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Hard to argue with most of your analysis. If An Tochair beat Avondale I would expect them to account for Bray too - maybe by 3 or 4. Reason I say this is I think that AGB took the wind out of An Tochair sails which was a reminder to them that they are young and green. They are slowly getting back on track. They could have beaten Blesso and should have beaten Kiltegan. If they get their show fully on the road, I think that Bray might struggle to hold them. Elsewhere the only other one that might go astray is Balto versus the villagers. Balto are not having a great year and Rathnew could add to their woes.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1326 - 12/09/2023 11:27:24 2503954 Link 0 |
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The first part of your post re the organisers I fully agree with. It's a long time since so many sides had so much to play for - at either end of the tables. I wonder if Oisin is taking note.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1326 - 12/09/2023 11:30:01 2503956 Link 0 |
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Agree. Organisers have gotten it spot on this year. Some teams have already qualified and could use this weekend to rest players. AGB v Kiltegan …….. Kiltegan by 1. AGB home and hosed Balto v Rathnew ……Rathnew by 3 Villagers will be looking to sort out last weekends defeat. Tinahely v Eire Og… Eire Og by 2. Seem to have quietly put a good squad together with introduction of some youth along with Stephen Kelly/Darren Hayden experience. Blesso v Avondale Blesso by 4. Blesso too much for Avondale Dunlavin v St Pats .. Pats by 2. Dunlavin have been very unlucky this year. Should have beaten Rathnew and very close to Tinahely. Pats should have enough in the tank to account for them though. An Tochar v Bray ….. An Tochar by 6. Straight shoot out but think Roundwood will have too much for Bray especially off the back of tonight's game v Avondale. CillMhantainAbu (Wicklow) - Posts: 6 - 12/09/2023 21:29:49 2504057 Link 0 |
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Agreed credit must go to organiser of the championship. One thing I would tweak is to move some of the group games around the county a little bit if geography works for the teams playing. Maybe places like Ashford, Hollywood or Roundwood could be used for some group games. Also maybe an unworkable one, if there is double headers to try get the games a bit closer, I feel in the past this was the case. Groundskeeper5 (Wicklow) - Posts: 24 - 13/09/2023 09:23:11 2504078 Link 1 |
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AGB v Kilteegan Draw An tochar beat Bray by 5 Blessington beat Adale by 9 Eire Og Tinahely draw Baltinglass beat Rathnew by 4 St Pats beat Dunlavin by 11 heavyheart19 (Wicklow) - Posts: 146 - 13/09/2023 10:08:05 2504087 Link 0 |
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While I agree with moving games around when it suits the fixture, I went to the Intermediate double header in Ashford on Sunday. The pitch is appalling, there's fields at home in better condition and whats worse is it wasnt even recently cut, with patches of dead grass from the week or two prior left on it. Looked appaling and you could hear all sets of players complaining about it as they were walkig in. Venues have to be up to scratch also. footballlover (Wicklow) - Posts: 98 - 13/09/2023 10:57:14 2504099 Link 0 |
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AGB v Kiltegan - AGB by 5. neutralfan (Wicklow) - Posts: 224 - 13/09/2023 14:03:25 2504152 Link 0 |
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There is a simple solution; install floodlights in the county grounds. Floodlights in the county ground would enable the county board to schedule matches during the week or on a Friday night. Currently, they can only play these matches on a Saturday or Sunday unless they schedule a game in Bray or Baltinglass; two clubs with the foresight to install floodlights. Why can club teams install floodlights but the county board can't? I am sure that people would attend night games in the county if they were available. Other counties have floodlights which has help boost the numbers attending games; the increase in attendance would result in the lights paying for themselves. This aside; the format of the senior championship this year has been a success. Lots of games for club teams and all played in a condensed period with matters and knock out places being decided, predominantly, in the last round of fixtures. I like the new format and I hope that they continue with the format next year.
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2038 - 13/09/2023 14:11:09 2504153 Link 0 |
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An tochar very impressive last night in the first half before Avondale began to get tired. I wonder did saturday evening psychologically impact Avondale. Id put money on An Tochar to beat Bray saturday evening. Mileythedog (Wicklow) - Posts: 57 - 13/09/2023 16:15:11 2504180 Link 0 |
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I think six team groups is actually too many games to be played expecting way too much of dual players and especially smaller junior and intermediate clubs that wouldn't have a big panel of players I feel a better system would be 3 groups of 4 in junior intermediate and senior top 2 in each group and 2 best placed 3rd teams qualifying for quarter finals 4 teams left in relegation semi finals
Sinbin (Wicklow) - Posts: 19 - 13/09/2023 21:25:17 2504215 Link 0 |
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I'm not sure i understand your logic. There is a small number of clubs that caters for hurling and football. The current format doesn't seem to be affecting Kiltegan who are having a good season to date. If we are to improve at intercounty level and to assist clubs compete in the leinster club championship, we need to expose players to competitive competition. This year's championship is serving this purpose. Players improve by playing and participating in competitive environments. League games don't offer this nor does training nor challenge games.
