Black n' Back

[ripley]

Lads,

Excellent all round performance last night - against an admittedly young and inexperienced team. But a wins a win.

Solid at the back and three goals to the good.

More of the same on Wednesday and the season is back on track.

Onwards & Upwards!

[Numero Uno]

Couldnt agree more, really enjoyed last night, everyone was well up for it and we dominated the game, dont want to get too carried away, but it was definately a step in the right direction. Everyone worked their socks off, thought the defence was excellent, good covering and they never really troubled us, despite Deanos awful confidence in his goalkeeper! Lets hope we can build on this and get another good result on Wednesday! I love the Blackstone!!

[Blackstone Cowboy]

Wholeheartedly agree lads. Great result last night and a thoroughly enjoyable game which is what it's all about at the end of the day. ;D

Let's have some more of the same tomorrow nite!

[Blackstone Cowboy]

ps. i even exalted you Neil - don't see why we should be so friggin negative all the time!

[etk]

Well played to one and all last night, everyone who put on the black shirt last night gave 100% commitment and effort, if we can maintain that intensity throughout the season then we should do well!!

[Sondooler]

Agree with everything said - only the woodwork and post, some good saves and goal-line clearances stopped us scoring over 5 last night.

If we dominate our opponents like that in future games then the goals should flow.

Despite the Snow Patrol absentees we still have a very strong team available for tomorrow night, and coach Scully will be stripped and ready to make a cameo in the second half - will be great to have him back.

On another subject now that we are finally quite fit we need to maintain/increase our level - should Kipper go ahead and reserve the Forum pitch for training this Saturday morning?

[pugford]

Scully will add a lot to your squad. Good player. Played against him in the first game we played yous last season.

Yous played him in Centre-midfield that night. Then next time we played yous he was out the left.

Centre midfield is where i'd play him. He was very hard to play against that night.

[Spaniel]

ive just emailed alex ferguson and told him that he should play alan smith up front in his traditional role......

he told me to mind my own f**king business ;D



excellent result last nite lads, we were up for it and it showed, roll on carnlough.........

[Blackstone Cowboy]

lol - brilliant flecky!

Yeah, Scully is a good player pugford but our central midfield is very strong and scully gives us that bit extra out wide that a few of the other players couldn't give us. Needless to say the selection committee will act wisely upon his return and do what's best for the club!

[supermo]

i'm so happy!! classic slag flecky

Great work all round men, so glad to get three points on the board!!

Would have loved to have been playing but dont even care as long as we won

Oh by the way anyone who texted me over the past few days sorry for not replying my phone was on the blink but is working now. I'm not actually an ignorant b#*stard

[supermo]

also, lazio catch yourself on. After 5 games in 9 days I think everyone could do with the saturday off so that we can be sharp and give a hundred per cent come tuesday. No reason to try and totally burn ourselves out in the first two weeks.

Wont make any difference to me since i'm injured but think training would be a really bad idea

[Blackstone Cowboy]

I also think training on saturday may be unnecessary.

I for one won't be making it as i've got a minor hamstring strain and need to rest it so that i'm fit for our next match.

Training on Tuesday at 7pm at the Forum will do well.

[Sondooler]

Disagree with you both on the training issue. Westend started training at start of July and trained a couple of times per week - and it showed against us. We don't have a match for a couple of weeks and I don't think training once per week is enough for us to get/stay fit. It is nowhere near enough. If our poor start has highlighted anything it is the importance of fitness (and our lack of it).

Kipper and I are up for training on Saturday. Anyone else up for it?

[Sondooler]

Also, Kipper has suggested that we organise a friendly for the following Saturday morning (2nd September, morning of NI match). I'm totally up for this as well. Between Tuesdays and Saturdays we'll have two good workouts every week until matches start up and we will be laughing.

[etk]

I can understand the fact that people who are injured or carrying muscle strains would like to rest up that makes sense. But for the rest of the squad i personally believe, that after tonight we won't have a game for at least 17 days and for other this could be 19 or 21 days without a game, that brings your match fitness back to the beginning.

I think a training session on Saturday would do no one any harm what so ever, then we train 3 days later (Tuesday) then a friendly match 4 days after that. If we can't cope with this then we have serious issues. Most teams in most leagues train on a Tuesday and a Thursday.

I know that i missed the first 3 games, but i am sure i would have still been up for training. Rant over

[Numero Uno]

im up for whatever everyone else wants cause im Blackstone through and through! I cant make training on Tuesday night - i unfortunately have a prior arrangement but if its on on Saturday i could show my face. Whatever the consensus is.

[ripley]

As far as I'm aware there is a league commitee meeting on Monday and we'll probably end up with a game on Wednesday evening and possibly the following Monday. Is this not correct?

Anyway I can train on Saturday morning but will be missing Tuesday's session due to a prior engagement watching the Sky Blues Brothers battling it out at the showground.

Good luck to whoever is playing tonight! Team will be on website as soon as some one texts it to me.

[ripley]

another point regarding fitness though - once the season is under way players should take responsibilty for their own fitness to a certain degree.

This was demonstrated last night when I called round to the bachelor pad last night and found PD, Flecky and Big Rob doing bicep curls and various other exercises.

