What is the full list of fixtures for the weekend?? Seen Carryduff at the weekend totally dismantle Castlewellan. I know these two play in the championship this week and castlewellan may have been keeping their cards close to thier chests - but i honestly dont see anyone stopping the purple and yellow army this season. The leagues have been very stop start this year with only a few teams having played their full quota of fixtures.. Why is this??

singer (Down) - Posts: 330 - 14/05/2012 14:32:49    1171854

Between referees not showing and teams not being able to field on saturday evenings it hasnt been easy. I personally think sat night is a poor night for senior ladies fixtures but not much can be done. people can yap all they want that points should be given if a team can field but where would we be then? teams on maybe 9 points having played one or two games. Would be no help to the game! the rule of a game having to be played within 3 days after as should be enforced stronger. However the game should only be moved in the first place if BOTH clubs agree.

Carryduff are definately looking strong this year as they did last year as well....very young time full of exciting talent and byransford and Annaclone have their work cut out to catch them, Burren have been dispointing at this level...a step too far it seems! Ballymartin look to be the team to beat at Intermediate with high scorelines in all games, destroyed Tullylish at the weekend scoring 9-24 and also destroyed Teconnaught earlier in the year. Mayobridge are the suprise package in this league and maybe the re-fixed game between these sides will be a deciding factor on who will take this league. Very disapointed with clonduff and Rostrevor so far this season.... I thought these would be front runners but obviously not to be. At Junior I can say no more tha John bosco....nobody is going to put it up to them at this stage. Carryduff juniors sitting bottom of Junior league and playin intermediate championship against Ballymartin this weekend..... feel sorry for their goal keeper

TheKingdomgael (Down) - Posts: 167 - 14/05/2012 17:28:26    1172128

Yeah Carryduff are def the team in form and the team to catch.. They have the best panel of players in the league at present. Burren are sitting with a win and a draw so far so that will probably keep them in the senior league for another term at least. Saval seem to be under construction at present and may drop to intermediate. I wouldnt be so sure about Annaclone and Ford at this stage. If the Ford get their act together they will be a match for most on their day, but may just come up short. Bosco are flying high at present and should win that league and cship at a canter. Intermediate is strange at present with teams all taking points off each other. Interesting clashes to come will be Bridge v Ballymartin, Rostrevor v Bridge and indeed Rostrevor v Ballymartin. These three games will be vital to the overall outcome. What about the county set up - is it still functioning at present in preparation for the upcoming game in the intermediate championship?

singer (Down) - Posts: 330 - 15/05/2012 11:05:22    1172515

Was at the Annaclone v Downpatrick game on saturday night. It was all that is good about ladies football. End to end stuff with the lead exchanging hands a few times - drama of the penalty at the last being scored and sending the game into extra time - Downpatrick then stepping up a gear in extra time to win by a few. If the county management were present they should have got about 3 players from each side on their books for the upcoming championship. Other games went according to the script. Carryduff won in style, Bredagh were convincing against Saval and Rostrevor Beat Burren. Some people look at that result as a shock - but Rostrevor are a serious outfit and on their day are a match for about 3 or 4 teams in the senior division in the county. Whats the draw for the next round now? The Ford are back in the thick of it again now - who do they play? Can anyone stop the Carryduff machine this year?

singer (Down) - Posts: 330 - 21/05/2012 10:13:21    1176838

Some great games and performances at the weekend i hear, a real good championship weekend. The pick of these games having to be the Annaclone V Downpatrick game..... Where did Downpatrick pull this performance out of? I am sorry to say though that i just dont see carryduff slipping up this year, they have the championship there for the taking and if they dont take their foot of the pedal then i dont see anyone stopping them. Castlewellan are in good form and if byransford pull it together maybe I will be proved wrong.
Same goes for Ballymartin in the Intermediate, a team on great form whith high scoring capabilities and it looks as though their time has come again. Mayobridge, Clonduff and Newry Shamrocks are all still in the hunt with the later two having good wins at the weekend though Clonduff have been far from impressive thus far in the league. In the junior i cant bring myself to analyse individual teams as there will be no way past newry bosco this year who I think could compete for intermediate honours at the minute.

TheKingdomgael (Down) - Posts: 167 - 22/05/2012 15:24:45    1178146

kingdom gael i think your right about Carryduff and singer maybe right about the Ford but Gael Castlewellan were beat by near 20 points by the Carryduff girls so I think you are wrong about them they seem totally out of it can't see them closing the gap. Its Carryduff as clear favourites and Downpatrick or Bredagh to reach semis via the front door and the Ford look like the only team capable of coming thru the back door system as realistic challengers. I think its all set up for a rematch in the final of the preliminary round Carryduff v Bryansford. Both these teams are winning comfortably in the league and only a point separated them in the last c'ship match. I agree with you both that its the Bridge, Shamrocks and Clonduff who will give Ballymartin most to think about and Sean O'Hare has them really fit and playing good football but can they sustain this over June/July and August? Its the Boscos for the taking with the only question being are the transfer specialists allowed to play senior c'ship football 1 year and then drop 2 grades to junior the following. Don't understand the logic in this and question the fairness as all reports suggest they are making a mockery of the other players in the junior leagues, sad really were is ladies football heading here. The county girls are playing Cavan soon in the Ulster so good luck to them, they may need it.

gaamna (Down) - Posts: 27 - 23/05/2012 10:31:12    1178598

Senior ladies beaten at weekend after extra time. It was an epic battle to the death. The loss of the girls to the sin bin in extra time meant that we couldnt keep control of the Cavan attack and it was in this exchange - the game was won and lost. A highly entertaining game though and im glad i was present. Club fixtures this weekend again - it has been a while since games have been played for some teams. Form could have changed in the lull period.

singer (Down) - Posts: 330 - 12/06/2012 09:48:44    1192388

Club seen back in action this week.... whats the news on this front in the leagues? much stories lingering out of the camps?

