The Road To Sam 2012

[Ogiol]

So there's already a nice thread on the hurling, several about rugby and cricket (??) (maybe showing the dublin bias of this site?), so I thought that it was time we had one on Gaelic Football.

Things are starting to shake up at this stage. Ulster semi final today. Donegal in the second year of Mc Guinness' 5-year plan against the old (red) hands of Tír Eoghain! I'm betting on Dún na nGall (I would though, wouldn't I?).

In leinster, getting down to the business end too, with Kildare and Meath (kildare should win through) and the Jackeens up against Wexford (should be dublin but wexford will be hungrier).

So any of you interested in the aul peil?

I'm going for Dún na nGall, BAC and Cill Dara.....

ps. Forgot about the qualifiers, loads of games this weekend, with loads of teams going for an early summer shower. Should be an interesting weekend!

[Ah Well]

any of you interested in the aul peil?

Only if Cork are in the Final

(that's assuming Kerry are gone 'cos we don't do beating them in Croker)

There's always the hurling - thank heavens

[culmore]

After Kennys, big victory in Europe last week, dont rule out Mayo this year, confidence is growing in the county now, Mayo is on the rise, put a few pound on them to lift Sam.

[Ogiol]

After Kennys, big victory in Europe last week, dont rule out Mayo this year, confidence is growing in the county now, Mayo is on the rise, put a few pound on them to lift Sam.

lol. love to see it but to be fair it's not very likely.

Watched a great cill dara an mhí match today. Lovely 'traditional' football but neither team are going anywhere. Great fluid attacking play, especially from an mhí, but with so much space and time what do you expect? I think donegal didn't move out of 3rd gear yesterday and although it was close at the end they never really looked like losing the match during the second half. They didn't play particularly well either, with neither Murphy or mac phaidín doing much. I think they will be there come late july september.

Derry are in disaray and really flopped yesterday. Good victory for Tipp too, maybe they are finally getting some of their successful minor teams players' through. Of the other matched I was going for carlow and louth but it wasn't to be!

Lets see how dublin perform today, it'll be interesting to watch!

[Kid Ryder]

Wexford up by 3 at half-time, 1-8 to 1-5. PJ Banville, Ben Brosnan (four excellent points!) and goalscorer Redmond Barry playing really well for the Slaneysiders. Diarmuid Connolly's goal got the Dubs back into a match they're getting played out of. Except for the goal, you'd imagine the Hill was deserted. What's up with Dublin's forwards? Some of those misses would be capital offences under a dicatorship. Squeaky bum time for the champions...

[Kid Ryder]

Diarmuid Connolly sent off! Dublin down to 14 - squeakier 'n' squeakier...

[Kid Ryder]

Dublin survive! 2-11 to 1-10. Wexford hit so many bad wides that the misses of Ben Brosnan alone would've won them the match had he got 'em. Alan Brogan was subbed, and that alone shows the difference on the bench - Gilroy was prepared to make the big calls; that, and the introduction of Michael Dara McCauley were possibly the decisions that won Dublin the match. McCauley did so much catching, kicking, running, passing and tackling on the right of the middle of the park that he made up for the man down, except in the full-forward line, where Kevin McManaman carried the depleted line superbly (not bad at all for allegedly 'not an intercounty footballer'!). Hill 16 were in better tune in the second half, lifted the Dublin side when the man was down, and had some kind of gale stopping the Wexford forwards from converting a dozen or so eminently scorable chances. That's why they're called fans, I s'pose...

[5intheface]

Derry are in disaray and really flopped yesterday.

[Kid Ryder]

Well done the Rebels, very convincing against a game-but-limited Clare side. Took their goals well, did the Cork forwards, and the scoring rate from all Cork's forwards was satisfying, but the midfield would want to win more kickouts. Clare's midfield won any amount of primary possession even from Cork's own kickouts and that would've put Clare right in this match but for those goals. Clare have some good forwards and a good midfield, and a run in the qualifiers would bring 'em on a ton. They have a crap defence (easy to run at, too honest with it), though. Cork are solid at the back, even when they're caught out they know what to do to recover (they bought a couple of yellows for it, and Cork benefitted at both ends from some generous refereeing and umpiring), and all the Clare goal chances were thwarted. All in all a good win for one of the main challengers.

[joekilgobinet]

Pat Spillane on Sunday Game now, on about Clare's tactics v Cork today.

It's like covering yourself in jam going into a bee hive, you're going to get hurt.

[Apjp]

Meath have the right boys now with no more injuries aside from seamo kenny. We'll give the Dubs a fair game!

[Ah Well]

haha ... Robinson had a few quid on Longford, thus the grin

[Kid Ryder]

Well done to Donegal today in the Ulster Final. A very convincing victory over Down and a display of scoring power that puts last year's abomination of a gameplan they had to bed. If they keep this form they'll have a big say in where the all-Ireland ends up.

[PaddyJoe]

Donegal looking very good there. Could very well put it up to the Munsters and Leinsters this year.

[PaddyJoe]

There's Dublin and Meath now. I hope it's a draw and they have to play extra time in some eternal purgatory with divils wielding red hot pokers refereeing it