Re: Leitrim team versus Galway

21

There’s a vastly lower amount of hurling games played than football because of the fact there’s only 12 teams competing for the title at the start of the season. When you do get a series of crackers like Tipp-Limerick then it’s damn right they should televise the 3rd game after showing the first 2.

Agree with raven on Connacht football. A small province so it’s the same rivalries year after year. Munster is different because Kerry are a super power and Cork are a real dual county. In Connacht there’s Galway and then not much else after a consistently underachieving Mayo team.

Though with all due respect to farmer Galway vs Leitrim is akin to Kerry vs Waterford and if the latter game was initially scheduled to be televised instead of Tipp-Limerick then I’d be annoyed in that case too.

22

Plenty of positional changes in store there - agree with you about mcweeney farmer. mckeon has to start full back with mcguinness in the corner. although mcweeney is returning at the expense of a mohill man, i think its for the best.

got the tickets in the post this morning farmer. did you get sorted yourself?

Tickets arrived this morning in the post

23

That is a huge audience considering all the factors involved. Surprised by that. Equally surprised that there were only 28,000 in Semple for Waterford Cork. I thought a bigger crowd would have attended that game.

24

did i mention the tickets arrived in the post this morning !!

25

When did you say your tickets arrived, dancingbaby?

26

the spread is 6.5

at lot of leitrim fans always come out with the chestnut that people underestimate them & they always run teams close -

What do the Leitrim fans on here think - sorry I mean leitrim fan on here - Views Farmer?

27

Great that they’re showing the hurling but could they not have moved the Leitrim game to 3.30pm? I’m sure most neutrals, like me, would like to see the hurling at 2pm followed by the Dublin game at 4pm.

28

Massively disappointed with the result yesterday. We were as good as Galway but fell down to the usual Leitrim frailties - forwards who can’t kick points and an unreliable free taker. We could have easily being in another Connacht final and would have really fancied our chances against Sligo. It could have been another 94.

Anyway that’s not going to happen now. I have to say that I thought Cliona Foley got the game spot on in the Indo today. Leitrim threw it away having used their excellent full back line to stifle Galway’s forwards. Leitrim also performed well in midfield but simply couldn’t take their chances. Contrast that with Galway, who, despite having their full forward line marked out of it, could rely on Nicky Joyce to single-handely keep them in touch. This was a refreshing view from the media who yesterday stuck to the usual ‘Galway won without having to reach fourth gear’ type bullshit. This was a quote from Con Murphy by the way.

The goal misses were vital. Donal Brennan was one of the players we would have wanted through on the keeper such is his finishing ability but he tried to be too fancy. He also wasted the chance at the end where his ball to McBrien was woeful. Apart from that he played very well.

I don’t want to harp on for ages so I’ll just do my player ratings which will describe my view of the match:

Noel Gill - 6
Safe enough. Didn’t have much to do. His kick outs were long but on many occassions straight to a Galway man or over the line

Dermot Reynolds - 8
Kept Cormac Bane, two goal hero v Mayo, to one point and he ended up being substituted. Armstrong tested him but he stuck in there

John McKeon - 8
Another superb performance from the skipper who nis fast emerging to be one of the ebst full backs around. Looked assured under the high ball and inspried confidence in those around him as a leader should

Michael McGuinness - 8
Kept Meehan to one point. Enough said

Barry Prior - 5
The worse game I have seen him play for Leitrim. Stuggled hugely against Joyce and was inexusably left on the pitch to play at centre forward of all places

Barry McWeeney - 7
Solid game who covered his underperforming wing backs well. Not his best game though by his standards

Shane Foley - 5
Had a terrible first half on Savage and kept losing his man. Improved in the second half slightly

Gary McCloskey - 8
The best game I have seen him play for Leitrim. This player has improved hugely. Took his goal excellently and outshone Bergin at midfield. Still possesses an inability to run

Michael Duignan - 7
Did extremely well for him which is average for an intercounty midfielder. Held his own in midfield

Colin Regan - 5
Terrible game. Contributed nothing and often took too much out of the ball. Struggled on Joyce too when switched

Michael Foley - 6
Largely ineffective - he did kick a good point though

Ciaran Duignan - 6
Missed easy frees which is the yardstick he will be judged by. Kicked two good points from play

