Longford’s Sean McCormack speaking after his side’s win over Wexford in the Allianz Division 3 league final.
Posts Tagged ‘Gaelic football’
Longford’s Sean McCormack speaking after winning the division three title #gaa #LongfordGAA #gaabeo
Posted in GAA BEO, GAA BEO FÍS / VIDEO, LAOCH NA hIMEARTHA, SRAITH ALLIANZ, TG4, tagged Allianz league, Gaelic football, Longford GAA, Sean McCormack on May 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Armagh V Cork and Derry V Galway previews
Posted in GAA BEO, TG4, tagged Gaelic football, rebel county on February 3, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Armagh V Cork- live on TG4 from 2.00 on Sunday
Cork have named a near full strength side for Sunday’s clash. This is no surprise considering how serious Counihan has taken this competition since he took over. In 2009 they won the division two title and in the two proceeding years they claimed the division one prize. If they manage to recapture their crown again this year, it will be the first time a side has achieved it since the Kerry side of the 70’s won four in a row(1971, 72, 73, 74). Since the league has changed to just being played after Christmas in 2002, fifty percent of the teams that have won it have gone on to win the Sam Maguire later in that year. Cork have made 7 seven changes from the side that defeated Tipperary in the McGrath cup last weekend. Colm O’ Neil is probably the most notable inclusion after a long lay off through injury.
Armagh are lucky to still be in division one after a terrible display in last years league when they won just two games. They stayed up as a result of a better head to head with Monagan but would be many peoples favourites for the drop this year. They will be without their Crossmaglen contingent until after they are finished in the club championship. As well as that they are without their main target man Steven McDonnell, he is due to return in March after the birth of his child. With that in mind it only makes sense that the Armagh team would be made up of a lot of new faces. The bookies have this one down as a no contest and it is hard to argue with that reasoning. Armagh’s best hope is that the long trip up from Cork will take its toll on the boys from the Rebel county.
Verdict: Cork should win this one comfortably.
Derry V Galway – Full deferred coverage from 4.10 on TG4
It is very hard to know what to expect from Galway. Last year was a disaster they played seven games in the league lost five drew one and won one, which meant they were relegated to division two. The poor form continued in to the championship where they were beaten by Mayo in the Connacht and Meath in the qualifiers. Since then Alan Mulholland has taken over and the tide has started to turn. This year in the FBD league they have beaten IT Sligo, London and Sligo all games you would have expected them to win but it will still help build confidence in this extremely young team. Mulholland will give four players their league debuts (Breathnach,Keith Kelly,Hehir, and Michael Martin) on Sunday in a side that does not include either Joe Bergin or Nicky Joyce who will have to be content with a place on the bench. Finian Hanley was appointed captain of the side during the week and much will be expected of the full back in what is sure to be a tough day at the office for the Tribes men.
Derry will be looking to bounce back from their McKenna Cup final defeat last weekend. They started off very well in that game and were the better team for most of the first half. James Conway’s dismissal after 18 minutes was the turning point in the game and Derry were on the back foot after that. They can take some positives from the game though, as Paddy Bradley seems to be back to near full fitness and he was pivotal to all of Derry’s attacks adding 1-02 to the over all tally. They have a realistic chance of getting promoted this year and a win at home on Sunday would set them up nicely.
Verdict: Derry
Paul Jenkins for Blog GAA BEO
McKenna and O’ Byrne cup finals preview
Posted in GAA BEO, TG4, tagged DCU GAA, Derry Gaa, Gaelic football, Kildare Gaa, McKenna Cup, O' Byrne Cup, Tyrone GAA on January 27, 2012 | 2 Comments »
McKenna Cup Final – Derry V Tyrone – Live on TG4 from 7.15 this Saturday
The McKenna cup final is a repeat of last years decider which Derry one by a single point. The defending champions go in to Saturday night’s game in good form, having beaten UUJ, Donegal and Down on their march to the final. However form at this stage of the year means very little, with so many teams playing experimental sides. The main positive that can be taken from Derry’s campaign so far, is the return of their scoring supremo Paddy Bradley. The 2007 All Star played the full 60 minutes the last day out contributing three point to his teams over all tally. He will again be the target man on Saturday with Conleith Gilligan picking up the breaks as he did so ably in the semi final. If the understanding between these two player continues in the same vain, this could turn out to be a very successful year for John Brennan’s men.
