Cadbury U21 Football Championship

Jonsmith wrote:Commiserations to our Tyrone posters.


I had a sobering moment at the end of the game. A guy sitting behind me had been chatting to me throughout. Quiet but very passionate and knew every detail about the team. I turned around to say something to him to see the man on the verge of tears. He explained that his nephew had played on this team as a Minor and was killed in a car crash last year. These lads were all his friends and teammates. Just put a bit of perspective on things..

Puts it all into perspective JS, you fitted it in nicely at the finish, well put.

Congrats on the win, irrespective of the quality of the contest....

didnt get to the game due to a new arrival, wife's sister in law had a baby girl.

Listened to it on the radio and it didnt sound like a great game but the one phrase that was repeated several times was "Cavan are hunting in packs" and that pretty much seemed to be the difference. Cavan were hungrier and more up for the game.

No doubt me missed the influence of O'Neill but that said if Cavan were tackling and hunting in packs its impossible to say if O'Neill would have made any difference. One thing i would like to know and Mugsy may be able to share some light on this. Young McCullagh didnt appear till very near the end, at minor level he was scoring for fun and a great ball winner along with it, was he injured or has the form dipped or has he found women and drink????

It will be interesting to see if Munroe gets another year - personally i dont think he should, we need more of a thinking man to be involved with these guys and Munroe isnt that - hes more into brute force ignorance and intimidation.

I said it before and i say it again - time for Mickey Harte to have more of a say with the U21s, if possible it would be great to see him manage them along with the seniors if he had the time and energy.

PS forgot to say well done Cavan on another great victory and JS story certainly was very poignant

I was at the game last night, It was a lovely evening for a game and a very good attendance, Everyone in Cavan must have been there...

Congratulations to Cavan on winning back to back titles, I'll agree that the Derry referee Cassidy was a tad fussy but was equally as bad to both teams. Like the previous year Cavan got off to a great start with an early goal and were able to keep their noses in front with some very well taken placed kicks.
Cavan played a physical game you couls sayon the edge and certainly some of the tackling merited a little more action from the referee and his leniancy possibly helped Cavan over the course of the match. That said, Cavan were much more hungrier for possession especially in the middle of the field and fully deserved their title last night and good luck to them in the semi final and hopefully they can take it a step further and win the All Ireland.

From a Tyrone perspective, I can fully agree with previous comments about our management and I too hope that there is someone else in place for next years U21 set-up. I along with all of the Tyrone support were left completely perplexed when Sean Warnock was substituted after 37 minutes, Up until then he was one of Tyrones best performers and didnt put a ball wrong all night, Munroe opted instead to leave the completely ineffective captain McGeary as well as Harry Og, Richie Donnelly and Canavans nephew on the field. Warnocks' replacement Shea McGuigan did make a major impact on proceedings, Why he didn't start the game in the half forward line is beyond me but why Warnock was given the long finger is even more puzzling. Our full back line was taken to the cleaners until county senior star Chris Clarke was finally moved back to his natural position of full back, Anyone who was at the Down game the previous week would have seen a carbon copy of the defensive frailties that lead to Cavans penalty in the first minute or two of the game. In short the team selection was neither picked or left alone and didnt help our case in putting up a challenge to the Ulster champions Cavan.

Must say, some high quality reports and analysis on this thread - really as insightful and informative as you'd read anywhere. Well done to JS, Mugsy, Boc, BA and others. If we could add a few more posters of this ilk, we'd have a very fine forum here.

mugsys_barber wrote:I was at the game last night, It was a lovely evening for a game and a very good attendance, Everyone in Cavan must have been there...

Congratulations to Cavan on winning back to back titles, I'll agree that the Derry referee Cassidy was a tad fussy but was equally as bad to both teams. Like the previous year Cavan got off to a great start with an early goal and were able to keep their noses in front with some very well taken placed kicks.
Cavan played a physical game you couls sayon the edge and certainly some of the tackling merited a little more action from the referee and his leniancy possibly helped Cavan over the course of the match. That said, Cavan were much more hungrier for possession especially in the middle of the field and fully deserved their title last night and good luck to them in the semi final and hopefully they can take it a step further and win the All Ireland.

From a Tyrone perspective, I can fully agree with previous comments about our management and I too hope that there is someone else in place for next years U21 set-up. I along with all of the Tyrone support were left completely perplexed when Sean Warnock was substituted after 37 minutes, Up until then he was one of Tyrones best performers and didnt put a ball wrong all night, Munroe opted instead to leave the completely ineffective captain McGeary as well as Harry Og, Richie Donnelly and Canavans nephew on the field. Warnocks' replacement Shea McGuigan did make a major impact on proceedings, Why he didn't start the game in the half forward line is beyond me but why Warnock was given the long finger is even more puzzling. Our full back line was taken to the cleaners until county senior star Chris Clarke was finally moved back to his natural position of full back, Anyone who was at the Down game the previous week would have seen a carbon copy of the defensive frailties that lead to Cavans penalty in the first minute or two of the game. In short the team selection was neither picked or left alone and didnt help our case in putting up a challenge to the Ulster champions Cavan.

