Antrim Hurling

[MalluskMan]

Cushendall missing two starters, Eoin Campbell and Fintan Bradley. Paddy Burke is out for the foreseeable.
 Liam Gillan is no upgrade on what's on the pitch. Glenariffe missing 3 starters. Agreed, little up front, full forward line was weak, never showed up at all, backs under constant scrutiny.

Interesting match ups next round, winner takes all in two of the ties and top spot up for grabs in the other two. Should hopefully make for proper championship games.
Predicting Dunloy to run over the top of Cushendall. Loughgiel have yet to click, St John's will play on that, tight call, if Conor Johnson is back, I'm calling the johnnies.
Ballycastle, despite injuries, will fancy a go at a Gerard Walsh-less Rossa (Stupid tackle by the way) though if everyone else fit, still fancy rossa.
St Endas, despite their wretched form, will be too powerful for Glenariffe. They will have their full compliment back and have senior championship experience on their side.

Dunloy and St John's to semi finals.
Quarter finals:

Cushendall v Rossa
Loughgiel v St Endas

[Last Man]

St Endas, despite their wretched form, will be too powerful for Glenariffe. They will have their full compliment back and have senior championship experience on their side.

Wouldn't share your optimism, we are operating at no-where near the level of previous seasons. The sooner we draw a line under this season the better.

[MalluskMan]

Despite the wretched form, I still reckon Philly Curran will get a tune out of them. There's no doubt that both of those teams will have targeted each other when draw was made; and the extra bit of spice if needed, Kearney in charge of Glenariffe this year, was coaching with St Endas last year.

[Last Man]

Despite the wretched form, I still reckon Philly Curran will get a tune out of them. There's no doubt that both of those teams will have targeted each other when draw was made; and the extra bit of spice if needed, Kearney in charge of Glenariffe this year, was coaching with St Endas last year.

Why would they be motivated to? What difference would it make? Let's say they scrape past Oisin's, then get trimmed in the next game?
Get it over with, draw a line and go back to the drawing board.

[JonnyD_]

No real surprises over the weekend at the second round of games.

Plenty of young talent coming into the action which is good to see!

The games weren't smashers but great to watch some of the lovely hurling from lads that are only a year or 2 out of minor.

[MalluskMan]

Very defeatist from a club man, Last Man!! Why would ye not be motivated to win a championship game?? What benefit is there in losing?? Relegated and down to intermediate?? Lot of youth coming through. Have a winter reset, freshen things up, go again! Taking a defeat could demoralise further.

[Last Man]

Very defeatist from a club man, Last Man!! Why would ye not be motivated to win a championship game?? What benefit is there in losing?? Relegated and down to intermediate?? Lot of youth coming through. Have a winter reset, freshen things up, go again! Taking a defeat could demoralise further.

Yip the nett effect of losing all season is relegation. Winning one championship (far from a given btw)game against a first year promoted team would count for what? It's done, get it wrapped up and look to next season.

[Last Man]

Very defeatist from a club man, Last Man!! Why would ye not be motivated to win a championship game?? What benefit is there in losing?? Relegated and down to intermediate?? Lot of youth coming through. Have a winter reset, freshen things up, go again! Taking a defeat could demoralise further.

Yip the nett effect of losing all season is relegation. Winning one championship (far from a given btw)game against a first year promoted team would count for what? It's done, get it wrapped up and look to next season.

How are the youth structures in St Enda's? Is there young lads ready to step up and support the current core of your team?
Could be worse I suppose, although the young lads who have joined the senior panel this season are struggling to make an impact or more crucially, the impact we could do with. A few main players have stepped away for various reasons and we haven't been able to plug the gaps

From what I've seen of your team, the spine is strong with the likes of O'Connor and Maskey and a few others I wouldn't know their names, but you are sometimes lacking on the periphery to support them and maybe a goalkeeper who prefers to stop a ball or two than going out and lamping lads.  Wasn't at that game but I have it on very good authority that justice was served  . He's my first pick keeper, a bit of a hot head no doubt but another one who is doing other things these days

Glenariffe have a spread of good and decent hurlers at the start of their adult careers throughout their team and will improve in the years to come. Agreed, think we caught them on the hop in the return league game. I'd see their stickwork average as much better than ours currently and fully expect them to stay in D1 next season.
Much like ourselves they may lack a wee bit of depth when county panels and injuries start depriving them of players.Yeah we know well what that looks like

[NAG1]

From what I've seen looking in from the outside Hurling wise at least Naomh Eanna haven't made the break through they should have.

Have decent minor squad but below this are struggling, through no fault of the lads involved. Seems to be a bigger pull to the football up there at the moment. 

[Last Man]

Very defeatist from a club man, Last Man!! Why would ye not be motivated to win a championship game?? What benefit is there in losing?? Relegated and down to intermediate?? Lot of youth coming through. Have a winter reset, freshen things up, go again! Taking a defeat could demoralise further.

Yip the nett effect of losing all season is relegation. Winning one championship (far from a given btw)game against a first year promoted team would count for what? It's done, get it wrapped up and look to next season.

How are the youth structures in St Enda's? Is there young lads ready to step up and support the current core of your team?
Could be worse I suppose, although the young lads who have joined the senior panel this season are struggling to make an impact or more crucially, the impact we could do with. A few main players have stepped away for various reasons and we haven't been able to plug the gaps

From what I've seen of your team, the spine is strong with the likes of O'Connor and Maskey and a few others I wouldn't know their names, but you are sometimes lacking on the periphery to support them and maybe a goalkeeper who prefers to stop a ball or two than going out and lamping lads.  Wasn't at that game but I have it on very good authority that justice was served  . He's my first pick keeper, a bit of a hot head no doubt but another one who is doing other things these days

Glenariffe have a spread of good and decent hurlers at the start of their adult careers throughout their team and will improve in the years to come. Agreed, think we caught them on the hop in the return league game. I'd see their stickwork average as much better than ours currently and fully expect them to stay in D1 next season.
Much like ourselves they may lack a wee bit of depth when county panels and injuries start depriving them of players.Yeah we know well what that looks like

If a lad of 6'2" picks on a lad 5'7" at a push needs his keeper to run out and help him then he needs to have a good hard look at himself 
Should have written "independent authority", why would height come in to it? lol  Our keeper is probably 5'6 right enough!

I believe you keeper also cleaned the clock of a Portaferry lad earlier in the year, so he's not all bad 
He may well have done but there's only so many beatings I can commit to memory in one season!

[MalluskMan]

Weekend predictions:

St John's to come out of Loughgiel with a win.
Rossa, despite missing Gerard Walsh will still be too many for a powder puff Ballycastle
St Endas experience to take them through against a green Glenariffe
Dunloy to lay down a marker against a Cushendall team missing regulars.

Loads to play for, loads to savour, championship starts in earnest now!!

[imtommygunn]

The same could be said about Dunloy every year. I think the football is hitting them. That said I think they probably will win it... cushendall kind of in transition and looks like paddy Burke out which is a massive loss and loughgiel seem a level below now. Don't think the johnnies would beat Dunloy if they met.

[NAG1]

Bad looking scenes in Loughgiel

[Hoof Hearted]

Bad looking scenes in Loughgiel

Go on

[quit yo jibbajabba]

That's just the wemen

I'm joking of course