Sligo Club Football & Hurling

[Owenmoresider]

Looking forward to the weekend matches. Feel Harps will be too strong for an improving Curry.  Other one is a close call, Coolera didn't sparkle against Castleconor (Costelloe apart) and Tubber looked very pacey at times against Ballymote.  Coolera will need a bigger contribution from forwards but feel they can just about squeeze it, maybe even a draw first time out!
On the future of underage, I find that kids and families in general just have so many things happening that the dedication to Gaa alone is just not there any more.  Most kids have the option to participate in anything they wish from ballet to Super Nario Kart.  Kids turn their backs and quit at the drop of a hat now.  I feel Clubs have to work alot harder to keep kids up through the age levels and to a large extent their is the volinteers there to do the work, but the backup and support from the GAA needs to be looked at. 

Indeed, but is that the case across the country, or is it worse here? Certainly we have problems in our own club, bot too many willing helpers either it must be said, but the underage was shocking bad this year.

As for the weekend fare, Harps to win in a closer call than may be expected, likewise Coolera to just about see off Tubber, but a repeat of the last day's display could see them lose out. Mary's to avoid the drop, but Geevagh could have as easily topped their group as finished bottom, so one hopes they don't lose out altogether. SMG should see off Harps if they improve considerably on the last day and play to their strengths, though Harps will take more a bit more watching than Mary's did. The other is a toss-up, Michael's might shade it.

[The Stand Side]

From my experience living in Dublin and working in Meath there seems to be similiar problems across the board.  There are Clubs rich in GAA people with a culture developed over the years where the  whole parish revolves around the GAA club and events.   Where is born, baptised, starts school, has first holy and then plays for the under 12 for four years. Unfortunately it is not possible to impose this on most areas, there is a tipping point in a community where it becomes OK to opt out, OK to turn your back on your community because they feel they have or can acquire all they need for a happy successful life.  Do we try and spot the good player at under 10 or 12, or the once in ten year group of lads that come along that might bring a club silverware or do you promote a policy of participation, fun for all, crave success less and work more on skill and fun.  In the long term the over emphasis on ths success, be it of the county or club team has a negative effect .  Maybe that is not exactly right,  but take a club like Johns who have a good under 14/16 team every other year, with success, but when the going get though and matches are lost, success disappears, and so do the players.  If these players played not only for success, but for the fun, the enjoyment, the laugh and the respect then I feel they would stay around longer.  Do you know a good ould recession/depression might get them all down to the local Gaa club looking for soup and the cheapest entertainment for the kids available.    

[Sligoper]

Curry to bring the game down to an absolute battle and their classy forwards to just about scrape a win. How anyone can say the harps bench is stronger is beyond me.
Tubber to win. Fact. Although Pat Kilcoyne knows this team inside out, they have too much skill and speed. They are inexperienced however but with the Gilmartin Quinn battle as a sub plot i'm picking Tubber to shave it. South Sligo will shows it's class. watch.

[Mano]

Think Harps will take Curry. Grady and 2 Taylors were absent last year-they are much stronger around midfield this year. Curry have failed to shine so far this year and Sean Davey input has continued to decline. I think Harps are on a mission this year and will win but Curry will be up for the battle. Harps to meet Tubber in the final.

[SLIGONIAN]

Curry to bring the game down to an absolute battle and their classy forwards to just about scrape a win. How anyone can say the harps bench is stronger is beyond me.
Tubber to win. Fact. Although Pat Kilcoyne knows this team inside out, they have too much skill and speed. They are inexperienced however but with the Gilmartin Quinn battle as a sub plot i'm picking Tubber to shave it. South Sligo will shows it's class. watch.

Hope its not the same south sligo class that the curry minor selector showed last weekend in tubber  .

[Sligoper]

Stick to the topic Sligonian. Or go back to Bundoran.

[SLIGONIAN]

Stick to the topic Sligonian. Or go back to Bundoran.

Why dont you go back to the Galway club thread so... , you seem more interested in whats going on there than in Sligo. I could say that about a few of the Sligo posters on here though lately. I couldnt give a shite about mayo or Galway clubs even if a sligo man or 2 is playing for NUIG which is probably your comeback. It looks to me that maybe some Sligo people have serious case of identity or memory loss. Jees we lost parsons we dont want to be losing you aswell Sligoper  .

Anyway im off to the sligo semis now. Hope to see some good entertainment and alot of young talent.

[the Deel Rover]

Stick to the topic Sligonian. Or go back to Bundoran.

