any predictions for winners of intermediate semi-final & winners of senior county final ?
St.Barnabus to win by 5 or 6 points.
Sean Macs to win by 6 or 7 points.

limerickleader (UK) - Posts: 103 - 12/09/2009 13:38:13    423965

macs by 10 plus.keep them quiet in coventry for a while.hope its not ten for the people who are going out to watch it.im sure macs ould be happy with 1?

theneutral (UK) - Posts: 164 - 13/09/2009 01:00:35    424320

the craic
which championship were you sure would't be coming to birmingham?

great display of football today from both barnabus and michells, both teams gave everything to win, pity there had to be a loser in this game.
hard luck to barnabus but keep it going and i have no doubt you will be there next year.
you have the league tied up for this year.

on the senior final congratulations to macs.

unfortunately the most talked about person on the pitch was the referee.

lmo (Wexford) - Posts: 18 - 13/09/2009 19:09:36    424587

Championships arent won in april or may league form doesnt count fairplay to macs again four in a row lookin to do seven again............

moonshine (UK) - Posts: 297 - 13/09/2009 19:51:52    424609

Birmingham football has taken a bit of stick over the past few weeks but all three championchips after todays results.
The semi final was a closely contested game with Mitchels pipping Barnabas by a point largely down to the points scored in the first half by Stephen Walters and a collective defensive performance with Mark Lyons particularly in supurb form. By the looks of things Mitchels intermediate team would run their senior team close this year and i still believe Barnabas would benefit from stepping up to senior league next year.
As for the senior final this was spoiled by the referee who made it a stop start affair. The Masters number 10 was supurb but they didnt have enough throughout the field. Chris Hayden was very good for macs but was dissapointed to see him try attempt to get his opposing number sent off. He only tapped him but he dropped to the ground like he had been shot. Leave that to the soccer!

Mick83 (Wicklow) - Posts: 67 - 13/09/2009 20:02:46    424617

ossie bennett & joseph dowling 12 c`ships in 15 seasons,many other lads on 10 or 11.
Enough said

limerickleader (UK) - Posts: 103 - 14/09/2009 06:15:29    424900

The intermediate Semi Final between St Barnabus and John Mitchells was a far better game than the Senior Championship Final and I think either team would have had a good go at either of the two Senior teams in the Senior Championship on yesterdays displays.

John Mitchells wasted easy scoring opportunities in the first half especially from frees but Barnabus were guilty of wasting two relatively easy goal chances in the first half. Barnabus will be reeling today wondering how the victory escaped them as they were the better team for long periods of the game. Im sure everyone will agree it was a great sporting game of football.

Commiserations to St Barnabus and Congratulations to Mitchells

Munsterrugby (UK) - Posts: 3 - 14/09/2009 09:29:01    424941

Macs will never win an easier Championship, more to do with the others being poor than themselves being outstanding, yet they can only beat whats put in front of them. I would expect them to be beaten comprehensively in the provincial championships as the standard of Warks football is at an all time low. If they draw the London team think its St Kiernans or Mitchels they will lose heavily.

As for next year expect a renewed challenge from Erin Go Bragh, Mitchels and Casements all of whom will believe that Macs can be beaten. Fair play to Masters this year and hopefully then can secure the league which their efforts deserved.

Che1959 (Galway) - Posts: 56 - 14/09/2009 17:45:15    425607

I have to disagree with some of the posts on here regarding the standard, i said after the casements v macs game that macs showed they were much better than the next best, they beat us with 14 men and with 5-6 to spare, they turned over casements with 8-9 to spare and if the truth be told won easy in the final 5-6 to spare. The standard will only get better if other teams can come along and push the champions which no team has suceeded in doing so this year, i hope the comments from the other teams are genuine and they make a real effort nxt year as we intend to do so. macs are a beatable team isnt every team beatable? but as the macs will say games arent won on the hoganstand but with hard work throughout the year.

On the game its self macs won easy thought after FMs beat them twice in the league they'd have run them closer, the ref had an absolute howler, couldnt keep up with play, very inconsistant, no flow to the game and if anything let FMs off with alot, why wasnt our top ref mark from mitchels not in the centre?

Anyway good luck to macs, will be interesting to see how many of the older players return for next season.

gael2200 (UK) - Posts: 195 - 15/09/2009 10:08:55    426134

Having attended my first Warwickshire football match in 16 years on Sunday due to relocation i have to say i was very impressed with the standard of football played by both teams. The same couldn't be said about the ref i think he lost control early on and although it was not a dirty match he didn't let the game flow and the players got frustrated with him. The reason the Macks won well was because their finishing was very good, i don't think they had any more than 4 wides all day and it seemed every time they went up the field they scored. I don't like to single anyone out as its a team game but Macks had winners in the main departments and the old heads stood and held it together when it mattered. Well done to both teams i really enjoyed my day out and night ha ha.

