interesting was th closeness of the contest.

Agree completely

I also concur but such is the way of things. Corofin and Crokes at least try to play the game positively. While it was understandable that Slaughtniel were running the clock down it's dicey doing that in your own back line. A slip or miss pass and it's in the back of the net. The funny thing is they can play a very good attaching hand pass game and one score in particular was brilliant where they worked it at pace from back to front but it was very much the exception. They will find it hard to win the AI playing like that. Coordinate were the puck of the teams today and I reckon Vincent's will pull through in Leinster. Either if this will win it.

This for me is the big thing - this type of football where the focus is on retaining possession and keeping it tight, just isn't very successful in terms of winning All-Irelands.

I thought the standard of tackling by both sides was very poor - an amount of lazy poor tackling with the focus being on the man as opposed to the ball - ref could have blown for even more than he did - I reckon long term this does Ulster football no favours, as when they meet a ref who is strict on the definition of the tackle they struggle.

I would have said the best tackling performance of the day was by the Crokes who did very well in terms of putting pressure on the man in possession and turning the ball over, especially around the middle third.

It infuriates me the amount of nonsense that is written with regards possession football.

Possession football is a contrast to blanket defences, particularly well organised ones. It's the only effective way that you can play against it. If you go and try and play direct football against sides like Tyrone and Donegal at county level you are asking for trouble, you look at what happened Dublin in 2014. You look at the way Kerry now play, the way Mayo have changed tact this year and how they mirrored Tyrone in the quarter final.

You can win All Ireland's playing like that, last year's winners (Ballyboden) played a running game and won the final very convincingly.

What cost Slaughtneil in 2015 was I think that they were lacking a little bit in the forward line, young McGuigan is a massive boost in this regard this time round and also the fact that the they had a lot of older players who I think got found out against Corofin on the pace of the Croke Park pitch. The likes of McGrath, Feeney and Cassidy add much more pace and mobility in that side this time round. I think they have a reasonable chance though I would find it hard to look past Corofin this time round.

[JimStynes]

5 minutes left and 2 down Kilcoo should have went after the game. They set back with all 15 players in defence and allowed Slaughtneil to piss about with the ball in their own half and around midfield. They basically let Slaughtneil run down the clock.  A decent first half and some quality players on show but I can't see an All Ireland in that Slaughtneil side. I was delighted for them to win the treble though. It really is unreal. How much of a population would they have to pick from?

[yellowcard]

If ever a game summed up the hand pass solo blight of modern Gaelic football that was it. Dire game from a purists point of view. Two functional superbly athletic teams with very little in the way of skilled football. Johnstone and Branagans would have wanted their own ball at times such was their failure to get their head up and try and execute a kick pass. Stick the head down and take 2 or 3 solos before offloading. Rinse repeat. Then Slaughtneill tried to run the clock down by playing keep ball with over 5 minutes to go by going over and back the field in a possession type game. As an earlier poster said, bring back Scotstown and Cross who tried to play positive attacking football where players actually tried to kick pass the ball into space. Awful spectacle, the only thing that kept it interesting was th closeness of the contest.

Agree completely

I also concur but such is the way of things. Corofin and Crokes at least try to play the game positively. While it was understandable that Slaughtniel were running the clock down it's dicey doing that in your own back line. A slip or miss pass and it's in the back of the net. The funny thing is they can play a very good attaching hand pass game and one score in particular was brilliant where they worked it at pace from back to front but it was very much the exception. They will find it hard to win the AI playing like that. Coordinate were the puck of the teams today and I reckon Vincent's will pull through in Leinster. Either if this will win it.

This for me is the big thing - this type of football where the focus is on retaining possession and keeping it tight, just isn't very successful in terms of winning All-Irelands.

I thought the standard of tackling by both sides was very poor - an amount of lazy poor tackling with the focus being on the man as opposed to the ball - ref could have blown for even more than he did - I reckon long term this does Ulster football no favours, as when they meet a ref who is strict on the definition of the tackle they struggle.

