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Counties Missed Opportunities....

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Fermanagh 2004 against Mayo the first day in the semi final...They had us on the rack and we were down to 14 when James Gill was sent off.

I remember McDonald getting an inspirational score into the hill.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 10339 - 07/07/2020 14:06:37    2283335

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Replying To Horsebox77:  "I think Limerick missed a great chance to take us in 2004. In the Munster Final first outing the sides were level and on three occasions think his name was Kelly. Anyways he has one free and two 45's that he kicked long which Darragh Sê fielded. The bit of experience cost them as if he went short for any of those and took the return the simplest of 30 yard pop point was on.

In the replay after twelve minutes in Killarney Limerick were 1-03 to nil up but a Mike Frank goal and admittedly a very soft penalty which Cinneíde converted meant we were level at HT when playing well below par.

Limerick had us by the short and curlies both days. Liam Kearins has a good panel and layout back then"
Was it Kearns or mickey Ned that was over limerick in 04 horse?

I remember those games well, I remember in killarney we were the 1:3 down Darragh had been sent off and Eoin Brosnan was playing midfield with a bandage over 1 eye I thought we were goners for sure, there was some limerick crowd at it, we had great craic with them before and after the game.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 11732 - 07/07/2020 14:06:59    2283336

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "Was it Kearns or mickey Ned that was over limerick in 04 horse?

I remember those games well, I remember in killarney we were the 1:3 down Darragh had been sent off and Eoin Brosnan was playing midfield with a bandage over 1 eye I thought we were goners for sure, there was some limerick crowd at it, we had great craic with them before and after the game."
Liam Kearnes was over them. On both days Tommy Griffin can into midfield and was able to break the first tackle, he changed both those games. In the replay there was a serious shuffle, Tommy went midfield, Brosnan went to the forty, Cinneîde went to full forward and Crowley came. I can still see Crowley throwing the gloves on the ground, he was fuming .

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 4877 - 07/07/2020 14:26:05    2283341

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Replying To moros:  "1998 Connacht final in Tuam. Down to 14 players..went ahead late on..had Galway beaten on their home patch on a down wet day. Ref inexplicably gives a very late free to Galway to draw it. The rest is history. That Roscommon team at that moment was as good if not better than Galway imo. A missed opportunity for us. Dublin and Kerry were gone back around then."
and we should have had a simple free at the end to win it but ref never gave it, Eddie Lohan was on fire would not have missed it. Jason Neary sent off within 30 seconds of coming on as a sub! Had our chances in the replay also.
1991 for me was the worst day for me, we were brillant in the first half, but Tommy Dowd inspired the Royals in the second half. Think Paul Early missed a great one on one chance also that day.
Also from a London viewpoint would have to be 2011 when Mayo were rattled and they needed two late points to force extra time and then won by a point.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 1990 - 07/07/2020 16:11:51    2283357

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Replying To Horsebox77:  "Liam Kearnes was over them. On both days Tommy Griffin can into midfield and was able to break the first tackle, he changed both those games. In the replay there was a serious shuffle, Tommy went midfield, Brosnan went to the forty, Cinneîde went to full forward and Crowley came. I can still see Crowley throwing the gloves on the ground, he was fuming ."
Tommy was some operator, he'd have been a starter in any other county, I rember 2007 allireland semifinal against dublin when Darragh had to go off with a muscle injury Tommy came on and was better than Darragh.

Tommy was a good fullback as well.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 11732 - 07/07/2020 16:23:12    2283359

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Slightly away from the main topic of the thread but I often wondered about our infamous semi final against Dublin in 2011. Shortly after half time Colm McFadden blasted a goal chance over the bar that might have totally knocked the stuffing out of Dublin. Who knows what might have happened if it had gone in, both for ourselves and for the Dubs!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 7075 - 07/07/2020 16:27:22    2283361

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Slightly away from the main topic of the thread but I often wondered about our infamous semi final against Dublin in 2011. Shortly after half time Colm McFadden blasted a goal chance over the bar that might have totally knocked the stuffing out of Dublin. Who knows what might have happened if it had gone in, both for ourselves and for the Dubs!"
I was thinking the same. Dublin were definitely there for the taking that day and Kerry were in the final too but if Donegal had of won it that year would it of just pushed the fall a year earlier?

bearindsquare (Meath) - Posts: 47 - 07/07/2020 16:44:07    2283366

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "Was it Kearns or mickey Ned that was over limerick in 04 horse?

