All Ireland Club Hurling Championship

[youngfella]

Were ya down at the game?

[nrico2006]

Really fancied ballyhale today.... But the ports were so much sharper and had the fight in them. King henry was shocking, allow he was there highest scorer, feel let down by his performance. I dont understand why he didn't take all the frees in his range. The Joe show was awesome didn't put a foot or hurl outplace, he had great awareness of his space and his team mates. Put henry on his hole in the bargain, cant see many no. 14 tracking back inside there own 45, Great display by the young man. At the risk of sounding daft, It would be interesting to see how the ports would get on at intercounty level, there is so much understanding between there players, throwing a galway kit of them might not be a terrible thing.

In the other game i fancied a tight affair. The Dall played well allow were a bit linear in there forward play, everything seem to be work through the wonderful MC manus, What a great hurler! IMO he was as good as Joe today. The dall are still a very young team and ones to watch out for in coming years. The dall played for a long period with only one man, its a testament to them that this were hardly noticeable. La salle, played well and keep the scoreboard ticking over, Mullane seemed to ghost in and out of the game at periods, however there midfield made up for this very solid. Credit must go the ref in this game he called it fair and down the middle.

Really enjoyed both games, a great advert for hurling.

Ports will be unbackable in the final and for reason. The Joe show continues.

I only saw the second half of the Ballyhale match and it looked like it was Portumna against Shefflin - thought he was the only Ballyhale player on show.  As for Joe Canning putting him on his hole?  It wwas more a case of 2/3 Portumna players sandwiching Shefflin.  Canning wasn't the only player tracking back at the end, the whole Portumna team were within their own 45 bar one or two for the last 10 minutes as they were under severe pressure.

[johnneycool]

I posted this on the Antrim hurling thread:


As I've watched both semi-finals from the comfort of my armchair, so they'll not carry as much weight as some other gaels but what ta heck, I'll give my tuppence worth anyway.

Stating the obvious but Cushendall did blow it again and it was that lack of forward power which we all knew might be their achilles heel let them down.
Graffin and Kevin Elliott were superb in defence throughout. I sitll don't understand the Dall tactic of deploying an extra forward down the field, at some point even Conor McCambridge was in his own halfback line, spotted Aidan Delargy as well. I'd suggest that with your forward division a man short the ball out of defence needs to be more measured and a lot of good ground hurling did hit the spaces where Shane Mcnaughton and Sean Delargy did get some joy against a slower, beefier defence, but a lot of the time the ball was hit up the middle where it was at best a 50/50 ball. Neil McManus is undoubtedly a fine hurler and athelite but he needs to get a position and grow into it as the better teams at AI club level and intercounty level won't let him run 30 to 40 yards through the middle of a defence.
if he gets a chance to watch the way Joe Canning made time, space and scores for his colleagues in the other semi-final yesterday and was able to vary his game when the need arose.
Disappointed for the Dall as in so many aspects of the game yesterday they were better than their opposition but just failed to get that vital score in normal time.

As for the referee, i thought he was poor enough and stimied whatever flow was in the game for needlessly blowing frees when a player had either escaped the tug and about to deliver their clearance and allowed a few individuals to 'buy' easy free's by going down quite easy.

All the same it'll be hard to look past Portumna in the final as they have quality hurlers all over the park and their team work yesterday was something to behold from a club team.

[youngfella]

Cushendall hurling manager James McNaughton interview, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7905392.stm.

Very emotional interview really feel for him. Allow id disagree with him blaming the ref, say it was just he heat of the monent comment

[Croí na hÉireann]

Some game in Semple Stadium, cracking day and cracking hurling. Was more or less sitting on the sideline and Portumna's workrate in the middle of the field was something to behold. They had Joe and Damien Hayes in flying form at one end, Ollie Canning mopping up everything else at the other but it was the midfield and half forward line that won this game for Portuma IMO. From the minute the ball was thrown in they harried and harassed and didn't give anyone in the middle any leeway whatsoever. Cha couldn't get going at all and ended up being moved to full forward for the second half to try to get him into the game. There was a noticeable difference in workrate between the two teams around the middle and I'm not sure whether it was down to different levels of fitness or just pure motivation on Portumna's part. Shefflin looked dangerous anytime he got the ball and the fact he didn't leave such a big imprint on the game was due to the lack of quality ball coming in his direction due to the pressure out the field. Will be a good week in Portumna I'd imagine and if they repeat that performance in the final they'll be taking the cup west for another year.

[INDIANA]

I was in Parnell when they played Doora Barefield a few years back. Another game they should have won. Its a lack of practice of closing out tight games at all levels in Antrim. They just don't get those sort of games up there. Coming from Dublin, really feel for them because I've seen it so often . They have a terrific appreciation for the game up there and a passion for it that matches anywhere in the country. Dickheads like Reillers on other threads who have their heads up their arse wouldn't understand the concept of hurling in the perceived weaker counties. I thought with 5mins to go it was theirs. But they tried to defend a lead. You can't do it in hurling. Even Portumna for  a brief spell fell into the same trap yesterday.

[orangeman]

Portumna hurled like men possessed yesterday and got stuck in right from the start. Dinny Cahill was on the radio yesterday saying that it had been their plan to start at 100mph - not only did they start at this speed but kept the pace up throughout. They were flying into tackles and just seemed to be hungrier, gitter, faster all over field. Ballyhale's FB seemed to  be in trouble with pace and their keeper committed hari kari a few times.

[youngfella]

Portumna hurled like men possessed yesterday and got stuck in right from the start. Dinny Cahill was on the radio yesterday saying that it had been their plan to start at 100mph - not only did they start at this speed but kept the pace up throughout. They were flying into tackles and just seemed to be hungrier, gitter, faster all over field. Ballyhale's FB seemed to  be in trouble with pace and their keeper committed hari kari a few times.

IS dinny cahill managing them or is he jst being a pundit?

[NAG]

He is coaching them!

[Guillem2]

The first game was one for the purest and a real joy to watch. Portumna played at a very high intensity and kept it going for all bar a 10 min spell in the 2nd half.

Felt really sorry for Cushendall in the second game. Getting to the final would have done a alot for them.

[seafoid]

It's pure joy to read the sports news on Monday and find the latest exploits of Joe Canning therein. Besting King Henry and everything. Even if the Iseq is back to where it was in 1995 we need to go back a few more years to 1988 to the successful exploits of the last great Joe to wear a maroon jersey.

[Bord na Mona man]

we need to go back a few more years to 1988 to the successful exploits of the last great Joe to wear a maroon jersey.

Joe Rabbitte?

[INDIANA]

cooney for christs sake

[passedit]

I was in Parnell when they played Doora Barefield a few years back. Another game they should have won. Its a lack of practice of closing out tight games at all levels in Antrim. They just don't get those sort of games up there. Coming from Dublin, really feel for them because I've seen it so often . They have a terrific appreciation for the game up there and a passion for it that matches anywhere in the country. d**kheads like Reillers on other threads who have their heads up their arse wouldn't understand the concept of hurling in the perceived weaker counties. I thought with 5mins to go it was theirs. But they tried to defend a lead. You can't do it in hurling. Even Portumna for  a brief spell fell into the same trap yesterday.

Can you not keep your prejudices to one thread and concentrate on two very different but equally uplifting games of hurling.


Did anyone watching the portumna game think JC wasn't going to point thon line ball. I'd suspect not.

[johnneycool]

When playing against Canning, giving a line ball away, in your own half is like giving a 21 yard free away. Managers should bate the ballix out of the 'lines balls givers awayers'.

Well if you are under pressue and putting the ball over the line is the only option then put it as close to the corner flag as possible.