Well well well!! Yup the Lillies. Makes it all the sweeter that it was Kerry we beat!!

lilylanger (Kildare) - Posts: 758 - 15/07/2018 12:54:56    2122019

Congrats to Kildare and Mayo on reaching the final. It just shows the bookies know more than we do especially in relation to Mayo. I had them down as 33/1 shots rather than the 12/1-14/1 at the start. Obviously found players and really developed since the minor grade in 2016 as that side was nowhere near good enough to be contesting an AI final 2 years later. I watched a replay of the Kildare Kerry game and it was a cracker. A sore one for Kerry supporters already down Sean O'Shea and David Clifford. The goal conceded was a gift added to a free off the post in front of the posts plus that ball over the sideline at the end of injury time with Kildare on the rack. Fair play to Kildare though who were largely the better team until the last 10 mins and the added time on. The work they have put in at underage levels over the last few years deserves an AI title and to right some of the wrongs of the heavy defeats outside of the province in the same time. One thing that really struck me was the size and physicality of both sides. In Donegal we had high aspirations with our U-20 side this year but physically I fear we would have been blown away by both Kerry and Kildare. Commiserations also to Derry. I think most of that team are U-20 next year so don't be surprised to see them at the latter stages again next year. Lets just hope the GAA make a better job of the shambolic scheduling of fixtures with the competition. Something similar with the U-17 championship. I think both competitions got far more exposure in their old formats which is a shame for the young players involved.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 15/07/2018 15:06:22    2122096

kingpuck71 (Derry) - Posts: 689 - 17/07/2018 09:45:07    2123008

Congrats to both team Kildare in particular as id have a Leinster bias. Hoping they can go all the way, be great for football in Leinster to keep this championship in the province.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 17/07/2018 09:51:15    2123010

How Derry didn't get the ball more to Calum Brown I'll never know , we'll done mayo n Kildare , new rules unfair on Kerry they'd of walked it with Clifford and O Se.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 17/07/2018 10:20:31    2123029

JDF (Galway) - Posts: 322 - 19/07/2018 15:06:19    2123785

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 19/07/2018 16:43:49    2123815

They beat a very good Derry team who were the best team in Ulster so deserve their place in the final regardless of games played. I know Galway were missing a huge player for them in Evan Murphy and had a man sent off against Roscommon and will wonder what might have been but Mayo thoroughly deserve to be where they after completely blowing away Roscommon in the final. I was dead against the rule changes at the time and I think it has been proved correct. I was amazed and still amazed by the lack of outcry there was. It seems it missed most people until the situation regarding Cian Johnstone in Offaly. The U-21 Championship is a massive loss to the calendar and when the same changes were not made in hurling you have to wonder what was the motive. Obviously teams in perceived weaker counties were going to lose lads to the senior panel so don't see how the change could be argued to be beneficial to the development of players in those counties. Basically like the Super 8's there was congress men there signing up for this and gave it little or no thought. The coverage of the U-17 championship has been appalling to be quite frank. The Leinster model should be universal in all provinces. I do not understand why one province differs from the other in this regard makes little sense. Also the scheduling of fixtures should give leeway for college and school exams. In Donegal we were down a couple of valuable players because of this. The likelihood is that it will get reverted back. That will leave a very very sour taste for those players who were eligible for U-21 this year but not U-20. Of course I am biased in this regard as Donegal were big losers here as we would have probably won Ulster minimum.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 19/07/2018 17:43:57    2123826

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 414 - 19/07/2018 20:29:08    2123862

I think the gaa have made a complete balls up of both the u17 and u20 competitions
you had two brilliant minor u18 and u21 competitions that were a huge success,
what they have done now has completely devalued and ruined both competitions,
the u21 for one was made a scapegoat for the player burn out issue
when all they had to do was to bring that rule in about not playing senior and u21at the same time
as the u21 was run off before the senior champ started it wasn't an issue then
now we are left with 2 competitions that no one has much interest in,
and some young players left in limbo at 21 too old for u20 and not ready for senior.
the old minor u18 used to be played with the senior match
or as a curtain raiser for prov. final meaning young players played in front of bigger crowds

rhudson (Galway) - Posts: 1478 - 19/07/2018 21:59:04    2123878

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 19/07/2018 22:47:51    2123889

JDF (Galway) - Posts: 322 - 21/07/2018 13:31:46    2124247

Shame the hurling replay is been shown while this game is on.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 29/07/2018 21:15:36    2127369

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 29/07/2018 22:45:27    2127403

Unavoidable and another disaster that has marred this new championship sadly. Again if it ain't broke why fix it.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 29/07/2018 22:57:30    2127406

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 30/07/2018 09:59:06    2127451

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 30/07/2018 10:37:12    2127463

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 30/07/2018 12:04:32    2127499

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 30/07/2018 12:14:13    2127506

The grey haired men in suits replaced a good U21 championship with this now diluted and poorly ran U20 championship. If supporters,players and management had a vote they would have kept on the U21 championship no question.

This new U20 championship would handle the myth of burn out we were told. Yet from our own point of view we had to play 3 games in 3 weeks, conditioned seniors find it though to do that never mind U20s as was the case for this years Connacht final. In that final it was still in the balance with 15 mins to play 1-8 to 1-5 but we had no kick left in. From then on it was one way traffic as a fresher Mayo powered home.

Scheduling the Connacht championship during exams was a total farce also. Unlike others we put education first and lads sat their exams instead of playing football and on top of the many injuries we had It meant we were left with a threadbare panel.

Hopefully the powers to be see that changes need to made next year and any competition should not be played without its best players as was the case with Kerry without O Shea,Clifford. Common sense scheduling would be playing games March,April instead of clash with exams in June and AI series played the height of summer where senior hurling and football totally overshadows everything else. GAA HQ scheduling the senior hurling replay for 2pm while knowing the U21 football final is on at 1:15 shows how important they think of the latter competition is..

Lastly i'd like to wish my Connacht neighbours all the best in the All Ireland final this Sunday. It should be interesting to see how many Kildare and Mayo players make the step up and become established seniors in the years ahead.

The_analyser (Roscommon) - Posts: 3743 - 31/07/2018 15:04:43    2127891