Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

Both pitches in Dunloy were not really playable, absolutely ruined the intermediate game by playing it on the bog of a training pitch. Shouldn't have to play a championship game on a sub standard pitch. Both games should have been moved after yesterday's rain and today's forecast of more rain, combined with the history of Dunloys pitch not being able to hold rain. Loughgiel didn't have to get out of 2nd gear to demolish the Johnnies. MR2 as a neutral, you had a mare in the first game, you gave Carey nothing at all.

sorry it rained in Dunloy for 2 solid days 

i think a bit more respect should be given to the people in our club who stood in the rain for 2 days spiking and sweeping water away to ensure that both games got played. our main pitch was closed from Monday onwards after checking the weather forcast so as it would be in a condition to hold the games if it rained. it meant all the grades in the club trained on one pitch, 3 at a time at one stage.

anyway no pitch would of been playable after 2 days of heavy rain. it wasnt to blame for creggan not being able to score or the johnies from conceeding goals.

Considering the weather DR the pitches were great, fair play to the team of lads who worked hard to have the main pitch ready. As for the Johnnies, they would not have been close to Loughgiel anyways such is the standard at the top, Loughgiel have dispatched teams similar to that score line before so it wasn't really a shock. The Johnnies do have talented hurlers it's getting them to work as a team and commit that seems to be the problem, internal struggles happen in most clubs but should not involve the teams prep for championship.

i  was at our league game up in St Johns this year and that side that beat us wasnt even present on sunday against Loughgiel. whatever internal stuff happened has clearly knocked the stuffing out of them. they beat us that day with good short passing, fast movement and pure work rate. None of that was event on sunday. their short fast puck outs were all gone as well.

its a pity becasue i thought the Johnies were playing a good brand of  hurling and had the potential to push on. they may still do that but on that performance on sunday it may take some time

DR what was your take on Ballycastle then at the weekend? Not much being given away with the championship game coming up in a few weeks?

Christ If the Johnnies beat them then they must be pish

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Ballycastle played some decent stuff throughout the match, took alot of good long range scores in the second half. it was a game that could have went either way to be fair. o dont think both teams went all out plus the pitch was very soft underfoot so it played a part.

i personally think its a straigh 50/50 game that will be decided by who wants it more and a bit of luck.

[Hirty Darry]

It's that time of the year again when I start to take a more serious interest in Antrim hurling. 

I have to say, I would be more than disappointed if my club had to contest a championship game in anyone's "second" pitch.

Pitch conditions - it doesn't matter if it rained for a week in Dunloy or for 2 hours - games shouldn't be contested if the pitches are unplayable.

I thought both pitches looked unplayable.

Creggan had their chances and will not doubt learn from this experience.  Carey were slightly disappointing on the day but I feel they will be knocking about at the business end.

Loughgiel without a doubt the team to beat, although I can't see them getting the same time and space as they progress.

[Milltown Row2]

It's that time of the year again when I start to take a more serious interest in Antrim hurling. 

I have to say, I would be more than disappointed if my club had to contest a championship game in anyone's "second" pitch.

Pitch conditions - it doesn't matter if it rained for a week in Dunloy or for 2 hours - games shouldn't be contested if the pitches are unplayable.

I thought both pitches looked unplayable.

Creggan had their chances and will not doubt learn from this experience.  Carey were slightly disappointing on the day but I feel they will be knocking about at the business end.

Loughgiel without a doubt the team to beat, although I can't see them getting the same time and space as they progress.

What's the best option then? Play it on the Monday night when the weather was great? That's the problem we don't know when the weather is going to be decent to allow the pitches time to recover, a lot of people complaining about games being played late in the year and when its played in the height of summer we still can't get it right. Both pitches had spots that were not great and it's a shame that teams who train all year had to have their games played on pitches that weren't great but that's the way it goes.

I'm sure had the rain continued then they would have been called off.  As for Creggaan I was impressed with them (again) some great hurlers in that team and I expect them to certainly hold their own in the league above where they are at present. Rossa and Glenariffe I'd say would be the stronger teams in this championship.

Didn't stay for more than 15 mins of the Loughgiel game but in that time they had already knocked over 1-5 and didn't seem pushed, young Janty up from in a 2 man ff line was the only one with a bitta sprak, which left me wondering where was the extra man played?

