Down Club Hurling & Football

[johnnycool]

Our minors will play Bredagh in the Minor final for the 4th year in a row next Wednesday night in Pairc Esler.

Bredagh have won all three previous encounters.

TBH within the club we didn't expect this considering we'd lost seven lads from last years team and two of our 18yo's have been injured most of the year and another struggling with a knee issue so doing nets.

In the semi-final v a very fancied Castlewellan we were also missing our normal FB who got a straight red in the previous game but battled through, scoring 6 goals in the process. The lads from the U16 team that have been on the receiving ends of big batterings at that level can hold their own at minor.
Castlewellan will be disappointed, they'll be stronger next year though and will need to learn that when you're dominating the game how to convert into scores.

A Wee bit of testerone got the better of some lads after the final whistle, but all made it to school the next day so no harm. 


Bredagh had a much easier night out against our neighbours, Portaferry and will go into the final as bigger favourites than last year.

We have played each other 3 times this year and it's 2-1 yous with a combined score of 2-33 to 11-45 against us (I think) , yes we won the last game but no way are we favourites. It's a final and of course we will give it a rattle as underdogs.

The league final plays a big part in your stats where you arrived down at our place shorn three or four of your main players.

We'll give it a lash.

Favourites win then, well done and deserved, no complaints from me. Thought your 7 or keeper were your best players, keeper made three great saves, the one in the second half when our forward got a flick on it was his best, some puck on him.

Yeah for me, it was a game of goals winning games, when your lads had us under a lot of pressure in the first quarter he prevented any goals going in and kept us in the game until we got going, we could have been 6 or 7 down at that stage, but the lads rallied well to rattle over some nice scores with our FF bagging his usual goal to go in at the break 6 up.

There was a time I thought our policy of playing the older lads no matter what was going to cost us as your lads got it to within 4 points going into the last 10 minutes and that save from your lads flick was pure reflex, that goes in and it's all to play for. We scored from a goalmouth scramble on the next attack to get us a bit of breathing space.
We did make the change in the defence though, and the lad taken off can have no complaints, he got over 45 minutes of "meaningful" gametime, bringing on another U16 who shored things up until we got the final goal from wee Mick to put a gloss on the final score.
We may have won by 8 points, but there's not 8 points difference in those two teams. Some good forwards in that Bredagh team who'll fill out physically in their own time.

We've been putting our underage teams in the gym over the winter, well those over 16, if they're U16 they have to be supervised by a senior hurler who've they've to "buddy" up with before they can go into the gym and it's beginning to show on them now, some haven't really engaged in it and that also shows.

As for the keeper, he didn't lick if off the grass as they say, his father had an agreement with us that he wouldn't be stuck in goals all the time through juvenile even though it was glaringly obvious where his talents lay and he'd play outfield in his own level and play in goals for the level above.
He was midfield in last years final and in goals the previous 2 finals. He was only in goals this year because he's hurt his knee and played very little hurling all year other than goals with the minors.

On a more poignant note, the O'Connor family have put up the Minor final player of the year for the last few years since their son Nialls death and this is the first time a Ballygalget player won it, the lad that won it, his older brother was best friends with Niall. Nialls sister Ciara was in bits, the poor wee mite.

[Square Ball]

Our minors will play Bredagh in the Minor final for the 4th year in a row next Wednesday night in Pairc Esler.

Bredagh have won all three previous encounters.

TBH within the club we didn't expect this considering we'd lost seven lads from last years team and two of our 18yo's have been injured most of the year and another struggling with a knee issue so doing nets.

In the semi-final v a very fancied Castlewellan we were also missing our normal FB who got a straight red in the previous game but battled through, scoring 6 goals in the process. The lads from the U16 team that have been on the receiving ends of big batterings at that level can hold their own at minor.
Castlewellan will be disappointed, they'll be stronger next year though and will need to learn that when you're dominating the game how to convert into scores.

A Wee bit of testerone got the better of some lads after the final whistle, but all made it to school the next day so no harm. 


Bredagh had a much easier night out against our neighbours, Portaferry and will go into the final as bigger favourites than last year.

We have played each other 3 times this year and it's 2-1 yous with a combined score of 2-33 to 11-45 against us (I think) , yes we won the last game but no way are we favourites. It's a final and of course we will give it a rattle as underdogs.

The league final plays a big part in your stats where you arrived down at our place shorn three or four of your main players.

We'll give it a lash.

