McGuinness deserved to be credited for turning Donegal’s fortunes

Fri, Aug 24, 2012

There’s something heart warming about Donegal. Their team ethic is not based on fancy individuality that can so often lead to failure, but on the values of hard, honest toil and a simple, effective game plan. They have a manager who doesn’t care in the slightest what the football fraternity think of him or his team. He has set out his stall and is sticking by it. The whole world was down on top of them last year, (myself included) because of their ultra defensive dour style of play. Jim McGuinness was vilified for tarnishing our ‘beautiful game’ with such an ugly conservative style of defensive system that saw supporters, including many from his own county, walk out in disgust from Croke Park, when Donegal missed a glorious opportunity to defeat a Dublin side that were there for the taking. In fact, I spent most of last summer hoping they would be beaten as I genuinely hated their style of play. The reality is, they have some fantastic forwards, last year, inexplicably, they utilised them so far from goal that they rarely got an opportunity to do serious damage to any opposition. Six points against Dublin in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final is a case in point. This year they are unquestionably easier on the eye and appear to have realised that they have the ability to be serious contenders for an All-Ireland title if they are prepared to play a more attacking expansive brand of football. I admire them for that and for the fact that they have refined their system which now has seen them score an average of 18 points per game in the five games they have played in this year’s championship. They have also retained their air tight defensive system, only conceding a single goal from open play. And to be fair Jim McGuinness deserves great credit for turning the fortunes of a county whose team, up to last year, were the party, fun loving boys of the inter-county scene.

Kelly's men look to become tomorrow’s heroes

Fri, Aug 24, 2012

It may have taken only two games to get this far, but come 2.30pm in Ennis tomorrow and the chance to win a Celtic Cross over the next 60 minutes, every ball will be contested as ferociously as if it were the senior equivalent in Croke Park on Sunday September 23.

Monaghan stand in Mayo's way

Fri, Aug 24, 2012

It's Ulster opposition once again for the Mayo ladies senior football side as they aim to make it back into the All Ireland semi-final tomorrow. The ladies this time will meet old rivals Monaghan for a place in the last four of the competition. Mayo picked up the pieces from a shattering defeat to Galway in the Connacht final late on to see off the challenge of Tyrone in the last round of qualifiers with a 3-12 to 1-4 win over the O'Neill county girls, thanks in no small part to the talents of Cora Staunton, which continue to be one of the major driving forces in this side. The Carnacon sharp shooter scored 3-11 of Mayo's total that day as part of an amazing performance.

No new major injury concerns for Mayo ahead of Dubs clash

Fri, Aug 24, 2012

Mayo manager James Horan has no fresh injury worries so far in the build up to Sunday week’s All Ireland semi-final against Dublin. Speaking to the media this week in the lead into the game the Ballintubber club man said: “No, not outside Andy [Moran], we’re in pretty good form, and training well. Ronan McGarrity has a sore calf muscle. But outside that we’re in good shape.”

Filling the hole left by the Mayo captain will be one of the big talking points ahead of the game in nine days time, but Horan is confident that the players are there to come in and step up to the plate come Sunday week. “As we said before, Andy will be a huge loss but we're very lucky, we've an extremely strong panel and we saw that when Andy got injured in the game when the subs that came on actually increased the tempo in the game and we kicked on again, which was a good sign for me. And that's been the way in training since, and we've four or five guys who have shown really well since and we’re happy with the way things have gone and we've had a positive bounce from the Andy injury.”

Referees announced for semi-final showdowns

Fri, Aug 17, 2012

With the club championship providing plenty of distraction last weekend from the impending All Ireland semi-final with the defending All Ireland champions, this weekend the build up to the showdown really cranked up.

Keeping tabs on home from afar

Fri, Aug 17, 2012

I am in Chicago for a week's holiday, visiting my daughter Tressan and some friends so I didn't get to see any of the club action last weekend. However, while out at a rather quiet Gaelic Park last Sunday I was given a detailed run down on all of the club championship games by a very enthusiastic Ballintubber native, Vincent Finnerty.

