Wow Clontibret don't know how to lose 6 points to no score after ten minutes and win 10-9 kicking the winning score injury time for the third game in a row. Was annoyed galls weren't favourites. So backed Clontibret at 21/10 at half time. McManus was quiet but up he pops with the winner. Brilliant will be hard beat

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 02/11/2014 16:21:16    1669028

Two of the favourites for the AI - Cross and Crokes - both gone.

I was right about the Dublin Crokes.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 02/11/2014 17:15:19    1669039

Well done Portaferry; great result against Cushendall who have a bit of reputation for bottling it when the pressure is on.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 02/11/2014 17:52:14    1669053

Well done to the Rockies today and to our new captain for 2015 Kieran donaghy , a natural leader and already a shoe in for player of the year next year IMO.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 02/11/2014 18:33:40    1669096

Congrats St Endas at last a Tyrone club team standing up to be counted !!! g;ad to see Cross gone sick of supporting Rangers on st paddies day as an Ulsterman )

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 02/11/2014 18:41:31    1669102

Mayotyroneman - they had TWO less players on the pitch for the last 15 mins. Well done Clontibret, great chance of Ulster now!

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 02/11/2014 19:34:44    1669125

Congrats to the Tyrone champions on a pretty impressive victory.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 02/11/2014 19:50:32    1669134

Fortyfive... what you on about finally standing up..every time errigal ciaran went into ulster they stood up to be counted winning 2 titles and getting beat in 2 finals

carpenter (Wicklow) - Posts: 100 - 02/11/2014 20:00:22    1669142

Ulster wide open now after cross getting beat. Didn't really see clontibret beating st galls as the big shock people were making it out to be,clontibret have a number of quality players,particularly Conor McManus and Dessie Mone. Colum Greenan is another very under-rated player. Would expect clontibret to reach an ulster final now and be facing omagh...brilliant to see two new teams in the final!

drumhowangaa (Monaghan) - Posts: 64 - 02/11/2014 20:13:07    1669152

Very impressive stuff by Clontibret. Didn't play particularly well but full value for the win. Yet again they showed their heart in turning around a 6 point difference early on after 10 minutes, and then restricted Galls to only 3 points for the remaining 50 minutes.

Their last three wins are over Scotstown, Kilcoo and St Galls, that's some going. With Cross out Ulster is wide open and it's a golden opportunity for them to win it, though the rest will be thinking the same. They've a strong spine to the team with Greenan, Boyle/Dessie, Vinny and McManus. Still think they'll need other forwards to step up, McManus can't do it all on his own. But they're in a good position right now.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 936 - 02/11/2014 21:00:18    1669162

Well done to Portaferry and I think to say Cushendall bottled it is unfair on the Down champs - a 9 point victory is a bit more than bottling it.
When Antrim teams are taken out of their comfort zone of a home venue for hurling finals they certainly are met with a stiffer challenge by Derry, Down and Armagh teams and thats how it should be.
In fairness the present Loughgiel and Dunloy of old before them would have won no matter where they played - class acts but the rest would not have as many four seasons as they have done

Tim_Burr (Down) - Posts: 460 - 03/11/2014 09:41:38    1669218

The fact that dr crokes have been knocked out leaves the Munster championship wide open this year with ballincollig cratloe and the Rockies all in with an equal chance of winning it IMO.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 03/11/2014 10:40:44    1669246

Yeah, its only because most of the Ulster Club Hurling Finals were played in Casement that Antrim teams have dominated. Same reason why Antrim has dominated the Ulster Hurling Championship.... Question to you is what does it say about the mentality of the Derry, Down and Armagh teams then if they can't win games on Antrim soil? What makes Derry soil different? Do you not realise that Casement is as much an away ground for Loughgiel, Cushendall, Dunloy etc as it is for the Down, Derry teams etc? Would be like saying that a Loughgiel/Dunloy match played in Dunloy is a home venue for Loughgiel as sure its only over the road. I have heard some excuses in my lifetime but this is up there with them.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 03/11/2014 10:41:02    1669247

If you actually read what I had written, and not jumped in with both feet, you may have understood the sentiment

Tim_Burr (Down) - Posts: 460 - 03/11/2014 10:58:04    1669254

When Antrim teams are taken out of their comfort zone of a home venue for hurling finals they certainly are met with a stiffer challenge by Derry, Down and Armagh teams and thats how it should be.
In fairness the present Loughgiel and Dunloy of old before them would have won no matter where they played - class acts but the rest would not have as many four seasons as they have done

What this reads to me anyway is: Take Antrim club teams out of Antrim and they meet a stiffer opposition. If they had been taken out of Antrim more there would be less Ulster Club Championships among the Antrim clubs.

Now if I have taken the wrong sentiment out of this can you tell me what the sentiment was?

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 03/11/2014 11:04:10    1669260

I'd say the main reason Antrim hurling clubs have dominated is probably because they've a more competitive county championship than Down, Derry or Armagh.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 03/11/2014 11:09:38    1669264

Plus, I am just going on your previous sentiments on such issues e.g. on the Ulster Club Hurling Championship 2013 thread on the Down site you were giving out about Owenbeg being chosen as the venue in for the Ballygalget/Loughgiel match as it wasn't fair how close if was to Loughgiel in comparison to the distance Ballygalget and you questioned the logic. Same rhetoric, different year.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 03/11/2014 11:11:00    1669265

Stacks could have a big say in Munster, no? Im honestly not being arrogant or cocky cause vincents are not my club but if they win on Sunday I can't see them being stopped especially with all the big guns gone out all ready. Portlaois are a good team aswell and at home it should be a great game hopefully TG4 show it.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 03/11/2014 11:13:17    1669267

I'd say the main reason Antrim hurling clubs have dominated is probably because they've a more competitive county championship than Down, Derry or Armagh.

True, but they don't need the helping hand of home fixtures for their clubs and county teams when Casement was open.

Its akin to all Leinster hurling finals, club and county being played in Nowlan park, "sure Kilkenny would win most anyway no matter where its played".

Could you see Wexford, Dublin and the rest agreeing to that?

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 03/11/2014 11:14:02    1669269

Exactly Keeper7 but lets not apply too much logic to this - if I was looking for a reason as to how Portaferry comprehensively beat Cushendall I would say that the Down clubs who are playing their League hurling in Antrim are benefitting from the higher level of competition and that results like this will become more commonplace while that continues. Nothing to do with which County a match is played in.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 03/11/2014 11:15:26    1669271