Allianz NFL Div 2 Fixtures and Results 2011 - Official Thread

Kildare were woeful yesterday but they still managed to salvage a point from what looked an impossible position. Three or four years ago we'd have been hockeyed out the gate. We haven't played particularly well at all this year, despite winning the O'Byrne Cup, but it's not even March yet and plenty of lads will be back in the next few weeks.

I think we'll give someone a serious hiding when we hit form (hopefully a week on Sunday) and we'll all be singing their praises and wondering what all the panic was about.

Stonecold wrote:

jaysus sam u'll get me sacked

never thought of that. You are right. I better change that tomorrow. Apologies folks.

Let me check if i can turn off avatars 1st, don't want to spoil the fun for some lads..........

One thing to take from the game was as KK has said we got a point. Most other years we would have come away with nothing except our tails between our legs.
If we had of hit 1-15 and secured said point everyone would have been happy enough. We got a point while stinking out the place so we are in a better position than we were last week.

Promotion is still there to be won, the chance to put one over on two of our closest neighbours is still there and the chance of a win over Sligo considering what went on before is still there.
Much to look forward to.

tom.......you say "winning matches" is important, yet in the very next sentence you say that the results don't worry you. Which is it?

Can you not allow for the fact that the team might not be fully tuned up at this time of year, which might explain the lack of consistency that disturbs you so much? A couple of indifferent performances in the League is not a big deal.

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I take your point rgb - what I meant was the habit of winning through the spring is a good one - not for the league - though I think promotion and Div 1 football would do team and supporters the world of good.
Yes the team might not be tuned up - we don't seem to be in the league so we won't get to Div 1. Catch 22.
All I'm saying, having been at the Derry and Donegal matches is that there's indifferent and woejous. Sunday was the latter.

I don't know why some people as so preoccupied with playing Div 1 football. Once we never face relegation I'm more than happy stayin in Div 2. How can you develope new players, styles etc trying to play Dublin, Kerry, Cork & Mayo? You won't, you would need your championship team on the pitch every weekend and that to me is very short sighted. The likes of Moolick, Dowling etc wouldn't get a look in.

Very good point Stonecold and to be honest it's only after the last 2 games that I have been coming around to this way of thinking!

Stonecold wrote:

I don't know why some people as so preoccupied with playing Div 1 football. Once we never face relegation I'm more than happy stayin in Div 2. How can you develope new players, styles etc trying to play Dublin, Kerry, Cork & Mayo? You won't, you would need your championship team on the pitch every weekend and that to me is very short sighted. The likes of Moolick, Dowling etc wouldn't get a look in.

i wouldn`t agree with that at all stonecold look at the team mayo had out at the weekend they had lads ive never seen before and these lads playing in division1 against the best teams lets you know if lads are really up to the top standard. take karl ennis in the league last year was flying but lets be honest he aint up to the standard of the top teams so he didnt get to play championship. all the teams in the top are bleeding new blood and at the top is the best place to do that

To me it shows the contempt with which Mayo view the state of Galway football at the moment and with Galway on no wins you can understand why.

umpireonditch wrote:

An observation I would like to make is...
2009 league, we played decent and were unlucky to miss out on promotion, never outplayed or hammered...Championhsip V Dublin and Tyrone, we were out done in the last quarter of games...hence Geezer see's a problem... perhaps lacking in fitness compared to other top 4/6 teams...
2010...forgetable league and 1st round of championship, talk of geezer loosing the plot...Grimley was the brains behind operation etc...come qualifiers we showed finishing stronger in every game...(including Down match) that we were the fittest team in the country no doubt, were merely undone by luck (both refereeing decisions but mostly injuries).
I reckon we are training more towards the summer rather than taking game at a time like it seems the Dubs, Cork and Squirrel eaters are doing!

In Geezer I Trust...

i don`t think we lost the dublin game on fitness i thought it was cause we changed our game plan when dublin went to 14 men we started carrying the ball too far and shooting from distance where as we were flying in the first half when conway was spreading passes into smithy and donnelly who were playing excellent at the time, also bernard brogan stepped up in the second half another contributing factor to the winning of that game.
my biggest fear is if we don`t have a good league then the geezer critics come out who say if he doesn`t win something this year then he should go i feel its imperative that we shut these critics up with the division 2 title. obviously a leinster or all ireland would be better but a league title wont hurt any of us along the way if anything it builds confidence and we need a good competitive league final to get us used to playing do or die matches.

Stonecold wrote:

To me it shows the contempt with which Mayo view the state of Galway football at the moment and with Galway on no wins you can understand why.

but all the teams do it in division 1 even galway do.

So hypothetically speaking who in Div 1 would we show contempt for to be able to afford the luxury of blooding new players without running the risk of relegation. If its to go up for one year and get relegated I think thats a disaster.

well dublin are top of division1 and they beat kerry at the weekend with just 3 of there cahmpionship team from last year starting

kildare 2011.. played 7
won 5
drew 1
lost 1
trophies 1

i know performances are not great at the moment but the stats aint bad. lads, its the 1st day of march, no need to panic yet. we are in a much better situation than 12 months ago, and look where we ended up. plus we still have a lot of first teamers to come back.