I remember those games well, I remember in killarney we were the 1:3 down Darragh had been sent off and Eoin Brosnan was playing midfield with a bandage over 1 eye I thought we were goners for sure, there was some limerick crowd at it, we had great craic with them before and after the game."
I was there in 2003 and remember early on myself and the Limerick fans around me just uncontrollably laughing at the sheer unbelievably of it all it was a great day out .

But 2004 was the one we let slip and the first game in PnG was an awful bitter game where we have ye a soft goal thanks to our keeper being too busy flooring your forward to bother stopping the ball goin past him and gooch and co had all the dark arts on display too.

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1106 - 07/07/2020 16:50:17    2283367

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With my beloved Waterford hurlers

2004
John Mullane sending off in Munster final. God bless him and I love the bones of him but what if he'd not been sent off and had played in the semi final that year v Limerick. Now there's no guarantee we'd have even won Munster that day if he'd stayed on but who knows. Mullane might've been the difference that day and in a potential all ireland semi final v KK. They'd already beaten KK in the league. Now they were the best team ever but KK never got it easy v Waterford.

2007
The semi final v Limerick, we never turned up and Limerick tore us up. We'd beaten KK in the league and league final that year. And would've been a great match for them in the all ireland final but they were the greatest team ever and rarely failed on the big day so who knows.

2017
What if Kevin Moran had put the ball over the bar to give us a two point lead in the 2017 hurling final v Galway. I think we'd have gone on to win it. He pulled his shot badly wide and you could sense it seep into the Waterford players that we're not winning today and Galway took over and powered to victory and fair dues to them, they deserved it. If Waterford had gone two it they could've powered on themselves like they did v Cork in the semi final that year.

Over the years its always been a what if for the Deise

brian (Meath) - Posts: 909 - 07/07/2020 16:55:39    2283369

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Meath probably threw away a leinster title in 2007, easily beat Kildare in the opening round and then lost after a replay to dublin in leinster semi final. some extremly dubious ref descions against meath the first day, disallowing perfect geraghty goal. We would have had a Laois team past its best in final. Although Meath got the karma in the Leinster final three years later v Louth when the got the bit of luck all teams need.

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 532 - 07/07/2020 16:59:23    2283370

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "Tommy was some operator, he'd have been a starter in any other county, I rember 2007 allireland semifinal against dublin when Darragh had to go off with a muscle injury Tommy came on and was better than Darragh.

Tommy was a good fullback as well."
Ya remember that game, Tommy was just back from injury and lasted about fifty minutes till Darragh came back in again. Dublin has Whelan and Shane Ryan in mIdfield at the time.

Tommy was savagely underrated, I still have massive time for him.

Horsebox77 (Kerry) - Posts: 4877 - 07/07/2020 17:02:49    2283372

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Replying To Horsebox77:  "I think Limerick missed a great chance to take us in 2004. In the Munster Final first outing the sides were level and on three occasions think his name was Kelly. Anyways he has one free and two 45's that he kicked long which Darragh Sê fielded. The bit of experience cost them as if he went short for any of those and took the return the simplest of 30 yard pop point was on.

In the replay after twelve minutes in Killarney Limerick were 1-03 to nil up but a Mike Frank goal and admittedly a very soft penalty which Cinneíde converted meant we were level at HT when playing well below par.