James Glancy - 5
Completely ineffective. I never was a fan of this guy. He has bags of guts but infortunately little ability

Donal Brennan - 7
Leitrim’s best forward but misssed two glorious goal chances which you cannot afford to do at this level

Declan Maxwell - 7
Quiet by this man’s immaculate standards yet still kicked probably the two best points of the match

Subs:
Fintan McBrien - 7
Reasoanble performance for the once golden boy of Leitrim football. Took his free confidently and couldn’t be faulted for the goal chance

Jimmy Guckian - 5
Added nothing. Doubt he touched the ball

Ciaran Kennedy - 5
Another to struggle hugely on Joyce

Philip Howard - not on long enough to be rated

Dessie Dolan - 7

Those of us who remember the state Leitrim were in when he took over will be forvever grateful for the belief he has instilled in this Leitrim team. Substitutions yesterday were strange at times but I don’t think it would have really made a difference

Post edited by: farmerinthecity, at: 2007/06/25 18:40

29

Leitrim remind me a bit of the way Wexford were in about 1999. They have maybe 1 good player and a handful of average ones and their gameplan yesterday, if you could call it one, was to lorry the ball as high and as far as possible into Maxwell. It was incredibly agricultural and before anyone points out Kerry and Donaghy they mix up their play with quality interchanges and then use the long ball as a weapon and as variety. But Leitrim were incredibly one-dimensional and predictable. In fairness to Galway they kicked 13 points from play and any time Leitrim got a lucky point from a break after a huge ball was launched in around their square they merely sauntered back up the pitch and popped over another score. They played completely within themselves and were happy to take a 4 point victory.

30

Typical uninformed rubbish.

Leitrim kicked 1-8 from play yesterday and Maxwell scored two points. I thought he was marked well by Burke and Handley. Brennan was Leitrim’s best forward. Galway never sauntered anywhere. Nicky Joyce was their only forward who got the better of his marker

31

You say your best forward missed two glorious goal chances and you praise the midfielder even though you say he can’t run. Look Galway played well within themselves and won very handily. It’s like a soccer team going away from home in the cup and beating a lower league team 1-0 without ever being in danger and without ever getting out of first gear.

32

Bandage wrote:

You say your best forward missed two glorious goal chances and you praise the midfielder even though you say he can’t run.

What’s your point?

Galway didn’t play well because Leitrim have excellent backs - that’s why

33

Farmer why do you bother reacting to ridiculous tripe - what would wexford people know about football anyway !!!

was very disappointed leaving the ground yesterday. Galway were there for the taking. Missed 1-5 very scorable chances. If Brennan tucked away his goal chance in the 2nd half it would have been so different. Also Duignan needed to point every free inside 40 metres that came his way. I had a bad feeling once his 2nd free was just ballooned into the air and almost went out for a sideline kick.

The full back line were immense again - what can you say about John McKeon. He was an inspiration to everyone around him. The half back line struggled badly especially in the first half where Joyce (Nicky) and Fallon did a lot of damage.

Midfield held their own. McCloskey took his goal very well and Duignan won alot of possession in the first half before tiring in the second.

The forwards were the problem once again. Maxwell and Brennan did well but unfortunately for Brennan, he will be remembered for his miss.

As mentioned very disappointing and Im not sure if the players will relish the qualifiers. The Connacht title is Leitrims Sam Maguire. I hope they give the qualifiers a right good go. Its not the worst draw in the world. Donegal looked a very tired team against Tyrone. They wont relish the trip to Pairc Sean.

My confidence is a bit shattered at the moment. But where there’s life there’s hope. BRING ON DONEGAL !!!

By the way Farmer, its fixed for Saturday evening 7th July at 7.00

34

farmerinthecity wrote:

Bandage wrote:

[quote]You say your best forward missed two glorious goal chances and you praise the midfielder even though you say he can’t run.

What’s your point?

Galway didn’t play well because Leitrim have excellent backs - that’s why[/quote]

My point is your ‘best forward’ missed 2 gilt edged chances. If he actually was a good forward by any other team’s standards then he would have taken both. The attempted finish that the 'keeper palmed away was embarrassing.