I would have said the best tackling performance of the day was by the Crokes who did very well in terms of putting pressure on the man in possession and turning the ball over, especially around the middle third.

It infuriates me the amount of nonsense that is written with regards possession football.

Possession football is a contrast to blanket defences, particularly well organised ones. It's the only effective way that you can play against it. If you go and try and play direct football against sides like Tyrone and Donegal at county level you are asking for trouble, you look at what happened Dublin in 2014. You look at the way Kerry now play, the way Mayo have changed tact this year and how they mirrored Tyrone in the quarter final.

You can win All Ireland's playing like that, last year's winners (Ballyboden) played a running game and won the final very convincingly.

What cost Slaughtneil in 2015 was I think that they were lacking a little bit in the forward line, young McGuigan is a massive boost in this regard this time round and also the fact that the they had a lot of older players who I think got found out against Corofin on the pace of the Croke Park pitch. The likes of McGrath, Feeney and Cassidy add much more pace and mobility in that side this time round. I think they have a reasonable chance though I would find it hard to look past Corofin this time round.

The type of football I watched today was more akin to watching a rugby league match. Head down, 1/2 solos, handpass the ball laterally and repeat as nauseam. I'd say there were players who failed to kick a ball during the course of the match and I'd love to see the stats on the number of successful kick passes for both sides. It's the way players have been conditioned to play, risk averse and cutting out mistakes at the expense of unpredictable football and being allowed to pass 40 yards. They were 2 sets of teams who were well conditioned and prepared but it was simply an arm wrestle which was won by the team who made marginally fewer errors. Athleticism and cutting out mistakes in favour of skill and flair. Fear over risk.

[DownFanatic]

I've seen Kilcoo quite a bit this year. Today I feel they underperformed. They also made a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes. Slaughtneil were marginally the better side and coped admirably with a misfiring Kilcoo forward line.
Their treble achievement is nothing short of unreal.

[JoG2]

I'd agree with Bomber.  Slaughtneil are stronger than 2 years ago,  so definitely have a chance.  I sat in the Canal End for the '14 final and watched Corofin slice the Robbies open with some incredible running lines and fast ball in. But as Bomber points out,  the dynamic of the Slaughtneil team is different.  Cassidy is very mobile in midfield,  and Patsy is in the form of his life.  The half forward and half back line are very fast and athletic and Shay is a great focal point in attack. 
As with the Killyclogher game,  Kilcoo were behind and insisted on holding onto their mass defence with the clock ticking down.  Of course Slaughtneil will hold possession  and wait for the gaps or the likes of ODoherty and McGuigan to break away from 2/3 defenders and win ball.  It would have been suicide to lump balls in for the sake of it. 

[bennydorano]

5 minutes left and 2 down Kilcoo should have went after the game. They set back with all 15 players in defence and allowed Slaughtneil to piss about with the ball in their own half and around midfield. They basically let Slaughtneil run down the clock.  A decent first half and some quality players on show but I can't see an All Ireland in that Slaughtneil side. I was delighted for them to win the treble though. It really is unreal. How much of a population would they have to pick from?

From looming at a map I was wondering do they get players from the Maghera area?

[time ticking away]

I'd agree with Bomber.  Slaughtneil are stronger than 2 years ago,  so definitely have a chance.  I sat in the Canal End for the '14 final and watched Corofin slice the Robbies open with some incredible running lines and fast ball in. But as Bomber points out,  the dynamic of the Slaughtneil team is different.  Cassidy is very mobile in midfield,  and Patsy is in the form of his life.  The half forward and half back line are very fast and athletic and Shay is a great focal point in attack. 
As with the Killyclogher game,  Kilcoo were behind and insisted on holding onto their mass defence with the clock ticking down.  Of course Slaughtneil will hold possession  and wait for the gaps or the likes of ODoherty and McGuigan to break away from 2/3 defenders and win ball.  It would have been suicide to lump balls in for the sake of it. 