Limerick had us by the short and curlies both days. Liam Kearins has a good panel and layout back then"
It was Eoin Keating from Monaleen who dropped those frees on top of Dara OSè, he was a very good soccer player too he was playing with Limerick FC as well as the Limerick footballers at the time.

I think myself the Munster final in 09 vs Cork was worse than all the the Munster finals vs Kerry, against Cork were they 4 or 5 points up at half time and we were playing alot better than Cork and we let Cork back into the game in the 2nd half I think Limerick only kicked 2 points in the second half and gifted Cork 2 handy goals that day too. Against Kerry in 2003 and 2010 Limerick gave Kerry good games but Kerry could turn it on when needed and pull away, in 2004 we nearly caught Kerry on the hop the 1st day, on the replay we had a good start but when Kerry got into the game we never looked like winning.

DUALSUPPORT (Limerick) - Posts: 718 - 07/07/2020 19:35:47    2283394

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In 2001 I think Limerick were good to enough to win an Ireland and missed a chance, we built up a bit of momentum after beating Cork and Waterford, there was only a puck of a ball between ourselves and Tipp in the Munster final and I remember being in terrace behind the goal and Ollie Moran had a legitimate point waved wide with 5 minutes to go and against Wexford in all Ireland quarter-final, it was like that 2 very even teams but we lacked a bit of luck and it was us that lost, Damien Fitzhenry broke our hearts with his 2 21 yard frees and Barry Lambert scored a brilliant goal that day too but the referee I felt made a big mistake that day after Sean O'Connor scored a goal for us he brought it back for a free and wouldn't play advantage.

Between 2013 and 2014 we should have won an all Ireland minor title we had more than good enough panels to do it. Hawkeye robbed us in 2013 but in 2014 the Manager has to take full responsibility it was clear as day he was playing a guy at full back the whole year who wasn't suited to the position and it caught us out in the final against Kilkenny, also it is well known in Limerick what happened at the final Munster that caused a rift within the management team for the rest of the season.

DUALSUPPORT (Limerick) - Posts: 718 - 07/07/2020 20:04:39    2283396

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The whole of the 2010 decade for mayo. 4 times beaten in the final, brought Dublin to replays twice in the decade, 2 own goals in the one of the finals and still brought that match to a replay!! In the 3 final loses to the dublin they lost by a combined total of 3 points. They lost the 2012 final by 4 points! Tough decade.

Armagh semi final loss in 2000, a point ahead in the first match and Kerry get a handy enough free to equalise. They bring the second match to extra time and missed a great goal chance to put them a point up near the end. Super sub maurice fitz had some impact for kerry as well. They were great games and 2000 was an excellent championship by the way.

I don't want to even think about 2014. Beat the unbeatables in the semi and then put on such a poor display in the final. Ah well.

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 336 - 07/07/2020 20:15:31    2283398

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Replying To brian:  "With my beloved Waterford hurlers

2004
John Mullane sending off in Munster final. God bless him and I love the bones of him but what if he'd not been sent off and had played in the semi final that year v Limerick. Now there's no guarantee we'd have even won Munster that day if he'd stayed on but who knows. Mullane might've been the difference that day and in a potential all ireland semi final v KK. They'd already beaten KK in the league. Now they were the best team ever but KK never got it easy v Waterford.

2007
The semi final v Limerick, we never turned up and Limerick tore us up. We'd beaten KK in the league and league final that year. And would've been a great match for them in the all ireland final but they were the greatest team ever and rarely failed on the big day so who knows.

2017
What if Kevin Moran had put the ball over the bar to give us a two point lead in the 2017 hurling final v Galway. I think we'd have gone on to win it. He pulled his shot badly wide and you could sense it seep into the Waterford players that we're not winning today and Galway took over and powered to victory and fair dues to them, they deserved it. If Waterford had gone two it they could've powered on themselves like they did v Cork in the semi final that year.