Mugsy you didnt shed any light on the McCullagh question i posed, why was he held in reserve for so long? I take it it is injury related.

I take your point about Warnock, he has been Mr Reliable as far as this particular group of players have been concerned and when i heard he was being substituted i figured things were really bad from a Tyrone perspective and that we werent competing at all, your take on things, thought your judgement may be clouded by the fact he is a fellow clubman of yours , puts a whole new slant on things and poses even more questions regards the future of Munroe and his band of merry men.

bocerty wrote:didnt get to the game due to a new arrival, wife's sister in law had a baby girl.

Fook's sake Bocerty, that's a candidate for "The lamest excuse I've ever heard" award of 2012....

Boxtyeater wrote:

bocerty wrote:didnt get to the game due to a new arrival, wife's sister in law had a baby girl.

Fook's sake Bocerty, that's a candidate for "The lamest excuse I've ever heard" award of 2012....

real excuse was i couldnt be arsed, and in hindsight how right i was (sadly)

Boc , In answer to McCullagh It wasn't injury related, his form dipped towards the end of last season and he hasn't rediscovered it to be honest. He started against Donegal in place of Ronan O'Neill but probably didnt do enough to merit a start v Down. I know it may have sounded that i was backing up Warnock through the green coloured spectacles but honestly I felt he was hard done by on the night as did many others from other clubs who were at the game. Hopefully both fellas will be available for the club this weekend against you lot having been diciplined last weekend for drowning their sorrows for too long following the defeat to Cavan....

mugsys_barber wrote:Boc , In answer to McCullagh It wasn't injury related, his form dipped towards the end of last season and he hasn't rediscovered it to be honest. He started against Donegal in place of Ronan O'Neill but probably didnt do enough to merit a start v Down. I know it may have sounded that i was backing up Warnock through the green coloured spectacles but honestly I felt he was hard done by on the night as did many others from other clubs who were at the game. Hopefully both fellas will be available for the club this weekend against you lot having been diciplined last weekend for drowning their sorrows for too long following the defeat to Cavan....

i was only winding about Warnock Mugsy, hes a steady performer and i havent seen him have too many bad games irrespective of who he was playing for. He does get utilised in a lot of different positions which cant be helping him much.

Hopefully McCullagh will get his footballing mojo back again as he was very good at minor and would have been a big asset to this team had he been firing on all cylinders. As for the league game this weekend Mugsy if you lot dont take 2 points from that game i'd be asking for Teague to be sacked. We are on the road to Division 3!!!!

bocerty wrote:

i was only winding about Warnock Mugsy, hes a steady performer and i havent seen him have too many bad games irrespective of who he was playing for. He does get utilised in a lot of different positions which cant be helping him much.

Hopefully McCullagh will get his footballing mojo back again as he was very good at minor and would have been a big asset to this team had he been firing on all cylinders. As for the league game this weekend Mugsy if you lot dont take 2 points from that game i'd be asking for Teague to be sacked. We are on the road to Division 3!!!!

And so the mind games begin....

not sure if anyone is bothered (as those who are will probably be at the game) but Cavans U21 semi final is being shown on TG4 website this weekend. It was to be shown live on TV on the TG4 channel but they have now decided to screen the relegation replay between Dublin hurlers and their counterparts from Galway.

bocerty wrote:not sure if anyone is bothered (as those who are will probably be at the game) but Cavans U21 semi final is being shown on TG4 website this weekend. It was to be shown live on TV on the TG4 channel but they have now decided to screen the relegation replay between Dublin hurlers and their counterparts from Galway.

thats disgrace shame on the powers that be,how can hurling have preferance overed a big football match,is it on setanta

I agree that the original schedule should have stood. An under 21 All Ireland semi final or two bottom hurling teams playing ? no choice.

patsymc wrote:

bocerty wrote:not sure if anyone is bothered (as those who are will probably be at the game) but Cavans U21 semi final is being shown on TG4 website this weekend. It was to be shown live on TV on the TG4 channel but they have now decided to screen the relegation replay between Dublin hurlers and their counterparts from Galway.

thats disgrace shame on the powers that be,how can hurling have preferance overed a big football match,is it on setanta

i think setanta only have rights to the NFL Patsy so i would doubt it very much.

