Antrim Hurling

[johnnycool]

What way does the home/away arrangement work in the Antrim SHC?

Looks like the first round one team has home advantage, the second round at neutral venues and then the final round a team has home advantage.

Is that right?

Will Ballycastle not fancy at cut at either or both the 2 Belfast clubs or are they a still a bit below that level wise?
losing to Loughgiel by 7 points isn't the worst of a defeat in hurling.

Ballycastle will not see themselves as below either St Johns or Rossa

Based on league form they looked impressive enough, certainly more than Rossa who we should have beaten at home.

BUT

You need to kick on come championship.

Manys a team bust themselves in preseason to get early points on the door during the league campaign where other teams are aiming to peak later in the year and someone already seems to think this is where Ballycastle may come unstuck.

I'm hearing a senior Portaferry hurler is living in the Waterfoot area and training with Glenariffe currently with the fear he'll transfer to them next year.
Anyone from that part of the world know anything about that?

[NAG1]

What way does the home/away arrangement work in the Antrim SHC?

Looks like the first round one team has home advantage, the second round at neutral venues and then the final round a team has home advantage.

Is that right?

Will Ballycastle not fancy at cut at either or both the 2 Belfast clubs or are they a still a bit below that level wise?
losing to Loughgiel by 7 points isn't the worst of a defeat in hurling.

Ballycastle will not see themselves as below either St Johns or Rossa

Based on league form they looked impressive enough, certainly more than Rossa who we should have beaten at home.

BUT

You need to kick on come championship.

Manys a team bust themselves in preseason to get early points on the door during the league campaign where other teams are aiming to peak later in the year and someone already seems to think this is where Ballycastle may come unstuck.

I'm hearing a senior Portaferry hurler is living in the Waterfoot area and training with Glenariffe currently with the fear he'll transfer to them next year.
Anyone from that part of the world know anything about that?

I think they will need a couple of additions like this to bridge the gap to senior, underage success not always a precursor to senior level success.

[NorthAntrimSaff]

Id imagine they have lost more than they have gained over the years though travel and lack of work in the area

[TheGeneral]

If your referring to Ballycastle loosing more players than other clubs through travel and 'lack of work' in the town, would all of the clubs in North Antrim & City Teams not be in a similar boat?

Given they have about 5000 residents living in the area they would have a larger catchment area, similar distance to Derry and Belfast. So should in theory have a better chance of retaining people than the other clubs in the area.

You cant be blaming it on the immigration problem as everyone is dealing with the same issues with the younger players.

The best known or bigger teams in the city are loosing younger players from other parishes as more clubs have popped up or developed their underage systems and retained their talent rather than players moving to play for the larger clubs in Belfast which is what traditionally happened. Circa 10 Teams that I can think of that are based in west Belfast off the Falls and Andytown so they are all fighting for the same talent coming out of schools and nearby areas.

You would have to assume that the clubs competing year in and year out are doing something a bit different, or making the most of what they have?

[MalluskMan]

Fair play and good luck to Glenariffe. Stayed up on merit, a difficult task for any promoted team. Any addition would be welcomed to any club, especially if a player improves the set up, every team needs the help, regardless of current status. The county needs the likes of Glenariffe to continue to strive to improve if the fortunes of the county are to improve. The transition is difficult from youth to adult, but the more they hang in, the better they will become.

Championship looming again this weekend, both groups still hold interest. Cushendall should dispose easily of Glenariffe, regardless of local rivalry, might get tasty! Dunloy the same to st Endas, leaving an almighty showdown between Glenariffe and st Endas on the final day.

I fear for Ballycastle. There's another defeat looming, putting them out of championship and indeed, marks 40 years since they last won it. The Cuala man can lament all he wants about injuries, it happens all clubs regardless of stage of season, Ballycastle would be better looking inward rather than outward at the injuries, over a dozen major injuries over 4 years? Something not right in the whole club. Big big numbers, poor retention of players, coaching, committee would all need looked at, imo.

What way does the home/away arrangement work in the Antrim SHC?

Looks like the first round one team has home advantage, the second round at neutral venues and then the final round a team has home advantage.

Is that right?

Will Ballycastle not fancy at cut at either or both the 2 Belfast clubs or are they a still a bit below that level wise?
losing to Loughgiel by 7 points isn't the worst of a defeat in hurling.

Ballycastle will not see themselves as below either St Johns or Rossa

Based on league form they looked impressive enough, certainly more than Rossa who we should have beaten at home.

BUT

You need to kick on come championship.

Manys a team bust themselves in preseason to get early points on the door during the league campaign where other teams are aiming to peak later in the year and someone already seems to think this is where Ballycastle may come unstuck.

I'm hearing a senior Portaferry hurler is living in the Waterfoot area and training with Glenariffe currently with the fear he'll transfer to them next year.
Anyone from that part of the world know anything about that?

