Antrim Hurling

[theskull1]

Poor poor game of hurling today, with Dunloy lucky to have a second chance. Couldn't win a pig in a poke on our puck outs in the last 20 minutes. It was no coincidence that our support play totally disappeared at this time. Replays normally have no relation to the drawn game so here's hoping for better second installment.

Also with all the wonga taken at the gate you would think that our county board could supply a few hurling balls. wtf

Saw the second half of the IHC match and was impressed with St Pauls. The three goals in the second half were well set up and finished, but they also defended well to boot. Should be a good final bwteen them and GNM although it would be great to see the likes of those club step up and be compeditive at senior level. Owen Elliott also refereed the game very well.

Didn't see many chip eaters myself milltown unless you spotted them all in mortons after the match  . Fully expect them to show up in their droves on wed night 

[milltown row]

talked about your good support play in the first half Skull but as you said it died a death in the second half. worrying that Loughgiel seemed fitter than yourselves. i think that will give them a boost. what did Ally finish with? Darren Quinn didn't  hit ball and when he had that chance he shite himself. dim dim was terrible. did the Loughgiel line out the way ya expected?

[theskull1]

No milltown....didn't think the balance looked right from the start and it may have played a part. I'm hoping pride will bring out some reserves of endurance because alot of our boys just didn't hurl today

[MrT]

i agree milltown dim dim was terrible.  I expected shay Casey to start. thought James campbell did reasonably well in centre 3 for a young boy.  I doubt oul ally still got it, the more i think about his goal i think it was actually lethal! to swing on it in the air is hard to do.  I hear people talking about loughgiels shot in the dying minutes, i think ding hit it, the crowd went mad and dunloy keeper put his hands to his heads but umpire gave it a wide.  Does anybody have an opinion on that??

[slow corner back]

It is not very often you could say it about them but I thought some of Dunloys decision making today was very poor. As has been alluded to earlier Dunloys puck outs were poor all day and in the second half evolved into hit every ball to Paddy Richmond at right half forward. The bodies quickly figured this out and swamped all Dunloys puck outs for the second half. On another point all day Dunloys backs were hitting sevnty- eighty yard clearances straight down the field into the hands of the Loughgiel backs who were very dominant in the air. When they did use the ball intelligently or run at the loughgiel backs Dunloy had much more success. Paul Shiels got one pass in the second half took a good score and then was ignored for the rest of the game
As for Loughgiel once again the half backs and midfield were very good and on top for most of the game. Someone said earlier that Loughgiel were less reliant on Watson this year but I am afraid I have to disagree with that, out of 14 scores for Loughgiel today Watson got 10 or 11, mainly frees but he won a lot of them himself. I was surprised that Loughgiel kept Watson inside for the whole game where he was somewhat starved of ball and while the half forward line was shooting chronic wides in the last 10 minutes. I think Loughiel will rue the missed chances in the last 10 minutes Dunloy by three in the replay.

[theskull1]

Yes SCB, loughgiel's HB line did a good job at swamping our puckouts but where was our second man on the breaking ball. They just weren't there. Serious soul searching if we are going to turn around the performance of the last twenty minutes. Loughgiel will be be the happier going into Wednesday (alright shamrock  )

[Minder]

Skull someone was telling me gareth mcghee was at the match as a spectator,is he injured ?

[Glensman]

Dunloy Loughgeil
Thought Loughgeil should have won this in the end to be honest. They started going for goals too early but actually didn't panic in the end and it was a point by Ding Gillan, as admitted by the Dunloy keeper. Them are the breaks. Winker wasn't really allowed to let loose and was well shackled but a player of his class still comes out with a good few points. Not sure what way it will go...will arguably depend on Loughgeil's reaction - will they leave it behind? Dunloy looked very good in patches.
Thought Ray Matthews did rightly. Thought he was getting quite yellow card friendly near end of 1st half but generally he kept things under control in a game that was hard but not overly dirty.
He and his linesmen did spot and book anyone seen hitting with the butt of the hurl. Good stamping that out! (following from our earlier conversation). As much shouldering and manoeuvring for position as possible should be allowed but digging someone in the ribs with the hurl is an act of cowardice (in my opinion)

St Pauls Clooney
Caught the end of this. Surprised by the result having seen both this year but agree the footballers going out will have helped St Pauls. Was told the corner forward (forget his name) bagged 3 goals. Did the same on the occasion I saw him earlier in the year

St Theresa's Cloughmills
Spot on Last Man. Cloughmills given a lesson in tactics and there wasn't a quick enough reaction. St T's dropped a man back into half back line who cleared an awful amount of ball. Philly Maguire was in midfield but played very well. Cloughmills will rue this one, beat in last 4 semi finals. Young enough team so will hopefully bounce back.
If St Theresa's play the way they did they will beat Rasharkin. Good young team and going for a junior double.
Was not impressed at all by the referee Reilly - very very fussy and didn't let the game flow. He could do with watching Matthews/Elliott. Game never really got going due to alot of soft frees, for both sides. Doesn't help the state of Antrim hurling when a good honest hard tackle is constantly met with a free!

Predictions
Dunloy
Gorts
St Theresa's

Though could well be wrong on all of them!!

[milltown row]

na mrT ball was wide, thought Dunloy were strolling it up to that point (20 mins) even when Loughgiel got the goal Dunloy went out and scored 4 unaswered points to go 6 up!!! Loughgiel didn't change their game plan Dunloys support play stopped, and they tired. think winker took himself out to win ball, which he did. so begs the question, if ya stop Winker will ya win?

Whose panel was the strongest? could the lines (management) have won the game?

looking forward to not traveling 100 miles on wed

[slow corner back]

i agree milltown dim dim was terrible.  I expected shay Casey to start. thought James campbell did reasonably well in centre 3 for a young boy.  I doubt oul ally still got it, the more i think about his goal i think it was actually lethal! to swing on it in the air is hard to do.  I hear people talking about loughgiels shot in the dying minutes, i think ding hit it, the crowd went mad and dunloy keeper put his hands to his heads but umpire gave it a wide.  Does anybody have an opinion on that??

From where I was standing ( about half way line on the town side terrace ) I thought it was wide. Young campbell took his goal well although it was a poor pass out of defence to set him up. What age is young campbell by the way, he looks about 14!!

[Glensman]

It looked wide from where I was but he Dunloy keeper (in a better position than us all) said it went over.

If Winker is stopped I think Loughgeil would be beat.

[milltown row]

great venue Ballycastle, is it the best in the county? what will Dunloys be like once finished?

[Two Hands FFS]

Suprised Darren Quinn started in place of either Sean Dowds or Paddy Doc & thought that Dowds would have came on. Dunloy never got any ball into Ally in the 2nd half who was looking very dangerous, same applies for Shorty too. Conor Cunning had a good game, very intelligent in possesion & strong in the tackle. Winker(for all his faults) took some superb scores when able to get on the balll. Loughgiel must be worried as they still relied on them heavily. Joey Scullion was poor, as was Dim Dim. Duck McFadden had a pretty good game on Paddy Richmond who was pretty poor

Minder, think McGhee has been working away...the young keeper done well & was very safe in his handling.

[theskull1]

Skull someone was telling me gareth mcghee was at the match as a spectator,is he injured ?

Not injured Minder, just didn't commit this year. Very happy to have Gabby minding for us though. Puck outs could be a hair longer but he's a young lad who's been steady as a rock for us this year. HIS attitude is 100% to boot. He'll lengthen his puck outs as he fills out

[slow corner back]

The problem today was not the length of the puck out but the predictability. A few short ones to the half back line would not have gone amiss.