The Cavan game is being streamed on the TG4 Website. It's better than nothing I suppose but it is disappointing that they had it scheduled and then changed. If it encourages more Cavan people to get out and go to the game then it might be a welcome move.

In relation to the game itself, very hard to know how things will go. Roscommon more or less strolled through Connacht. Cavan may be slightly more battle hardened with 3 very tough games under their belt.
I'd like to see a Paddy King starting, Killian Brady is a game lad but he fouls too much in his role to break up play. Ros are worried about their strength at midfield so we should be trying to punish them in that area from the start and King would be central to that.
Hopefully Kevin Tierney and Nevin O'Donnel can get their teeth into the game a bit more. Both were good in the Ulster final but Tierney looked a bit nervous and didn't go at it with much of a ruthlessness, they are two huge men and should be bullying full back lines.
Another All Ireland final would be great, we have been poor outside of Ulster though (always have been I suppose) and if Roscommon get a run on us I think our lack of firepower could prove to be our undoing. Let's hope not.

I'll not be making the game but best of luck to the lads. H'on Cavan.

Best of luck to Cavan this afternoon. Be great for them to reach a second successive All-Ireland Final. I don't know as many of the names from this year's team as I did the previous two years but the odd name stands out.

A good win for Dublin earlier. Although like a lot of Dublin teams of recent vintage, it was a case of out-muscling their opponents rather than any great football.

I'm amazed to hear on Shannonside Northern Sound that Jack Brady is u21 again next year as well as seven or eight of today's other starters. Couple that with last year's Ulster minor winning side, and I think Cavan could be challenging for a few more Ulster u21 titles.

Well the less said about that, the better. Possibly the worst game of football I have ever seen. Dosen't say much for this year's u21 Ulster and Connacht championships.

Terrible game of football. The referee was absolutely atrocious too.
Roscommon fully deserved their victory. We just had no real invention or class up front, Barry Reilly's absence was really felt today. Midfield was awful too.
Still though there were some positives. Killian Clarke and Conor Moynagh both had good games. That duo along with McLoughlin, Feargal Flanagan, Nevin, Jack, Joe Dillon are all underage next year so hopefully we can be competitive again next year.

Best of luck to Roscommon in the final.

I was a bit confused at some of the Meath referee's decisions too.

Still I think we have three referees on the intercounty scene in 2012, Reilly, Joey Curley and Coldrick. More than any other county.

Terrible game Cavan were very flat. 4 scores is not good enough at any level. Roscommon should have won by more and with Tierneys smash and grab second goal Ross looked jittery before the gift our keeper gave them.

Better side one and best of luck to them.

should be a good final

Congratulations to the Dubs - 2nd final in 3 years. Still managing to score huge tallies despite being only brawn and muscle. Underage is going really well in Dublin - more than at any other time I can remember. Could be some good years ahead I hope.

Parouisa wrote:Congratulations to the Dubs - 2nd final in 3 years. Still managing to score huge tallies despite being only brawn and muscle. Underage is going really well in Dublin - more than at any other time I can remember. Could be some good years ahead I hope.

what are you feeding them boys there giants,they must be eating their weetabix in the morning must be the biggest u21 team i ve seen in a long time,i tink the rossies might bate you in the final even though they looked smaller they look skillful

seen bits and peices of the Dublin Cork game, seemed to me Dublin were only toying with Cork and it was an easy enough victory. Certainly a big physical team who will no doubt carry the favourites tag into the final.

Didnt see any of the other game but judging by the fact there was only 13 scores that might have been a godsend. 4 scores in an All Ireland semi final, says it all really.

Parouisa wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:

Parouisa wrote:Dubs followed up 2-21 to 0-4 win over Laois with a 4-15 to 1-09 victory over Westmeath last night. Louth await in the Leinster final.

Last year's dual minor star Ciaran Kilkenny scored 1-06 in a MotM performance with Paul Hudson adding 1-04.

Genuine question: Are the Dubs that good, or is Leinster that weak?

Its probably impossible to answer that until the semis tbh. But they are right hammerings. Dublin have a very good side though and an excellent manager and a few minors stepping up who will be there for another couple of years. Kildare fancied their chances and got nowhere.

I think it will take a very good side to beat this team. Final v Louth is 4 April in Navan.

So are the Dubs that good, or is Leinster that weak? Well if Leinster is that weak the other provinces are not far behind. The Ulster-Connacht semi was dreadful. And Dublin beat a useful Cork side well in the other one. I predict a fairly huge winning margin for Dublin in Tullamore this Sunday.

The answer appears to be that the Dubs are that good .... and they are an excellent side no doubt!