Connacht Club Championship

[ludermor]

Congrats to Ballina.
Stephenite, Brady didnt dive one or twice, the last 15mins he was on the ground most of the time.

[joemamas]

have to agree about Brady. he is an embarrasment.

[stephenite]

 

[GalwayBayBoy]

David Brady learned it from the masters.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=BVTw1ysCgBY&feature=related

[Barney]

On a day when Francie Dolan showed that he is just not good enough to don a green and red jersey congrats to Ballina.

Good tough game. Thought Bridgets made too many changes at the start of the second half when they had Ballina on the racks and last momentum.

Great to see McGarrity back to his best. What an end for the year for him. Also David Clarke looked more confident than he did last Summer even though his kick-outs were poor at times.

Think a team with pace would trouble Ballina but they have won it once so why not again? Nemo or Ballinacourty up next.

With my county hat on it is not great for Mayo. We will be short some players for the start of the league and its going to be tough enough even if we had them. Propsects to join the squad - Hughes was excellent, but probably too small. Leonard and Sweeney were very good in the half-back line. Maybe lack the pace required on a dry day in June though.

By the way why do the Connacht Council let the Chuckle Brothers from Sligo officiate at any match? They are a disaster - but for both teams today.

[Rossfan]

The refereeing was not of the highest quality right enough - still it was better than the Mayo fella who did the Connacht Minor Final.
St Bridgets had the chances to win today but didnt take them.
Also they seemed to lose their way after a good start to the second half.
The bog pitch didnt help them - I wonder why do Ballina get the game on their own pitch when all other games are played in County grounds -Bridgets in the Hyde last year,Killererin in Tuam this year,Moorefield in St Conleths Park,Dromard in Pearse Park etc.
Castlebar would have suited the Bridgets better than the Ballina Bogside.
Still it's all about taking your chances and having conceded two goals St B's needed at least one goal to win it but Clarke and the post denied them 3 times and that was that.
From a selfish Ros County point of view ( Or does it matter anyway..?? ) The 6 or 7 Bridgets lads on the panel can concentrate on County business.
However with another army trainer lined up it will be more preparation for a march to Moscow instead of training for 70 minute games of football.

[spectator]

Could have gone either way, but I think you'd have to say Ballina just about deserved it.

Their physical approach was beyond borderline at times, but that's aprt & parcel of the game. They moved the ball well at times and made the most of their chances, taking some nice points in the process.

Brigids, on the other hand, make costly mistakes in defence, including giving away a couple of soft close-in frees at a crucial stage mid-way through the second half which enabled Ballina to pull away again. Also, they just didn't make the most of their chances. Too many of their players struggled to perform on the big occasion today.

Agree with Tatler that Brigids looked the better footballing side of the two. Ballina though, had the cuteness to break up the play in the final stages of the game, preventing Brigids from getting up a head of steam which could have pipped them at the death.

Hard Luck to Mark O'Carroll hitting the crossbar, but you'd have to agree the greater experience of Ballina saw them through in the end.

[Rudi]

The better team lost. Goalkeeper making the most fundamental of errors cost Bridgets the game. As a fullback from the age of 10 the thing I was told repeatedly was not to cross my own goal, a cardinal sin for a fullback let alone a goalkeeper. Robbie kelly was caught out badly for the first goal. O Carrol & Mannion never let the heads down & O Carrol was desperately unlucky to see his last gasp shot come of the crossbar, a goal at that stage was what Bridgets deserved. The two Dolans were poor on the day, Frankie missing two handy frees & generally playing well below his capabilities.

For the Mayo boys, Liam Brady kicked well & their goalkeeper did well with an excellent one handed save to deprive G.Dolan a goal in a well worked move. D.Brady (a player I admire greatly) started well with two well taken points, but let himself down badly with unsporting ducking & diving thereafter - seriously pissed off about that. Ballina crowd also booed F.Dolan at every chance which I think is chit.

In conclusion the better football team lost, a cute hoor of a Ballina side roughed things up, fell on the ground in the tackle & won as a result of Bridgets mistakes. All that said ye are west of the Shannon so the very best of luck for the rest of the All Ireland series.