We need to take a step back , Remember we have already beaten a highly fancied DCU team this year, where Fitzpatrick and Lyons brought stability to the full back line. We beat a full strength Louth team with a second string and recorded a convincing victory in Belfast in Antrim.

One thing we should take note of is the never say die attitude that appears to have developed in the team. This was evident in the Westmeath game with a strong last 15 minutes and then two dramatic comebacks against Louth and Donegal. We nearly snatched a win against Derry too at the end.

Positives so far: the emergence of Fionn Dowling, two possible new cornerbacks in Lyons and Fitz and the form of Leper. A trophy.
Negatives so far: The early promise of our midfield partnership seems to have stalled, injury to Peter Kelly

I wonder will Geezer try Chalky out in midfield where he excelled for Sarsfield last year in the championship?

Laois are playing some good football at the moment. They have good players, but perhaps lack some top drawer players like Brogan, Gooch or Doyle. Though I think Begley is going to have a good year. Strength in depth could also be a concern, but on their day Laois can give anyone a game. If both teams continue their current form into the Newbridge match there will only be one winner and that will be Laois.

As Centreback said Dublin only had 3 of their last years team out against Kerry and this was the same for the Cork game. They appear to be developing an extremely strong squad and young guys playing football week in week out will bring them on to new levels as we saw last year with Peter Kelly. The most glaring concern for the dubs is what to do if Brogan gets injured.

Midfield for the Laois game will be Lynch and Flynn can't see any other possibility.
Paudie may move into the forwards. The fight for the six forwards places is hotting up although the way they are playing it's no harm.

Smith
J.D
Jimmers
Kelly
Dowling
Leper
Roli
Flats
Paudi
Moolick
Ennis

Plus Ken Donnelly out injured and possibly a couple of U21's if they go well.

Rex wrote:

Midfield for the Laois game will be Lynch and Flynn can't see any other possibility.
Paudie may move into the forwards. The fight for the six forwards places is hotting up although the way they are playing it's no harm.

Smith
J.D
Jimmers
Kelly
Dowling
Leper
Roli
Flats
Paudi
Moolick
Ennis

Plus Ken Donnelly out injured and possibly a couple of U21's if they go well.

Good shout about the forwards. The way it is at the moment Fionn and JD and Leper would be the definites in my eyes.

I was having a chat with a mad Kildare fan yesterday and we were talking about the injuries that the current panel are going through. One thing he said since McGeeney came the Kildare panel are after having 12 serious knee injuries in that time. I'm not giving out about McGeeney I think he is after doing wonders for us but it came as a bit of a shock. Any thoughts on this?

Few ways to look at that Stevie...under mcgeeney, more successfull, more games, less rest time, chances are injuries will rise!
Was at a physio in dublin before christmas and he says knee injuries on the rise all round and he reckons it is more then likely down to the number of people wearing blades rather then studs...
Look at Shefflin, Mortimer, Davoran, Griffen, Enda McGinlay, Paul Brogan, Emlyn Mulligan, Brian Geary Darragh Ryan are all the ones i can think of in last year are two on tip of my tongue...
I reckon there may be some truth in the blades but id say its the leg muscles being bulked putting pressure on the knee, but thats just my own opinion...and i only got a d in science in the junior!!!

Gonna be a massive crowd in Newbridge for the local derby

Been away for a few days so catching up on the last few pages... I shouldn't be surprised but jesus I am... things need to change drastically, quickly, lads need to learn their lesson etc. etc.... If it was a shit performance, it was a shit performance, but what relevance it has for the summer is beyond me. I'm repeating myself. I just don't get it. I must remember not to bother posting the next time it happens.

Meath's hopes of retaining their Division Two status in the Allianz Football league have been dealt a massive blow with the news that Graham Reilly will be out of action until the Championship.




Reilly has been troubled by a groin problem all year and he finally underwent surgery on the injury on Monday. With his recovery set at between eight and ten weeks it is unlikely that he will be fit to return to action before the end of the league.

The news of Reilly's absence is a big blow to manager Seamus McEnaney, who is also facing the prospect of being without full-back Kevin Reilly for the games against Donegal, Derry, Tyrone and Kildare.

Reilly withdrew from Saturday's game against Antrim with a hamstring injury and there are concerns that he could face up to six weeks on the sidelines.

Kevin Reilly is out too i think

Lads agree good competition for forwards but moolick might be worth looking at in midfield in the league at least. Backs are pefoming well only conceding 30pts in the leqgue so far. Thats a good return(defensively) for the division we are in. G/K all clean sheet's so far , so its his postion to lose !

unlaoised wrote:

Gonna be a massive crowd in Newbridge for the local derby

We will be just cannon fodder as the O Moores march onward to their rightful place,, I can't see Kildare or any team in the country having a hope against this mighty laois team , sure certs for the all Ireland this year.