[Hirty Darry]

Not having a go at the refs or Dunloy as hosts.  The county wouldn't have entertained any suggestion of the games not going ahead.  Just very fortunate no one was seriously injured.  Four weeks between 1st round and quarter finals. Teams shouldn't feel they have to play in such conditions just because it's the easy option.

On another note, who is calling the shots now for Loughgiel SIE?

Appeared to have a few new faces on the line.

[keep her low this half]

I felt sorry for Creggan and Carey having to play on a small pitch that had already had a match that day and was a mess before it even started. While the matches probably had to be played the intermediate match could have been played somewhere else Armoy/Ballycastle/Loughgiel would all have been better options. Does that training pitch even meet the size requirements for a senior championship game?

[Milltown Row2]

I felt sorry for Creggan and Carey having to play on a small pitch that had already had a match that day and was a mess before it even started. While the matches probably had to be played the intermediate match could have been played somewhere else Armoy/Ballycastle/Loughgiel would all have been better options. Does that training pitch even meet the size requirements for a senior championship game?

I'd say it more than fits the requirements. It's just a bollox that it had 2 days of rain, I'd say that the pitch they played on was better than the main pitch

[theskull1]

Not having a go at the refs or Dunloy as hosts.  The county wouldn't have entertained any suggestion of the games not going ahead.  Just very fortunate no one was seriously injured.  Four weeks between 1st round and quarter finals. Teams shouldn't feel they have to play in such conditions just because it's the easy option.

On another note, who is calling the shots now for Loughgiel SIE?

Appeared to have a few new faces on the line.

Does that comment stand up to scrutiny? 

For the record ... I wouldn't ideally have liked to have played championship in that but if you want to compete in the All Ireland Club series it might stand you in good stead

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Dunloy 0-16
Loughgiel 1-10 FT
Dead atmosphere game, lgiel had a changed team from Sunday. No Liam Watson now he's injured and they missed some easy frees. Pitch was really wet again.

[The Memory Man]

St. Johns 1.19 v St. Galls 1.12.  Johnnies were 5 down at half time 1.6 to 0.4, seemed like a hangover from Sunday!  But fair play to them they cut loose in the second half against a very poor and ill disciplined St. Galls and hit 1.15. If CJ would hurl as much as he slabbered it would benefit them greatly.  I wish I was 20 years younger, lining thon!!

[Hirty Darry]

Dunloy 0-16
Loughgiel 1-10 FT
Dead atmosphere game, lgiel had a changed team from Sunday. No Liam Watson now he's injured and they missed some easy frees. Pitch was really wet again.

Only recognise a handful of first team players based on the team posted on the Lgiel website, was this really the starting 15?

How close to full strength were Dunloy?

Any reports on the Cushendall v Ballycastle game?

[Milltown Row2]

St. Johns 1.19 v St. Galls 1.12.  Johnnies were 5 down at half time 1.6 to 0.4, seemed like a hangover from Sunday!  But fair play to them they cut loose in the second half against a very poor and ill disciplined St. Galls and hit 1.15. If CJ would hurl as much as he slabbered it would benefit them greatly.  I wish I was 20 years younger, lining thon!!

Bad result for us considering the Johnnies poor form, but fair play the Johnnies, they can now have a good season

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Dunloy 0-16
Loughgiel 1-10 FT
Dead atmosphere game, lgiel had a changed team from Sunday. No Liam Watson now he's injured and they missed some easy frees. Pitch was really wet again.

Only recognise a handful of first team players based on the team posted on the Lgiel website, was this really the starting 15?

How close to full strength were Dunloy?

Any reports on the Cushendall v Ballycastle game?

loughgiel were changed all over, no Eddie or Tony McCloskey, Ding, James Campbell etc on their starting team. we were more or less the same team but a load of positional changes all over the pitch. it was much the same as the ballycastle game with no team giving away a starting line up.

[Bonamargy]

Against Cushendall we had a very much weakened team out, had a couple of injuries and the rest were rested for championship. Having said that Cushendall did look impressive enough in scoring 1-25  against us. Can't wait for championship quarter finals weekend.

[imtommygunn]

When are the quarter finals??