[pugford]

ripley said:

As far as I'm aware there is a league commitee meeting on Monday and we'll probably end up with a game on Wednesday evening and possibly the following Monday. Is this not correct?

Anyway I can train on Saturday morning but will be missing Tuesday's session due to a prior engagement watching the Sky Blues Brothers battling it out at the showground.

Good luck to whoever is playing tonight! Team will be on website as soon as some one texts it to me.

Next meeting is Thursday night mate. 9.30 Showgrounds

[Sondooler]

I thought the midweek games were over but I'm delighted if they aren't!

I guess we should wait til after the meeting tomorrow night before finalising the decision - as we don't want to train on Saturday if we have a match on Monday ... but if the match is on Wednesday night or later then its a no brainer that we should train.

On another note its good to hear the lads are sculpting their guns and no doubt doing assorted stretches. I've heard also that their average Friday night these days is a bottle of red, some chocolates and a game of twister.

The "take responsibility for your own fitness" is a nice idea but my experience with the Blackstone tells me that the only way to get a really fit squad is through regular organised training - I'm not going to go down to a playing field and do sprinting drills on my own but love Scully putting me through my paces.

[Sondooler]

ripley said:

Good luck to whoever is playing tonight! Team will be on website as soon as some one texts it to me.

After game on Monday night I told Scully and Mike to sort out the team for tonight as I will be Snow Patrolling. So you need to chase those two for the line-up.

As far as I know the only 13 players available tonight are (in no particular order):

1. McClay
2. Rory
3. O'Kane
4. Gary
5. Warren
6. Davy Thompson
7. Kipper
8. Blayney
9. Flecky
10. Jamesy
11. Victor
12. Scully
13. Rab Fleck

All I know is that Scully says he won't be starting due to a lack of match fitness. Don't know who the other sub will be.

[Sondooler]

pugford said:

Scully will add a lot to your squad. Good player. Played against him in the first game we played yous last season.

Yous played him in Centre-midfield that night. Then next time we played yous he was out the left.

Centre midfield is where i'd play him. He was very hard to play against that night.

When Scully played left wing against you boys we won 4-0, Scully scored, and he totally tortured your defence. When he played centre midfield you beat us 2-0. Don't you worry Pugs if we meet you in the cup he'll be hugging the touchline! ;D

[Numero Uno]

Good to see youre working hard Sondooler!!! Thats actually not a bad squad, so hopefully we'll be able to get a result. Hope all you Snow patrolling boys enjoy yourself while the rest of us do battle for the Blackstone! Have a good one boys!

[Sondooler]

Cheers Uno. Yeah we should have a very strong team out tonight. Love your commitment - I think you and Rory are the only two players who have been available for all 5 games and that deserves recognition.

All the best for tonight lads.

On another note, Scully has confirmed his availability and desire to take the training session on Saturday (assuming we don't have a match on Monday night), along with the message "we need all the practice we can get at the mo!"

[Numero Uno]

Quite simply, Rory and i are legends.

If this match is called off due to weather, someone give me a shout asap before i start my journey!

Its raining like a mother down here.

[pugford]

sondooler said:

pugford said:

Scully will add a lot to your squad. Good player. Played against him in the first game we played yous last season.

Yous played him in Centre-midfield that night. Then next time we played yous he was out the left.

Centre midfield is where i'd play him. He was very hard to play against that night.

When Scully played left wing against you boys we won 4-0, Scully scored, and he totally tortured your defence. When he played centre midfield you beat us 2-0. Don't you worry Pugs if we meet you in the cup he'll be hugging the touchline! ;D

lol I dont quite remember it like that

Just remembered he was hard to play against in the middle. Will take a wee while for him to get stuck in again, but a great addition to your squad. Good luck lads

[Numero Uno]

Another big game tonight boys, having looked at the Table it would appear that we're not too far off the top 6 and a win tonight could bump us up a few places, so really need to get a result tonight, and i have every faith in the team we're going to put out!! Come on the Rovers!

[etk]

Don't quite know what happened last night in the mud bath pitch 3. Played a bit of football in the first half took the lead and failed to add to the lead.

Second half we conceeded to many free kicks which resulted in the equaliser and they went on to get another 2 effectively finishing off the game.

Our pre match preparation for the last two wednesday games have been crap, no proper warm up or time to get focused in. And this has cost us dearly.

Hopefully this will all change now that the midweek games are out of the way, as i understand that it can be quite difficult to get to Ballymena on time with work commitments and traffic etc.

I share the responsibilty along with the rest of the team for the poor performance in the second half. We had no hunger and it showed. A few good training sessions before our next game kicks off and hopefully we will all be in the right frame of mind to finally get our season up and running.

C'mon the Stone!

[ripley]

Over the 90 minutes - Cullybackey were the hungriest and played the better football.

Think we panicked abit when we went 2-1 down. We should have kept it tight for a bit longer.

Agree about the mid week matches and prepartion. Hopefully next Saturday we can give a good account of ourselves and get the season back on track.

We have played 6 - won 1 - drawn 1 - lost 4.

This time last season. Played 6 - won 3 - lost 3. Plenty of time to make amends.

[Blackstone Cowboy]

Here here... they wanted it and we didn't, simple as that.

But it'll come together lads, we need to get back into the routine of training hard and playing on saturday mornings when i personally think we always perform better.