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Carlow GAA thread

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Replying To CARPS:  "I warned stuff like this would happened when the county board ditched our wonderful split season.

Expect Naomh Brid to struggle badly this year and Carlow Town and Burren Rangers to go backwards too. And Mt Leinster Rangers to fall off in football.

The whole thing is a disaster."
All the above team's made little or no progress during the split season.
Our leinster club form dropped significantly in both codes.
Player's will have a preference for either hurling or football and split or non split won't change that.

At least now Player's that take their game seriously have a proper summers hurling or football to look foward to. Not a championship that is run off in 5 weeks.
That won't improve either code.

With small playing numbers like we have (especially in hurling)
Quality is more important the quantity.

Skippy2 (Carlow) - Posts: 82 - 14/03/2026 21:17:46    2661182

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I can safely say that was the worst performance of forward play I've ever seen from any team anywhere. Some of the misses in the first half were just jaw dropping. A 20m free kicked wide from in front of the posts was matched by another 4-5 equally shocking misses. Dreadful decision making then compounded it. Why would we move a 20m free back out to the 40m D for a two pointer when the free taker had been kicking wide after wide and very clearly we needed a score to settle us.

It started off bad (which is now usual - why do we start every game so badly) and it just seemed that Conor Doyle apart no one played without fear. The malaise and self doubts and fear of taking a shot on just spread through the team like wildfire.

Then the basic handling and ball control was just atrocious all over the park. They played like lads who never ever played football before. How can so many lads miss-solo a ball I cannot understand. We're getting to the stage of the season when skill levels should be getting sharper not the type of blunt lack of basic skill we saw tonight.

With a great start we got ourselves into a situation where we just needed to win one of our last three games to be promoted and now we're down to the last chance saloon. Mess this up and honestly we may just give it up. It would surely be the worst collapse of any GAA team in history. At this stage I can only hope that there will be a massive backlash next weekend and we take it out on Leitrim. But that's just hope on my part now, not belief that that's what will happen.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1799 - 14/03/2026 21:22:16    2661184

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "As bad of a performance that I have seen in a long long time. The free missed right in front of the posts summed it up.

Onto next weekend. Still in our hands."
Correct me if I'm mistaken, I don't think it's still in our hands.

Should Tipperary beat Wicklow tomorrow and follow it up with a likely victory over Waterford they will finish on 11pts. Meanwhile if Longford defeat Leitrim tomorrow they would face Wicklow next week (if Wicklow lose tomorrow, they would have nothing to play for v Longford . Perhaps they would be potentially motivated to play their u20s again in this scenario as they won't want to face a newly promoted confident Carlow side in their opening Championship match 2 weeks later?) so, if both Tipperary & Longford win their next two games they will each finish on 11pts. We can only finish on 10pts with a win v Leitrim next week. In fact, Longford may only need to finish on 10pts as they have us beat on H2H - so a win and a draw is enough for Longford.

All eyes on Wicklow V Tipp tomorrow!

Bad showing from our lads tonight, a real missed opportunity. Not only that, but a 5 point loss equals our biggest ever defeat to London at home. Also happened in 2017 when London beat us 2-15 to 16pts on home turf. Please god Tipp don't win tomorrow and we get over the line next week against lovely Leitrim.

Carlowrising (Carlow) - Posts: 200 - 14/03/2026 21:30:23    2661185

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I have seen plenty of bad days but because of what was on the line today that has to be one of the worst performances ever by a Carlow Football team.
After losing to Longford you would think we would have rectified our mistakes & got over the line today.
No we sank deeper into our shell & put in a brutal performance. Having said that if we took our chances we could have won but there's no doubt the better team won. I sick after that & have no faith in them beating leitrim now. What do they say " it's the hope that kills you"
Team selection is also a major talking point. I've said it before but our kick outs are killing us. Not up to inter county standard but I'm sure I'll be pulled up on that. Starting John Phiri in his first game back after injury was also a mistake & I would have started John Murphy. We lacked leaders tonight & even though he's a good age now I would have loved to see Darragh Foley in the 26 as he could have steadied the ship. Joe will have a lot to ponder.
As always I'll go to the leitrim game in hope but tonight has left me bitterly disappointed & I've lost trust in this team

carlo (Carlow) - Posts: 318 - 14/03/2026 22:18:19    2661188

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "As bad of a performance that I have seen in a long long time. The free missed right in front of the posts summed it up.

Onto next weekend. Still in our hands."
Very suprised how things have gone for Carlow over the last few weeks. Longford will probably beat us tomorrow and go top. Assuming no draw between Wicklow & Tipp, one of them will join ye so a lot of pressure going into next week. Ye probably will do enough to go up, can't see a win for us next weekend as the steam well and truly went out of our season after the London game.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1877 - 14/03/2026 22:50:41    2661192

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Scratch that, my mistake, I see Tipperary are actually only on 6pts not 7 so thankfully it is still in our hands!

Carlowrising (Carlow) - Posts: 200 - 14/03/2026 23:00:51    2661195

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If you ever wanted to understand how psychology is paramount to sport, just look at Carlow over the last few weeks. This is why Mayo can't win an all Ireland final, Wexford are able to beat Kilkenny - when it matters - but nobody else from the elite, Kerry win games they shouldn't, Carlow can't beat Laois, Irish rugby can't get past a World Cup quarter final, England choke at major soccer tournaments, etc

There is simply no other explanation for what has happened than it's all in the head. Look at the first 15-20 minutes yesterday? It was basically self sabotage.