Jees we lost parsons we dont want to be losing you aswell Sligoper  .

why do you go on about loosing parsons you never knew he lived on the sligo side till someone mentioned it on the mayo sligo thread after he got man of the match against yourselves   and as far as i know he has played all his football with charlestown

[SLIGONIAN]

Stick to the topic Sligonian. Or go back to Bundoran.

Jees we lost parsons we dont want to be losing you aswell Sligoper  .

why do you go on about loosing parsons you never knew he lived on the sligo side till someone mentioned it on the mayo sligo thread after he got man of the match against yourselves   and as far as i know he has played all his football with charlestown

Such absolute shite, wasnt parsons playing for Mayo a big talking point before the game you clown, didnt he play for mayo u21s this yr aswell we all knew well before the CSFC,.  Im not going into this shite again. He is sligo born and bred, his parents are sligo born and bred, his ancestors all played for sligo, As luck would have a man sat beside me this evening who infact knows parsons parents very well, I grilled this man as to how parsons defected, I even asked him WHAT DOES PARSONS CLASS HIMSELF AS? A mayoman or SLIGOMAN? Parsons classes himself as a Sligoman, i was gobsmacked to be honest. I asked him how his parents let this happen cause i can tell you no offsrping of mine would play for Mayo even is i settled there. He played school football and went to school there, Is that enough of a reason? NO. Ryan Giggs went to school in England played for England schoolboys but vouched for Wales when it mattered. He said curry never came or showed any interest in him and never came knocking. To me he is traitor and disloyal and i will never see him as a sligoman. End of discussion. Im angry and it will always piss me off that its happened, All i can say is i wish him as much bad luck as possible and i cant wait to meet him face to face someday so i can tell he is no sligoman in the nicest way possible.

I was only using the parsons thing to wind up Sligoper posting alot on the galway thread btw, after he wound me up on the bundoran comment..spade for spade   but you ruined it deel rover. Why are mayomen so senstive about this issue that anytime its mentioned yee have to give yer two pence worth? And last thing i have to say Deel rover f*ck off back to your section if you got nothing better to say .

[SLIGONIAN]

Right back to real stuff,

Sligo Football semis, 2 pretty good games this evening.

Curry 0-10 Harps 0-10

Harps started brighter winning midfield and giving better ball into there forwards. Curry were living off scraps early on but didnt help there cause but huffing high ball into the forwards. They did it so much thorughout the game im convinced its a tactic but an almighty stupid one IMO. Paul taylor is a major focal point of the harps attack but is way overused and while still more effective than he should be its a bad sign that harps are still so reliant on him. Early on Stephen marren was pretty poor on taylor and tad panicky. Danny grady in the corner had a good battle all game with collins.O Grady i dont think is going to make it a county level based on this performance and sligo u21 matches. He isnt a threat scoring wise which to me is vital for corner forward. Also not sure his best positon CF. Harps got frees early and taylor duely dispatched and rafferty lovely score from play. Went into a 3-1 lead but living off scraps curry got scores from marren who looked sharp all game with colleary playing well. It was curry who finished the half stronger with gary maye getting sweet scores aswell. 5-4 at HT to curry. For me harps over use Paul Taylor, draging him out to the corners to get ball and then slowly work it in or lay it off, the need Paul on the end of moves closer to goal rather than starting ones way from goal.

2nd half started birghtly with curry getting one score and harps 2 in reply.It was tit for tat all the way through with both putting some nice interplay and moves together. Phillps had alot more ball in hand 2nd half and harps looked to have upped it half way through but curry hung in there. Harps when on top Paul Taylor missed a penalty which might have sealed it. He hit it very weak and poorly wide with right foot to his left. Harps missed a easy point chance too shortly after. In the closing stages curry hung in there and edged a point ahead with a lovely score from brian mcdonagh. Then last gasp effort was kicked wide for haprs by shane king who played around the middle even though selected at corner back. But Des henry wrongly gave a free into harps where the ball landed and taylor tapped over for a draw.

A few negatives so while im at it, the ref was as bad as i ever seen of 30 frees he gave 15 were not. This man has no clue and is an embarrasement. I really feel for all the defenders who tried there hearts out today. He gave frees for nothing all day. It was astonishely bad. I would hope that CLUBS please raise this issue at CB meeting. You cant give refs like Des henry county semi finals. Its not fair on the players, managers and spectators. Thank God marty duffys reffing our game tomorrow. .

Whilst it was close entertaining game the standard was poor at times, last 20mins of 1st no score, too many high kicks into the forwards, to many kicks into the corners and over end line.

