Longford V Sligo NFL Div 3 decider

[magpie seanie]

Apparently Paul Taylor scored 1-5 for the Harps yesterday too.

[SLIGONIAN]

Thats fair enough stevo-08, It kinda confirms me that this selector was just was probably not telling me or anyone full truth of what going on. So I take my conversation with him as pinch of salt.

Im at the stage now where I accept everyone involved is doing there best with Sligo, team selections,coaching,underage and while I may not agree I just have to accept it. So I go on Sunday hoping whatever team is selected does the business and I'll be happy regardless if i agree or disagree with team selection.

Regarding Oneill debate even before Id never question his ablilty, just the definite starter comment, he is obviously doing well for coolera and training well so of course he deserves a shot. Stevo I would disagree about Donovan and Davey not being as good, Donovan is corner back for starters and isnt in direct compeititon with oneill. Donovan hasnt been as good as last yr but is doing fine just needs a little more sharpness. Davey has been outstanding all yr, sligos best player in my opinion but i believe would be an awesome Half forward. I would then going by what seanie says give oneill his chance at no5. Kivelhan was Half forward the last day and had poor game, not sure hes good enough. Mcgovern has struggled this yr and is lacking confidence but in fairness to the lad he has been consistently good for us over the yrs and just needs good man to man management skills to get him going again.

[SLIGONIAN]

If every player was fit flying and on form, whats our best starting 15 team?

[Owenmoresider]

So it comes down to this. We have pulled out of tight spots before, but few quite like this. Must beat Longford by three if Leitrim or Limerick lose, and win by seven if they somehow manage to share the points. Should get the music from "The Great Escape" on in the car for the journey up! Very hard to know how it could go, would have wrote off Longford after the Louth game, but they seem to be more optimistic after beating Limerick. It's in their hands if nothing else.

O'Neill surely deserves a run but we've been here before. Hard to know with the recent introductions how they will line out, but surely Sligonian you don't expect managers/selectors to be telling you everything that goes on, cards, chest etc. Take it from someone who knows. But regardless of who goes out there they will need our full support in the task. Surprised to see that Taylor is back (if indeed correct, not many reports in the papers these days, papers should get their act together really), though it is a year or so since he got the injury.

[stevo-08]

Stevo I would disagree about Donovan and Davey not being as good, Donovan is corner back for starters and isnt in direct compeititon with oneill. Donovan hasnt been as good as last yr but is doing fine just needs a little more sharpness.

Just a clarification. I did mean McGovern in my post above, now edited. Apologies - although I doubt im the first man to mix the 2 harps lads up. And totally agree, Donovan is doing just fine. Davey is always worth his place on the team and will always give his all. But I think we have a very light hb line with the likes of donovan, kivlehan, davey, mcnamara. ONeill would add a bit of strength and, assuming maguire plays at full back, I would have liked to see a hb line of davey/phillips/o'neill or davey/neachtain/o'neill given a chance.

Surprised to see that Taylor is back (if indeed correct, not many reports in the papers these days, papers should get their act together really), though it is a year or so since he got the injury.

OMS, my "source" on taylor could be completely wrong but he seemed 100%. Is there anyway we can verify this - match reports, etc. As you say, i'd expect something in the papers about it.

[Mano]

I asked him how far away is EGAN TAYLOR and MCPARTLAND, he said mcpartland maybe as a sub but not start, the other 2 are long term and may not be back for a long time even CSFC which is worrying if true.

Your selector friend is telling you porkie pies Sligonian. Both Egan and T Taylor played in the recent Tourlestrane Harps match. Egan playing full match and would have played Sunday if he was in the Country and Taylor appearing at half time. Another county panelist i was speaking to reckons Egan will be in contention to play this Sunday. Great boost for the county team to have 2 of our best lads returning just before chmpionship

[Mano]

If every player was fit flying and on form, whats our best starting 15 team?

Our best 15 in my opiniuon is
Greene
Harrison
McGuire
Donovan
McGovern
Egan
Davey
Quinn
Henry
Curran
O'Hara
S Davey
Kelly
Sweeney
McPartland

Hope i haven't forgotten anyone. May be a bit early for Coen, Gaughan etc

[stevo-08]

Mano, I think you'd have to make room for a "fit, flying and on form" Brehony.

[Mano]

Mano, I think you'd have to make room for a "fit, flying and on form" Brehony.

Bloody hell how did i omit Brehony and McNamara too.

Brehony in for Sean Davey, McNamara in for Sweeney with Brehony in corner and McN moving out

[all star]

Garry Gaughan told not to play club last weekend... all the soundings are he could start sunday either half back or half forward.   

It would be a gamble but it is likely. Egan will not start he's not ready yet and hasn't played enough football.

I wouldn't play Sweeney in a game like this on sunday he's not a team player and has proved nothing this year in the league to say he starts.

Karol O'Neill good play put huge step up from club football to a game of this size on sunday... were do you play him he's hasn't the pace for the back line and is he a natural scoring forward?

Phillips should be cb no question playing great football at the moment and this side needs an edge to it a couple of fighters ohara can't do it all by himself. 


 

[SLIGONIAN]

OMS no I didnt expect him to  give away much, but I accept now that he was telling me porkies. In fairness to me would of killed him to tell me the truth about our injured players? Although Im delighted he is wrong and that both are back playing.

Gaughan should start, great ball carrier and pace and there is cutting in him too. He is way ahead of mchugh who started against louth.