It’s easy to count all the chances you missed and add them on to your tally but equally Galway had a point waved wide when Armstrong’s strike was at least 5 yards inside the post and then Joyce had a fair goal chalked off that was similar to Geraghty’s disallowed goal in the first Meath-Dublin game.

I think most neutrals would recognise that Galway were happy keeping you at arm’s length and were capable of stepping it up if they needed to.

It’s probably a pity you can’t go down to the Tommy Murphy Cup and get some games with teams at your own level rather than being makewights against the bigger teams.

35

In fairness Bandage you can’t fault Leitrim’s tenacity or never say die attitude. Even at the end of the match they had a great goal chance which would have only put a point between the sides (it would have been unfair if Leitrim had scored in fairness). I must concede though that it was a very poor game. The quality of teams doesn’t seem to be there in Connacht or Leinster. Some of the football played was dire. Leitrim’s tactics seemed to almost exclusively involve hoofing the ball in the hope of one of their forwards catching it or getting a breaking ball. Galway despite never establishing a huge lead were always going to win the game yesterday. They will have to really step it up now when they meet teams from outside Connact though. Performances like that might get them past the Leitrim’s and the Sligo’s but not the Tyrone’s, Armagh’s and Kerry’s. Hopefully the superior opposition they face later will enable them to be a bit more stylish. They won’t have the excuse of going to the very poor level of other teams.

36

In fairness Bandage you can’t fault Leitrim’s tenacity or never say die attitude. Even at the end of the match they had a great goal chance which would have only put a point between the sides (it would have been unfair if Leitrim had scored in fairness). I must concede though that it was a very poor game. The quality of teams doesn’t seem to be there in Connacht or Leinster. Some of the football played was dire. Leitrim’s tactics seemed to almost exclusively involve hoofing the ball in the hope of one of their forwards catching it or getting a breaking ball. Galway despite never establishing a huge lead were always going to win the game yesterday. They will have to really step it up now when they meet teams from outside Connact though. Performances like that might get them past the Leitrim’s and the Sligo’s but not the Tyrone’s, Armagh’s and Kerry’s. Hopefully the superior opposition they face later will enable them to be a bit more stylish. They won’t have the excuse of going to the very poor level of other teams.

37

You’re the guy that texted me at half time saying that we should riot if we Leitrim lose by a point due to the earpiece incident. Now you are going on about Galway’s disallowed point as some kind of additional evidence as to their superiority.

Didn’t see Joyce’s goal so only have your word on it whih isn’t worth shit

How many other counties will keep Meehan to one point, Bane scoreless and Padraig Joyce to one point from play? Don’t give me this shite about them operating in a lower gear. They were two points up with four minutes to go for fuck sake. The reason why they didn’t operate at their best was because Leitrim’s backs destroyed them.

Doherty’s save from Brennan was duifficult to execute. It was nowhere near an embarassing shot - very nearly an excellent finish. But he should have made sure

Bandage - you don’t half talk a pile of crap. You are regurgitating the media fed bullshit that you say you hate so much

38

I think Bane got 1 point in the first half Farmer but your points apart from that are spot on.

Dont rise to that bait Farmer. I had condescending texts coming my way from Raven right throughout the game and they were still coming up to an hour ago.

Its good to see them having an obsession with Leitrim GAA.

39

thedancingbaby wrote:

I think Bane got 1 point in the first half Farmer but your points apart from that are spot on.

Dont rise to that bait Farmer. I had condescending texts coming my way from Raven right throughout the game and they were still coming up to an hour ago.

Its good to see them having an obsession with Leitrim GAA.

Think we can throw Piper into the mix as well DB. A clown who knows nothing about anything. Jees I really hate that ‘never say die’ patronising shite about Leitrim

40

Obviously had a team lost by a point after the ear-piece incident they were entitled to go nuts. But they didn’t. And then this was more than evened up in the 2nd half when Galway were denied 1-1. You didn’t see the Joyce goal incident? This is getting like the Liverpool-Milan game where there was a few distinct cases of amnesia. Galway were hardly on the ropes at 2 points down with 5 minutes to go. They upped it a tiny notch and popped over 2 insurance scores. The fact you’re accusing me of relying on the media yet yourself praise Cliona Foley for her take on the game says it all. Cliona fooking Foley - she literally doesn’t have a clue and never has had.