[guy crouchback]

not long back from a very happy stephenites club house. A great win for ballina and a great game to boot. St Bridget's were witout a doubt the best team that ballina have played in the connaught championship in the last 10 years.
Ballina's experience stood to them in the second half and they steadied the ship just when it looked that bridegets were on a roll. MC garrity and hughes were outstanding for ballina where as Frankie dolans first half free kicks cost st b's dearly.
the pitch was very heavy and the ref was not the best but i don't think any of his decisions affected the outcome. i just watched the match report on the news and the ballina penalty was a good decision.

[guy crouchback]

[In conclusion the better football team lost, a cute hoor of a Ballina side roughed things up, fell on the ground in the tackle & won as a result of Bridgets mistakes



pathetic

[ross matt]

It might have been an exciting finish but the quality was poor enough on the day and wont keep any other provincial champions up all night with worry. Ballina won it by using their physical advantage to win primary possession (and dodgy frees) on their heavy home sod and because their key men McGarrity & Brady (a diver now as well as a show boating media clown) stood up and were counted when it mattered. Bridgets lost it because they gifted early scores, missed costly ones themselves and their high profile players like Dolan allowed themselves to be bullied out of it. They were definitely the better footballing side but there are days when you have to win ugly and today was one of them.

Fair play to McGarritty. Top class performance and great workrate. Very humble interview afterwards too. Very deserving man of the match. Karol Mannion kicked a fine point and himself and O'Carroll got in alot of work but they were well beaten on the kickouts. O'Carroll was very unlucky at the death to see his point come off the post.

Bad result for Ross football. I would have expected Brigids experience from last year to see them through a day like today and a 2nd Connacht title in a row would boost morale in general in the county. I dont think Ballina are a patch on the successful side they had a few years back yet Brigids were too lightweight against them today. Hope for the sake of Connacht that the Stephenites progress but I suspect a pacy team on a drier sod would really expose them.

[highking]

My word but this ref is some chimp. Does he even know the rules?

(1) He gave a penalty for two hops - leaving out the fact that the ball crossed the line and it should have been a goal to begin with, you can't give a penalty for a technical foul - it was either a goal or a 14m free.

Im very surprised Lone Shark that you dont know the ruling. All technical fouls conceded inside your own small square result in a penalty. If the ref felt that he hopped the ball twice, and the second hop was inside the small square, then its a penalty. He should have signalled it straight away and been more decisive, but Id say he was giving an ordinary free at first, but then got the message through his miked up link that it was a penalty by his brother doing the line, and then gave the penalty.....

[mannix]

Congrats to Ballina.
Good enough now to win the title.

[imtommygunn]

Brady was a disgrace. He did a Dida just after Brigids hit the crossbar. He wasn't hit anywhere near the mouth. He was playing to get men sent off and he succeeded with the Brigids sub.

Ballina are a good team though and will put it up to anyone. Them, Nemo and Cross are three very strong teams. Dunno who will win Leinster but I don't think they'll be up to the standard of the other three. Thought Enda Devenney looked very good for Ballina though was disappointed in Ger Brady. McGarrity is a quality footballer too. Think he's half a stone off being a top top player but very good none the less.

Brigids are a good team too.If not for the penalty the game could have had a different outcome.

[stephenite]

The bog pitch didnt help them - I wonder why do Ballina get the game on their own pitch when all other games are played in County grounds -Bridgets in the Hyde last year,Killererin in Tuam this year,Moorefield in St Conleths Park,Dromard in Pearse Park etc.
Castlebar would have suited the Bridgets better than the Ballina Bogside.

Ballina can host provincial club games at home - because they have a suitable venue, I don't know that the home grounds of any of the clubs you mentioned would have the relevant facilities to enable them to host such a game?

The bitterness from some of the Rossies is hilarious and certainly brightening up my Monday morning Rossfan and Rudi in particular - grumble grumble pitch , grumble grumble f**king Brady. Hardly a mention of how their great white hope Frankie shat himself when the chips were down once again, must be exciting having him back for the County lads