I think they will need a couple of additions like this to bridge the gap to senior, underage success not always a precursor to senior level success.

[Torcrua]

Another weekend of formality in Antrim hurling.

As an outsider who spent plenty of days attending games in the 80s and 90s, I look in now at a hurling landscape in Antrim that is almost unrecognisable from what it once was.

I was at the game in Ballycastle this evening thank God Morton's was worth the drive! 😂 Cushendall turned it on for about two minutes at the start of the second half and the game was effectively over. Glenariffe were really poor, although ironically their best hurler was a Cushendall man.

It got me thinking has the current championship format taken the edge off it? When there are so many routes through the groups, does losing actually hurt enough?

Gone seem to be the days of those white hot battles where every ball was contested as if it was the last, and there was no quarter asked or given.

Is it the format, the standard of hurling, or a combination of both? Because looking in from the outside, the Antrim Championship just doesn't seem to have the same bite it had 30–40 years ago.

[MalluskMan]

Interesting take, torcrua.

Firstly, Glenariffe are just up from intermediate and to take on the might of Cushendall and match them for the first 30 is commendable. Fell asleep at start of second half allowing Cushendall to drop deep/sweeper and close game out. Glenariffe will take plenty from defeat. Not sure Cushendall management would say that, bar the last 10 Minutes, that it was easy.

But have to agree on the standards. Hurling has dropped in standard. The round robin format doesn't help. Win one game to get to a knockout and take your chances from there. Certain teams are building, others on the way out and others have an embarrassment of riches. Plenty of other factors in its decline, injury, emigration, more to life, its no longer the end all and be all. I'm also old enough to remember games between the 80s and 90s. There was a lot of dross then too. Plenty of battles, do or die stuff. Also, a lot less sanitised then that it is now.

And you can stick your Morton's, golden chip is the spot!

[paddyjohn]

Cushendall never out of second gear even with the 5/6 players they were missing. Oisins just didn't have enough up front.

Poor conditions didn't help.

Also, Brannigans is the place to go.

[MalluskMan]

Cushendall missing two starters, Eoin Campbell and Fintan Bradley. Paddy Burke is out for the foreseeable.
 Liam Gillan is no upgrade on what's on the pitch. Glenariffe missing 3 starters. Agreed, little up front, full forward line was weak, never showed up at all, backs under constant scrutiny.

Interesting match ups next round, winner takes all in two of the ties and top spot up for grabs in the other two. Should hopefully make for proper championship games.
Predicting Dunloy to run over the top of Cushendall. Loughgiel have yet to click, St John's will play on that, tight call, if Conor Johnson is back, I'm calling the johnnies.
Ballycastle, despite injuries, will fancy a go at a Gerard Walsh-less Rossa (Stupid tackle by the way) though if everyone else fit, still fancy rossa.
St Endas, despite their wretched form, will be too powerful for Glenariffe. They will have their full compliment back and have senior championship experience on their side.

Dunloy and St John's to semi finals.
Quarter finals:

Cushendall v Rossa
Loughgiel v St Endas

[Last Man]

St Endas, despite their wretched form, will be too powerful for Glenariffe. They will have their full compliment back and have senior championship experience on their side.

Wouldn't share your optimism, we are operating at no-where near the level of previous seasons. The sooner we draw a line under this season the better.

[MalluskMan]

Despite the wretched form, I still reckon Philly Curran will get a tune out of them. There's no doubt that both of those teams will have targeted each other when draw was made; and the extra bit of spice if needed, Kearney in charge of Glenariffe this year, was coaching with St Endas last year.

[Last Man]

Despite the wretched form, I still reckon Philly Curran will get a tune out of them. There's no doubt that both of those teams will have targeted each other when draw was made; and the extra bit of spice if needed, Kearney in charge of Glenariffe this year, was coaching with St Endas last year.

Why would they be motivated to? What difference would it make? Let's say they scrape past Oisin's, then get trimmed in the next game?
Get it over with, draw a line and go back to the drawing board.

[JonnyD_]

No real surprises over the weekend at the second round of games.

Plenty of young talent coming into the action which is good to see!

The games weren't smashers but great to watch some of the lovely hurling from lads that are only a year or 2 out of minor.

[MalluskMan]

Very defeatist from a club man, Last Man!! Why would ye not be motivated to win a championship game?? What benefit is there in losing?? Relegated and down to intermediate?? Lot of youth coming through. Have a winter reset, freshen things up, go again! Taking a defeat could demoralise further.

[Last Man]

Very defeatist from a club man, Last Man!! Why would ye not be motivated to win a championship game?? What benefit is there in losing?? Relegated and down to intermediate?? Lot of youth coming through. Have a winter reset, freshen things up, go again! Taking a defeat could demoralise further.

Yip the nett effect of losing all season is relegation. Winning one championship (far from a given btw)game against a first year promoted team would count for what? It's done, get it wrapped up and look to next season.