Playing either ONEILL or PHILLIPS is a huge risk at this stage. My point is these lads didnt even get a run in the FBD or any league game. They should of got game time before this. We all know there strengths, for me as a forward watching the supply into the forwards during our league it has been atrocious. Oneill and phillips are outstaanding passers of the ball and are physical men who would of course strenghten our HB line and it does need strengthening and most importantly are excellent suppliers of quality ball. Whatever they lack in pace others have pace in our backline so there would be a good blend. If either start on Sunday I wish them well but if they play bad its not really there fault as it will be down to lack of county games and thats management team fault.

Sweeney has had enough chances to prove himself starting and hasnt delivered.

My best Sligo Starting 15 for CSFC.

Greene
Harrison
McGuire
Donovan
Curran/gaughan/oneill
Phiilips
McGovern
Egan
Quinn
S Davey
McNamara
Kelly
Brehony
O Hara
McPartland

Now some(everyone) will argue about my positions for Curran & kelly. Everyone knows Brian curran has more defensive qualities than attacking and is a vital break winner so he deserves a place maybe, why not try him HB line. He is more a HB than HF. That moves J Davey up then who has more strengths attacking than curran. I can honestly back in 2002 if anyone said J Davey class HB i would of disagreed and I know everyone would. So I expect the same with my selection of curran. It is a toss of coin for me for that position with gaughan/oneill/curran.

Philips will be rusty as he hasnt had much game time but needs to get a chance. Brehony is scoring forward and deserves a place some where in the forward. He might just do well there on the wing although I do have reservations about his pace and ball winning. If it wasnt working I would switch Kelly out to HF line. Toss of a coin that positional choice. Kelly got scores last sun so maybe CF would suit but has the pace to excell in HF line with his pace and vision. He mightin be the strongest but he has the pace to break tackles and he hasnt scored enough consistently for me to be a corner forward.

Lastly sweeney, coen, gaughan, kivelhan, beirne, Oneill, mctiernan Flannery all to come on if any player is underperforming.

For the longford game: Flannery is a cert to start, was awesome from frees with right foot which we do need,Gaughan is likely as well with a good 2nd half performance the last day. McNamara will start HB as will J Davey id say.

[burgh]

id leave curran half forward for longford game, no point making too many positional switches together. flannery take frees, dont trust davey with them. kelly should start wing forward, ive seem him play there at club and schools level, he finds it easier to score on the run comming from deep. only thing is we would miss him in the corner cause he always gets out infront of his man. gaughan might b better as a second half sub, wins alot of frees when he runs with the ball. dont think sweeney deserves to start, id even have mctiernan before him. suppose it depends if johnny mc is fit to start whether either of those lads start. mcpartland is a great man to get a few scores. dont know where they will play brehony but it shouldt be full forward cause the full back will bully him off the ball.

if we win by 4 points then we stay up even if limerick and leitrim draw because of the hammering down inflicted on limerick makes there score difference closer to us. i think anyway. that would be alot easier than sweating on the other game to go our way. i reckon limerick will beat leitrim anyway. they are fairly poor away from carrick

[SLIGONIAN]

Just to clarify as stated that is my CSFC team not longford game selection, I agree not the best idea to make too many changes for longford. Flannery wil start after his good showing the last day but Im not convinced by him. He lacks pace and i think he would struggle in CSFC. Brehony is corner forward.

Just to point out all long range frees should be taken by Johnny Davey got a few corkers against louth. Let flannery and brehony take the ones closer to the goal.         

The scoring difference below. Right lets say Leitrim and limerick do DRAW. We would need to beat longford by 9pts to avoid relegation. Best case scenario is either one beat each other leaving us with a 3pt victory to get.

Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Pts Diff  Pts.
Fermanagh 6 5 1 0 89 74 15 11
Wexford 6 4 2 0 85 68 17 10
Down 6 4 0 2 97 88 9 8
Louth 6 3 0 3 1 81 -80 6
Longford 6 2 0 4 85 98 -13 4
Leitrim 6 2 0 4 70 89 -19 4
Limerick 6 1 1 4 82 91 -9 3
Sligo  6 1 0 5 70 87 -17 2

[burgh]

right u are sligonian. dont know where i was getting the score difference from. well at least from limericks point of view a draw is not enough for them if we were to lose to longford. so they be all out for win. id hav to agree with ya on flannery. tried before and didnt do alot, doesnt do alot from play. still its not like many of our forwards are setting the world alight with massive scoring displays. jordan will prob have kevin beirne in his team somewhere on sunday, hope its not midfield. heard he did ok against louth at FF. wasnt at da game though, livin abroad.

[SLIGONIAN]

right u are sligonian. dont know where i was getting the score difference from. well at least from limericks point of view a draw is not enough for them if we were to lose to longford. so they be all out for win. id hav to agree with ya on flannery. tried before and didnt do alot, doesnt do alot from play. still its not like many of our forwards are setting the world alight with massive scoring displays. jordan will prob have kevin beirne in his team somewhere on sunday, hope its not midfield. heard he did ok against louth at FF. wasnt at da game though, livin abroad.

Beirne didnt play against Louth, The team was Greene,harrison,mcguire,donovan,j davey,mcnamara,mcgovern,ohara,quinn,e mchugh,curran,kivelhan,flannery,sweeney,kelly. Subs that came on gaughan,gilmartin,coen and sean davey. Fair play to ya showing an interest even though your abroad, ocean fm online if u wanna listen to match. I'll be listening to my radio on my mobile for updates on leitirm limerick game aswell while at longford. You make a good point limerick will be all out for the win so we can be fairly sure theres no conspirary theories. I think limerick might be shooting themselves in the foot aswell, leitrim love tight pitches and fixing the game for kilmallock not parc na ngael could cost limerick.