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Looking forward to that.

Here is a light hearted bit of craic here to get the team predictions and debate going.

McNabb

K Keenan
J Finnegan
E McCabe (not sure if he's committing?)

S O'Neill
E Walsh
M Jordan

D Smyth
K Small (or C Hand if committing?)

P McBride
C Johnston
A Loughran

R McQuillan
P McAleer
T Mccann

Then P Finnegan, shivers, burns, mcenhill, carron, McAuley, boyle etc hopefully beefing up a stronger bench this year. I'm probably missing loads or forgetting an obvious starter. But I'd be happy along these lines to begin with. Who would you add or change?

Unfortunately decky won't be playing much for a while. Think the only dunloy player about the county is Tom mcferran. He's definitely able for it.

There are some complete slabbers on here. Those who seem to thrive on only highlighting the clear and obvious negatives that the dogs on the street could tell you about.

The reality is that the top end of Antrim club football is as strong as it has been in an age, not the other way around. Dunloy, Cargin, Creggan, St. Brigids, Portglenone and Aghagallon if they got their act together would be more than competitive in Derry or Tyrone. You dont know football if you argue otherwise.

I am also optimistic on the County front for next season. The more I hear the more I like, and on the face of things the re introduction of mckenna cup football for the new management team and a division 4 & tailtean cup campaign lays out a season, to my mind, where we can really compete on all fronts and begin to make strides again.

I've been critical on these things in the past myself, but I don't get the agenda of some people.

Dunloy or Cargin would be the 6th best team in Derry, I've no idea what would give you the idea they'd be competitive

With about 7 or 8 to go dunloy was giving your best their fill plus some. Some passes not going to hand making a brave difference. To say they would be 6th best in Derry is farcical.

Very highly rated coach. Dunloy were singing his praises from months back, some hefty gambles landed from 7/1.

12s before a ball was kicked. Paid for alot of the Monday Tuesday Wednesday clubs 😅

Murtagh o brien helped dunloy win their first championship in 89 years, should get a statue built aswell as collect his 50gs..

Is he S&C or what?

Where's he from?

He's a coach. Been involved with a lot of Derry county teams, the lads really bought into his ideas this year.

Murtagh o brien helped dunloy win their first championship in 89 years, should get a statue built aswell as collect his 50gs..

Maybe I'm biased but didn't feel it was a 6 point game. Small margins. Took a while to get going with the breeze. Newbridge are good outfit too.

When it comes to the Ulster Club its a minefield.. History will say Dunloy haven't a chance and the odds would reflect that, though Dunloy have upset the odds all year, they were not favorites in their knockout games, so no change going into Saturday's game.

Newbridge have played one game in the Ulster championship but the Derry clubs have, at senior level, a decent history in this competition.

If Dunloy are fully fit, I see this as a 50/50 game, they have proved to be very good defensively against one of the higher scoring teams in Antrim these past 10 years.. If Newbridge don't have a plan for the Dunloy attack then Dunloy could rack up a score early doors, weather won't be a factor and Owenbeg has a good surface so the playing conditions will be grand for both..

Dunloy's biggest problem will be the depth of their squad, and that's not a reflection of the subs that come on, its just that they won't add  extra to the team when introduced, some clubs have an embarrassment of riches that can change the game when they come on..

Only seen Newbridge a couple of times so can't really comment on their game.. I'm sure some of the Derry/Antrim border clubs will have an idea..

Dunloy nothing to prove, they have huge big game players and the occasion will not faze them, having recently played a club final at Croke. Hoping for a Dunloy win and Moneyglass to throw the kitchen sink at the Glenullin and see what happens!     

Spot on MR2, can't argue with any of that. Hopefully we bring a good challenge on Saturday evening.

Not much chat of the Cargin result, saying all predictors were giving a Dunloy win. Bet if it was the other way it would be the chat of the board Cargin finished etc........They havn't gone away yeno.
 

Wishful thinking on the part of those posters more than any footballing knowledge me thinks

The football knowledge seemed to come alright in the end pal.

Did Dunloy and St John's have their own people in charge of their teams and win the championships thi year ?

Dunloy management all former players bar murtagh o brien from magherafelt in as a coach. He's been involved with Derry age groups all through and Micky Harte in his spell, the man knows his stuff. Serious operator.

There was someone here earlier on in the year posted " anytime Dunloy play anyone decent they get swatted aside"

Beat st brigids PG1 and cargin to win it.

UP THE FU##ING DUNLOY!

Since they won the intermediate, is that a final, a semi final and now a title in three years?

Final quarter final and champions.

The breach call on Friday night was brutal. If dunloy lost that game by a point, the new rules seem to have brought more room for error.

Cargin rightly favourites but dunloy better coached and set up than 2 years ago. They've already met in the group and will know what each other will be bringing.

What way does the draw work now for the semi finals?

Open draw tomorrow evening

Maybe dunloy start to get a bit of credit, up from intermediate got to the final, quaters and now semis. Not a one season wonder they actually have good footballers.

This weeks tenuous selections -

Junior

Pearses to beat Ardoyne
Eire Og to beat O'D's

IFC

Sarsfields to beat Lisburn just about
Moneyglass over Rasharkin, double figures
Glenavy to beat Comgalls
Davitts/Gort Draw

SFC

Cargin by 5 over Aghagallon
St Brigids beat Dunloy comfortably
Creggan over Rossa by at least 7
Portglenone the same over St Galls


SFC looks very hard to see any sort of upset in this round.

Comfortable 🤔