NFL Division 1

Show me the fan who isn't blindly faithful in his team and I'll show you a phoney.

Very pleased to see my beloved Down and Arsenal producing important wins, a nice Easter Sunday for mise despite the bad weather. Comiserations Loyal but Meath can have few complaints....the supporters are being let down badly and some hard truths are gonna have to be hammered home.

Div.1 table for next year just about indicative of who the teams to beat are currently. Tyrone will be glad that their new look side will have the opportunity to play in what looks set to be a very tight affair among the top teams.

Well done to Down. I watched them against Kerry, and through they looked awful. At that time there was a growing rumble of discontent within the county regarding McCartan's ability to get the most from the side.

I don't for a second believe that 3rd in the league equates to 3rd in the country, but they did well to retain their top flight status, with something to spare.

They are on the opposite side of the draw to Tyrone/Armagh/Derry/Donegal, so they have a clear path to the Ulster final, if their form holds. Perhaps this will be the year that Down finally see some provincial silverwear, although I wouldn't bet on it just yet!

No I wouldn't say we're 3rd in the country. But there's a lot of transition going on right now in football...new teams emerging with realistic hopes of major breakthroughs in this season and in the coming years, Down are certainly among them. Experience will tell for Kerry and Cork this season but it won't last forever.

I really can't commend James McCartan highly enough, the job he has done since taking over has been outstanding. He tends to have his favourites which is a major gripe among Down folk but it's hard to find too much fault in what he has done. He has re-established Down football and there is pride again in the jersey.

The loss against Kerry doesn't bother me oddly enough...the hammering against Cork and the failure to finish off a weakened Armagh side are greater matters for concern....matters that suggest Down still have significant shortcomings. But pretty much every side in the top 8 or so has shortcomings so it's quite balanced. Last season was a huge disappointment, the loss of key players a further blow (Coulter admits that he is seeing a lot less of the ball since Clarke's departure)...but a provincial title is well within our reach this year and that should be the goal.

Benny Coulter must often rue the fact he wasn't born 10 years later....or 10 years earlier for that matter. Such a pity that a fantastic player like himself spent most of his senior career surrounded by players who couldn't lace his boots.

And we're gonna beat Cork next week, fifth time lucky as they say.

I was happy enough with the performance on Sunday. Conditions were tough with some very heavy showers before the game and at half time. It was strange seeing the stand full with only about a 100 stalwarts on the terraces.

For long stages in the first half we were struggling to hold on, gifting Armagh some easy frees that Stevenson knocked over very confidently. Lacey was doing a good job on Clarke but errors from others were allowing Armagh to keep chipping on the scores. We were lucky to only be 2 down at HT.

2 big changes in the 2nd half were that we ran directly at Armagh and we upped the defensive intensity a notch or two. Ryan Bradly and Rory Kavangh in particular were very effect driving at the heart of Armagh defense. Some bad decision making meant that we got limited end product from this in the 3rd quarter but it really started to pay dividends in the last 15-20 minutes. Armagh weren't able to get past our defensive line and we turned over several balls that led to scores.

It's interesting that with all the talk about our defensive style, how little difference there was in approaches between the 2 teams. Armagh had 12-13 men in their own 45 and tried to break at pace - pretty much what we tried to do. Big Neil Gallagher had a great game in MF which edged it for us - that and the fact that our lads had a bit more desire for it in the last 10 minutes.

Listening to Jim on Highland afterwards, he seems quite satisfied with how things have gone in the league. his top priorities were to look at a few new players, try a few new systems and approaches, and if possible to stay in the division. To achieve that while only training once a week is relatively good work.

He was asked if supporters can expect more of the same defensive football from Donegal this year and his response was that he would like to keep 100% of the defensive work from last year!! But he strongly emphasised the need to be able to generate and take more scores. Players can't be everywhere so I expect we will be less suffocating this year in order to have a more attacking threat.

One thing that was glaring obvious though was the dearth of quality forwards we have. McFadden is a grand man for the early months but when a wiley defender focuses on forcing him onto his right peg, his effectiveness drops massively. McBrearty is a promising talent but is only a youngster and often makes the wrong decision. Griffen has had his chances and has failed to impress and Hanlon is no great shakes. So come the summer we will be depending on Murph to do it all and hope that Paddy and Colm can take a small bit of the scoring burden. Too predictable me thinks.

Looking forward to being in Breffni park in a few short weeks anyway. We'll need the same amount of luck as last year if we are to challenge in Ulster. The margin between us winning Ulster and getting to an AI SF versus being beat in the Ulster SF and getting caught out in the qualifiers is very small. In fact the margin between success and failure for any team is very small. We could easily have a relatively unsucessful year in 2012, but the one thing that matters is that this year (and last year) we will be represented by players who will give their all and who will do us proud no matter the result. That's all I demand any year - more than that is a bonus.

