Well done to castleknock. Delighted to see the under age work paying dividends
1 Like
Yep youngsters were the driving force today. They’ve no fear whatsoever and just go for everything. Cian Boyle was immense again - is quite slight so won’t be inter county yet but has some eye for a score.
2 Likes
Leinster club football looks fairly wide open this year. Dublin champions don’t look quite as formidable as before and a lot of new champs in the other counties. No Rhode portlaoise sarsfields moorefield.
Manager lets them play with freedom pal
1 Like
Looks wide open for Stillorgan alright.
Eunans v Glen
QFs
Dromore v Derrygonnelly/Enniskillen
Creggan v Clann
Ramor v Kilcoo
Scotstown v Eunans/Glen
Ulster looks very weak compared to past years.
You could say the same across all provinces really. With no Cross, Slaughtneil, Corofin, Castlebar and Brigids its wide open at AI level. Whoever comes through Dublin will be favs for Leinster, not sure on Kerry but it looks like Crokes are no the team they were previously and Kerry champs could be average this year.
Dromore have a great chance this year, I’d expect them to make a final as the draw is very lopsided with Kilcoo, Scotstown and Glen on the other side.
Port will be hard bet in Leinster.
They wouldn’t bate the flies off their own shit
There’s no one out there outside Tullamore that you’d feel could stop them.
9 of the 20 Dromore players involved against Coalisland at the weekend would have started for the team that won the Ulster Club u21 in 2019.
They’d be missing Ruairi Sludden this year as well who has been a big player for them in the past as he’s focused on association football (would have been on the Tyrone senior panel in 2018 when they made the AI final) and Fergus who is with Athy in Kildare now. They’d be huge additions
Glen did 3 Ulster Club u21s from 15-17 with Gweedore winning the 2018 title.
Clann Eireann have also had great success underage in Armagh recently and would have been heavy favourites to win the u21 title in 2020 but it did not get concluded due to Covid.
Interesting to see Clann, Glen and Dromore come to the fore this year.
The bookies are predicting it will be a Glen v Dromore final at the minute.
I thought he transferred back last year?
He was back with Dromore last year but must have went back to Athy this year.
Big enough commute with a young family and he wouldn’t exactly be Mr Popular but a big loss all the same. Ruairi Sludden probably a bigger loss tbf though but he’s a bit of a loose cannon too.
Wasn’t Oran Sludden set to be the best of all those Dromore lads but tore the cruciate about 3 times before the age of 21?
Yeah he did the cruciate three times before his 21st. Very talented player by all accounts but he’s one of those you’ll never really know how good he was or could have been due to injuries. Ruairi is an extremely talented footballer but had tended to lack discipline, would have started for the AI winning U21 team in 2015 but got dropped from the panel after missing a few training sessions for nights out.
Plays for Tummery in association football as would a lot of those Dromore boys.
Emmet McNabb was probably the best of that u21 group and he had a trial with Ross County last year, would definitely be on Logan and Dooher’s radar for next year but he’s another diminutive left footed inside forward in a squad that already has McCurry, Bradley and Lee Brennan.
1 Like
Having a provincial u21 championship is a great idea, they should have it everywhere
3 Likes
Yeah there seems to be a high correlation in the past few years. Clann and Glen taking Armagh and Derry for their first titles in 60 years and ever respectively after good showings at provincial u21 level. Gweedore winning a first Ulster senior a year after they won the Ulster U21.
The bookies now expecting a senior Ulster final between the 2015/16/17 U21 Champs and the 2019 U21 Champs.
Does anyone know All Ireland Semi draws?
There’s an Ulster Minor Championship too which Glen’s golden generation also dominated.
The likes of Cross and Kilcoo have been there or thereabouts in all these competitions too. The cream always rises.