Dublin v Cork

Decisions even out over a game but the line calls were just bad and happened right in front of the guy. A lot of yellow cards are given too cheaply IMO - its not soccer.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Decisions even out over a game but the line calls were just bad and happened right in front of the guy. A lot of yellow cards are given too cheaply IMO - its not soccer.

yeah what's the point in attempting a shoulder if your yellowed for not timing it perfectly

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Decisions even out over a game but the line calls were just bad and happened right in front of the guy. A lot of yellow cards are given too cheaply IMO - its not soccer.

Not all decisions even out Jayo, but they did in this case. And wrapping your arms around a man clean through on goal, and jumping on top of him is a yellow card, in gaelic football.

If the linesman did his job the ball would have been down in the other goalmouth ....

[quote="Jayo Cluxton"]There was 82K fans there today. It takes less than 1k to be heard booing frees. [quote]

Now now Jayo, you re being a little disingenuous there. You know as well of the rest of us that it was alot more than 1000 people booing

I will post a more detailed analysis later (I'm heading out the door to training as I have a semi final myself this week) but one thing that has been doing my head in since yesterday and no-one here, on the Sunday Game, in the papers or anywhere has mentioned anything about the fact that although Colm O'Neill may have been fouled by McConnell, O'Neill caught him under the arm and pulled him down. There are no videos of it up yet but as soon as there is it will be here.
Yes Dublin ran out of steam and their inexperience (maybe naivety) showed but can people not tell it like it was?????

I felt sorry for Dublin yesterday, they were looking good for most of the game and things were going their way, but that inexperience shone through in the last ten minutes when there were rash tackles going in time after time which allowed Cork to get back into it. It was a step up for many of the young players although they looked to be handling it well up until the end, but some of the fouls were completely needless. Gilroy has done a great job with this young team in bringing through a new system and players and getting so far in one year, but he now needs to make sure they recover from this and come back stronger next year, that defeat will have been shattering for them and some of the older players must be thinking will they ever reach an AI final.

I don't see where the debate about the penalty is, it was a stonewall penalty without a doubt. Shinners, it may be the case that O'Neill was looking for it(as alot of forwards do in that situation), but the difference here was McConnell's tackle, absolutely brainless and no need for it whatsoever. If he'd have stood up to him with his arms out he could have stopped him there but Brian O'Driscoll would be proud of that "tackle"!

One last point - Bernard Brogan brilliant yet again. Dublin have a real gem here and as I thought before he's proving to be the best Brogan sibling. Best player of the championship so far and it'll take a couple of big performances from a Kildare or Down player to top him, I just wonder will he take the award seeing as it's never been given to a non-finalist.

Listened to the game on the wireless yesterday and was gutted for Dublin when Cork stole it at the death! I've always said that i love seeing the Dubs in the Championship and this year was no different and i though they played some exceptional football, maybe they just lacked that experience against a wiley Cork team that, let's face it, have been known to bottle the big occassions!

By all accounts B Brogan was "magical" yesterday, i've loved watching him play this year, he has been my player of the Championship by a mile and it's a pity he won't grace Croker in September.

Fair play to Cork, they stuck at it and won a game that they seemed to be well out of at one stage. They have won what seems to be the strongest Semi-final, that could work against them in my book and i fancy the winners of next weeks Semi to win the AI now, i wouldn't have said that if Dublin had won. Cork deserve an AI, they have been one of the most consistant sides in Ireland, they've done what Kerry couldn't when they beat Tyrone last year but just seemed to crap the pants when they played the Kingdon in Croker!

If Cork don't win the All Ireland however, i feel the GAA will have no option but to from a task force to look into and develop a NEW Championship format!

On another note, what is it with some people that they just want every countys fans to sit at the game and only cheer when a big tackle goes in, a free is awarded or a score is taken, what's wrong with the supporters getting involved? And by that i mean jeering the opposition and getting behind their team? The whole "it's against the ethos of the GAA" arguement is a load of ***** spouted by people from counties that only wish they had the level of support that the Jacks have! I've been to manys an Ulster Championship match where the jeering and bile from the fans would make you sick, and i include Derry in that (wonder will anyone out their own county too?) but the outcry happenes when Dublin are involved, i find it hyprocisy of the highest order!

