Avoca 2 (Enda Gallanagh, Scott Wilkie) Dublin University 2 (Stu Cinnamond, Ben Hewitt)
A result which does a neither side's playoff hopes much good, Avoca and Dublin Uni are both still technically able to pick up the playoff spot but such an outcome looks beyond both. Irish Senior Cup winner Enda Gallanagh and Scott Wilkie were on target for the Blackrock club while former Corinthian Stu Cinnamond and Bangor's Ben Hewitt meant honours were shared at Newpark.
Clontarf 6 (Rob Abbott 3, Ciaran McNamara, Tom Noonan, Dan Treacy) Weston 1 (C Adams)
Clontarf moved
a step closer to the perfect season as they pulled away in the second half against Weston after a tightly contested first half saw the Bulls lead 2-1 at the turnaround. Skipper Ciaran McNamara got the ball rolling while there was a goal against his former club for Dan Treacy. The prolific Rob Abbott netted a hat-trick.
a step closer to the perfect season as they pulled away in the second half against Weston after a tightly contested first half saw the Bulls lead 2-1 at the turnaround. Skipper Ciaran McNamara got the ball rolling while there was a goal against his former club for Dan Treacy. The prolific Rob Abbott netted a hat-trick.Bray 3 (Cliff Bailey 2, Simon Cox) Skerries 1 (Ali McMahon)
Cliff Bailey made a triumphant return as Bray edged the crucial fixture between second and third place to retake the play-off position they had relinquished just last Thursday night. Bailey hit a double, his first goals since returning from Australia while Simon Cox popped up once again on the score sheet in a vital 3-1 win. Bray hold a one-point advantage over Skerries but still need to outdo their fellow seasiders in their last two games - Trinity and Clontarf - to assure a shot at a return to division one hockey.
Naas 1 (C Hill) Suttonians 3 (Conor Gillette 2, Vikram Singh)
Suttonians are another side with mathematical hopes of a playoff place with three games to play - two against Avoca and one with Trinity - but such an outcome would need all the sides above them to go pointless for the remainder of the season.
They did, however, pick up a comfortable 3-1 victory over Naas to stay in fifth place.
35 comments:
I think theres a problem with the braodband in Skerries again....
Rob Abbott best player in Div 2 by a mile. Capable of making any team in Div 1. Who is top goal scorer in Div 2??
What about Brownlow the beast?
WHat makes you think there is a problem with the braodband. We take our results and dont moan about them unlike other clubs. Still 1 point behind Bray with 2 games to go. Clontarf at home and Naas at home.
i agree with rob abbott the best player in div 2. he must have 30+ goals this season. every week he is on the score sheet.i think bray are the best team to get second place. skerries are no where near good enough to go up lets get real lads.
Just a thought. What happens if there is a tie for 2nd place Skerries, Bray and Avoca and Suttonians can all finish with 30 points. unlikely I know but is it down to goal difference or what
Rob Abbott best player in Div 2??!!? You're having a laugh....
2 pieces of great skill by Bailey got the points for bray but they only started to get a hold of the ball in the second half as they soaked up alot of presure in the first half. It was a very attacking game played by both teams who brought large squads for the make or break game. Both teams were desperate to claim 3 points and push for promotion, to get hammered in div 1. ha
watched the bray v skerries game both teams only had 11 players bailey for bray and brian mc mahon for skerries were the best two players on the pitch.didnt look like either team wants to get second place or else they would have had subs.its about time div 3 teams are alould get promoted and make the div 2 stronger.
Good to see Bailey has carried on his outstanding form from his season in Australia back to Ireland. If Bray dont go up he will surely be playing Div 1 elsewhere next season. Far too good for this league!
Ah luddy!!!!
