Ulster Championship 2021

[HP]

I think that is only hurling? (Isn't it?)

I know it's absolutely in hurling. Wasn't sure if it was in football. If not the penalty was a wrong call but the ref should have played advantage anyway as Rian O Neill had stuck it in the net anyway. Keeper should have been black carded.

It is also in football - Motion 20 at Annual Congress 2021 - so it was a penalty.

Motion 20: This motion proposes new penalties for aggressive and cynical fouls in hurling and football.

In hurling, if a player with a goal-scoring opportunity either inside the 20-metre line or the semi-circular arc that extends from the 20 metre line is pulled down, tripped, or struck with a hurley in a careless manner then a penalty shall be awarded and the offender will be yellow-carded and sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes. If the foul committed is a second caution or one that merits a red-card then the offender is ordered off for the remainder of the game including any extra-time to be played.

Similarly, in football, if a cynical foul is committed on an attacking player with a goal-scoring opportunity inside the 20-metre line or the semi-circular arc, then a penalty will be awarded to the team affected.

[Orior]

The papers scored Jemar Hall very well applauding his wrok rate. On television, he had one excellent kick pass, but every other time I saw him he either lost or gave away the ball.

[5times5times]

Armagh were also missing 2 nailed on defensive starters in Kennedy & Forker. Good to see Stephen Sheridan on the bench too after his facial injury

Some good match-ups in store between Armaghs defence + Monaghan's attack

Forker, Kennedy, Morgan, McKay, Ohanlon, Morgan
vs
McManus, McCarron, McCarthy, McAnespie, S O'Hanlon

Monaghan's bench looked seriously strong on Sat too. Could be the diff!

[ONeill]

The game went as expected. Antrim were going to be competitive for the first 40-45 minutes but didn't have the experience, fitness nor quality to push on. They are in year 1 of their project under the new management so they are realistic about it. The reality is that the jump from a team in division 4 to division 1 is huge. They played well and you could see a game plan. They caused problems in the first half and Blaine Hughes kept the score down with a crucial save and a few interceptions. With respect to them I genuinely believe that even if they did get one of those goals they still wouldn't have won but it would have made the second half interesting.

I thought the first half we were simply getting ourselves into the flow of the game. Over kicking passes, a wee bit sloppy on tackling and final decisions were a bit off. Once we settled though and they tired we were basically on cruise control. While the gap is not fair on Antrim in so far as their first half performance went I do believe that it's a true reflection of the difference between the teams. When they had changes to punish us they didn't. When we got changes we were ruthless.

Keeper obviously got the plaudits. Kick outs solid, good work with the ball in hand and a few excellent saves/interceptions. Defence were solid, didn't give away too many scoreable frees but I have to say I thought Hurson was favourable to us a few times with our tackles and was very quick to blow them for over carrying. They were possibly technically correct but we got away with a few and you could see that frustrated them.
Midfield was to be their platform but I think over the hour we nullified it quite well. Nothing spectacular but just lads went about their jobs in a very straight forward, mature way. Funnelled back as needed and linked the play to the forwards well. Settled and effective.

Forwards were kinda the same. Nothing massively spectacular but all out their shift in and got the scores as needed. I think there's an awful lot more in them and that will be needed against Monaghan.

Which brings me to Monaghan. This is a step up as we all know. Physically and skill wise they are a step up but I firmly believe we have it in us to beat them. There is a real chance to push on and get to a provincial final here. To do so we need more out of our forwards. We need our defence to be very sharp in the tackling as Monaghan will punish all free kick chances and we need to be just as ruthless. The most important thing though is for management to ensure that the players don't get carried away about yesterday. It was a good win but it was the win of a Division 1 team over a division 3/4 team so we were always looking at a hiding to nothing as there was no expectation for an Antrim win.
Well done and roll on the semi

That's as good a summary as you'll get anywhere and I'd agree with the majority.