Mulligan Eamonn (None) - Posts: 896 - 15/09/2009 14:01:23    426498

Well done all of the teams that fielded at PNH on Sunday.

The intermediate game was close. Mitchels ability to gain possession from kick-outs was a major factor in their victory. St Barnabas had 2 one on ones with the Mitchels `keeper from which they got nothing and also hit the upright in the first half, however their forwards never had enough ball to do further damage.

Mitchels fisted 2 points when they might have gone for goal and got nothing - at the final whistle these decisions turned out to be the right ones. They also had goal opportunities themselves and the St Barnabas `keeper made 2 good saves.

Well done to Mitchels on their win. St Barnabas still have plenty to play for this year and will surely end up with some silverware as a reward for their efforts.

While MacDermotts won the senior final, to say it was "easy" or one sided is unfair to both teams. By going in ahead in the first half and limiting FM to a couple of scores in the 3rd quarter Macs had the winning of the game, but FM did not allow them to drop their guard as you would expect from deserving finalists this year. Sometimes finals arent the greatest games to watch, but this should not disguise the efforts and achievements of the teams involved.

FM had to work very hard for their scores. Macs had a knack of popping up with points when required, particularly in the 2nd half and are were prepared to wait for their goal chance.

Although the Senior match was very stop/start, when the ball was in play its movement was quicker than in the Intermediate game and this is part of why the teams on view in the 2 games are in their respective grades. Once ahead Macs move the ball very quickly out from defence and make more scoring chances for their forwards. With their opposition chasing scores they are often stretched at the back.

Good luck to Macs in the Provincial Championship and lets hope for a good Intermediate Final.

patrick (UK) - Posts: 52 - 15/09/2009 15:48:43    426676

Saturday 26th September in PNH, 4PM throw-in. under 16 county final, Sean McDermotts V Roger Casements.
Both sides unbeaten this year, should be a very good game. Some very talented footballers on show on both sides,stars of the future in Warwickshire.
It would be nice to see a good crowd out there to show a bit of interest in these young lads.

moonshine (UK) - Posts: 297 - 15/09/2009 20:23:05    427013

having watched both games on sunday, the standard of the intermediate game was excellent, where both teams gave a continious effort for the whole game this was not a stop-start game. the refree done a first rate job and was almost invisible, which is as it should be. to say the difference between the two grades was the movement of the ball from defence to atack, is silly statement . ( Although the Senior match was very stop/start, when the ball was in play its movement was quicker than in the Intermediate game and this is part of why the teams on view in the 2 games are in their respective grades. Once ahead Macs move the ball very quickly out from defence and make more scoring chances for their forwards ) the reason the ball was moved faster was because most of the time it was frees, as the players in this refrees game, spent more time as spectators like the rest of us. in the intermediate game both sides created more scoring chances than the senior game, scoring 21 points between them. michells scoring 11 points from play with 7 wides and barnabus scoring 4 points from play 6 from frees and 6 wides. i think that all clubs should now get behind and support macs as our county rep's in the club championship and good luck to them. with the result of the semi final last sunday i believe st brendans are automatically promoted to senior for 2010, it would be great for the game if both marys and barnabus stepped up a grade and play senior league, more games more expierence. hopefully it will be a revamped league with meaningfull games. maybe something like 8 teams with top four playing off for an A cup and the remainder playing off for a B cup.

millbrook (UK) - Posts: 103 - 16/09/2009 08:37:20    427406

The main difference between intermediate and senior is the intensity of which the game is played. At senior level you get alot less time to think and need to have a greater level of fitness to keep up with the pace of the game. Its almost comparable to League football in Ireland and Championchip, its a different kettle of fish.
Saying that the standard of football at intermediate level has been the best i have seen for some time in this county and St Barnabas and St Marys both have teams capable of stepping up to the Senior grade and competing in the league. I havent been as impressed by St Brendons though this year and suspect they might request to stay at Intermediate as they did a couple of years back. Their team is ageing throughout and in my opinion the kids they have coming through arnt upto senior standard as yet and could end up having a negative effect on their club if they step up.
Does anyone know when/where the provinsial game is and who it is against?