Are they really ?
Is young feeney better than barry mc guigan ?
Are they better without Paudie Mc Guigan ?

[Ball Hopper]

That treble must be one of the rarest in the GAA.  Fair play to all involved.

[theticklemister]

I'd agree with Bomber.  Slaughtneil are stronger than 2 years ago,  so definitely have a chance.  I sat in the Canal End for the '14 final and watched Corofin slice the Robbies open with some incredible running lines and fast ball in. But as Bomber points out,  the dynamic of the Slaughtneil team is different.  Cassidy is very mobile in midfield,  and Patsy is in the form of his life.  The half forward and half back line are very fast and athletic and Shay is a great focal point in attack. 
As with the Killyclogher game,  Kilcoo were behind and insisted on holding onto their mass defence with the clock ticking down.  Of course Slaughtneil will hold possession  and wait for the gaps or the likes of ODoherty and McGuigan to break away from 2/3 defenders and win ball.  It would have been suicide to lump balls in for the sake of it. 

Are they really ?
Is young feeney better than barry mc guigan ?
Are they better without Paudie Mc Guigan ?

Well the fact these two boys weren't on the starting 15 would testify to that wouldn't it?

[JoG2]

I'd agree with Bomber.  Slaughtneil are stronger than 2 years ago,  so definitely have a chance.  I sat in the Canal End for the '14 final and watched Corofin slice the Robbies open with some incredible running lines and fast ball in. But as Bomber points out,  the dynamic of the Slaughtneil team is different.  Cassidy is very mobile in midfield,  and Patsy is in the form of his life.  The half forward and half back line are very fast and athletic and Shay is a great focal point in attack. 
As with the Killyclogher game,  Kilcoo were behind and insisted on holding onto their mass defence with the clock ticking down.  Of course Slaughtneil will hold possession  and wait for the gaps or the likes of ODoherty and McGuigan to break away from 2/3 defenders and win ball.  It would have been suicide to lump balls in for the sake of it. 

Are they really ?
Is young feeney better than barry mc guigan ?
Are they better without Paudie Mc Guigan ?

You tell me.....

Messing aside Slaughtneil do look to be a better team than 2 years ago. Mc Guigan at full forward gave Gorman as much trouble as he has had in a long time. Credit must also go to Mickey Moran. Slaughtneils patience on the ball when playing into a blanket defence was really impressive. The final could be a clinker.

[Link]

5 minutes left and 2 down Kilcoo should have went after the game. They set back with all 15 players in defence and allowed Slaughtneil to piss about with the ball in their own half and around midfield. They basically let Slaughtneil run down the clock.  A decent first half and some quality players on show but I can't see an All Ireland in that Slaughtneil side. I was delighted for them to win the treble though. It really is unreal. How much of a population would they have to pick from?

From looming at a map I was wondering do they get players from the Maghera area?

Yes and the swatragh area but it all depends on who your father/mother/uncles/aunties played for.

[The Trap]

I think the treble could be done again..........by Slaughtneil! Who will beat them next year in:
1. Derry football championship?
2. Ulster football championship?
3. Derry hurling championship?
4. Ulster football championship?
5. Derry camogie championship?
6. Ulster camogie championship?

[Man Marker]

The Trap
I think the treble could be done again..........by Slaughtneil! Who will beat them next year in:

1. Derry football championship? Magherafelt, Ballinderry Ballinascreen in a one off game.
2. Ulster football championship? Cross, Scotstown
3. Derry hurling championship? no one
4. Ulster football championship? Did you mean hurling? Loughguile, Cushendall
5. Derry camogie championship? Ballinascrenn, Swatragh
6. Ulster camogie championship? Loughguile

[The Trap]

Yea Man Marker I meant hurling........not many teams to challenge them really are there? Probably more dependant on themselves as sooner or later they are bound to suffer from injuries, tiredness, was going to say lack of motivation but that doesn't seem to be a problem!!!!