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Well done to Owenmore Gaels I watched the stream online and was good quality with good commentary too. Have to say though the officiating left a lot to be desired. Perfectly fine goal for Ballymote ruled out. Having said that OMG were just about the better side over the 60 mins.

Sligoman1234 (Sligo) - Posts: 359 - 15/10/2023 17:52:58    2508484

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Replying To Sligoman1234:  "Well done to Owenmore Gaels I watched the stream online and was good quality with good commentary too. Have to say though the officiating left a lot to be desired. Perfectly fine goal for Ballymote ruled out. Having said that OMG were just about the better side over the 60 mins."
Saw no football today. Who did the commentary?

eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 1658 - 15/10/2023 18:03:41    2508490

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That must be a record attendance for a Junior County final. Some atmosphere. It's a sign of the rise of football in the county. Fair play to both teams, the ref didn't help with continuous stoppages but Owenmore more than deserved their win. They have serious youth and pace throughout their team. They are on the way up. Congrats to them

ShellyGael (Sligo) - Posts: 105 - 15/10/2023 19:28:52    2508515

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Replying To eoinog:  "Saw no football today. Who did the commentary?"
Mark Irwin and Paul McNamara were on commentary. They did a good job.
Owenmore Gaels probably did deserve the win in the end although at times it looked to be getting away from them but they clawed it back and battled on.
Curry will play Senior again in 2024 and Farnans have got the chop.
A bad championship campaign for Shamrock Gaels seniors turned worse again when their intermediates lost to Castleconnor to relegate them down to Junior A. A big win for Castleconnor to stay up without Carrabine.

Sligobuck21 (Sligo) - Posts: 114 - 15/10/2023 19:56:22    2508521

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Was at the junior final today. Congratulations to OMG, they just about deserved the win in the end after a very competitive game.

Unfortunately the officiating was atrocious. Ref blew for frees every 30 seconds and took ages of time dealing with non issues. Ballymote had a good goal ruled out for over carrying which would've put them 6 points up I think.

The umpires were awful also, particularly the ones on the graveyard end. Didn't seem to have a clue where the balls were going and looking at each other before making decisions. Cannot understand why auld lads in their 50s and 60s with dodgy eyesight are allowed to umpire.

letsgosligo (Sligo) - Posts: 98 - 15/10/2023 20:59:31    2508538

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Unfortunately, I haven't made many games this year due to other commitments but I did attend the Junior A final. A fantastic occasion with both clubs well represented by a big crowd. Two standout players on the day were county men Mark Walsh and Jack Lavin. A competitive game of football, with both teams giving a good account of themselves, but there was very little flow to it due to the stop start nature of the refereeing. Owenmore regathered themselves and built momentum to lift the trophy. I'm sure they will represent the County well in Connacht in the coming weeks. As for Ballymote, it's what might have been, they will need to regroup again for next year.

Bloodsub6 (Sligo) - Posts: 28 - 16/10/2023 07:08:12    2508565

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Replying To letsgosligo:  "Was at the junior final today. Congratulations to OMG, they just about deserved the win in the end after a very competitive game.

Unfortunately the officiating was atrocious. Ref blew for frees every 30 seconds and took ages of time dealing with non issues. Ballymote had a good goal ruled out for over carrying which would've put them 6 points up I think.

The umpires were awful also, particularly the ones on the graveyard end. Didn't seem to have a clue where the balls were going and looking at each other before making decisions. Cannot understand why auld lads in their 50s and 60s with dodgy eyesight are allowed to umpire."
I mentioned umpire's in previous posts. The standard is terrible. It's a lot more important to have good umpires than good linesmen. An incorrect line bal by the linesman isn't as bad as an incorrect score or missed score by an umpire

eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 1658 - 16/10/2023 11:33:31    2508600