Same for a lot of the teams in Ulster...I don't care what anyone says I still think Ulster is the most difficult province to come through with Donegal, Armagh, Down, Tyrone, Derry capable of winning the provincial title, yet all of them so susceptible to capitulation.

Could not believe the comments Paddy O'Rourke made after the Donegal match, effectively blaming Jamie Clarke for Armagh's loss and subsequent relegation. A bizarre statement and one I feel will be used against Paddy by an Armagh fan-base who have had their reservations about his red and black past.

I'm not convinced with Donegal just yet, their lack of consistent scoring power being a big factor in that. It's not so much that they seem to run out of ideas up front, they don't seem to have any idea from the word go, especially when Murphy is gone. Of course, their defensive abilities are well known and often lamented. If they build some sort of successful era out of their style of play (or lack thereof) it will not be one that anybody will look back on with much fondness.

So we're up against Cork yet again in Croker. Suppose it's very hard to argue that they won't give us another hiding. I think it has become a mental block for the Down players....I can't understand why other teams, teams that we are well able to beat, can give Cork a game but we capitulate. The problem is the goals.....Cork kill us with them and our pretty poor full back line struggles to contain their forwards. The problem is now that Down have probably developed a fear factor when it comes to Cork...and when Down get jittery they are woeful.

Benny will struggle to see much of the ball and there is an extensive injury list right now. Dan Gordon is out, just when we really need our big men. Benny McArdle will probably get his chance at full-back. Danny Hughes is out, robbing us of our best running player. Liam Doyle is still injured, another big man we could really use. The excellent Conor Maginn is also out.

Down have to keep the goals out. I'm just not convinced our full-back line is up to the task. It continues to be our weakest link and Cork know exactly the kind of ball to put in on top of them.

I want to see Down give them a game. I don't know how they're going to manage it but if the full-backs can just weather the storm we might have a chance. This Cork thing is getting very annoying now....we need to rectify this situation badly. A win is unlikely, but Down have the beating of teams who are able to put it up to Cork....so why can't they do the same?

Cork, at full strength, are among the top 3-4 sides in Ireland, so you'd expect them to beat Down, but it is the manner of the defeats that rightly should be of concern to Down fans. I think a lot of it is probably in the mind, but a lot is also in the power and strength of the Cork runners, and Down's relatively small side.

Down have a spread of good players throughout their side, but several who are making up the numbers. They are especially weak in the full back line, where Dan Gordan is a liability, and the corners perhaps suffer as a result.

I know you are expecting big things this year BA, but I certainly wouldn't be looking past Fermanagh in Brewster Park just yet. Down should win that game, but I'd be far from shocked if that was the first big upset of the Championship.

I can assure that nobody in Down is looking past the Fermanagh game, despite their Division 3 status they can only beat what is put in front of them and so far they have been doing that well, they will certainly be up for it. I think Down can do well this season but as RMD rightly pointed out, the margin for error is so small for a number of teams right now...teams who are well capable of going all the way into the late summer yet could also be falling aside early in the qualifiers. I would hope that serious lessons have been learned from the disasters of last season and given the manner in which Down have applied themselves this year, there are grounds for optimism. An Ulster final against Tyrone would be good....a chance for Down to really announce themselves as a genuine force in Ulster. I believe they already are, but they need a title to show it.

I think Gordon does a good job at full back, but he is a midfielder...and a damn good one at that. Ambrose and Dan should be forming a strong midfield together but that bloody full back problem is depriving us of that. James McCartan's tendency to favour Burren players has been a bone of contention for many in the county. His brother Dan is a decent player, but does not perform consistently enough to justify his regular starting appearances.

There are better corner backs in Down, even in the lower leagues, where the defenders tend to be a bit dirtier and more ready for the rough and tumble.....a quality I don't see in any of Down's defenders who are too disciplined and too soft. Wee James rightly pointed out in losses to Armagh and Cork in recent times that the opponents committed far more fouls, and they knew exactly what they were doing.

The saving grace though for Down is that all the teams in and around their level suffer from some sort of weakness or another. Derry, Donegal, Tyrone, Armagh, as well as ourselves, will all feel that an Ulster title this year is within reach. But they all have their failings in one sector or another.

Genuinely, what do you think were the reasons for the disasters of the last 18 months, and what lessons should James have learnt?

(And I also agree that there is little between a lot of sides, especially in Ulster. Down, are in the fortunate position of being on the opposite side of the draw to the other 4 sides that you mentioned, so anything less than an Ulster final appearance would be a disaster.)

Down got to an AIF in 2010 and suddenly a team that had done little to nothing for years were now a big scalp to be taken. Down struggled with this last year...and really never got going at all. The league campaign had actually been promising enough, but Down were completely caught unaware by an Armagh side who gave their best performance in several years. A one point loss to Clare says it all really..any other day Down would have walked all over them.