March 31, 2009 12:22 AM.
in what way would putting division three teams into div 2 make it any stronger?
players who are contempt to sit on a first divisions second team should do just that and stay in division three, where they all can play amongst themselves and see who's club is the best reserves team.
if these players want to play division 2 hockey they should seek a move and have enough ambition to try push a team from div 2 into div 1, which would probably be there only chance of playing div 1 hockey anyway.
brian mac for player of the year.
players who are contempt?? if you're going to start stirring at least get it right....CONTENT!!!! Plenty of Div 3 players are LOYAL to their clubs and get tougher games every week if Div 3. Only decent side in Div 2 are Clontarf
I don't think it matters what team or what league you play in, just as long as you enjoy playing the game. Some people are happy to play in a lower division or 2nd 11 team because they are playing with friends and enjoy the matches and training during the week. A lot of the fun is taken out of the game when you step up to div 1. And as the comment about skerries not good enough to go up, why is it that there likely to get second place then, above all the other teams. Although its probably trinity who should be up there if it wasn't for there slow start.
the comment suggesting 'tarf are div 2's only decent team is clearly misguided...there's a fair bit of quality in the league, perhaps lacking the consistency of clontarf. a talented trinity team played a very good unit at avoca on sat, both teams have come good in the second half of the season, avoca's midfield in particluar has a division 1 look about it. even suttonians have shown glimpses of quality this year, not to mention bray and skerries. it's been a good competitive division this year!
Division three teams might add to the standard, but may well take away from the competitivness, the navans westons and naas' look only to be improving season by season. bit more unpredictable than division 1!
What score did YM(4th from bottom) beat Avoca? Bray conceded 120+ goals last year and are competing for 2nd. Clontarf are coming with right credentials having blitzed most teams(beat Skerries 5-0) but will still find staying up next year a huge challenge. If they decided to make Div 2 like ladies you would see a similar league standings. Top 5 second teams would probably finsish up top!
was the YM avoca game competitive? if not, no point in reading anything into the score. last year Bray had nowhere near enough quality to compete in div 1, a better measure would be to look at how railway have faired this year, kilkenny last year, bray two years ago, its possible teams can be competitive. Div 3 is not anywhere near the same intensity as div2, quality wise perhaps they're close but the step up, as any one who has played both will testify, is still a large one.
Div 2 has been pretty competitive this year bar Clontarf and the bottom 2 teams so I would be reluctant to mess around with it too much. The standard seems to be improving every year and a lot of clubs have better facilities now and just need to work at keeping players. So leave Div 2 the way it is for the moment and possibly bring in one more developmental side preferably one with an astro.
Bailey and MacMahon are the two best players in the league. Pity Maho hasnt been able to score a single goal this season though!
Barry Glavy best player in div 2
to 5:37pm
You're probably right, but why you think that would be a positive thing is beyond me.
No promotion and no relegation OR promoting someone who finished 6th in the league doesn't strike me as an exciting or entertaining way to end a season.
That's why Man Utd reserves don't play in the championship!!!! it would kill smaller clubs and destroy the excitement of the playoffs.
(but of course it would mean that the Man Utd reserves could go on soccer blogs and gloat about how much better they are than Wolves and Reading!!!!!!!)
;-)
2nd Teams playing in div 2 is a non starter for me, If these div 3 players are so keen to play senior hockey they have too options:
1). Get in their own clubs first team,
2). Join a Senior Div 2 club and try to get in their first team.
If you are not willing or good enough for either of these two options then it looks as if div 3 is as good as it will get for you.
How would the English football league work if Man Utds reserves were in the championship and so on,The League outside the top few Clubs would be a Joke?????
Players who dont make Utds first team usually filter down to lower laegue or lessor premiership clubs and hence their is a better spread of the quality players between different clubs.
Any team in either the Premiership or the Championship can compete against eachother and not loose 13 or 14 nil like happens in Leinster hockey when the likes of Three Rock or Glens 1sts meet Naas or Navan in the odd cup match (No disrespect to Naas or Navan but it Happens).
