Ulster Intermediate + Junior Football Club Championships 2012

[yellowcard]

8/15 Doohamlet v Lacken 7/4       
8/15 Killeavy v Cookstown 7/4         
10/11 Warrenpoint v Teemore 1/1

Looking at the betting Cookstown are the bet of the weekend. I actually thought the betting was the wrong way round. Cookstown are AI champions of a few years ago and should be favourites for this game and I have been reliably informed that Killeavy are without McDonnell who is injured. Take the price while it lasts. Also Lacken must be a good bet at 7/4, although Doohamlet are at home and aren't a bad side I thought Lacken would be slight favourites for this game considering they beat a good Swatragh side already.

[Sleater]

If Stevie McDonnell had been fit I would have fancied Killeavy to beat Cookstown. I spoke to some relatives from Granemore who said Killeavy are a good young footballing side but McDonnell is still the main man. Too much will rest on Ciaran O'Hanlon to produce the goods and while he's got huge potential it's probably a bit much to ask of him to carry the scoring burden. I think Cookstown's experience will win it out for them. They're rightly favourites for Ulster. Experience at this level counts for a lot - witness Craigbane last year.

Doohamlet v Lacken is a very hard one to call. Lads from the Killinkere club have told me Lacken are ideally siuted to play ing football at this time of year - a very phsyically strong team with Joe and Trevor Crowe the enforcers. Finbarr O'Reilly is the key man I believe, kicking long accurate ball into Ray Galligan. They play a very simple route one style. They're a top 5 senior side in Cavan which shows their consistency.
Doohamlet though are not a team of shrinking violets either. They lost their league final at the weekend so a lot depends on how they can lift themselves from that. But again they came very close to winning the Ulster title 2 years ago and have about 13( i think) of that team lining out this weekend.
I'm gonna predict an awful game of football, littered with frees and Doohamlet to win it by the minimum.

Some Teemore supports i've spoken to are not that confident of their chances with Warrenpoint. they're reckoned that while they strolled to the title in Fermanagh, their form in senior league was a truer reflection of their form. Warrenpoint will be the best team they'll have met in championshipt this year. I beleive Warrenpoint made hard work of beating Bosco who had several players suspended. If Ross McGarry isn't getting the scores will Warrenpoint get enough to win? again a very close one to call - I'll go for Warrenpoint.

[yellowcard]

If Stevie McDonnell had been fit I would have fancied Killeavy to beat Cookstown. I spoke to some relatives from Granemore who said Killeavy are a good young footballing side but McDonnell is still the main man. Too much will rest on Ciaran O'Hanlon to produce the goods and while he's got huge potential it's probably a bit much to ask of him to carry the scoring burden. I think Cookstown's experience will win it out for them. They're rightly favourites for Ulster. Experience at this level counts for a lot - witness Craigbane last year.

Doohamlet v Lacken is a very hard one to call. Lads from the Killinkere club have told me Lacken are ideally siuted to play ing football at this time of year - a very phsyically strong team with Joe and Trevor Crowe the enforcers. Finbarr O'Reilly is the key man I believe, kicking long accurate ball into Ray Galligan. They play a very simple route one style. They're a top 5 senior side in Cavan which shows their consistency.
Doohamlet though are not a team of shrinking violets either. They lost their league final at the weekend so a lot depends on how they can lift themselves from that. But again they came very close to winning the Ulster title 2 years ago and have about 13( i think) of that team lining out this weekend.
I'm gonna predict an awful game of football, littered with frees and Doohamlet to win it by the minimum.

Some Teemore supports i've spoken to are not that confident of their chances with Warrenpoint. they're reckoned that while they strolled to the title in Fermanagh, their form in senior league was a truer reflection of their form. Warrenpoint will be the best team they'll have met in championshipt this year. I beleive Warrenpoint made hard work of beating Bosco who had several players suspended. If Ross McGarry isn't getting the scores will Warrenpoint get enough to win? again a very close one to call - I'll go for Warrenpoint.

Watched the Down IFC final and it was really poor standard. I think Warrenpoint are an average side even at this level, but I will admit I don't know much about Teemore although they were narrowly beaten in last years SFC final in Fermanagh (another strange conundrum how they can be allowed to compete at IFC level). On that basis I would fancy Teemore who will be well schooled by Paddy McKeever although it could go either way.

On the bit about Cookstown being favourites for Ulster, I think most people would rightly presume this to be the case and yet the bookies have them priced up as 7/4 outsiders to beat Killeavy.....pile on at that price.

[DownFanatic]

If Stevie McDonnell had been fit I would have fancied Killeavy to beat Cookstown. I spoke to some relatives from Granemore who said Killeavy are a good young footballing side but McDonnell is still the main man. Too much will rest on Ciaran O'Hanlon to produce the goods and while he's got huge potential it's probably a bit much to ask of him to carry the scoring burden. I think Cookstown's experience will win it out for them. They're rightly favourites for Ulster. Experience at this level counts for a lot - witness Craigbane last year.

Doohamlet v Lacken is a very hard one to call. Lads from the Killinkere club have told me Lacken are ideally siuted to play ing football at this time of year - a very phsyically strong team with Joe and Trevor Crowe the enforcers. Finbarr O'Reilly is the key man I believe, kicking long accurate ball into Ray Galligan. They play a very simple route one style. They're a top 5 senior side in Cavan which shows their consistency.
Doohamlet though are not a team of shrinking violets either. They lost their league final at the weekend so a lot depends on how they can lift themselves from that. But again they came very close to winning the Ulster title 2 years ago and have about 13( i think) of that team lining out this weekend.
I'm gonna predict an awful game of football, littered with frees and Doohamlet to win it by the minimum.