The one niggle I'd have is how Armagh performed in the first half, or allowed Antrim to perform. I'd Armagh as a threat to Donegal this year, but not sure now that they're anywhere near that level at Championship. Maybe it's as you say, it took a while to oil the chains - plenty of sides have gone on to do big things after a wobbly opening.

Armagh won because of costly errors by Antrim at key times and general conditioning as the game wore on. I didn't see passages of play that made me think they're the contenders I thought they were. If Monaghan get the match ups right with the two O'Neills, Armagh could be in bother. McManus' fitness will be a big call.

[Main Street]

Aidan O'Rourke is impressed by the Banty's (Napoleonic) return from exile, or more so with Donie Buckley's visible impact on Monaghan's game.

For Monaghan I think McManus' availability is not that vital. Darrren Hughes'  injury would be more of a concern as his role is essential to the spine of the team.
There are plenty of options up front, defense is the vulnerability,  the O'Rourke wall had crumbled, has had to be rebuilt and some questions remain.
Kieran Hughes could be an option, and the welcome return of full back Colin Walshe (sub), though he looked totally at home in the forward line when scoring points with both feet.

[Schkite]

Yeah while McManus is always going to be a big loss if he's not in the team - even if only for the attention he'll take up from the opposing defence - I wouldn't be thinking that his absence would mean a loss is inevitable. Some good options up front now, Mulligan was particularly eye catching on his debut, and himself and Bannigan scored 0-5 between them. Then you have the other usual lads, and the lads from defence who can break forward for a score. Remains to be seen how Conor is, but I feel like some people are blowing the injury out of proportion. Marty Clarke had him out for the year before he even left the pitch.

Kearns and Lavelle could still be a pretty decent midfield I think, but yeah you'd definitely miss the workrate and experience of Darren if he was to miss out. Especially when teams in general seem to be coughing up more scores this year.

[balladmaker]

Any word on the venue for Armagh v Monaghan on July 17th?

[Armamike]

The papers scored Jemar Hall very well applauding his wrok rate. On television, he had one excellent kick pass, but every other time I saw him he either lost or gave away the ball.

Was at the game and I thought he was very good. Got on the ball a lot and ran tirelessly at Antrim. Set up the goal for Conor Turbitt. 

[trailer]

McGinley calls the Tailteann cup proposal a joke proposal. He would know one given he manages Antrim. A losers cup he calls it. Someone should tell him that is exactly what Antrim are.

[J70]

McGinley calls the Tailteann cup proposal a joke proposal. He would know one given he manages Antrim. A losers cup he calls it. Someone should tell him that is exactly what Antrim are.

Not an Enda McGinley fan then?

[Armagh18]

McGinley calls the Tailteann cup proposal a joke proposal. He would know one given he manages Antrim. A losers cup he calls it. Someone should tell him that is exactly what Antrim are.

Would Antrim players not rather be in a competition now that they have a realistic chance of winning or at least progressing well in? They've a decent team and did rightly on Sunday but they are miles off the standard of Armagh, never mind Tyrone and Donegal and obviously the Dubs.

They don't deserve their summer to be over.

[imtommygunn]

The problem is the balls that was made of the tommy murphy cup and that was the reference point for lower tier football competitions.

[HiMucker]

McGinley calls the Tailteann cup proposal a joke proposal. He would know one given he manages Antrim. A losers cup he calls it. Someone should tell him that is exactly what Antrim are.

Not an Enda McGinley fan then?

Apparently McGinley battered him in a bar in Donegal when he was on holidays

[JoG2]

McGinley calls the Tailteann cup proposal a joke proposal. He would know one given he manages Antrim. A losers cup he calls it. Someone should tell him that is exactly what Antrim are.

Not an Enda McGinley fan then?

Apparently McGinley battered him in a bar in Donegal when he was on holidays

I heard there was no battering, it was the fact that McGinley took him to Donegal

[skeog]

Enda is a future Tyrone manager imo.Very well tuned in.