Connacht Club Championship

[GalwayBayBoy]

Not sure what happened to Killererin. Their full-back line was absolutely woeful today. They never seem to perform up to their capabilities outside Galway for some reason.

Padraig Joyce almost seems rejuvenated these days. Playing some fantastic football. St Brigid's won't be easy to beat for anyone.

[Rossfan]

Not sure what happened to Killererin.

Met a superior team oul pal 
I know it doesnt fit the stereotype but some Ros people can play football and when they win it's not always because the other team played bad or picked the wrong team or wore the wrong jerseys or one of the myriad other reasons that we hear (npt often enough unfortunately) from our neighbours.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Not sure what happened to Killererin.

Met a superior team oul pal 
I know it doesnt fit the stereotype but some Ros people can play football and when they win it's not always because the other team played bad or picked the wrong team or wore the wrong jerseys or one of the myriad other reasons that we hear (npt often enough unfortunately) from our neighbours.

Would you ever get that chip of your shoulder.

If you had paid any attention at all you'd know that I said a week ago that Killererin just don't seem to perform well outside Galway even though they've been the most consistent team in the county for a good few years now. Corofin, Salthill and Caltra have all gone on to win All-Ireland's but Killererin haven't even though they've won more county titles than the others. Which is why I was hesistant about their chances.

Don't think anybody was disputing that Brigid's fully deserved to win. Just that Killererin yet again underperformed by their own standards. Especially in defence where they conceded some very soft goals by badly misjudging bread and butter long punts into the square.

Not a concern of Brigid's though. They took advantage and look well placed for a Connacht title and maybe even more.

[SLIGONIAN]

Was at the toulestrane Ballina game and it was tight gripping club match albeit with a whistle happy ref and some poor mistakes. But it was entertaining. Both sides missed chances but what was fatal was mcgowans free taking was atrocious he got 3 from 8 id say approx. The toulestrane game plan was a joke. In the first half the flooded the there own backline with half forwards and 2 up front on there own with no support and 5 ballina backs surrounding them. The biggest joke was taking off j marren (he got terrible ball near the sideline everytime looked up and was surrounded by ballina players.what was he to do.) Clueless tactics... Kicking to the corners that day is over stone age football I call it. the one time they ran at ballina down the middle they opened them and got a penalty. Ballina like wise in first half goal. The half forwards worked hard but didnt support the front 2 and they were way to isolated. The half forwards fluffed how many chances and seemed to be toulestranes weakline.. 1-4 and Id say about 12 or more wides isnt going win matches. Ballina need huge improvment too because if toulestrane were anyways clincal theyd have won. Dominated for long periods but there tactics cost them dear. Hope henry never gets near the sligo job. But toulestrane did play with great heart and never gave in but didnt do themselves justice sadly. Brigids look the favourites. Wasnt impressed with Ballina. Last time I seen them in Croker they were the best club team performance id ever seen even to this day. If they get back to that level who knows. I was supporting and watching toulestrane today and thought were better team just didnt take there chances.

[stephenite]

Very happy with that result obviously - had a feeling all week that it would be a fairly tight affair. Had just moved house over the weekend and they hadn't connected the ADSL (bastards) so couldn't even listen to the game

Brigids will be strong favourites I'd imagine to retain their Provincial title following that result

Big congrats to the Hurlers also - fantastic acheivement for Danny, Gary Barrett and all the lads involved. Hughie Ruane down to mark Joe Canning I'm hearing in the final - be very afraid Joe

[Owenmoresider]

Well done Stephenite on the double, a fine achievement for any team. Ye will be up against it in both though, I'd say Killererin would have taken ye were they playing ye today, not to mention Brigid's. Have to concur with sligonian, Tourlestrane's limitations were exposed, by their own doing. Very few reliable options for scoring, the best beng a man who played in the SFC....of 1984. Ball being played in wasn't great though, hitting high balls in on Gerry for a time, and then latterly running into blind alleys, which the half-forwards liked to do. Plus Henry on McGarrity at MF is a contest with only one possible winner. O'Hara didn't seem too sharp as the game wore on, and indeed could have seen the line, mad to get involved, no more than DB. Egan lost the head as the game petered out too. But it was a niggly affair that could have easily erupted had it gone on for another while. Gerry missed some kickable frees, one effort in the second half being shocking. But he did take the penalty very well, and it looked good for tourlestrane, they had the majority of play in the second half up to then, but Ballina upped it after that, and DB went in to the FF line, and kicked a point into process, very simple and something Tour just couldn't seem to replicate. McGarry was given MOM as well.

