Leinster u21 Football Championship 2011

[gerrykeegan]

I heard that the referee got a thump for his troubles in the tunnel afterwards.

I hope this is not true - no matter how bad he was.

Agreed (he still deserved the bollix tag)

[ross4life]

Great to see 2 of the so called "weaker" counties making the final, nothing weak about that !!

well maybe it shows the esteem with which many counties hold this competition?

Are Wexford still regarded as one of the weaker football counties?

Well both have never won the Leinster U21 before so that's great for the competition.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Congratulations to Longford, the management has them well set up and are getting the max out of that team, very hard to break down. They scored some lovely points at the end when the chips were down and the fact they won without Gill makes it all the sweeter I suppose. Not going to comment on the ref apart from to say that I've never seen a standoff like that at the final whistle before. I don't think one Westmeath fan (or Longford for that matter) moved from their seat till the ref eventually decided to come ashore, it was one big game of chicken. Got a few boos and a couple of shouts from myself but was tame enough in the end. Anyways, as bad and all as he was I'd be much more angrier at the events within our control.

The ref was bad for both sides; you lot should have directed your fire at your own side rather than trying intimidation when it was too late.

We weren't leaving because we were waiting for our own players to come in; you may have noticed that they stayed over on the far side of the field while the Westmeath support were doing their Five Minute Hate. And when you're outnumbered in that kind of crowd by a factor of about 5:1, you keep quiet.

All in all, one of the less pleasant experiences I've had at a football match.

Jaysus you'd swear it was the Hysel reenacted from that post, wise up. Anyone who was there knows the story and the carry on that preceded it. Amazing the way when you win with a brutal ref he was always bad for both sides...

[LaurelEye]

Jaysus you'd swear it was the Hysel reenacted from that post, wise up. Anyone who was there knows the story and the carry on that preceded it. Amazing the way when you win with a brutal ref he was always bad for both sides...

Remind me how many points you got from play and how many you got from frees?

[Croí na hÉireann]

Jaysus you'd swear it was the Hysel reenacted from that post, wise up. Anyone who was there knows the story and the carry on that preceded it. Amazing the way when you win with a brutal ref he was always bad for both sides...

Remind me how many points you got from play and how many you got from frees?

2 from play and 7 from frees (and that should read 3 and 6 as the gobshite blew when McCormack had sent one flying towards the black spot). Any more stupid questions that you already know the answers to that you think proves your point?

[Onlooker]

Great to see a Longford v. Wexford final with a new name going on to the list of Under 21 provincial title winners.

[LaurelEye]

Jaysus you'd swear it was the Hysel reenacted from that post, wise up. Anyone who was there knows the story and the carry on that preceded it. Amazing the way when you win with a brutal ref he was always bad for both sides...

Remind me how many points you got from play and how many you got from frees?

2 from play and 7 from frees (and that should read 3 and 6 as the gobshite blew when McCormack had sent one flying towards the black spot). Any more stupid questions that you already know the answers to that you think proves your point?

You know, if Westmeath's ability matched their arrogance, they'd have a trophy cabinetful of Sam Maguires by now. It wasn't the ref who beat ye, it was your own player who decided to try a Paul Galvin manoeuvre in front of the ref. Why don't ye go and take a swing at him instead?

[Croí na hÉireann]

Jaysus you'd swear it was the Hysel reenacted from that post, wise up. Anyone who was there knows the story and the carry on that preceded it. Amazing the way when you win with a brutal ref he was always bad for both sides...

Remind me how many points you got from play and how many you got from frees?

2 from play and 7 from frees (and that should read 3 and 6 as the gobshite blew when McCormack had sent one flying towards the black spot). Any more stupid questions that you already know the answers to that you think proves your point?

You know, if Westmeath's ability matched their arrogance, they'd have a trophy cabinetful of Sam Maguires by now. It wasn't the ref who beat ye, it was your own player who decided to try a Paul Galvin manoeuvre in front of the ref. Why don't ye go and take a swing at him instead?

And who here is disagreeing with you? Will you ever take the glasses off and read what people write for Christ's sake. As for your first comment, real classy, nothing worse than a sore winner.

[LaurelEye]

You know, if Westmeath's ability matched their arrogance, they'd have a trophy cabinetful of Sam Maguires by now. It wasn't the ref who beat ye, it was your own player who decided to try a Paul Galvin manoeuvre in front of the ref. Why don't ye go and take a swing at him instead?

And who here is disagreeing with you?

I'd have said that the Westmeath supporters (including yourself, by your own admission) who spent five minutes booing the referee seemed to disagree with me. Take it up with the Oz-bound prima donna instead.

As for your first comment, real classy, nothing worse than a sore winner.

If you want to consider me a sore winner, fine, that's your business, but after last night's carry-on, I can't really feel much sympathy for Westmeath.