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2038 - 14/09/2023 17:46:46 2504290 Link 0 |
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Over the years Wicklow GAA has produced some high scoring forwards the likes of O'Brien ,Daye,Furlong,Gill,Glynn and Tony Hannon but the well has run dry in front of goal in recent years,I'm encouraged to read about a few high scoring players online and in the papers in the u15s championship in particular ,Pat Keogh from Dunlavin is a serious player who kicked a massive score a few weeks back and Oisin Dignam kicked 2:11 for rathnew this week and there is also a young o Leary chap from St Pats who kicked a big score in a recent game. Hopefully the county can keep these boys kicking points as I believe the taking of points from distance is on the return and the modern game is definitely a forwards game. Albundy19 (Wicklow) - Posts: 76 - 15/09/2023 12:45:46 2504347 Link 0 |
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Just checking odds of the games. Looking at the tables Arklow and Tinahely are guaranteed to top their group, so they surely rest key men. Good value there. Good odds for St Patrick's, Wicklow too as Dunlavin are already resigned to their fate. Any other game with value odds? Saintanto (UK) - Posts: 6 - 16/09/2023 13:02:48 2504434 Link 0 |
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I gave praise to the organisers for their format however why are we dragging this into October. willielee (Wicklow) - Posts: 42 - 17/09/2023 10:58:45 2504482 Link 1 |
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I did hear many players and mentors complaining of that 5/6 week lay off following the inter county lads being released. Other counties are finished or almost finished their championships. The new format is great but maybe Avondale and An Tochair might disagree when due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, these teams had to play 3 games in 7 days. There is no inbuilt mechanism to handle a replay once the programme kicks off.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1326 - 17/09/2023 11:59:16 2504486 Link 1 |
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So, the quarter finalists are known. I suppose the major shocks would be Balto and An Tochair not making them. An Tochair are still on a learning curve, albeit a harsh one. In championship football, every game has to be won and nothing can be taken for granted. To me, Balto are the biggest shock, in fact, one poster put on here a month or two ago that if Balto couldn't get out of a group of 6, it would show how low the standard of senior football within the county had dropped. I hope he is wrong on that. Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1326 - 18/09/2023 08:15:37 2504564 Link 0 |
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Yes all valid points, Very unfair on both teams. Agreed on that break been way to long also that was preceded by top four bottom four which seemed like filling time too . With the split season we are really are only in same place we always were. Saying that, I did like the format of the championships but could have been played during the summer.
Groundskeeper5 (Wicklow) - Posts: 24 - 18/09/2023 09:21:51 2504571 Link 0 |
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No team has a divine right to a quarter final spot and given it's played out over 5 games the table doesn't lie. Rathnew survive and somehow pulled a 6 point deficit around. SFC Tinahely v Bray Emmets: Tinahely by 4. Will have too much for Bray AGB v Éire Óg Greystones: AGB red hot favourites but going for an upset here. Eire Og by 1. St. Patrick's v Blessington: St Patricks hitting form at exactly the right time. Win by 3 Kiltegan v Rathnew: Too close to call so Rathnew by 1. IFC Hollywood v Donard/Glen: Hollywood by 3 Annacurra v Ballymanus: Annacurra by 4 Carnew v Barndarrig: Draw: Carnew win aet. Newtown v Valleymount: Valleymount by 2 CillMhantainAbu (Wicklow) - Posts: 6 - 18/09/2023 23:00:17 2504708 Link 0 |
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I wonder does Mister Harte heading for Derry have a knock-on affect on ourselves? FrankieJoe (Wicklow) - Posts: 87 - 19/09/2023 05:50:57 2504714 Link 0 |
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Just happened to browse into this thread as it was on top on the list when I got to Hogan Stand this morning. Interesting what you say, when you consider that here in Wexford, more than 90% of our club players are dual players, and we've been running a system of two groups of six in both our hurling and football championships every year since 2012 (apart from the 2020 & '21 'Covid championships'). And the players and clubs love it. As soon as they got the chance to return to that format after we had to do something different during the Covid years, they voted almost 100% for it. And with regard to the post you were replying to - are Bray and Baltinglass really the only clubs grounds in Wicklow with floodlights? Seems an extraordinarily small number. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 12 club grounds here in Wexford with lights, and there are probably more. By the way, am not claiming we're a role model in Wexford for how to do everything exactly right! Just pointing out how these two things that have been mentioned in this thread are different here south of the border, down 'Wexico' way. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2648 - 19/09/2023 08:44:47 2504719 Link 0 |