Over the years its always been a what if for the Deise"
I always love how everyone at the time wanted the KK v Waterford final in 2007 and after told Limerick fans that Waterford would have given KK a real game and who knows what would have happened. We know what would have happened as we found out a year later and it was one of the worst beatins ever seen in an All Ireland final

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1106 - 07/07/2020 20:40:51    2283402

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Replying To dickie10:  "Just a thread on counties in both codes, who have let big opportunites slip away from them, kind of moments in time where they could have led to great or greater success but slipped from their grasp.....and some never recover while others make up for it.
a few off the top of my head head.
1) Louth in the 90s, could have set up a meath v louth leinster final had they took Laois in the first game in 91, led Dublin 1-9 to 0-8 with 20 minutes to go in the Leinster semi final in 1992, they had Kildare in final.....
Beaten by a point by Meath in 1998 leinster semi final.
Beaten by Offaly in 1997 Leinster quater final, in a side of the draw which hadnt got Meath, Dublin,Kildare or Laois. Would they have taken out a weakened Meath in the Leinster final? I dont see 2010 as that much of a missed opportunity for louth, it was a team on decline as proven since.

2)Westmeath in 2001 all ireland q/final. 9 points up in the second half v Meath. Would they have beaten Kerry who had a shocker v Meath in semi final? a westmeath v galway all ireland final....

3)Monaghon v Kerry 2007. If i were from MONAGHON this would keep me up at night, take Kerry and there was an All ireland to be had."
The 1990's was indeed a missed opportunity for the Wee County. They lost six semi-finals that decade. Three to the Dubs in 1992, 1994 and 1996. In 1991 they lost to Laois after a replay, in 1997 to Offaly and 1998 to Meath. I disagree with you and say that 2010 was a huge opportunity missed as it was Louth's first Leinster Final in fifty years and if Louth had won that they would have faced Kildare in the quarter-finals who Louth have a good record against and who Louth had beaten earlier on in the campaign. If they had beaten them then they would have played Down in a derby match and they never played Down in the Championship. Then it was Cork in the final. A repeat of the 1957 All Ireland Final.

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 221 - 07/07/2020 20:57:24    2283406

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Replying To DUALSUPPORT:  "In 2001 I think Limerick were good to enough to win an Ireland and missed a chance, we built up a bit of momentum after beating Cork and Waterford, there was only a puck of a ball between ourselves and Tipp in the Munster final and I remember being in terrace behind the goal and Ollie Moran had a legitimate point waved wide with 5 minutes to go and against Wexford in all Ireland quarter-final, it was like that 2 very even teams but we lacked a bit of luck and it was us that lost, Damien Fitzhenry broke our hearts with his 2 21 yard frees and Barry Lambert scored a brilliant goal that day too but the referee I felt made a big mistake that day after Sean O'Connor scored a goal for us he brought it back for a free and wouldn't play advantage.

Between 2013 and 2014 we should have won an all Ireland minor title we had more than good enough panels to do it. Hawkeye robbed us in 2013 but in 2014 the Manager has to take full responsibility it was clear as day he was playing a guy at full back the whole year who wasn't suited to the position and it caught us out in the final against Kilkenny, also it is well known in Limerick what happened at the final Munster that caused a rift within the management team for the rest of the season."
On the minor in 2013 with the Hawkeye issue. A definite point it was early in the game, but when Galway were a point up in injury time of normal time, the ref gave an incredibly soft free to Limerick to level it up. There's no way he would have given that, if the sides were level at the time. Both teams then had extra-time to go at it again, and Galway won out in the extra period.
A definite cock-up, but I think it's hard to say you were robbed by Hawkeye. The decision happened very early in the game and it was nip and tuck for the rest of the game after that. The ref definitely levelled it at the end of normal time as a result.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 875 - 07/07/2020 21:06:57    2283409

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Replying To Breezy:  "I always love how everyone at the time wanted the KK v Waterford final in 2007 and after told Limerick fans that Waterford would have given KK a real game and who knows what would have happened. We know what would have happened as we found out a year later and it was one of the worst beatins ever seen in an All Ireland final"
Waterford were different animals in 07 and 08, 07 was arguably the peak of that swashbuckling team, Dan getting 8-12 in 5 games for example, beat Cork for the 1st time in Croke Park after already beating them in Munster, ye ambushed them in the semi final and fair play for that, would they have put it up to Kilkenny in the final, I think they would have been competitive anyway.

