Sligo - the Division Four thread, farewell, it's been nice knowing you....

[baoithe]

Long way yet to go in Div 4 but we're in the box seat. Antrim and Wicklow away will be tough and Waterford are going nicely too. Should take Carlow at home in which case 2 wins out of 3 would suffice.

Agreed. Carlow aside, you'd be looking to the Waterford game and then one of the other two. Whilst we know progress has been made, the Wicklow and Antrim games will gives us a more clear indication as to the extent of that progress.

[umgolaarmagh]

Seanie, with the performance today in ruislip i dont think you will be in the driving seat to long, a poor sligo team beat london by 5/6 points with sligo scoring a goal near the end from a ball that had been thrown instead of a hand pass

[magpie seanie]

Haven't seen that much of our team this year but are they as bad as that today or are they as good as the side that hockeyed Leitrim? I hear conditions in Ruislip were terrible so that wouldn't have helped anyone. London aren't that bad are they? A fair few lads that played county over here.

[irunthev]

Whilst London won't make a great team overnight the improvement over the next 2 years will be considerable given the sheer number of players that will come into London over the next few years, and many of them will have played county at some level. This is a luxury that London haven't had since the early 1990s. You cant make  a county team overnight..... if you can then it makes a mockery of all the money that county teams spend on preparation and managers / coaches, but London can become respectable in Div 4. Sligo are way ahead of where London are, so a small vicotry today looks bad, but the conditions would have played a significant role. London have had three relative near misses so far in the elague, with late scores burying them today and against Carlow and Leitrim. They will have their eyes set on possible wins against Waterford (in London), Clare (away) and of course Kilkenny (in London). Two out of those three will leave people happy. London won't win any medals in the next year or so, but things are on the mend after ten or twelve awful years. You must remember that since the Celtic Tiger came into being in Ireland over 25 football clubs folded in the city, with the numbers falling form over 50 to 25 or so in that period. While they won't come back overnight, there will be an increase in clubs in London adn with it an improvement in the fortunes.

[SLIGONIAN]

Glad we won, and we were in control all the way through with our wastefulness keeping london in touch. All that matters was the win, it was never going to be pretty and considering what we conceded last yr there 0-5 is good defending. Ross Donovan coming on is good news. Im a little worried about our injuries as I believe Marren went off injured, that adds to Sweeney, brehony and O Hara in the forwards now which we need back asap. These lads need plenty of game time before the summer mcpartland included. We have a bye next round then Carlow at home so hopefully they'll clear up before then.

Still I feel Raymond at FF isnt working he had 4shots in the first half, 1 point, 2 dropped short and 1 wide and then substituted at HT i think. J Davey is supposed to have played well again coming on, is far superior to Kivelhan or McNamara simple as that. We need to get rid of them two and bring in J Davey and put Ross in the corner and Bring Ewing into the HB line. That lad was CHB for NUIG and u21s well able for wing back. Its not rocket science. Looking at the bigger picture Galway played Armstrong and Bane Wing forward against Tyrone, Ewing and Davey would be more suited to stopping them than Kivelhan or McNamara. Its disappointing that the management are making same mistakes over again, and whilst most people will think great job so far, im thinking doing most things right fair play but needs to get team selection right it mightin cost us playing McNamara or Kivlehan or raymond against DIV4 teams it will cost us against Galway. Anyway Im hopeful this will all happen in due course (when walsh reads my comments ).

Carlow next as the lads say on the 22/03/09 the day after our u21s play Leitrim in carrick. Best of luck to both.

[SLIGONIAN]

Sligo 2-8 Carlow 0-8 FT

Very weak team out so glad to win without much trouble, the amount of injuries is a worry.

Waterford did us a  favour and finished Leitrim promotion hopes. If we beat waterford at home were guarnteed a top 2 sopt.

Now lads, Dad heard on the radio that only 1 team goes up, in top2 final, is this true? Someone else mentioned a Newspaper article saying the same. It cant be true, Ive heard nothing and its not widely known.

My understanding is that top 2 go up but play a final like tipp and offaly last yr to see who wins outright.

[magpie seanie]

I'm sure 2 go up. If it was changed I think we would have heard.

Poor enough today but it was about winning without the U-21 players and we won comfortably in the end. The sooner we get out of this division the better because it was painful stuff to watch. Carlow were chronic and we were only a bit better. Costello and Kelly were the bright lights up front. Mullen might just work out in midfield. Caught a couple of good ones and though raw gives us a good option. The FB line was as good as usual. Balance is still not right in the HB line and we're not overburdened with options there.

Big game next weekend in Casement. If we win that promotion is in the bag.

[baoithe]

Thanks for that Seanie.

Antrim have been racking up some serious scores. I dont like the idea of eyeing up the Waterford game as the banker in respect of promotion and would prefer if they focussed on wrapping up the division in Casement. A loss up there would tinge this great league showing with an ever so small bit of regret.

It would be nice going into the summer without any black marks from the league and God knows, the way Galway are playing or even irrespective of how Galway are playing (!), we don't want to see a Sligo team that is in any way mentally vulnerable come the first outing in the championship.

So for me a win in Casement would represent great progress and would set them up to follow it up with a solid display against Galway.

We couldn't have asked for anything else from them this year lads.

