Christy Ring

[Croí na hÉireann]

Were Westmeath already qualified? I thought they were quite good of what I've seen of them this year. Maybe they took the foot off the pedal for Wicklow?

I think Westmeath played a weakened team for some reason. Maybe resting players for the knockout stage. It may come back to bite them. Kildare have been in great form and on paper look like they are capable of an upset.

Spot on, should be a cracker of a game in Newbridge now...

[neilthemac]

Westmeath have not even been training much.

a few of their players are also not bothered

they thought they are too good for the Christy Ring

[johnneycool]

Bit harsh on Kieran Courtney there Bacon given his performances all year, don't think your opinion would be shared by the rest of the county and certainly not the county management. Would you say the same thing about the guy if he was from the Ards? Doubt it

Kieran can be a bit erratic when meeting a man running at him, with the hurl being high, ref's always frown upon this, he'd be better keeping the hurl lower and use the body more to slow a man down, he's a big lump himself so use it.
There's no doubting his ability, he just needs to temper his game a bit especially after picking up an early yellow.
It was a good win for Down with the players having the right attitude which is a pleasant surprise. Derry will be a bigger test for down as the Derry lads know they can beat Down and will give it a hell of a lash, Down will need to match Derry in the ferocity, if they don't Derry may steal this one.

[billy the kid]

Any reports from the Derry v Armagh game? Seemed close enough game looking at the scoreline

From all reports Armagh were 4 points up when the 4 additional minutes were announced. 2-7 to 0-1 down after 15 minutes Armagh rallied to score 5 goals in a 15 minute period either side of half time. Convery picked 1-9 for Derry although all from frees. Derry won by 4 in the end. Armagh battled dispite their big men missing and showed that progress has been made on a wider scale and not just the elite few. Although this year Armagh had no realistic chance of winning anything they have battled hard and not disgraced themselves at a much higher level.

Although a Nicky Rackhard title might have been there for the taking in 2008 after last years near miss, this year the developments seems to have continued at the higher level. Next up Kildare which will be extremely difficult.

Derry retook the lead in this game with 10 mins remaining of normal time and were always the likely winners as Armagh struggled very badly for scores and only for the Derry Keeper making 3 comical blunders for goals including dropping one in the net, Armagh would have been beaten by much more than the eventual 5 points.  Armagh only managed 4.1 from play out of their total of 5.6 With Enright hitting 1.5 from frees

Convery scored 1.4 from frees with 5 points from play and not 1.9 from frees

Derry were missing 4 first teamers and another 3 from the panel. Also one of their best players Cathal Brunton only came on in the last 10 mins as he has been out all year injured.
Armaghs injury list is nothing compared to the 1 Derry has at the min.

[seeheartalk]

Armagh play London in a relegation play-off in Pairc Esler on Saturday Jully 26. Hopefully Down won't be having a wee kickabout or the game will be delayed again.
Derry U21s had a good win over Armagh last night.

[stevecw]

Westmeath have not even been training much.

a few of their players are also not bothered

they thought they are too good for the Christy Ring

Hard to believe this really. What makes Westmeath think they're too good for CR level? Was it their hammering from Dublin, that just made them think that is the level where they belong?!
I dont believe they havent trained for a second. If thats the way they are treating it they will get caught out by a well prepared Wicklow side who had shipped lots of Criticism due to their league efforts.
Now Westmeath have to pay the price, by heading for a really tricky game away to an in form Kildare side boosted by 2 or 3 Tipp imports.
I still think Westmeath will have enough to get thru, but wont be easy.

[Farrandeelin]

Fair play to the Mayo hurlers for winning against Wicklow in Aughrim AET. I have to say even though I don't know much about hurling, I thought Mayo would lose by a point or two.

[Barney]

Up Mayo!!

[mannix]

UP MAYO!

[Franko]

Wicklow v Mayo
Wicklow will easy win this one. Struggled during league, but have got sorted since. Win by 6 or 7 pts
Down v Derry. A No brainer, Down have an amazing forward division...hit the goals that mattered in group games & will beat Derry by at least 10 pts
Kerry v Carlow- Hard one to call. Carlow are the better team, but the game is in Tralee where Kerry are very rarely beaten. But last time they met in div 2 semi in Limerick Carlow won easily by about 15 points...so id side with Carlow for this..but only by 2 or 3 pts.
Kildare v Westmeath
Its the form team Kildare v the team that thinks they are better than this level!!I dunno if westmeath are all that after a loss to Wicklow!
But if i had to choose i think Kildare might cause a real big shock here & beat Westmeath!

steve you and your predictions crack me up! did you not watch the national league at all!

[slow corner back]

I have to say that I thought it was a bit of a shock for derry to win this. Derry have some very good u-21s but they have struggled at senior level. Down with Magic back and Paul Branniff fit looked a reasonable bet to win the Christy Ring. Fair play to Dery, as in the u-21s last year, thay have surprised a fancied side. The underdog role seems to suit them which is just as well as they wil be underdogs once more against westmeath. I hope they can push on from here and get to the final. It would be highly ironic to see the Dery county board all showing up to back the hurlers in croke park considering some of the things big McGilligan has had to say about them this year
Also have to say it does please me that Derry hurlers have lasted longer in the championship than the footballers and that Mayo have earned the right to say that they are the last connaught team left in the hurling championships. Fair play to Peter Finnerty has them going in the right direction. Would love to see a Derry v Mayo final although I suspect it will be westmeath v carlow

[downgirl]

I agree with you slow corner back, expected Down to win by at least a few points with the Magic and Braniff combo. 

[Saffron exile]

Not the last Connacht team. Sligo play North Dublin (Fingal is a misnomer) in the Rackard Cup semi Well done to Mayo and Derry.

[Bod Mor]

Mayo V Carlow

Is this going to be played in Castlebar?

[slow corner back]

apologies to sligo, missed that one