08 was different they got well beat by Clare in Munster after the change of manager stumbled through the qualifiers beat Offaly by 6 ( Eoin Kelly got 2-13 out of 2-18) and ourselves by a point in the quarter final and I'd say ourselves and Offaly along with Dublin were ranked 8,9 and 10 and that time, in the semi final the shoe was on the other foot from 07 when they ambushed Tipp who were very impressive in Munster.

wexico15 (Wexford) - Posts: 2602 - 07/07/2020 21:40:47    2283410

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Replying To DUALSUPPORT:  "In 2001 I think Limerick were good to enough to win an Ireland and missed a chance, we built up a bit of momentum after beating Cork and Waterford, there was only a puck of a ball between ourselves and Tipp in the Munster final and I remember being in terrace behind the goal and Ollie Moran had a legitimate point waved wide with 5 minutes to go and against Wexford in all Ireland quarter-final, it was like that 2 very even teams but we lacked a bit of luck and it was us that lost, Damien Fitzhenry broke our hearts with his 2 21 yard frees and Barry Lambert scored a brilliant goal that day too but the referee I felt made a big mistake that day after Sean O'Connor scored a goal for us he brought it back for a free and wouldn't play advantage.

Between 2013 and 2014 we should have won an all Ireland minor title we had more than good enough panels to do it. Hawkeye robbed us in 2013 but in 2014 the Manager has to take full responsibility it was clear as day he was playing a guy at full back the whole year who wasn't suited to the position and it caught us out in the final against Kilkenny, also it is well known in Limerick what happened at the final Munster that caused a rift within the management team for the rest of the season."
Remember that game well in 2001, Fitzhenry made a rare mistake in that game and showed his resolve to slot a penalty and the unstoppable 21 at the death, the brilliant goal you referenced was actually Rory McCarthy, if my memory serves me right you're big regret that day was a string of poor wides, ironically we'd see that year as a missed opportunity too, in the semi final drawn game against tipperary ref blew up about 45 seconds early we had all the momentum at that point, we were actually 8 points down early in the 2nd half but 3 goals got us back in the game and as things turned out we missed chances in the last 5 minutes which could have given us the win, tipperary to be fair won the replay comfortably. Listening to Brian Carroll's podcast with Jamesie O'connor he actually mentioned it as a regret they lost to tipp by a point in the last knockout Munster semi final as felt they were on the wrong end of poor officiating from Dickie Murphy.

wexico15 (Wexford) - Posts: 2602 - 07/07/2020 22:22:14    2283412

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Personally not old enough to remember 80s and early 90s but this is synonymous with missed opportunities for wexford, off the top of my head there is the 93 leinster final 4 points up with 5 mins or so left, kilkenny got the draw and the rest is history, DJ Carey 12 steps and late goal is down in folklore in Wexford too from 91, another I believe is 1984, beat a kilkenny team going for 3 all Ireland's in a row in the leinster semi final and subsequently lost to Offaly by a point in the leinster final.

Outside of 2001 mentioned in a previous post 1998 is a regret other not counties might not be aware of, played Offaly in a leinster semi final 2 points up in injury time and very much deservedly so, Johnny Dooley broke our hearts scoring from a ground stroke threw a forest of bodies to grab victory from the jaws of defeat, the subsequent Clare Offaly and Clare Waterford sagas probably means that game is forgotten in the general scheme of things.

In football terms Leinster final defeat to Dublin in 2011 and leinster semi final in 2012 jump out.

wexico15 (Wexford) - Posts: 2602 - 07/07/2020 22:35:26    2283413

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