I just wanted to make this point; I think it was wrong that Eddie Kinsella got to referee a big semi final game with Castlebar involved, two years ago he ref the final between Vincent's n Castlebar and he had to make a massive decision early on with Richie Feeney getting a black card who is a huge player for Castlebar and an inter county player so to put Eddie in such another big game involving Castlebar was wrong imo and no doubt from his performance he seemed to favour Castlebar a bit but I still thought Castlebar were the better team and deserved to win.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 16/02/2016 11:45:17    1825705

It's not really tenable to allocate referees based on past decisions against certain clubs and so on; most clubs in the country probably maintain the Ref X or Y has wronged them in the past. As for 2014, Feeney's challenge was crazy given the publicity surrounding the introduction of the black card earlier that year and was a definite black card. I can't recall Mitchels or Feeney complaining much about the decision.

http://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/67876/castlebar-mitchels-disappointed-but-ready-to-regroup

http://www.hoganstand.com/Football/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=212176

Whether Crossmaglen were wronged or not is for others to say.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 16/02/2016 12:15:22    1825721

But he's a Laois ref who has only ref Mitchell's twice '14 and Saturdays semi it's not like inter county reffing were you ref the same counties all the time, this is a club team from Mayo completely different , it was a definite black card but it was early in the game and he's only human he probably felt a bit guilty.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 16/02/2016 14:38:45    1825780

He'll not be getting any Xmas cards from anyone in Crossmaglen after that reffing display. He gave Castlebar a few iffy ones.
Cross will be back. They showed glimpses of what they can do if things go right and not a club team in Ireland would beat them if they hit form. They didn't play to their full potential at all in that match that's what was disappointing for me.

Grey_Wolf (Leitrim) - Posts: 236 - 16/02/2016 15:30:13    1825803

Grey_wolf, I'm intrigued to learn how you know that Cross did not play to 'their full potential' against Castlebar.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 16/02/2016 15:38:19    1825814

He'll not be getting any Xmas cards from anyone in Crossmaglen after that reffing display. He gave Castlebar a few iffy ones.
Cross will be back. They showed glimpses of what they can do if things go right and not a club team in Ireland would beat them if they hit form. They didn't play to their full potential at all in that match that's what was disappointing for me.

Grey_Wolf (Leitrim) - Posts:179 - 16/02/2016 15:30:13 1825803

It wouldn't surprise me if Cross came back because they have a very good minor team coming though however Kilcoo, Omagh and Castlebar have all beat them in the last few years so it will be a worry to them. Great structures within the club but having sure a weak county championship doesn't help them.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2093 - 16/02/2016 15:48:32    1825820

I hope Young Eddie doesn't get another match the rest of the year, Poor game for him and I hope the GAA look into it and its not the first time with Armagh and other Ulster teams he has been poor. IM taking nothing away from Castlebar and I hope they go on to win it some very good footballers and some nice scores from play, But my god some of the simple frees they got and in front of the goal, The advantage rule is 6 seconds from what I know, not when a team doesn't get nothing out of the play 10seconds later then take it back!! He black Carded P.Mckeown and yes it was a Black card but there was black cards before and after that not Givin!! The extra time was 4 mins the ball wasn't in play for 2 never mind 4, cross wanted the ball back and Castlebar started pushing shoving and no added time added on, POOR Refereeing I have to say!!

Taking the ref out of it a great game of football and some nice scores, I don't think the best team won but Castlebar are a serious outfit, if we have games in the summer as close and hard hitting without a word or falling over from both teams this summers football will be unreal!! Good luck Castlebar On Paddys day

youngfella27 (Armagh) - Posts: 110 - 16/02/2016 16:34:12    1825845

Every1 says a poor Armagh championship I Would like to see St Patricks or Harps or Maghery out in Ulster for once and play the Great clubs they would do as well as cross, The teams in Armagh aren't that bad Cross are good and would go into other counties and win county titles and Tyrone ppl are the worst for saying this and what has Omagh, Clonoe, Coalisland Carrickmore, Errigal newly crowned Champions Trillick do when they get out of the County Championship?? Armagh Football isn't as bad as Every1 makes out!!!!

youngfella27 (Armagh) - Posts: 110 - 16/02/2016 16:43:18    1825852

Ah young fella come on 19 championships in a row is an embarrassment for Armagh club football in all fairness.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 16/02/2016 16:53:09    1825859

Every1 says a poor Armagh championship I Would like to see St Patricks or Harps or Maghery out in Ulster for once and play the Great clubs they would do as well as cross, The teams in Armagh aren't that bad Cross are good and would go into other counties and win county titles and Tyrone ppl are the worst for saying this and what has Omagh, Clonoe, Coalisland Carrickmore, Errigal newly crowned Champions Trillick do when they get out of the County Championship?? Armagh Football isn't as bad as Every1 makes out!!!!

youngfella27 (Armagh) - Posts:95 - 16/02/2016 16:43:18 1825852

Errigal have won the Ulster Championship twice beating Cross along the way and Omagh reached the Ulster Final beating Cross in the process.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2093 - 16/02/2016 16:58:09    1825863

I agree the ref was poor....iffy decisions against both teams...Castlebar coming out better. Great game of football though and played in the right spirit. I am biased but I think Castlebar were as good as Cross and had some bad wides themselves along with a goal chance. The key point was def just before half time when a goal for cross was cleared of the line, meant Mitchells went in just three point's down. Funnily enough I believed if they came out to play in the second half they had a great chance.....whatever way you look at it in the first half Cross were excellent but mitchells were poor.