While the team has rally strengthened since 2009, the full back line has been a problem, a huge problem. Too soft and too porous, they concede too many goals, are not confident enough on the ball, and are poor at dealing with teams who play direct ball into the forwards. It was obvious against Armagh and woefully obvious against Cork. The deployment of Dan Gordon at full back has been a decent temporary solution....at the expense of Down's midfield. Looking back at the losses to Cork over the past year , the full backs have struggled while the rest of the team puts in a decent shift.

It's harsh to blame them for all of Down's failings but it's really hard to look past them...the forwards have racked up fine scores....midfield has been generally solid, despite a lot of chopping and changing there....and the half backs (particularly McKernan) have been generally very good. All players can fail to perform on certain days but the full back line is suspect in almost every game. Down tend to play open football so yes this increases the pressure on the backs.....which is why they need big strong men in there.

Anyway I actually would say that last season was more an anti-climax than a disaster....something which may work in Down's favour in the future. If they can make a good push this season, last year could well be viewed as a necessary descent back to earth after the heights of 2010.

Enjoyable game there with Mayo and Kerry 2-15 to 1-17 in Mayo's favour.

Great win for Mayo. Listening to it on the radio and Mayo never gave up. Massive win for them over Kerry in Croke Park even if it's just a League semi-final. It's remarkable how James Horan has turned things around. A year ago they were almost relegated and subsequently were taken to extra-time by London. They certainly are a side to be reckoned with this summer.

Mayo were very good, displaying more fight than Mayo sides of the past when the game was slipping away from them (twice).

They are very fast, have some good footballers and are very fit. But the comments I posted after the Dublin game still hold - I don't think they are powerful enough to win an all-ireland. Of the two sides, Kerry looked like a side with more potential to improve in the summer, while Mayo may not get a lot better than they are now. They'd obviously be favourites for Connaught, but neither Galway nor Roscommon would be quaking in their boots just yet.

Don't think I've ever been as pleased with an 8 point defeat! Two defensive blunders...a poor clearance and the keeper dropping the ball were the only blemishes in what was as fine a performance from the Down backs I've seen for some time. Cork's prominence at the end owed a lot to Down bringing on a few of the younger lads (Keith Quinn, Donal O'Hare). I would admit though we were quite fortunate with the penalty. The two errors I mentioned led to goals....Cork will punish those ruthlessly but I must say Brendan McVeigh dropping the ball is not a regular occurrence.


Few things I noticed about Down today

-Physically they were not bullied by Cork. In Arthur McConville, Peter & Damian Turley, Ambrose, Kalum King and others they have a good number of heavy hitters.

-Down seemed to throw their fist passing game out the window. The kick pass game was very effective in the first half and Arthur McConville and Conor Laverty were winning the ball well. It could be an excellent response to a swarming Fermanagh defense. Good to see Down adopting a different style of play, adding another dimension to our attack is no bad thing.

-The Down backs actually can perform! The goals conceded were extremely soft which was unfortunate given the shift put in by the much lamented full back line. But in general they tackled well and made a lot of turnovers. Benny McArdle was excellent, helping himself to a point along the way. His error which gave away the Cork goal really seemed to dent his confidence though.

-Down faded in the last 15 minutes. Although I'm not sure it was because of fitness. They kept running, but made a lot handling errors.....Donal O'Hare (making his debut I think?) struggled to make an impact and Keith Quinn (debut) couldn't get involved.The desperation for goals really got to them I felt when they should have remained calm and kept their shape....this is something they will have to work on; 15 mins is plenty of time to take your points.

Final scoreline is a pity. The defensive errors which led to the 2 goals were really cheap, but punished ruthlessly. But considering the injury list and the fact a few young lads got a run out, I'm quite pleased with the way Down applied themselves (Niall McParland performed well in the middle of the field, 20 years old mixing it with big Cork men is no mean feat). James McCartan might even be thankful not to have another game until Championship....a good workout for the team ahead of the real business. The new physical presence of Down is promising, and it would be great if the full backs can keep it up.

Well done Mayo kept pegging away but Kerry showing sloppiness again when leading near finish.Overall enjoyable match.

Fair play to you Bluearmy, as that is the most beautifully polished turd I've ever seen.

Cork looked a very poor outfit, yet still racked up a cricket score, with only a ridiculous penalty decision preventing a fourth successive double digit pasting of the Mourne men.

Cork have regressed as a side in the last 3 years, and are now virtually bereft of any footballing skill, and lacking in any gameplan. Aidan Walshe is an outstanding young midfielder, yet Counihan had him playing as a deep-lying FF. The lad was so lost he was outscored by his marker. Oh, to have such talent to squander. Talking of squandering, Colm O'Neill is a fine talent, but his insistence on shooting everytime he gets the ball must be very frustrating for his team-mates. O'Neill should be forming a potent point of attack with Donnacha O'Connor, but they just appeared to be on different wavelengths. Having said all that, Cork are the most powerful side in Ireland, and have strength in depth. They also have freetakers In what is not a vintage period for football, that should be enough to see them in the mix late in the summer.