Mick83 (Wicklow) - Posts: 67 - 16/09/2009 12:03:12    427583

lets face it lads it was a very poor final to watch as a spectator. Very little atmosphere for a final and not much good football on display. This is not taking away from the obvious effort put in by both teams who were giving everything. However any chance of a good game of football was ruined by the refs insistence on spending minutes at a time talking to players after fouls instead of simply showing the black book for the fisrt offence and a yellow card for the next. Several decent attacking chances for both sides were thwarted by the ref insisting on holding up the play. It cant be good when every one leaving the venue was discussing the refs performance and not the teams on display!!

Masters were certainly better than i expected and in particular their back line who gave macs little easy ball. Ryan was excellent along with cuffe and they dominated the midfield battle in the second half but in the end their use of ball in the half and full forward line was what let them down. Whereas macs managed to take most scoring oppurtunitys presented to them. Hayden was very quiet, why was he in the corner, was he injured? He was the man who tore casements apart in the semi final but he never got into the game sunday.

I did laugh at the captains comment in his speech about dirty play by masters. I felt that two of the macs lads could have gone for high tackles and elbows to the face. The most disgusting event on the day was the obvious dive by young hayden in an attempt to get his player sent off. It worked in the semi final but not on this occassion. very embarrising for the player and he should concentrate on playing the football he is capable of and leave the theatrics alone.

I would agree that Macs can be caught and possibly in the next few seasons - masters certainly matched them for fitness and with a young team hopefully the ability to take scores will come. I wish Macs all the best in the provincial but fear that it will be a step to far for them with the strength of london and lancashire football at the moment.

On another note mitchels must have some squad of men in the club now. A lot of the intermediate team on display were senior players last year. Or have they taken the easy option in winning an intermediate title rather than competing for a senior championship!!

tommy g (None) - Posts: 171 - 16/09/2009 16:53:46    427959

Tommy G

You certainly have a blinkered view of things the only thing you got right was your comments on the ref, my club werent in the final but as a neutral thought some of the play was of a good standard, dont understand why fellow warickshire men would be slating the standard of play. I have to admit as the season has grown and the more football I have watched macs are worthy champs. Looking bac @ your previous posts you always seem to talk about boyle and cunningham doing this and that in games, I'm not gonna comment on that but will let everyone else draw there own conclusions. Hope macs can repersent warks well and hope you can get yourself down to the training ground early nxt year as you certainly need it.

gael2200 (UK) - Posts: 195 - 16/09/2009 20:19:03    428177

Very disappointing game for a number of reasons. Too much off the ball stuff made it impossible for the ref to keep control. Thought the ref did well in impossible circumstances as he tried to impose his authority. maybe the clubs themselves could promote greater discipline from their players and do away with the spoiling tactis.

Che1959 (Galway) - Posts: 56 - 16/09/2009 23:38:00    428409

TommyG. As far as I could see only 2 of the Mitchels players were senior last year? As for Macs, strongest team by far in the county, but always drag it down to the gutter. Didn't stay for captains speech, that's fairly funny if he called FM's dirty. I think Macs know if they were made to play football (by referees for instance, what a wacky idea) they'd be beat a lot more regularly. You're dead right about the 2 "challenges". Until a ref stands up to them though and sends a few to the line they'll carry on regardless. Or a team stands up to them and gives out the dirt in equal measure.

dowchabiy (UK) - Posts: 204 - 17/09/2009 05:27:46    428481

tommg g

"On another note mitchels must have some squad of men in the club now. A lot of the intermediate team on display were senior players last year. Or have they taken the easy option in winning an intermediate title rather than competing for a senior championship!! "




michells fielded three players that i am aware of who played senior last year steve ahearn, mark mc loughlin and andy doyle all who were unable to give a comittment to senior side this year.
the senior team were unlucky to loose out by two points to four masters, missing two golden goal chances, had either of these gone in they would have contested the senior final as well.
the intermediate team has quite a number of hurlers on board who choose not to play football in the recent past, and what a difference they have made this year.
aslo players returning from ireland, john bergin, billy kinear and chris michell.
there were also four of the minor team playing. the reason john michells are contesting this final and desrvedly so, is the hard graft they have put in over months.

so to suggest michells took the easy option of competing in intermediate grade is pure and utter rubbish.
st. brendans are in the final on merit and will be no walk over for anyone, as teams have learned to their cost in the past.

looking forward to a keenly contested game of football in the final.

millbrook (UK) - Posts: 103 - 17/09/2009 08:42:57    428493

Macs
So how do we think they will perform in the all britian? I felt they were poor in the full back line Sunday particularily at full back, the ball bounced over the number 3 about 7 times and with better forwards would have been punished. They do have a promising corner back though who perhaps should be tried at full back. Can anyone name the full back line?

KerryForLiam (Limerick) - Posts: 5 - 17/09/2009 22:24:48    429361