Absolutely devastated but proud

Never will we ever get a better chance to win Sam with two average teams in the others semi final. Some of the current team have being so unlucky in semi finals.

Cork were poor yesterday and were kept in the game by tho officals. Counihan is a poor manager and I can't believe we lost. Unfortunately like 06 and 07 our decision making in the final 10 mins lost us the game. Henry should never have being taken off he was playing really well..I believe giller got it wrong on the line yesterday in the last 1/4, i thought we would just hang on but it wasn't to be..

We've been knocked out of the championship by the eventual champions in 5 of the last 6 years. i expect it to be 6 from 7 in september.



I was also proud of the Dublin support yesterday applauding the team and giving them a standing ovation after the final whistle, it was a fitting tribute to the team.

This time last year we were down in the Dumps, a year on we were unlucky to lose a semi-final won the U-21 championship..Got the nordie monkey off our back

Found a new leader in MDMA ,B Brogan is like gold dust-Cluxton hasn't lost it -the full back line has improved with every game..

Players to watch for in 2011..P Brogan- D Rock G Sweeney J Cooper Darragh Stapelton-Paddy Andrews

The future is bright the future is Blue cant wait Up The Dubs

I was sitting about 4 rows back from the pitch, directly behind the Cork Co.Board officials, Marty Morrissey and other luminaries.
Now maybe I'm wrong, but I was left to wonder what authority Counihan has in this Cork set-up. Frank Murphy wrote out the notes for substitutions, stepped across and handed them to Gearoid O'Conamha, while another geezer, unknown to me (track suited) summoned the ongoing sub from his seat behind me.
All of these substitutions were effected while Counihan was moping around 10/15 yds. away, half on/off the pitch with his head down.....He did not appear to be wearing one of them speaker phone thingys either....

Cork won because they finished stronger, made less mistakes and retained their discipline better. The consistent booing of the Cork freetaker was unwelcome and spoiled the occasion somewhat......That said, the Boxtyeater entourage repaired to a noble hostelry, Bowe's in Fleet Street, where a grand little crowd relived the day, the Dubs not too downcast and the Rebels not overly cocky....

Boxtyeater wrote:I was sitting about 4 rows back from the pitch, directly behind the Cork Co.Board officials, Marty Morrissey and other luminaries.
Now maybe I'm wrong, but I was left to wonder what authority Counihan has in this Cork set-up. Frank Murphy wrote out the notes for substitutions, stepped across and handed them to Gearoid O'Conamha, while another geezer, unknown to me (track suited) summoned the ongoing sub from his seat behind me.
All of these substitutions were effected while Counihan was moping around 10/15 yds. away, half on/off the pitch with his head down.....He did not appear to be wearing one of them speaker phone thingys either....

Cork won because they finished stronger, made less mistakes and retained their discipline better. The consistent booing of the Cork freetaker was unwelcome and spoiled the occasion somewhat......That said, the Boxtyeater entourage repaired to a noble hostelry, Bowe's in Fleet Street, where a grand little crowd relived the day, the Dubs not too downcast and the Rebels not overly cocky....

It would be hard to fault any of the subsitutions Cadogan, Colm O Neill, Nicholas Murphy etc
whoever decided to make them

Can never understand why Murphy is not starting. O'Neill did very well but Cork changed tactics too and started kicking high ball into the forwards - which brought results. Tactical battle was fascinating really.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Can never understand why Murphy is not starting. O'Neill did very well but Cork changed tactics too and started kicking high ball into the forwards - which brought results. Tactical battle was fascinating really.

The long ball tactic and use of O Neill was the game winner - Up to that they laboured to the dublin 65 and then played horizontal passes typically through Kelly - once they let it early in the game turned

Agreed - and Dublin were tiring badly too so a fresh guy was liable to do damage. Counihan got his subs right but I thought the 2 v 2 ploy he left with BB and O'Gara was very dangerous and with a little break here a couple more goals could have arrived. Amazed they didn't play a sweeper and seemed to use the man in the area between the MF and HF lines and he was getting a lot of space. Giller brought on Cahill to address this and it worked.