Tyrone have had a relatively straight forward run to this year’s final. They had an easy victory over Queens in the first round beating them by 8 points, before seeing off Antrim and Fermanagh twice. Against Fermanagh the second time Tyrone were very impressive, with the highlight being Owen Mulligan’s goal, which was reminiscent of his wonder goal against the Dubs in 2005. On the other hand the fact Fermanagh are a division four side, who were beaten by London in the championship last year, has to be taken in to consideration when accessing Tyrone’s performance. Harte has named a relatively experienced side with 5 players who were involved in last years championship defeat to Dublin, as well as Owen Mulligan and Stephen O’ Neil. The one surprise omission is teenager Ronan O’ Neil who scored 1-04 in the semi final but expect to see him as the game progresses. This will be Tyrone’s toughest test this year and should give them a clearer idea of where the team is at before the start of the league.
There is very little between these two teams at the moment so it will be about who wants it more. Owen Mulligan as team captain has a point to prove and another good showing from him could turn the tie in Tyrone’s favour.
Verdict: Tyrone
O’ Byrne Cup Final – Kildare V DCU – Live on TG4 this Sunday from 1.45
It is hard to know how DCU will approach this match. They were due to play the first round of the Sigerson cup, “their championship” as manager Niall Moyna put it 48 hours later. That game has now been postponed until the 7th of February allowing them to concentrate fully on Sunday’s game. The students should not see this game as a burden as the last time they won the O’ Byrne cup (2010) they went on to secure the Sigerson cup title in the same year. DCU have a huge amount of talent at their disposal, in their semi final victory over Meath they had 11 county players on display. With Sligo’s David Kelly being most prominent scoring 2-01. They have scored an impressive 4-37 in their three games, that’s an average of over sixteen points per game. If they manage to do the same on Sunday it would be hard to seen them beaten. However Kildare are a tough experienced side who are unlikely to concede scores as freely as Wicklow, Longford and Meath did.
Kildare are warm favourites for this one and with good reason having beaten the All Ireland Champions in the Semi Final. It was a typical January encounter with plenty of mistakes but it was a game that will stand to the Lilly whites for the final. McGeeney’s team greatest strength to date this year has been it’s defense. They have conceded just twenty one points in their three games. Scoring has always been their problem though and they kicked some terrible wides against Dublin. John Doyle is again likely to be deployed at midfield on Sunday a move which is counter productive if there is no other scoring forwards to convert the chances he creates.
Verdict: Kildare should have too much for the students in a game that is likely to be low scoring.
Paul Jenkins for Blog GAA BEO
Naomh Bríd V Cora Finne & Na Crócaigh, Cill Áirne V Cill Mhuire-Uí Bhreacáin BEO TG4 @ 13:30
Posted in GAA BEO, TG4, tagged Clare GAA, Connacht Final, Corofin, dr crokes, Gaelic football, Galway GAA, Kerry GAA, Kilmurry Ibrickane, Roscommon GAA, St Brigids on November 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
St. Brigids V CoroFin – 2011 Connacht Club Football Final (BEO TG4 @ 13:30)
St. Brigids will feel this year is their chance to make amends for what happened in last years All Ireland Final. That day the occasion got the better of them and some silly mistakes cost them against an experienced Cossmaglen side. The Rosscommon champions biggest concern may be that they have not faced a decent side since. They strolled through their county championships and were easy six point winners over Tourlestrane in the Connacht semi final. Once again Mannion, Kilbride and Frankie Dolan will be the key used to unlock the Corofin blanket defense, as they were when Elphin tried to do the same in the County Final. That day they kicked long range points to deal with this defensive tactic. Expect the same approach on Sunday. They are slight underdogs for this game, which is a luxury they are rarely afforded and may give them the freedom to play more expansive football.
