Antrim Football Thread

[BelSaft]

Very rusty performance from Cargin? EC far sharper.  Perhaps the gap between final and today too large?    Ec wel worth their victory though canavans and harte git a lot of protection from the man in the middle.  Set the scene in 1st 5 minutes.  Cargin dont seem to be able to adapt to the style of the ref in ulster.  Few fellas looked off the pace as well with unforced handling errors. 

Ballymena were terribly unlucky yesterday. Better side and horrible way to lose

You mean the refs in Ulster actually play by the rules?

[Hoof Hearted]

What were the tactics today? How did Cargin approach it? Defensively?

Strange enough tactics from RD. 6 down with 4 minutes to go and still playing with 3 sweepers. I wouldn't say the referee was kind to Canavan's either. Holding off the ball is a free in my book?

Was standing at the wire and within earshot of devlin and Muldoon and to be fair they were telling the players to push
up. Not sure why they didn't.

[Sportacus]

What were the tactics today? How did Cargin approach it? Defensively?

Strange enough tactics from RD. 6 down with 4 minutes to go and still playing with 3 sweepers. I wouldn't say the referee was kind to Canavan's either. Holding off the ball is a free in my book?

Was standing at the wire and within earshot of devlin and Muldoon and to be fair they were telling the players to push
up. Not sure why they didn't.

Because they were out of breath.  Couldn't believe the gap in fitness.

[ClubScene13]

Big fish, small pond

[Milltown Row2]

Hopefully they'll move the championship final a bit later in the year to help with the rustiness

Surprised that RD hadn't them playing challenge games leading up to the game..

Looking at EC's games this year they had to eek out wins. So probably better battle hardened

[Silver hill]

If Cargin want to go further than first round exits in ulster every year then they have to change their approach. Way too defensively minded and only interested in containment instead of creating enough chances to actually win the game.
Errigal won pulling up because they scored 15 times and had maybe another 10-12 wides. Cargin score 8, only a few from play and less than 5 wides. That will never be good enough at that level. Handling was atrocious as well.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Hard luck Cargin.

Not much else worth saying about it.

[antrimman667]

If Cargin want to go further than first round exits in ulster every year then they have to change their approach. Way too defensively minded and only interested in containment instead of creating enough chances to actually win the game.
Errigal won pulling up because they scored 15 times and had maybe another 10-12 wides. Cargin score 8, only a few from play and less than 5 wides. That will never be good enough at that level. Handling was atrocious as well.

Completely agree they do not have the killer instinct in ulster

[statto]

Hard luck Cargin.

Not much else worth saying about it.

Don't think luck anything to do with it were the vastly inferior side

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

It's just a saying.

[bannside]

Didn't make it to Corrigan Park, was at a christening in Magherafelt, but keeping in touch with the live scores it seems like EC could have had it wrapped up after 20 minutes.

Disappointing that all Antrim clubs exited at the first hurdle, to be fair AS had a proper rattle and lost little in defeat.

Well done to Dunloy and St Galls winning under 21 B and A championships respectively. Is there a stirring around Milltown Row?

[BigGreenField]

Very rusty performance from Cargin? EC far sharper.  Perhaps the gap between final and today too large?    Ec wel worth their victory though canavans and harte git a lot of protection from the man in the middle.  Set the scene in 1st 5 minutes.  Cargin dont seem to be able to adapt to the style of the ref in ulster.  Few fellas looked off the pace as well with unforced handling errors. 

Ballymena were terribly unlucky yesterday. Better side and horrible way to lose

You mean the refs in Ulster actually play by the rules?

All jokes aside isn't that a big part of the issue for all of Antrim, teams spend the county Championship knocking ten bells out of each other and being permitted to do so, the team with the biggest physical edge wins. This isnt permitt d at county level and Ulster Club. As someone from another province said, it's all bite and not much all else.

Tough one for Cargin with some basic errors at key junctures their undoing. They'd done well to establish a foothold in the game after a poor start and the game just drifted away from them, breaking ball sharpness just wasn't there which wouldn't have been in the plan. Some flashes from individuals but an overall quizzical performance. 

[Milltown Row2]

Now lads don't be getting nasty.

I personally didn't see that scoreline coming. Home advantage, preparation time, experience, familiarity..

Lots of pluses for me leading into this game, yes the Cavanas have ability, yes EC have tradition in this competition but genuinely thought the game would be close but Cargin would edge it.

I think if they played that game tomorrow they'd approach it differently, when teams set up against you all year differently you are playing a different game, but when a team of your equals put you on the back foot then it changes, adopting to being the team with less possession or fearing another team changes the dynamic.

Must try and watch it

[Christmas Lights]

Now lads don't be getting nasty.

I personally didn't see that scoreline coming. Home advantage, preparation time, experience, familiarity..

Lots of pluses for me leading into this game, yes the Cavanas have ability, yes EC have tradition in this competition but genuinely thought the game would be close but Cargin would edge it.

I think if they played that game tomorrow they'd approach it differently, when teams set up against you all year differently you are playing a different game, but when a team of your equals put you on the back foot then it changes, adopting to being the team with less possession or fearing another team changes the dynamic.

Must try and watch it

Subtle from the St Galls man 

Cargin just don't have the firepower up front to test teams at ulster level, still very dependent on  the brilliant Tomas McCann to try and create openings and take scores.

[Slemishgael]

That's all club football in the county finished now until the new year?

Just uni games with a handful of Antrim players involved.

When does the county squad get together to prepare for the 2025 season?