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Replying To Bloodsub6:  "Unfortunately, I haven't made many games this year due to other commitments but I did attend the Junior A final. A fantastic occasion with both clubs well represented by a big crowd. Two standout players on the day were county men Mark Walsh and Jack Lavin. A competitive game of football, with both teams giving a good account of themselves, but there was very little flow to it due to the stop start nature of the refereeing. Owenmore regathered themselves and built momentum to lift the trophy. I'm sure they will represent the County well in Connacht in the coming weeks. As for Ballymote, it's what might have been, they will need to regroup again for next year."
Part of my earlier message was edited. I had stated there was a perfectly good goal disallowed which would have left Ballymote 6 points clear....a poor decision at a critical point. OMG impressed in the last ten minutes to lift the cup.

Bloodsub6 (Sligo) - Posts: 28 - 16/10/2023 12:13:20    2508613

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Replying To Bloodsub6:  "Part of my earlier message was edited. I had stated there was a perfectly good goal disallowed which would have left Ballymote 6 points clear....a poor decision at a critical point. OMG impressed in the last ten minutes to lift the cup."
But Owenmore could have had 5-6 goals on another day was it not for an excellent save and the woodwork. Swings and roundabouts and the better team overall won in the end.

ShellyGael (Sligo) - Posts: 105 - 16/10/2023 13:43:29    2508639

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Replying To ShellyGael:  "But Owenmore could have had 5-6 goals on another day was it not for an excellent save and the woodwork. Swings and roundabouts and the better team overall won in the end."
Can't fault saves and hitting the post is part and parcel of the game. Poor officiating that cancel a huge score shouldn't be but unfortunately are. I agree though that Owenmore were the better outfit over the whole course of the game but I think the 4 point margin flattered them a bit. Nonetheless I hope they give Connacht a good go especially now that they have Glenfarne in a semi final.

Sligoman1234 (Sligo) - Posts: 359 - 16/10/2023 14:13:15    2508649

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Replying To Sligoman1234:  "Can't fault saves and hitting the post is part and parcel of the game. Poor officiating that cancel a huge score shouldn't be but unfortunately are. I agree though that Owenmore were the better outfit over the whole course of the game but I think the 4 point margin flattered them a bit. Nonetheless I hope they give Connacht a good go especially now that they have Glenfarne in a semi final."
In my opinion the ref ruined the game as a spectacle. This slowed Owenmore's momentum and ability to attack with speed. Were it a ref that let things flow, they would have won at a canter as the ref was blowing non stop yesterday. Agreed that the disallowed goal looked incorrect but he pulled an Owenmore back near the end for a similar amount of steps. Next years junior championship will just have two first teams unless Michaels can be let off the hook. I hope they are for the good of the junior A championship

ShellyGael (Sligo) - Posts: 105 - 16/10/2023 14:56:45    2508665

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Replying To ShellyGael:  "In my opinion the ref ruined the game as a spectacle. This slowed Owenmore's momentum and ability to attack with speed. Were it a ref that let things flow, they would have won at a canter as the ref was blowing non stop yesterday. Agreed that the disallowed goal looked incorrect but he pulled an Owenmore back near the end for a similar amount of steps. Next years junior championship will just have two first teams unless Michaels can be let off the hook. I hope they are for the good of the junior A championship"
I have to disagree....I believe if the goal stood, Ballymote would have held on. The momentum swung because of a bad decision. From my view, teams were evenly matched....I don't think any team 'would have won at a canter' if another was refereeing. Just my opinion....