Corofin go in to this Connacht final after a mixed performance against Ballintubber. They started terribly and were 1-04 to a point down inside the first 15 minutes. However once they did get going they scored 1-07 with out reply. If they start the same way against the current Connacht Champions you can be sure, that will be the end of them in this years championship. One of the main changes Corofin have made to their side this year is switching Damien Burke, from the half back line to centre forward. This move has paid dividends as his physical presence has caused defenses trouble all year. Daithi Burke was man of the match in the semi and he was instrumental in their fight back. The son of 1998 All Ireland winner Gerry, didn’t score on the day but everything the Galway champs did went through him. They play possession football with lots of hand passing and also employ the blanket defense. It may not be the easiest to watch but it has worked for them up until now.
The last time these sides met, it was only decided thanks to a last minute wonder goal by Karl Mannion. This alone may give Corofin the incentive they need to sneak what should be a close match.
Dr. Crokes V Kilmurry Ibrickane – Munster Club Semi Final 2011 (IAR-BEHO TG4 @ 15.30)
Dr. Crokes were delighted to get out of Fitzgerald stadium with a win in the County Final. Despite the five point victory Crokes were never fully in control they got off to a great start thanks to a lucky Colm Cooper goal and lead by 1-03 at half time. They did take their foot off the gas in the second half and let Mid Kerry back in to the match. The gap was down to just two before Daithi Casey’s shot , that was heading wide, was knocked in to his own net by Mid Kerry’s corner back. Crokes are venerable at the back and had trouble dealing with the speed of O’Sullivan. Fortunately for them Kilmurry don’t have anyone in their ranks that possesses his speed but it still may be used as an attacking option by the Clare men.
If you were to pay attention to the bookies you would say Kilmurry Ibrickane shouldn’t even turn up on Sunday. They are massive outsiders at 9/2 it seems very long but when you consider they are going down to play the Kerry Champions in their own backyard it starts to make a little more sense. On the other hand they were in a similar position in 2009 in the Munster Final when they went and beat Kerins O’ Rahilly’s (but that was in the neutral venue of the Gaelic grounds and O’ Rahilly’s had won the slightly easier county final, the one with out the divisional teams). They are a team that is very reliant on the hand pass which will suit the conditions on Sunday but will also require a huge level of fitness. This may be a problem as they haven’t played competitively since the 16th of October. They only have a few county players due to an on going disagreement but have two fine free takes in McInerney and Coughlan, who didn’t miss a free between them in the county final.
Dr. Crokes feel they left themselves down in last years Munster Final. They will want to get back there again and should have too much for Kilmurry Ibrickane on Sunday.
Paul Jenkins for Blog GAA BEO
Crossmaglen Rangers V Ballinderry Shamrocks and Ballygunner V Na Piarsaigh Previews
Posted in GAA BEO, TG4, tagged Armagh Gaa, Derry Gaa, Gaa Beo, Gaelic football, Hurling, Irish sport, Limerick Gaa, Tg4 on November 12, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Crossmaglen Rangers V Ballinderry Shamrocks (Live on Tg4 from 2.00 throw in at 2.30)
Crossmaglen Rangers are the current All Ireland champions. They have won four out of the last five Ulster Championships and 15 out of the last 16 county titles in Armagh. With that in mind it is no surprise that Cross are massive favorites going in to this game. They strolled through their county championship with out ever getting out of second gear and beat St. Galls in the Ulster Quarter final by seven points. However this could prove to be their greatest weakness. They have not played in a really competitive game since the All Ireland Final last year, which many would argue they were lucky to win. They have changed their style of play this year with the hand pass being banned out right. This tactic has been working up to now and as the weather gets worse as the winter goes on this could prove to be a master stroke by McEntee and his team. Crossmaglen are also without influential full back Tony McKernan due to injury and with Oisín McConville having turned 36 he has been reduced to an impact sub role. A role he carried out very well in the Ulster Quarter Final coming off the bench to bag a goal, but for how much longer can they rely on him.