Your supporters thought the match was won once Heslin came on, and then when things didn't turn out the way they planned, they threw the rattle out of the pram. Very mature.

[Croí na hÉireann]

You know, if Westmeath's ability matched their arrogance, they'd have a trophy cabinetful of Sam Maguires by now. It wasn't the ref who beat ye, it was your own player who decided to try a Paul Galvin manoeuvre in front of the ref. Why don't ye go and take a swing at him instead?

And who here is disagreeing with you?

I'd have said that the Westmeath supporters (including yourself, by your own admission) who spent five minutes booing the referee seemed to disagree with me. Take it up with the Oz-bound prima donna instead.

Again, you haven't bothered to read and digest what I wrote. I never booed, that's for kids, soccerheads and the Dubs, I did call him a bollox though. The question again is " who here is disagreeing with you"?

As for your first comment, real classy, nothing worse than a sore winner.

If you want to consider me a sore winner, fine, that's your business, but after last night's carry-on, I can't really feel much sympathy for Westmeath.

Your supporters thought the match was won once Heslin came on, and then when things didn't turn out the way they planned, they threw the rattle out of the pram. Very mature.

Utter nonsense, the game was right in the melting pot when he came on, in fact I thought they brought him on too soon, I'd have left it a bit and I certainly wouldn't have taken off Keenan for him. As for your other childish comment about throwing rattles out of prams, well I think you'll find most people were giving out about the referee during the match, some of us even before. p.s. no one is looking for your sympathy.

[LaurelEye]

Not going to comment on the ref apart from to say that I've never seen a standoff like that at the final whistle before. I don't think one Westmeath fan (or Longford for that matter) moved from their seat till the ref eventually decided to come ashore, it was one big game of chicken. Got a few boos and a couple of shouts from myself but was tame enough in the end.

Well, apologies if I misread your first comment about "a few boos and a couple of shouts from myself". It's easy to assume that the "few boos" came from yourself, because there were far more than "a few boos" coming from the Westmeath supporters collectively. There was a couple of minutes of sustained booing.

It wasn't a game, of chicken or of anything else. It was way, way over the top, well in excess of what's normal at a close match. And that's even without any talk about what might have gone on in the tunnel.

O'Shea, no matter how poor he is, was no Sludden. He didn't cost you the match with a bad decision. If anything cost you the match, it was:



that.

End of story.

[Croí na hÉireann]

First of all that photo doesn't prove anything and I'm not looking to back Heslin up here, he can fight his own fight if he wants. He's left us high and dry on too many occasions now.

I can see how that comment can be misread and will go back to modify/clarify it now. I wouldn't agree with sustained booing, more sporadic outburst on each occasion it looked like he was moving in the direction of the tunnel. I'm not sure what you mean by normal at a close match but I'm looking on it as the Westmeath support to a man giving their verdict on the referee's performance. Like I said not a sinner was moving from their seats and if O'Shea was still standing out in the middle of the pitch I'm sure we'd all still be there. There was no attempted invasion, no bottles or any other objects thrown and the management even walked over to shake his hand during the stand off. Like I said it was the Westmeath support to a man giving their verdict through heckles, boos or whatever you're having yourself.

[LaurelEye]

First of all that photo doesn't prove anything and I'm not looking to back Heslin up here, he can fight his own fight if he wants. He's left us high and dry on too many occasions now.

The one thing it shows is that the ref had stopped play (the two Longford players and the Westmeath no. 10 are looking in his direction) and that Heslin was still busy. But it's suggestive.

I can see how that comment can be misread and will go back to modify/clarify it now. I wouldn't agree with sustained booing, more sporadic outburst on each occasion it looked like he was moving in the direction of the tunnel. I'm not sure what you mean by normal at a close match but I'm looking on it as the Westmeath support to a man giving their verdict on the referee's performance. Like I said not a sinner was moving from their seats and if O'Shea was still standing out in the middle of the pitch I'm sure we'd all still be there. There was no attempted invasion, no bottles or any other objects thrown and the management even walked over to shake his hand during the stand off. Like I said it was the Westmeath support to a man giving their verdict through heckles, boos or whatever you're having yourself.

Really, it was more than sporadic. The ref wasn't being kept away from the sideline for nothing. Our players weren't staying over on the far side of the pitch for nothing. (And it was for them that we were waiting.)

What do I mean by "normal at a close match"? Well, not trying to intimidate the ref into staying on the pitch at any rate. You said yourself that:

I've never seen a standoff like that at the final whistle before.

I'm simply agreeing with you.

[AN other]

LE, you mustn't go to too many football matches if that was one of your most unpleasant experiences. You're very interested in everything Westmeath (players and fans) did at the match. Why don't you talk a little more about Longford and being in a Leinster final? Seems you're obvious blind hatred and obsession with your neighbours is getting in the way a little. There's always one.

[Jinxy]

Those Westmeath fans are a rough shower.