As for Down, they played a very defensive game, no doubt in a vain attempt to stop Cork mauling them as in recent encounters. The half forwards plus FF Lavery all dropped very deep, helping bottle Cork up early on. However, the loss of Lavery, coupled with the inevitable fatigue that comes from such a plan, meant that Cork soon started breaking tackles and started to pull away. Cork's subs were also better, and Down may struggle for depth this summer, even in Ulster. Positives for Down would be Lavery's excellent 25 minutes, McArdle at full back, and good performances by young McParland and Garvey.

This was a poor game of football, with one team incapable of playing good football, and the other opting not to.

15 points is a decent haul, especially for Down against Cork. Down were actually quite tactically astute today I felt...yes, more defensive than one would come to expect from them but I found the long ball technique into the forwards a refreshing change from the short game they have been playing. McCartan rotated the team well I noticed, probably trying to combat the fatigue element, and it was nice to see my fellow clubman and team mate Benny McArdle surge forward. This is the kind of confidence I like to see from the backs, a confidence they have been lacking.

Down's penalty was a big slice of fortune but I felt the Down performance at the back did not merit the concession of two pretty soft goals.

The 'polished turd', as you so eloquently put it, was not good to watch. Everyone knows Down can play nice football but I think they can be forgiven for a more defensive strategy today. I looked towards the positives in what was in essence a bonus game for Down.

And I'm not so sure about Down's depth. I wouldn't say we have really good depth but I don't think it's quite as bad as you think it is. I believe that Benny McArdle has proven himself worthy of the full back role, having done a decent job on Aidan Walsh (he has already kept Michael Murphy scoreless in a Championship game). This could free up Dan Gordon to get back into a midfield role, leaving us with a few options for midfield. We have no shortage of attacking players and Laverty's performance today could see McComiskey on the bench (if he's fit) for the Fermanagh game. Arthur McConville was impressive with his ball winning abilites today and is definitely an option to give us some physical presence in the forward lines. Where we do lack depth is among the full backs. Aidan Brannigan and his brother Niall can play decent roles in there as substitutes but we are still lacking real brutes to put in our full back line.

Hopefully Liam Doyle will soon be match fit, as well as Danny Hughes and Dan Gordon. Actually I think we have a pretty good panel there if the injury roster stays short. We also have a good management setup. It has been a sound pre-Championship season for Down, and good preparation. All thoughts are now turned to Fermanagh.

Enjoyed both games Cork looking strong as always

Real Kerry Fan wrote:Well done Mayo kept pegging away but Kerry showing sloppiness again when leading near finish.Overall enjoyable match.

what was Donaghy thinking off with that 'backpass'???? Though it was a soft enough penalty, it was well struck giving the keeper no chance. O'Sullivan should have known better with that tackle at the end of normal time.

Thought it was a decent enough game, Mayo played with a lot of speed and bravery but when Kerry got ahead i thought it was game over. To their credit they plugged away and got 'lucky' in normal time. Didnt see much of extra time but they are mentally in a better place than before when they had the balls to go on and win it.

Dont know how Maher got MOTM, granted he was good in the first half but in second half he was largely anonymous. The form of Donaghy is also a worry for Kerry - the man is worse than useless at present

I see mayo.mick has been on, Mayo must be in a league final!

bald eagle wrote:I see mayo.mick has been on, Mayo must be in a league final!

PeterSolanTheGreat will probably put in a cameo on Monday should things go their way.....

Haven't seen a more lenient refereeing display in a long time. Some cheap, nasty and high hits going in all over the place today especially by Cork. Noel O'Leary trying to drag a Mayo lad off the ground after he was tripped and then nearly cut in two by a second Cork player. He wasn't even going to book Alan O'Connor for a sly punch in the face and seemed to change his mind when he saw the damage. Kissane too was lucky as was Shields - how they finished with 15 is beyond me. If Duffy was reffing they'd have ended up with about 11 players.

Some of these lads involved will take no pleasure in looking back on this one...Woeful theatrical antics from far too many. GAA HQ would want to review the carry on of certain players, Cork ones in particular, with regard to downright thuggish attitudes.
Now the Mayo defender who fell, JFK-esque, from a phantom skelp should be ridiculed at every occasion.

Deegan was stone fooking useless. One would imagine he should be familiar with the type of stuff going on and act accordingly but no ..

A pixx-poor spectacle.

It will be interesting to see what actions are taken,based on TV evidence by the CCCC. Lets see if they are consistent. Doubt it though.