BTW - Must be great to be able to comment here of a ref's performance, have your view's taken on board respectfully. A Mayo man complains about a ref and everyone tell's him to go back in his box and stop complaining.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11540 - 16/02/2016 17:08:45    1825867

Eddie from Laois was poor - but was poor for both sides..... Well done Castlebar and best of luck. It was a game of two halves, Cross were completly on top in the first half , which shows how good Castlebar were to turn it round.....
I though the Cross management made a few strange calls........ but this is football... this is life.....
As regards the previous comment about the Armagh Championship, well it looks poor that a club can dominate it, but some of Cross' hardest matches are in Armagh, Cross struggled to beat Maghery by 3pts a game Maghery should have won...
2015 Ulster Senior Club Champions- Cross
2015 Ulster Minor Club Champions Cross
2015 Ulster U-16 Club Champions - Clann Eireann Lurgan-
2016 Ulster U-21 Club semi-finalists - lost by a last minute goal - St. Pat's Cullyhanna ........ i think we are OK in club football!!

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 16/02/2016 18:00:13    1825890

Ballyboden are appealing the red card.

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 16/02/2016 18:00:19    1825891

The Cross invincible myth is gone for good and that has to be welcomed. Their reputation alone has beaten a lot teams in Armagh and Ulster before they took to the pitch against them but Castlebar thankfully have holed that one below the waterline. This gives Armagh and Ulster teams a great boost.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 16/02/2016 19:38:32    1825934

Well Ulsterman if you think that a 1 point lose in an AI semi is all of a sudden going to sink us for good then you are sadly mistaken. Castlebar won on merit, they got their game going right in the second half and started winning the midfield battles that we were winning in the first half. The key point was the 4 point turnaround of the missed goal and point scored at the other end. I have to say if we had scored that goal we are now preparing for an AI final and would be going in as favourites to win.

As regards the teams that have beaten us since we last won the AI, St Brigids beat us by a point in the AI semi in 2013 after a dubious enough goal won it for them late on. St Brigids went on to win the AI. Kilcoo beat us in the Ulster Championship after extra time in a replay. We were decimated with injuries and absentees with Jamie being away and AK injured and they could only pull away from us in extra time after we had 2 men sent off. Omagh beat us by a point, once again only going ahead with 2 lates points after we had 2 men sent off and we were missing AK again that day. We have been 1 score away from winning all these games and people seem to think we are on the way out. Trust me I know the quality that is coming from the minors this year and next and they are better than what is on the squad at the minute. We will lose men to retirements over the next few years but I firmly believe we will be stronger in the next few years than we have been for a long time.

RangerDanger (Armagh) - Posts: 101 - 17/02/2016 13:04:47    1826083

Honestly if BallyB don't find a performance similar to their victory of Vincent's

I see a +3 Castlebar win

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 17/02/2016 13:27:36    1826091

I fancy a Castlebar/Na Piarsaigh All Ireland double.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 17/02/2016 13:38:16    1826097

Why isn't Dotsy playing with them? All Ireland club finals don't come around to often he's mad not to be involved imo.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 17/02/2016 13:53:21    1826111

Errigal have won the Ulster Championship twice beating Cross along the way and Omagh reached the Ulster Final beating Cross in the process.

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts:45 - 16/02/2016 16:58:09 1825863

Congrats lad 1 team have won Ulster makes your county championship the best lol The team that won the Championship this year was beaten in the Intermediate final the year before by 15points, Dungannon were Relegated the team that won it, what does that say about Tyrone club football!!!

Also Cross had to beat the ref that day against Omagh, but that's football, Armagh Football isn't in a bad state at the minute...

youngfella27 (Armagh) - Posts: 110 - 18/02/2016 09:11:20    1826241

For a team that supposedly gets on with it and doesn't complain there is an awful lot of talk about having to beat ref's as well as the opposition and excuses for defeats that it was only because we had two men sent of here and another two there - should the blame for this not lie with the players who got themselves sent for first and foremost rather than the refs?
Lets face it the Armagh championship is as about exciting and open as a general election in China, kid yourselves different if you want no one else is falling for it.

benched (Tyrone) - Posts: 534 - 18/02/2016 10:07:32    1826255