Coolaney 4-6 St Michaels 2-11

This game was very entertaining. Goals win matches. Only caught the 2nd half. Michaels will be kicking themselves though. Thers defence was like butter. Defenders had no clue how to defend.  I feel sorry for the outstanding Alan Taffe aswell got some great scores from play and frees and didnt deserve to be on losing side. Coolaney had big perfromances from FF Kieran Finan who is lightning fast and good finisher. Will cause alot toruble for ant defence. They moved padraic mchugh an giant of man from fb to mid and he gets alot work done and shane o brien also good.

Having watched this it makes tomorrow a masive opportunity for our lads, Our juniors beat Coolaney (who were at full strength) in the div4 final not so long ago so our inters if we can get over harps should beat coolaney. But tomorrow wont be easy but fingers crossed we will win. Best of luck ST MOLAISE GAELS.

[Sligoper]

Can we please get over Parsons. CLOSE TOPIC. You'll never get rid of me Sligonian!!

Des was awful today. I feel sorry for him because he should never have got the game. That last free he gave made no sense.

Who'll win the replay??

On a side note, Sligonian my interest over two lads playing in a higher standard of football competition shouldnt be a problem to you. Comments i make in the other threads shouldnt be held against me here.

Anyway, SMG to win tomorrow and Tubber.

[SLIGONIAN]

Can we please get over Parsons. CLOSE TOPIC. You'll never get rid of me Sligonian!!

Des was awful today. I feel sorry for him because he should never have got the game. That last free he gave made no sense.

Who'll win the replay??

On a side note, Sligonian my interest over two lads playing in a higher standard of football competition shouldnt be a problem to you. Comments i make in the other threads shouldnt be held against me here.

Anyway, SMG to win tomorrow and Tubber.

I wouldnt hold it against anyone, but it does kinda annoy me especially when yer not posting as much on here as there. I see some sligo posts on the mayo thread, and i just think WTF. Can we all not just focus and talk sligo football and forget about the rest especially mayo and galway clubscene.

I dont accept that higher standard of football comment either. In general our club matches are good in the past few yrs and didnt get any hidings in connacht. It looks this yr maybe an exception though i will concede.

The replay is going to be just as close. Theres very little between both teams. Impossible to call IMO.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow. Big game for our lads. We need to get up.

PS Sligoper wouldnt want to get rid of any true sligo gaels now would I as i said. Too many true football gaels are not involved in Sligo football already as it is. The Parsons topic is closed BUT i will always be pissed off about it .

[the Deel Rover]

First things first i can post on any thread i want you f**king ass it s not on than hogan stand you are now . Secondly i would like you to show me where you mentioned parson s on any of your posts before the mayo match the 1st time you mention him is when you were saying how embarrased you were to be a sligo man and to make things worse it was a sligo man who got mom . I dont give a fcuk what happens in sligo football but all i know its that your a bitter little bollux to be wishing bad luck on a young lad 

[SLIGONIAN]

First things first i can post on any thread i want you f**king ass it s not on than hogan stand you are now . Secondly i would like you to show me where you mentioned parson s on any of your posts before the mayo match the 1st time you mention him is when you were saying how embarrased you were to be a sligo man and to make things worse it was a sligo man who got mom . I dont give a fcuk what happens in sligo football but all i know its that your a bitter little bollux to be wishing bad luck on a young lad 

Seriously deel rover, yee wa*nkers from mayo ruined the sligo aftermath THREAD after that defeat with yer shite talk and we were very patient with yee. I couldnt give 2 shites what you think me and im sure its vice versa. The Parsons thing is closed ive been clear as i can and said enough. If you want to talk about it more ring the samiratons and see if they can help you. .

[magpie seanie]

Firstly - Deel Rover and Sligonian, please stop eith the abuse and name calling. Ye are good posters and all it takes is some p***k to report your posts and you could be on a warning or worse. No one wants that - ye have plenty to offer unlike many others.

Really enjoyed the two games in the Park today. Neother of my predictions for these two games happened but I was still think I was right on both games. Michales must be kicking themeslves. If they get any sort of decent management they will do well. They have a lot of good players but Coolaney/Mullinabreena were a better "team". Michaels for all their good plat didn't shut down the danger men and paid a high price.

The senior semi final was, for me, a really enjoyable game. Real championship stuff. Curry should have seen it out but even before the big decision at the end, should have cleared their lines. The replay will be fantastic viewing and I will be there regardless.

Can't wait for tomorrow. I hope we get the wee bit of luck all teams need.