The Derry Champions are confident going in to this game. They have taken huge encouragement from drawing with Cross back in ’08. They feel they have got much stronger since then while their opponents have gone the opposite way. Like most northern teams they like to use the short game but they also can vary it by playing the long ball in to former All Star forward Enda Muldoon. Also though he is going to be wearing number nine don’t be surprised to see him moved in closer to the goal as the game moves on as they try to exploit Crossmaglen’s weakness under the high ball. Early goals were key to their wins in the county final and Ulster quarter and another one on Sunday is vital if they hope to advance to the next round.
These sides met in 2006 and in 2008, with both going Crossmaglen’s way but only after a replay in 2008. The 2008 drawn match finished with a mass brawl so it is safe to say there is no love lost between the teams. There was also a player sent off in both there previous meetings so “lively” game is expected.
Verdict: Crossmaglen
Ballygunner V Na Piarsaigh (full deferred coverage from 4.00)
Ballygunner go in to this game as warm favorites and anything else besides a win from the boys from the Deise would be a surprise. Having come through a less than inspiring Waterford championship and a massively one sided county final, they went on to beat a fancied Drom and Inch of Tipperary in the Munster quarter final. In that game they showed real character to come from four points down with ten minutes to go, to win the match by five. Pauric Mahony has been their main scorer through out their campaign, he score nine the last day out six from frees but he was also guilty of hitting some bad wides. They have much more experience at this level than their Limerick opponents having won the Munster club in 2001 and been runners up in ‘05 and ’09 and that should be one of the main differences between the two teams on Sunday.
Na Piarsaigh won their first county title ever when they beat king pins of Limerick hurling Ahane on the second of October. As you would expect the celebrations in the club went on for the week, which may explain their defeat in the u-21 county final a week later. It will be interesting to see how they approach this game will they take it seriously or will they be happy enough having won the county. The fact they have flown their goal keeper back from New York for the match would suggest the former. Na Piarsaigh have 5 players who were on the Limerick U-21 panel that won the Munster championship back in August. One of them was Shane Dowling who has been in fine from all year. The Ardscoil Rís student was part of the Na Piarsaigh team that won the Limerick minor championship recently scoring an outstanding 3-07 in the final. Kevin Downes (who was also part of the Limerick U-21 team) will be the their main threat and he will not fear Waterford opposition having scored 2 goals against them in the Championship this year. It is still a very big task for a young team and this may be too much too soon for the boys from the treaty county.
Verdict: Ballygunner
Paul Jenkins for Blog GAA BEO
Facebook GAA BEO
Categories
- Corn Mhic Giobúin (2)
- Corn Mhic Shigiúir (2)
- Craobh Club AIB (9)
- GAA 2012 (1)
- GAA BEO (77)
- GAA BEO FÍS / VIDEO (44)
- GINERÁLTA (14)
- LAOCH NA hIMEARTHA (7)
- LAOCHRA GAEL (14)
- SRAITH ALLIANZ (33)
- TG4 (76)
- Uncategorized (70)
GAA BEO Twitter Stream
- U-21 players to backbone Limerick junior footballers dlvr.it/3Q4r3c VIA LKleader.ie #GAA 6 minutes ago
- Nuacht is déanaí - Donegal name same team as in All-Ireland final dlvr.it/3Q4jp8 - Ó @officialgaa 16 minutes ago
- Nuacht is déanaí - Donegal stick with All-Ireland winning 15 for clash with Tyrone dlvr.it/3Q4Zhd - Ó @TheScoreGAA 28 minutes ago
Recent Comments