Bloodsub6 (Sligo) - Posts: 28 - 16/10/2023 15:41:08    2508678

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In no particular order the best referees are Duffy,Gilmartin,Judge,Hynes,
Then you go downhill very fast.

eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 1658 - 17/10/2023 12:15:48    2508806

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Replying To ShellyGael:  "In my opinion the ref ruined the game as a spectacle. This slowed Owenmore's momentum and ability to attack with speed. Were it a ref that let things flow, they would have won at a canter as the ref was blowing non stop yesterday. Agreed that the disallowed goal looked incorrect but he pulled an Owenmore back near the end for a similar amount of steps. Next years junior championship will just have two first teams unless Michaels can be let off the hook. I hope they are for the good of the junior A championship"
Certainly Owenmore Gaels had some bad luck, hitting the crossbar once and the upright three times. On the other hand they were awarded a point in the second half which the Ballymote defenders seemed convinced was wide and the umpires looked far from sure their call was correct and they were awarded a "dodgy" one in the first half too. The referee's penchant for ordering retakes of kick-outs and frees because he was taking notes hampered both teams. However the big call was incorrectly disallowing the Ballymote goal. Fair dues to Owenmore Gaels on their strong finish led by their no. 9 Walsh. Would they have been mentally strong enough to come back if the good goal had stood, I'm not too sure. Anyway congratulations to Owenmore Gaels, enjoy.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 684 - 17/10/2023 14:30:01    2508847

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Replying To ShellyGael:  "But Owenmore could have had 5-6 goals on another day was it not for an excellent save and the woodwork. Swings and roundabouts and the better team overall won in the end."
Better team won but 5 or 6 goals???. Firstly the save was from a really tight angle, should have been fisted over for a point. Gaels did hit the crossbar, so that's one for you alright, the other three that hit the post were way over crossbar height so unlucky for 3 points. The only other shot that hit the post was Conor Davey's goal that was deflected in off the right hand post so Gael's got the benefit of the woodwork there!
I agree that the better team won but that is not always the case. The wrongly disallowed Ballymote goal ensured that the best team won on this occasion.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 684 - 17/10/2023 15:33:07    2508865

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Agree OMG were the better team. Umpires had a nightmare, ref poor. However felt the disallowed goal was correct, seemed to take a lot of steps, if its was streamed there will be a good video angle of it.
On another topic, looking at the season, teams that are amalgamated underage and then separate for senior, is this bringing them down, eg Ballymote/Bunnannaden, Tubber/Cloonacool, Geevage/St Michaels. Some of the teams above if they pushed it and played in B/C level could field their own teams, I think you can play 11 aside in B.

MrUnderhill (Sligo) - Posts: 50 - 17/10/2023 16:56:14    2508886

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Replying To MrUnderhill:  "Agree OMG were the better team. Umpires had a nightmare, ref poor. However felt the disallowed goal was correct, seemed to take a lot of steps, if its was streamed there will be a good video angle of it.
On another topic, looking at the season, teams that are amalgamated underage and then separate for senior, is this bringing them down, eg Ballymote/Bunnannaden, Tubber/Cloonacool, Geevage/St Michaels. Some of the teams above if they pushed it and played in B/C level could field their own teams, I think you can play 11 aside in B."
No 11 a-side competitions anymore as far as I know which is a problem. Maybe there was for C competitions for clubs second teams? Tbh in those you mentioned Bunninadden, Cloonacool and both Geevagh and Michael's probably don't have enough on their own due to small underage playing populations and are being facilitated by Ballymote and Tubbercurry. I also wouldn't say it's bringing them down as Ballymote/Bunninadden won the U21A last year and are compete in finals regularly enough granted some are at B. Ballymote got to the Junior final in year one and Bunninadden were playing in Div1 this year and while they had a shocker of a year they usually get to a semifinal or push close to it.

Cloonacool have to be admired as they keep going as a half parish and I'd wonder how strict the boundary between themselves and Tubber is for any good footballers in particular? Michael's have a lot of internal work to do I think and its a marriage of convenience more than anything with Geevagh who suffer from a small playing population like the other clubs above. Maybe providing 11 a side would help them I'm not sure, but what good is it to a fella at 16/17 when he's expected to play 15 a side a couple of years later at adult level?

What I'd be more concerned about is the dominance of some clubs this year in competitions. Fair play to Eastern Harps minors who are an exceptional team but they haven't had one close game judging by results. This is happening all to often over the years. Mary's have done it before and looks like John's will too. Can't fault the clubs who are doing well but perhaps something could be learned from their success and shared by county coaches to lesser performing clubs.