TheKingdomgael (Down) - Posts: 167 - 12/06/2012 18:05:49    1192959

Well done but also hard luck to the senior ladies. I wasn't at it but just read the report in the Mourne Observer and it seems that with a bit more luck and a few ref decisions the ladies could have beat last years All-Ireland finalists Cavan. Depending on who you listen to or read on this forum it seems that the girls with a bit more training may have got to the final and/or things aren't as bad as some posters suggest in the Down camp. Hope they can take something from the defeat and regroup and make a go of the All-Ireland series in London. The club season and c'ship is in full swing and the c'ship is on the 7/7 but with holidays, gaeltachts, emigration and all the other things going on it could end up being a very interesting season but Carryduff/Bryansford are still the obvious choices for league and c'ship in my eyes.

gaamna (Down) - Posts: 27 - 13/06/2012 10:32:06    1193270

leagues and championship set up this year are a real mess. Championship was started way to early. Mid may when some clubs had only played a few games. Then confusion when the next round would be played - first it was 7th July then 16th June then this week re fixed for 7th July!!! End result is secound round is played two months later and third round a month after that. The league fixtures are then re fixed for this weekend at short notice - after 3-4 weeks of no football Very hard for clubs to prepare teams for games if the county board are not sure themselves when they are going to play them. This also does not help those in the county set up because they are not keeping match fit and no opportunity of girls playing themselves into the county panel.

bannside (Down) - Posts: 20 - 14/06/2012 08:16:31    1193943

Why is there so much chopping and changing with the club leagues and championship this year? How is a management party supposed to pick prospective players if they cant see them week in week out. I dont understand our county board when fixing games at the start of the season - just fix them and thats it done for the season and let them rest at that. There have been countless times on this forum that reasons for calling games off has been discussed - its ridiculous at this stage. Deduct points, if not a legitimate reason - fine the club, or as is the case in another county - if they have not got their allocated games played in the league by mid june - they are not permitted to play championship football for that season at any age level. That stops games being called off for fictional reasons.

singer (Down) - Posts: 330 - 14/06/2012 11:36:11    1194068

Singer - I agree with you that games should not be called off. the fixtures are released in March and should be stuck to throughout the year. However this year I feel the fault lies with the Co. board. They started the championship way to early and then have moved the dates for the following rounds - three times, and then resheduled league matches.( two months between 1st and 2nd round) It makes it very diificult for anybody to plan their lives outside of football (holidays, parties, hen dos, weddings etc) the dates are moved by the county. The result is then a rush of clubs trying to re arrange fixtures because people have booked things on what was a free weekend. Doesnt really help promote the game in the county.

bannside (Down) - Posts: 20 - 14/06/2012 13:43:39    1194187

totally agree with Bannside

TheKingdomgael (Down) - Posts: 167 - 14/06/2012 18:41:12    1194474

I agree with you Bannside - but if you come on here and are critical of the county board - you get all sorts of stuff thrown at ya. If they have put themselves in place to run the county - and i know it aint easy - then do it the right way. Why change the championship and then make a mess of it? Why are league games not being fulfilled? Some teams have played 7 games and some have played 3 - this is not good enough. If there are genuine reasons then fair enough - but a hen do is not a genuine reason. With the poor weather we are experiencing at present - this weekends fixtures may not be played either.

singer (Down) - Posts: 330 - 15/06/2012 09:23:20    1194646

Almost Championship time again with Q/Finals and Back door games all taking place in the next fortnight. Any predictions? County Squad have a massive game next week also? any news how things have been in the camp of late?

TheKingdomgael (Down) - Posts: 167 - 22/06/2012 17:34:48    1200074

thanks to the ladies county board and the girls for a fantastic weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed myself on the trip and it was worth every penny. Great to see the girls enjoyiing themselves and lets hope the result was the start of something big for the season ahead...

singer (Down) - Posts: 330 - 03/07/2012 20:35:12    1208912

thanks to the ladies county board and the girls for a fantastic weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed myself on the trip and it was worth every penny. Great to see the girls enjoyiing themselves and lets hope the result was the start of something big for the season ahead...

Enlighten me singer, what did you make of the performace? Any outstanding displays? Ill eat my hat if you were at the game!!

the_guvner (Down) - Posts: 318 - 04/07/2012 08:52:07    1209046

I also should add, Well Done to the ladies on a good win. You never know what your going to get from London.

the_guvner (Down) - Posts: 318 - 04/07/2012 08:57:32    1209051

Well done to the Down ladies team/squad that could have been a banana skin, heard it was a good enough performance but it was also a good bonding weekend for the young, new and older players. How did the team play, who played well. I see the other result Armagh and Waterford was a draw thats prob the best result. Maybe all the negativity associated with the early season and NFL results were unfounded? Whens the Down match and were and what time? Is it Armagh or Waterford? Keep it going girls.The club c'ship is this weekend, good to see some nice games there, whats the feeling about this years c'ship as the league seems very quiet.

gaamna (Down) - Posts: 27 - 04/07/2012 21:49:36    1209864

Senior: Carryduff
Intermediate: Ballymartin
Junior: Bosco

Job Done

TheKingdomgael (Down) - Posts: 167 - 05/07/2012 15:45:16    1210304