Favourites win then, well done and deserved, no complaints from me. Thought your 7 or keeper were your best players, keeper made three great saves, the one in the second half when our forward got a flick on it was his best, some puck on him.

Yeah for me, it was a game of goals winning games, when your lads had us under a lot of pressure in the first quarter he prevented any goals going in and kept us in the game until we got going, we could have been 6 or 7 down at that stage, but the lads rallied well to rattle over some nice scores with our FF bagging his usual goal to go in at the break 6 up.

There was a time I thought our policy of playing the older lads no matter what was going to cost us as your lads got it to within 4 points going into the last 10 minutes and that save from your lads flick was pure reflex, that goes in and it's all to play for. We scored from a goalmouth scramble on the next attack to get us a bit of breathing space.
We did make the change in the defence though, and the lad taken off can have no complaints, he got over 45 minutes of "meaningful" gametime, bringing on another U16 who shored things up until we got the final goal from wee Mick to put a gloss on the final score.
We may have won by 8 points, but there's not 8 points difference in those two teams. Some good forwards in that Bredagh team who'll fill out physically in their own time.

We've been putting our underage teams in the gym over the winter, well those over 16, if they're U16 they have to be supervised by a senior hurler who've they've to "buddy" up with before they can go into the gym and it's beginning to show on them now, some haven't really engaged in it and that also shows.

As for the keeper, he didn't lick if off the grass as they say, his father had an agreement with us that he wouldn't be stuck in goals all the time through juvenile even though it was glaringly obvious where his talents lay and he'd play outfield in his own level and play in goals for the level above.
He was midfield in last years final and in goals the previous 2 finals. He was only in goals this year because he's hurt his knee and played very little hurling all year other than goals with the minors.

On a more poignant note, the O'Connor family have put up the Minor final player of the year for the last few years since their son Nialls death and this is the first time a Ballygalget player won it, the lad that won it, his older brother was best friends with Niall. Nialls sister Ciara was in bits, the poor wee mite.

Jez, I am sure they were, that's near set me off.

[Square Ball]

Our footballers just about got over the line in the minor football semi against Carryduff last night, last second fisted point by Jacko got us there after Carryduff had scored a goal very late to equalise.

I think that could make us the first team in Down to make the minor Football and Hurling final in the same year? Given the Ards dominance in the hurling for decades it could well be.

[johnnycool]

Our footballers just about got over the line in the minor football semi against Carryduff last night, last second fisted point by Jacko got us there after Carryduff had scored a goal very late to equalise.

I think that could make us the first team in Down to make the minor Football and Hurling final in the same year? Given the Ards dominance in the hurling for decades it could well be.

You have that one in the bag I'd have thought.

Big Magic thought he'd be the first to play in both the senior football final with Loughinisland and the senior hurling final with us the following week but he fucked our manager off by going on the sauce with the Loughinisland lads and missing physio sessions that he never put him on even when we were winning.

Still hasn't happened

[johnnycool]

Senior championship round robin ended yesterday with the three Ards clubs in the top three spots...

From all accounts Liatroim can consider themselves unlucky, only losing by a point against Ballycran.

Our game with the Ports was worse than a friendly, nothing of note in it other than I'm not overly impressed by some of our teams attitude and application and TBH Ports left off five or six starters and still won comfortably enough.
We've no consistency in our team, lacking leaders etc and wouldn't be surprised if Ballycran turn us over in two weeks time.

It's hard to see the Ports losing this one this year with all due respects to Bredagh, they'll get nothing out of their semi-final and then whoever comes out of our semi will have to seriously step in up a good few gears and hope Portaferry have a stinker.

Liatroim and Carryduff drop to intermediate, my moneys on Liatroim in that with Castlewellan for the junior.

[clonian]

Senior championship round robin ended yesterday with the three Ards clubs in the top three spots...

From all accounts Liatroim can consider themselves unlucky, only losing by a point against Ballycran.

Our game with the Ports was worse than a friendly, nothing of note in it other than I'm not overly impressed by some of our teams attitude and application and TBH Ports left off five or six starters and still won comfortably enough.
We've no consistency in our team, lacking leaders etc and wouldn't be surprised if Ballycran turn us over in two weeks time.

It's hard to see the Ports losing this one this year with all due respects to Bredagh, they'll get nothing out of their semi-final and then whoever comes out of our semi will have to seriously step in up a good few gears and hope Portaferry have a stinker.