P.S. - Was seriously p*ssed off that James Hynes didnt start for the under 21s yesterday. By all accounts, including those of the media, he had been one of the better performers for them this year. This seems to happen year on year when it comes to players from Farnans and it's becoming difficult not to view it as some sort discrimination. We're sending lads into county teams some of whom  are good enough and they're not getting a fair crack. It'll come to it that they'll just stop going in.

[magpie seanie]

Baoithe - was Hynes not injured recently? He did grand when introduced. Himself and Alan Dunne would be in contention for the last spot in my view.

We have to target the Antrim game. They're a good team and going up there and winning would be good. They are racking up huge scores alright but next Saturday will be different.

[baoithe]

Baoithe - was Hynes not injured recently? He did grand when introduced. Himself and Alan Dunne would be in contention for the last spot in my view.

We have to target the Antrim game. They're a good team and going up there and winning would be good. They are racking up huge scores alright but next Saturday will be different.

He was Seanie and I said the same thing yesterday when I got a call about it. Maybe we're a bit too sensitive about this stuff given what has gone on over the years.

[Owenmoresider]

Dire stuff today, as with yesterday the opposition were that chronic that it ended up being a comfortable win. Man they are a really bad outfit. Will need a major improvement for the trip north next Saturday. Five John's lads started today - should drop at least two, if not three of them. Agree with Seanie re Mullen, by contrast Taylor was anonymous, never really noticed him bar looking to take every free or lineball going. Costello provided the bit of class up front, and could have done more if provided with the opportunities. Kelly was lively enough, McTernan wasted a good number of balls when he could have used them better, but at least he wsn't running to nowhere in particular with it, like Scanlon kept doing. Isn't up to it IMO. Davey was crud once again. Backs did reasonably well. It's a win, and nothing more.

Good to see Mickey working the magic with Leitrim too.

[Owenmoresider]

Allianz GAA Football National League Roinn 4 Table
Team    Pld    Won    Draw Lost    For    Against Diff Points
Antrim    6    4    2    0    140    60    80    10
Sligo     5    5    0    0    97    43    54    10
Waterford    5    3    1    1    80    52    28    7
Leitrim    6    3    1    2    82    85    -3    7
Wicklow    5    2    2    1    104    61    43    6
Clare            6    2    0    4    100    80    20    4
Carlow    5    1    0    4    59    84    -25    2
London    5    1    0    4    45    86    -41    2
Kilkenny    5    0    0    5    19    175    -156    0

Looking good for us, a win in Belfast and it's goodbye to this muck. Leitrim are all but out of it, Waterford probably have to beat us to have a strong chance of going up, and Wicklow certainly do. Plus Antrim and Waterford have to meet yet, so someone will lose out in that one. The run-in:

Sligo - Antrim (A), Waterford (H), Wicklow (A).
Antrim - Sligo (H), Waterford (A).
Waterford - Carlow (H), Sligo (A), Antrim (H).
Wicklow - London (H), Carlow (A), Sligo (H).

Leitrim have Kilkenny and Clare to play, but it's very much out of their hands.

[SLIGONIAN]

When i seen the team named last week i knew we'd struggle even against Carlow. This yr in fairness i couldnt ask anymore but injuries are my only concern. We need Sweeney back at FF, no one else can do it there, Scanlon isnt good enough for the squad and raymond should stick to hurling. Brehony, Marren and Ohara are a huge loss to the forward line. Anyways we are in shite division but Divsion 3 is shite aswell so we have another yr of shite football to look forward to next, im mean TIPP are nearly top for crying out loud, I dont rate alot of the teams in there.

[Onlooker]

When i seen the team named last week i knew we'd struggle even against Carlow. This yr in fairness i couldnt ask anymore but injuries are my only concern. We need Sweeney back at FF, no one else can do it there, Scanlon isnt good enough for the squad and raymond should stick to hurling. Brehony, Marren and Ohara are a huge loss to the forward line. Anyways we are in shite division but Divsion 3 is shite aswell so we have another yr of shite football to look forward to next, im mean TIPP are nearly top for crying out loud, I dont rate alot of the teams in there.

What is your problem with Tipperary doing well in Div. 3.  I don't see why Sligo should look down on any Div. 3 team. Were you not relegated from that Div. last year.

[SLIGONIAN]

When i seen the team named last week i knew we'd struggle even against Carlow. This yr in fairness i couldnt ask anymore but injuries are my only concern. We need Sweeney back at FF, no one else can do it there, Scanlon isnt good enough for the squad and raymond should stick to hurling. Brehony, Marren and Ohara are a huge loss to the forward line. Anyways we are in shite division but Divsion 3 is shite aswell so we have another yr of shite football to look forward to next, im mean TIPP are nearly top for crying out loud, I dont rate alot of the teams in there.

What is your problem with Tipperary doing well in Div. 3.  I don't see why Sligo should look down on any Div. 3 team. Were you not relegated from that Div. last year.

Just calling it as it is man, we were shite last yr and deserved to go down but we still should of beaten, down, louth, etc.. Tipp glad to see them do well but in reality tipp arent great are they now, div 3 is poor aswell and thats just a fact and TIPP and even roscommon doing well is a reflection of that. BTW im not saying Sligo are great so im not looking down on anyone. Just saying div3 & 4 are a poor standard.