I think it would be great if we could even make a Senior 3 League for the likes of North Kildare and South East Wanderers to compete in and encourage players to play for these clubs rather that play for reserve teams of Div 1 Clubs where they have no chance of ever playing 1sts!
Brain McMahon Best Player in Div 2,Abbo scored loads with a great team around him, Brian usually just kills off teams pretty much on his own! (Its not all about who gets the last touch)!Class act! I think he could even get into a div 3 team he is that good!!!!!!!
C. of I. A......32
Harlequins A....26
C. of I. B......18
Bandon A........17
Harlequins B....7
Cath. Inst......6
UCC A...........3
Catholic Institute are behind both CofI and harlequins 2nds. Cath Institute beat Sutts(challenging for 2nd in Div 2) this year 2-0.
2nd teams from Div 3 such as Pem, Cor, YM, Glens, Monks would be on a par with CofI 2nds. This is why I think Div 3 is better than Div2.
I'm also a 2nds player who was part of a team to beat Clontarf 4-0.
former kilkenny cat brian cleere is up there with div 2's best players, class act.
What are peoples predictions for div 2 2nd place? and for bottom spot between Navan and Naas? Big six pointer at the bottom this weekend!How committed will ucd or kilkenny be in the playoff match for promotion/relegation this year after the tough time both have had in div 1 this year?
I reckon Bray deserve second place cuz they're definitely the second best team in Div 2. I'd question whether or not they want it though!! Bailey too good to be playing div 2 but I reckon he'll leave over the summer, probably back to Monkstown....
Naas for bottom I reckon. Navan are a good honest unit who play decent hockey in patches, definitely have more potential than Naas in the short term and seem more committed to developing the club than Naas....
As for the play-off, tough one. I reckon Kilkenny will go down automatically which is just as well cuz I'd say they want to go down. I think UCD will be happy enough to stay in Div 1 as they are improving week on week and are always going to get decent players in. They will definitely give the play-off their best shot.... That being said, if Bray/Skerries decide that they wouldn't mind a crack at Div 1 then the play-off could be a great game..
If Bray lose to Trinity this weekend, the ball is definitely in Skerries court, with their last game against naas. It'll be interesting either way because both Skerries and Bray have to play Clontarf so perhaps if one of these can take points off Clontarf, they are the deserving 2nd place team.
Avoca can sneak up on the outside too. I'd go as far to say that Avoca would give the promotion/relegation match the best effort, maybe along with Bray. I think UCD would be too strong for Skerries. (I think UCD will stay up regardless of who they play).
Brownlow for champion of the world
Catholic Institute are behind both CofI and harlequins 2nds. Cath Institute beat Sutts(challenging for 2nd in Div 2) this year 2-0.
2nd teams from Div 3 such as Pem, Cor, YM, Glens, Monks would be on a par with CofI 2nds. This is why I think Div 3 is better than Div2.
I'm also a 2nds player who was part of a team to beat Clontarf 4-0.
thats the worset reasoning i have ever heard............ thats like saying barsnely are better than liverpool because they beat them in the fa cup last year
If you look at my reasoning I used a league table as the basis of my arguement. Top clubs 2nd teams are better. And if I remember correctly all leinster Div2 teams were knocked out of that cup in the early rounds. clontarf even got hosed
Please giv up with your ridiculus argument! I dont care if any div 1 clubs 2nd team are better that some or even all of the div 2 clubs, The fact is and will never change that they are a 2nd team and therfor not a senior team and shouldnot compete against senior clubs.
Senior teams should compete against other senior teams and 2nd teams should compete against other 2nd teams.
If any Div 2 Club are intrested in playing against reserve teams im sure they could apply for relegation to div 3.
Munster is a prime example of how not to do it with COI and Quinns dominating everything and no spread of the wealth!
Clontarf being the only decent team in div 2 is clearly someone's view who haven't seen there defence. If it wasn't for their goalkeeper who has been in outstanding form this season they'd have leaked alot more goals this year.
Post a Comment