Sligoman1234 (Sligo) - Posts: 359 - 17/10/2023 17:43:26    2508906

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Replying To MrUnderhill:  "Agree OMG were the better team. Umpires had a nightmare, ref poor. However felt the disallowed goal was correct, seemed to take a lot of steps, if its was streamed there will be a good video angle of it.
On another topic, looking at the season, teams that are amalgamated underage and then separate for senior, is this bringing them down, eg Ballymote/Bunnannaden, Tubber/Cloonacool, Geevage/St Michaels. Some of the teams above if they pushed it and played in B/C level could field their own teams, I think you can play 11 aside in B."
I actually re-watched the game, as based on the comments I feel I may have missed something. OMG were the better team for the opening 5 minutes and closing 5 minutes of the first half. And for the last 10 minutes of the second half where Mark Walsh was excellent. This was a competitive game as there is very little between the teams quality wise. Are either ready for the step-up? time will tell. There is no getting away from OMG abysmal league campaign but obviously got it together for championship. The OMG management team need to be commended for the way they turned the season around. Obviously, a good dedicated team in place that care about the long-term future of the club.

There is a very good clip being circulated of the disallowed goal. I believe the referee has since acknowledged his error but this will be of little consolation to the Ballymote team. OMG won't care about any of that, their attention will turn to the Connacht championship and I wish them the best of luck.

I have to add, in fairness to both communities, they advertised the game well, got the schools involved, and there was lots of children in attendance. Bodes well for the future of both clubs.

Hopefully, Mark Walsh and Jack Lavin will show their quality for Sligo next year.

In terms of the finals this weekend, I'll stick with my original picks - Coolera and Easkey to lift silverware.

Bloodsub6 (Sligo) - Posts: 28 - 17/10/2023 19:28:34    2508933

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Replying To MrUnderhill:  "Agree OMG were the better team. Umpires had a nightmare, ref poor. However felt the disallowed goal was correct, seemed to take a lot of steps, if its was streamed there will be a good video angle of it.
On another topic, looking at the season, teams that are amalgamated underage and then separate for senior, is this bringing them down, eg Ballymote/Bunnannaden, Tubber/Cloonacool, Geevage/St Michaels. Some of the teams above if they pushed it and played in B/C level could field their own teams, I think you can play 11 aside in B."
No issue with OMG, congrats, but clearly on video the Ballymote goal was good, bad call by Ref. Hynes and while OMG played so well in the last 10 minutes to get a deserved win, I'm not so sure they would have got there if the goal was not incorrectly disallowed.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 684 - 17/10/2023 20:43:34    2508942

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I believe that clubs will vote on whether to remain at odd underage or move back to even at under age grade. I hope we return to even numbers. Lads at 18 are not fit for senior football (few exceptions). The U.19 competition last year was good, this year was poor as several clubs choose to ignore it. There's an U.20 competition coming up which isn't going to work too well either. The winner's of the Junior, Intermediate and Senior championship will be preparing for Connaught Championship and Harps minor team are also in Connacht Club action. I'm not sure if there's a Connacht B for minors. Also the hurlers from Easkey will be in action. Throw in bad weather, short days and I fear this competition is doomed before it starts. Mark. Walsh and John Lavin were mentioned as playing for Sligo next year. Walsh is a great prospect but he needs to show that his all round footballing ability has improved or he will remain as a super sub brought on to run at tiring defences in the second half. Lavin won't make the cut if he remains with Ballymote. He played a few Div 2 games this year with Ballymote and then junior championship football. It will be the same next year. Those games won't improve him sufficiently and with a few new players from this year's U.20 coming in he will struggle. He is a good player, got a few games with Sligo last year but he needs to get involved with a club that's serious about football.

eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 1658 - 18/10/2023 17:35:07    2509115

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