Liatroim and Carryduff drop to intermediate, my moneys on Liatroim in that with Castlewellan for the junior.

Do Warrenpoint stand any chance against Carryduff? Liatroim going to Ballela in the other semi final.

[Truth hurts]

Dropping down from senior to intermediate seems unfair.

[johnnycool]

Dropping down from senior to intermediate seems unfair.

If we were winning Ulster Intermediate club championships by the bucketload then I'd agree with you.

The current format allows those yoyo clubs an opportunity to get exposed to senior hurling and develop accordingly.

If we revert back to the enclosed senior championship we used to have, intermediate and junior we'd end up with probably only 4 teams in the senior, for me that would be a step backwards in terms of overall development.

I can see how the teams competing at Intermediate might feel it's unfair to have the two senior teams parachuted in at the semi-final stage with the only solace is a home semi-final, but what we have now is better than what went before, it isn't perfect, but what we have now will help develop hurling more IMO.

[imtommygunn]

Would an alternative not be to just let them compete in the senior and have a relegation playoff for the next year or a winner of intermediate plays the bottom team for who plays senior the next year?

The group stages gives carryduff, leitrim and bredagh plenty of games at senior. It's not that they shouldn't be playing senior it's that they shouldn't be playing intermediate I'd have thought...

[clonian]

Dropping down from senior to intermediate seems unfair.

If we were winning Ulster Intermediate club championships by the bucketload then I'd agree with you.

The current format allows those yoyo clubs an opportunity to get exposed to senior hurling and develop accordingly.

If we revert back to the enclosed senior championship we used to have, intermediate and junior we'd end up with probably only 4 teams in the senior, for me that would be a step backwards in terms of overall development.

I can see how the teams competing at Intermediate might feel it's unfair to have the two senior teams parachuted in at the semi-final stage with the only solace is a home semi-final, but what we have now is better than what went before, it isn't perfect, but what we have now will help develop hurling more IMO.

The Ulster thing is more to do with how other counties set that up too - same at Junior with some of the Derry teams involved.

If the intermediate teams aren't improving but the senior championship is getting better it's probably better for the county team. You'd wonder then is it better to drop the intermediate teams to junior and have the bottom 2 at senior as your intermediate final. Maybe add in a Junior A for the lower teams in Junior to fall down to. It feels like the teams outside the senior championship now don't have the resources to ever push to where Liatroim, Bredagh and Carryduff are. Maybe CPN and Castlewellan disagree with that.

[johnnycool]

Dropping down from senior to intermediate seems unfair.

If we were winning Ulster Intermediate club championships by the bucketload then I'd agree with you.

The current format allows those yoyo clubs an opportunity to get exposed to senior hurling and develop accordingly.

If we revert back to the enclosed senior championship we used to have, intermediate and junior we'd end up with probably only 4 teams in the senior, for me that would be a step backwards in terms of overall development.

I can see how the teams competing at Intermediate might feel it's unfair to have the two senior teams parachuted in at the semi-final stage with the only solace is a home semi-final, but what we have now is better than what went before, it isn't perfect, but what we have now will help develop hurling more IMO.

The Ulster thing is more to do with how other counties set that up too - same at Junior with some of the Derry teams involved.

If the intermediate teams aren't improving but the senior championship is getting better it's probably better for the county team. You'd wonder then is it better to drop the intermediate teams to junior and have the bottom 2 at senior as your intermediate final. Maybe add in a Junior A for the lower teams in Junior to fall down to. It feels like the teams outside the senior championship now don't have the resources to ever push to where Liatroim, Bredagh and Carryduff are. Maybe CPN and Castlewellan disagree with that.

I fail to see how some intermediate teams expect to improve when they don't fulfil a lot of their league fixtures, especially when they have to travel to play the Ards seconds team.

Our seconds didn't fulfil their last league fixture as they were pissed off with having to trek to South Down to yet another team that can't travel to us.

We fulfilled every other game we could with whoever was available.

For me Castlewellan are the only team outside the senior championship teams with the structures in place to bridge the gap from intermediate, even though they're currently in the junior championship.

Down don't need a junior B, there's not enough teams to justify it.
Is there that big of a gap in standard between Newry, Clonduff and the likes of KBD and even East Belfast?

[clonian]

The teams you're talking about don't have enough players to push on. If you can only name 18-20 players for championship it's going to be hard to push towards senior. Their age profile isn't great either

Castlewellan could make the break though over the next few years if they keep their underage teams together and they have the population their to keep it going.