Some Teemore supports i've spoken to are not that confident of their chances with Warrenpoint. they're reckoned that while they strolled to the title in Fermanagh, their form in senior league was a truer reflection of their form. Warrenpoint will be the best team they'll have met in championshipt this year. I beleive Warrenpoint made hard work of beating Bosco who had several players suspended. If Ross McGarry isn't getting the scores will Warrenpoint get enough to win? again a very close one to call - I'll go for Warrenpoint.

Watched the Down IFC final and it was really poor standard. I think Warrenpoint are an average side even at this level, but I will admit I don't know much about Teemore although they were narrowly beaten in last years SFC final in Fermanagh (another strange conundrum how they can be allowed to compete at IFC level). On that basis I would fancy Teemore who will be well schooled by Paddy McKeever although it could go either way.

On the bit about Cookstown being favourites for Ulster, I think most people would rightly presume this to be the case and yet the bookies have them priced up as 7/4 outsiders to beat Killeavy.....pile on at that price.

Down sides at Intermediate and Junior level are up against it in Ulster from the start. The standard at these grades in our county at present are woefully poor. Warrenpoint are an average Division 2 side in Down and have been for some while. The likes of Lacken, Teemore and Killeavy have all been flirting in the upper echelons of Division 1 in their respective counties this year. The Point would be way off this standard.

For as long as I can remember our Leagues have been correlated with our Championships. Where you finish in the League in the previous season then determines what Championship you play in the following year. It is the most honest system available and most of the other Ulster counties are now starting to follow suit. There is no recent history in Down of choosing what Championship you play in or dropping down a grade when you feel like it. If this had been the case in the past ten years a bit more success might have come our way at Ulster level.

Since its official inception no Down club has reached an Ulster JFC or IFC Final. We have only made two JFC Semis and were found out in both. No Intermediate side has made much of an impression either. It would be interesting to see the stats but Id say across these two levels we probably have the poorest record of any county in Ulster.

[fitzroyalty]

Think it would be wrong to dismiss any team for the Ulster intermediate and IMO it is a wide open comp. Ive seen Aghagallon a few times and for my money Mark McKenna is one of the best forwards in the county on his day. He has had a torrid time with injury in recent times but if he can stay fit he would be a match for any defender with his blistering speed.  Dawson could do a lot worse than give him a chance at the county setup.

Is this a piss take?

[Norf Tyrone]

Brackaville 1-15 Ardoyne 1-8 (Full Time)

[Mourne man]

Any other scores?

[omagh_gael]

Drumhowan beat Downings 0-10 to 1-6. Half time was 1-5 to 4 points!

[anportmorforjfc]

An Portmor 2-5 Dundrum 1-4

[Itchy]

Doohamlet beat lacken by 4. Lacken had 3 players sent off, doohamlet had 1 off.

[Sleater]

IFC semi finals

Warrenpoint v Aghagallon / Termon/ Aodh Ruadh
Doohamlet v Cookstown

JFC

Drumhowan v An Port Mor
Laragh  v Brackaville

[anportmorforjfc]

IFC semi finals

Warrenpoint v Aghagallon / Termon/ Aodh Ruadh
Doohamlet v Cookstown

JFC

Drumhowan v An Port Mor
Laragh  v Brackaville

Will the semi finals be neutral venues?

[yellowcard]

Was at the intermediate game in the Athletic Grounds as well and Cookstown were a well drilled slick outfit who had a clearly defined gameplan that Killeavy failed to counteract. The game was effectively over after Cookstown scored the goal since other than O'Hanlon (who strangely didn't start), Killeavy looked lacking up front. Mullan in midfield and Gilmore up front played very well for Cookstown. Stevie McDonnell had an off day for Killeavy and its possible he was carrying an injury.

I think whoever wins the semi between Cookstown and Doohamlet will probably win the c'ship.

[rodney trotter]

Doohamlet looked a good side today against Lacken. Dominated from the start, Colin Walshe was impressive at centre back. They had a  player sent off in the first half but still led at half time 1-5 to 1 goal. They also missed a penalty. They had 7 players booked in the second half,

I thought they way it was going they would have a few more sent off in the second but it was Lacken who did, 3 players from Lacken sent off in the second half. Finished 11pts to 1-4. Ballybay is quite an unusual ground.

[yellowcard]

Was at the Morgan Athletic Grounds today.

Killeavy were very disappointing, with only O'Hanlon looking like any sort of threat to the Cookstown backline. Hindsight and all that, but he probably should have started. If he was fit enough to play 45 minutes, then he could have coped with the full 60. He may have grabbed a score or two in the first 15 and knocked some of Cookstown's early momentum.

Given the importance of this game for Killeavy he shouldn't have played a full game on the previous day for St Paul's Bessbrook especially when they had already qualified for the MacRory Cup.

Well it's rare that a senior team is heavily reliant on a school kid but we all know if your picked to play by a teacher then you can't say no. You would imagine the 2 management teams would have been in communication beforehand.

Don't know if it would have changed the result but Killeavy were effectively beaten by the time they brought o'Hanlon on.