Incidentally, he is convinced now that it is almost a certainty his home club will not be stopped from a three in a row which, if it happens, will be a fantastic achievement. However, that kind of talk is a little premature at this juncture as Crossmolina must be bang in form after their emphatic victory over Westport. Castlebar Mitchels will, understandably, be extremely disappointed not to have advanced to the semi-finals and, for the third year in a row, for failing to beat Ballintubber in the Championship. I spoke with Pat Holmes, the Castlebar Mitchels manager, before I departed and he was reasonably confident that his charges could not be in better shape for the challenge. To be perfectly honest I wasn't as convinced, not because I didn't think they were good enough, but because this Ballintubber side have really matured into a very good team and are proving very difficult to beat. Their success has clearly demonstrated that they are as hungry now for this year's title as they were three years ago. Watching them over the last few years, what has become evident is that not alone have they a number of key individuals to turn to when the going gets tough, but their trade mark cohesiveness and manic-like work ethic for one another are still to the fore. This kind of camaraderie is not unusual for 'country' teams and it is clear that the Ballintubber lads have a great unity of purpose when the pressure is at its greatest. They really do look formidable again this year and with the minor adjustments made to their style of play by successive managers, one would have to agree that they will be the favourites to land another Moclair this year. However, I know from my involvement with Crossmolina over the last few years that they (Crossmolina) will not be in any fear of playing the two-time champions in a couple of weeks time. They have made an enormous improvement over the last two months and, having progressed to a quarter final by the skin of their teeth, maybe lady luck is smiling down on them in 2012. They were savaged by injuries to a number of key players for a couple of the earlier rounds and having watched how poor they were in the defeat to Ballinrobe during the Group stages, the spot light will undoubtedly focus a little more closely on them at this stage of the competition. Ballaghdareen's progress to the semi- final stages of the championship is not a surprise and their clash with Knockmore in the other semi-final will be equally fascinating.

Captain’s prize up for grabs in Balla this weekend

Fri, Aug 17, 2012

Balla
It was a very busy week in Balla Golf Club at the turn of the month with the Balla Open Classic taking place over the course of seven days. The competition was won by the team of G Kilgallon, C Henry, K O’Connor, and M Flanagan on a score of 118. The men’s team prize went to D Dempsey, D Roche, L Timmiss and P McDonnell, with M Gormally, M Flanagan, G Kilgallon, and C McNulty taking the ladies’ prize. The visitors prize was won by the foursome of M Walsh, P Tawse, M Sullivan, and N Moran. There were also holes in one from Kevin Bourke on the seventh and Geraldine O’Malley on the 13th.

Coyle looks to stay the champion tonight

Fri, Aug 17, 2012

Tonight in the Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Henry ‘The Western Warrior’ Coyle will put his World Boxing Foundation light middleweight title on the line for the first time. The Geesala native won the title last August with a technical knock out over Italian Elio Cotena in the same venue, and this evening he will be squaring up against 34-year-old Argentinean hit man Marcelo Alejandro Rodriguez with the title on the line.

Coyle knows that he will have to be on top of his game if he is going to retain his title against Rodriguez who has a 79 bouts under his belt, nearly four times as many as Coyle, as a professional and the Argentinean is coming into the contest with 60 wins from those professional fights and 43 of them coming by the way of knock out. His latest fight saw him pick up a knock out win over Hernan Arredondo in Buenos Aires back in June.

Final four places in senior championship decided

Sun, Aug 12, 2012

Could Castlebar Mitchels stop Ballintubber's drive for three senior titles in a row? That was the big question that was being asked in the lead up to last weekends quarter finals in the Treanlaur Catering Senior Football Championship. After 60 minutes of battle on Sunday evening, for the third year in row, Ballintubber emerged victorious from the heat of championship battle with their near neighbors.

Brilliant performance was based on hard work

Fri, Aug 10, 2012

I sent a text to a Dublin friend of mine at half time during Mayo’s match against Down last Saturday telling him that, for the first time ever while following Mayo teams in Croke Park, I was going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the second half safe in the knowledge that we had almost definitely secured our place in the last four.

Hickey claims the big prize in Ballyhaunis

Fri, Aug 10, 2012

Ballina
The club classic competition last weekend saw the foursome of Joe Corcoran, Stephen Casey, David Finnerty and Ollie Bolton take first place on 103pts. Second place went to the team lead by Padraig Prendergast on 102pts, with Michael McNamara’s side finishing in third place. The nearest the pin challenge on the 18th hole was won by Robbie McGinty. In the stroke competition, Glen Forde was the winner on 64 nett, with John Fitzpatrick second and Stephen Doherty third. The trio of Liam Casey, Kenny Casey and Mickey Tighe won the nine-hole scramble.

Gleeson and Bidwell taking Swinford 8k wins

Fri, Aug 10, 2012

Swinford AC hosted its annual 8k on Sunday. It was also the fourth race in Mayo AC's C&C Cellular Road League. The turnout was slightly down on last year but conditions were good and the race put some síamsa on the local sráide

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