[SunnyJim]

One of the main issues is the league system. When it's only division 1 & 2, some that go up or at the bottom of 1 just can't compete with the top. It's essentially junior teams playing senior teams. There is little to no benefit for some to get promoted

Could easily be split into 3 leagues, home and away, mid season break and maybe a final. That way only slightly less games, and less 20 point hammerings for some teams/refusing to travel.

[Truth hurts]

Dropping down from senior to intermediate seems unfair.

If we were winning Ulster Intermediate club championships by the bucketload then I'd agree with you.

The current format allows those yoyo clubs an opportunity to get exposed to senior hurling and develop accordingly.

If we revert back to the enclosed senior championship we used to have, intermediate and junior we'd end up with probably only 4 teams in the senior, for me that would be a step backwards in terms of overall development.

I can see how the teams competing at Intermediate might feel it's unfair to have the two senior teams parachuted in at the semi-final stage with the only solace is a home semi-final, but what we have now is better than what went before, it isn't perfect, but what we have now will help develop hurling more IMO.

The Ulster thing is more to do with how other counties set that up too - same at Junior with some of the Derry teams involved.

If the intermediate teams aren't improving but the senior championship is getting better it's probably better for the county team. You'd wonder then is it better to drop the intermediate teams to junior and have the bottom 2 at senior as your intermediate final. Maybe add in a Junior A for the lower teams in Junior to fall down to. It feels like the teams outside the senior championship now don't have the resources to ever push to where Liatroim, Bredagh and Carryduff are. Maybe CPN and Castlewellan disagree with that.

I fail to see how some intermediate teams expect to improve when they don't fulfil a lot of their league fixtures, especially when they have to travel to play the Ards seconds team.

Our seconds didn't fulfil their last league fixture as they were pissed off with having to trek to South Down to yet another team that can't travel to us.

We fulfilled every other game we could with whoever was available.

For me Castlewellan are the only team outside the senior championship teams with the structures in place to bridge the gap from intermediate, even though they're currently in the junior championship.

Down don't need a junior B, there's not enough teams to justify it.
Is there that big of a gap in standard between Newry, Clonduff and the likes of KBD and even East Belfast?

Would Warrenpoint, Hilltown and Newry not have the numbers to bridge the gap ?

[johnnycool]

Dropping down from senior to intermediate seems unfair.

If we were winning Ulster Intermediate club championships by the bucketload then I'd agree with you.

The current format allows those yoyo clubs an opportunity to get exposed to senior hurling and develop accordingly.

If we revert back to the enclosed senior championship we used to have, intermediate and junior we'd end up with probably only 4 teams in the senior, for me that would be a step backwards in terms of overall development.

I can see how the teams competing at Intermediate might feel it's unfair to have the two senior teams parachuted in at the semi-final stage with the only solace is a home semi-final, but what we have now is better than what went before, it isn't perfect, but what we have now will help develop hurling more IMO.

The Ulster thing is more to do with how other counties set that up too - same at Junior with some of the Derry teams involved.

If the intermediate teams aren't improving but the senior championship is getting better it's probably better for the county team. You'd wonder then is it better to drop the intermediate teams to junior and have the bottom 2 at senior as your intermediate final. Maybe add in a Junior A for the lower teams in Junior to fall down to. It feels like the teams outside the senior championship now don't have the resources to ever push to where Liatroim, Bredagh and Carryduff are. Maybe CPN and Castlewellan disagree with that.

I fail to see how some intermediate teams expect to improve when they don't fulfil a lot of their league fixtures, especially when they have to travel to play the Ards seconds team.

Our seconds didn't fulfil their last league fixture as they were pissed off with having to trek to South Down to yet another team that can't travel to us.

We fulfilled every other game we could with whoever was available.

For me Castlewellan are the only team outside the senior championship teams with the structures in place to bridge the gap from intermediate, even though they're currently in the junior championship.

Down don't need a junior B, there's not enough teams to justify it.
Is there that big of a gap in standard between Newry, Clonduff and the likes of KBD and even East Belfast?

Would Warrenpoint, Hilltown and Newry not have the numbers to bridge the gap ?

Both Warrenpoint and Newry concede quite a few games this year, so numbers must be an issue.

Clonduff currently seem to be reliant on a lot of old lads blown into the area for their senior team, but do have good numbers around their minors and U14's etc. It could take them a few years to develop out of the junior/intermediate level.