Another year, another Sligo representative falls in a game which was for the taking. Almost makes one hark for the era of the Mary's team of the late 70's/80's, with emphasis on the 'almost'.

[stephenite]

The lads seem to be doing just enough to get through the big games. Brigids will justifiably be strong favourites, but when you see the calibre of some of the lads playing with us, I mean any team that can boast talent like Harte, McGarrity, DB, Ger, Brian Ruane, Enda Dev, Clarke, McGarry, Casey etc. not to mention the rest of them and the experience that they have together, well, if they click they could match anyone I feel.

[Barney]

Brigids look good but if Ballina can get somebody scoring well on the day their backs and midfield could do enough to push them over the line.

[galwayman]

The Killererin defence was woeful yesterday. Especially the FB line. I lost count of the number of times a player in the FB line ran out to meet an incoming Brigids player too early - thereby leaving his own man free inside available for the pop pass over his head and in on goal. Headless stuff. The golden rule I've always been taught is not to leave your own man free inside and only start coming out when the incoming player hits the 21.That way the player will usually either try to go himself, or else if he does pass over your head, then the goalie should be on top of the player by the time he gets it.

Brigids were by far the better team overall and fully deserved their win.
PJ showed what a class act he is once again though.He always plays well in Tuam Stadium.
He still has plenty to offer at county level. Nicky was quiet.

I'd fancy Ballina to win the Connacht final, as they are particularly strong.

[Silky]

It was a good match to watch on TV. I think the mild weather this year has made it easier for the club players to play well. The pitches are in great shape too.

[mannix]

Ballina footballers are doing just enough to win theses games.With the quality of players they have on board you would be expecting bigger things and I reckon they will give brigids something to think about,for the winter.
They still are not as slick as they were a few years back, though were they to click again they will be hard to beat by any team.Brady at fullforward again and the fullback was exposed again as they have been by his strenght and height, he really is growing into the role of late appearing ff.
Good luck to them,and the hurlers too.

[Mano]

Well done to Stephenite on the double for his club team at the weekend-was their anyone who played in both matches?

With regard to the football match on Sunday it was a very poor match and Ballina will have to improve. However they looked to be doing just enough to get the result-evident after they conceded the goal they got the next 3 points.
The game had many parallels with the Sligo Cork game in AI Quarter final. Tourlestrane had 13 men behind the ball in the first half leaving 2 lads with 5 defenders for company. They then tried to run the ball out from the back which was never going to work against a physiccally imposing Ballina team. Second half they had a more orthodox shape and made inroads into the Ballina defense.
Wee Gerry unfortunately had one of those games both from play and frees-the miss from the 21 metre free defied belief. If he had scored those 5 frees he missed we would have had a chance-however none of our other forwards looked like scoring (Tom Jordan will be looking elsewhere for forward talent for the Sligo panel).
Our lads battled their hearts out though and cannot be faulted for committment-however a lack of scoring forwards proved costly and may stunt the development of this team if its not rectified.

[MaroonAndWhite]

Full back line got destroyed by the quality of ball coming in from outfield. Killererins game involves flooding the backline and then breaking at pace. The long ball into the full back line meant that they hadnt time to funnel men back behind the ball and exposed the lack of pace in the full back line. Besides, the quality of ball being played in was fantastic and didnt give the backs much chance. Brigids also exposed the Killererin midfields lack of mobility and kept creating overlaps all over the place in the forward line.
PJ proved to be a legend once again.......hes the heart and soul of the team. You'd fear for us when he retires cos Nicky is not fit to lace his boots. Delusions of grandeur after one decent inter-county campaign........still has alot to learn.
Fair play to Cunningham, for a hurling man he picked the perfect game plan to counter our lads.
Still, good year for Killererin.......fair play to them. This game may have come a week too early for them after the Co final.......given the celebrations!

[heineken_on_tap]

Thought Killererin were all round very poor yesterday - with the obvious exception of Joyce. Brigids are a far superior side and desevered their win. I thought their foot passing and ability to retain the ball was first class. However the connaught final will be a different affair and Ballina will be a tougher nut to crack. Frankie yesterday proved maughan was right to recall him to the county set-up, the mans passing and free taking ability is top class.

[Owenmoresider]

Well done to Stephenite on the double for his club team at the weekend-was their anyone who played in both matches?

Kenny Golden was mentioned on MWR. don't know if there were others.

What was the ref like in Tuam? He being the lesser of two Enniscrone evils, heard he made a hames of it.