You can say this lad shouldn't be picked or this lad could make things better. But the reality is that the same players who comfortably beat Wicklow and Tipperary and Antrim now are struggling against sides of similar standard.

If you didn't know better, you'd swear we love being in Division 4. It's like some kind of Stockholm syndrome. The GAA version of Dog Day Afternoon.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1055 - 15/03/2026 10:59:24    2661228

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "I can safely say that was the worst performance of forward play I've ever seen from any team anywhere. Some of the misses in the first half were just jaw dropping. A 20m free kicked wide from in front of the posts was matched by another 4-5 equally shocking misses. Dreadful decision making then compounded it. Why would we move a 20m free back out to the 40m D for a two pointer when the free taker had been kicking wide after wide and very clearly we needed a score to settle us.

It started off bad (which is now usual - why do we start every game so badly) and it just seemed that Conor Doyle apart no one played without fear. The malaise and self doubts and fear of taking a shot on just spread through the team like wildfire.

Then the basic handling and ball control was just atrocious all over the park. They played like lads who never ever played football before. How can so many lads miss-solo a ball I cannot understand. We're getting to the stage of the season when skill levels should be getting sharper not the type of blunt lack of basic skill we saw tonight.

With a great start we got ourselves into a situation where we just needed to win one of our last three games to be promoted and now we're down to the last chance saloon. Mess this up and honestly we may just give it up. It would surely be the worst collapse of any GAA team in history. At this stage I can only hope that there will be a massive backlash next weekend and we take it out on Leitrim. But that's just hope on my part now, not belief that that's what will happen."
Onion Breath (Carlow) I am thinking that Div.4 is the most difficult to escape from, you know yourself only two teams can do it but they all think even now they are in with a chance of doing damage, I'm going no further than predicting a draw result against London in their own back yard, after that who knows what's going to happen.

For what it's worth, I have seen Carlow lose the odd game that was easier to win, have you not.?

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3380 - 02/03/2026 17:20:05 2659580

The current crop of players had the skill and the ability to top div.4 to win promotion, it's my believe they bring with them into some games a fixed mind set, i.e. the fear of losing, they brought it into the Longford game and most certainly into the London game.

I've said it before Carlow have a habit of losing games that is easier to win, however at best I can only see a draw match against Leitrim.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3381 - 15/03/2026 11:13:12    2661230

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Replying To Square_B:  "Very suprised how things have gone for Carlow over the last few weeks. Longford will probably beat us tomorrow and go top. Assuming no draw between Wicklow & Tipp, one of them will join ye so a lot of pressure going into next week. Ye probably will do enough to go up, can't see a win for us next weekend as the steam well and truly went out of our season after the London game."
Pressure and lack of confidence. There were a few opportunities where our forwards would usually knocks over a two pointer and just hesitated on the ball. Happened a few times unfortunately.

Would like to think Poacher and St Ledger would do us a favour but that's not how they think.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 127 - 15/03/2026 11:23:52    2661234

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We can still get promoted but this is majorly disappointing. Something isn't right in there.

Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1744 - 15/03/2026 11:35:22    2661236

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Replying To carlo:  "I have seen plenty of bad days but because of what was on the line today that has to be one of the worst performances ever by a Carlow Football team.
After losing to Longford you would think we would have rectified our mistakes & got over the line today.
No we sank deeper into our shell & put in a brutal performance. Having said that if we took our chances we could have won but there's no doubt the better team won. I sick after that & have no faith in them beating leitrim now. What do they say " it's the hope that kills you"
Team selection is also a major talking point. I've said it before but our kick outs are killing us. Not up to inter county standard but I'm sure I'll be pulled up on that. Starting John Phiri in his first game back after injury was also a mistake & I would have started John Murphy. We lacked leaders tonight & even though he's a good age now I would have loved to see Darragh Foley in the 26 as he could have steadied the ship. Joe will have a lot to ponder.
As always I'll go to the leitrim game in hope but tonight has left me bitterly disappointed & I've lost trust in this team"
Our kickouts? Is that a joke surely? Of all the things to pick out. Our kickouts were very good yesterday we won a very high percentage of them. I actually wonder if you understand the game at all if that's what you took from it.

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 91 - 15/03/2026 13:33:26    2661253

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Division 4 never fails to deliver. Are all teams in a shot to go up now bar Waterford? Last thing we needed unfortunately

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 127 - 15/03/2026 16:01:11    2661274

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The amount of key board analysts here is gas … every division has ups & downs … but here's the fact! How many times have Carlow been top of the division with one game to go??? Cop on lads if you want to have your influence & impact go next Sunday to NCP & get behind our boys instead of sprouting your negative nonsense here

Fenaghman1 (Carlow) - Posts: 4 - 15/03/2026 16:56:04    2661291

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Replying To TheBarrowLad:  "A Fenagh man scoring a goal for London against Carlow tonight"
It could happen again next Sunday as Leitrim's forwards are likely to include 3 Fenagh men (O'Rourkes X 2 and McLoughlin).

Boxtyeater (Leitrim) - Posts: 767 - 15/03/2026 17:59:56    2661314

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The question is can either county be trusted next Sunday ???

Anyway good luck to ye, hope ye go up.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2967 - 15/03/2026 18:08:03    2661321

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