Dublin will have to refine the game plan as it is impossible for the top 2 to last 70 in conditions like yesterday. We need a little more pace up front. I actually think Kildare have the game plan for Cork should they win on Sunday as they will run at them all day - and more. Despite the fact that they closed the deal in the last 10 (fair play to them) I think Cork look a tad tired. Kildare don't do tiredness!

Colm O'Neill should have been on earlier. Why did it take Cork so long to start pumping ball in with such strong ball winners inside!?

I'd like to see a full forward line with Brogan and Davoreen in it. Thought he was top class for Club and County before his injury, hopefully he can come back from it.

Even without the goals - If O gara could have kicked 2 or 3 points it could well have been different. Take your point about the tiredness however I think thats more that Dublins gameplan results in the opposition getting tired - same thing happend Tyrone if the half forwards are spending the whole game running back to your 21 to look for possession and then carrying the ball to the opposition 45 and then hitting a wall of tackles it would sap most teams.

O'Neill was good but O'Connor stuck over the frees and deserves mention too. But to me the man that has got them out of jail a few times this season is Paul Kerrigan. I just can't warm to the guy for some reason (his Dad Jimmy was savage and I liked him!) but he is doing the business. He got crucial scores yesterday and carried the ball well. Last year he had a nightmare final and was taken off so fair play to him for coming back better and stronger.

Heartbroken again. We threw it away.

Cant fault both teams for effort, both gave everything they had which is all we require from our hero's.

Fair play to Cork but we had you and it slipped through our fingers, hurts like Mayo 06.

We will be back stronger next year hopefully and the effort the lads put in was not a once off, its still great getting to Semi's and having a whole summer of looking forward to Matches, beats being knocked early which wouldnt be nice but the big one still missing.

Up the Dubs.

P.S nice site, see a few familar names which is Interesting. Hope to contribute to all threads and topics when back from the Holiers.

Welcome DUB! Funny enough I didn't find it half as painful as Mayo. We were 7 ahead and coasting and lost that one - bad calls on the line big time. Giller got crucial ones wrong yesterday but has earned the right to continue the good work nonetheless.

Game over let it go

Fair play to Pat Gilroy. He said ‘to hell with the begrudgers’, stuck to his beliefs, and drew from his side the best Dublin performance in the Championship in 5 years. So why did they lose?

Dublin played the perfect game against Tyrone, and did so again here for 65 minutes, until they ran out of steam and, as happens to tired players, started making mistakes. Dublin’s plan was simple. Withdraw 13 players, and hit O’Gara & Brogan on the break. While not pretty to watch, this worked very well, especially in the first half, when both Carey & and unfit Canty were found out by more athletic opponents. As Cork poured forward, O’Gara and Brogan had vast expanses to run into, and Alan Brogan was regularly bursting forward to support.

The trouble with this style of play is the demands that it places on the front 2 and those supporting them. Those players visibly tired as the 2nd half wore on, until the defence no longer had any outlet to kick the ball to, and the Cork defenders swept up everything that came near them. This allowed Cork to drive forward uncontested, and repeatedly test the Dublin defence, exposing their lack of basic tackling skills (particularly McConnell and Ger Brennan).

When I posted a fortnight ago that I felt Tyrone had left an All-Ireland behind them this year, this is what I was talking about. After 65 minutes against Dublin, Tyrone should have kicked on to win. However, Mickey Harte blew it, while Conor Counihan (or Frank Murphy, Boxty!) got it right. In the closing stages, Harte had Enda McGinley, Stevie O’Neill and Brian Dooher on the field - 2 men who haven’t kicked a ball all year, and another who wasn’t fit to get a ball due to age. Tyrone should have punched through Dublin in those final minutes, but the wrong men were on the pitch. Cork made no such error, bringing on Murphy, Cadogen, Goold, O’Neill & Kavanagh, all strong, powerful and fit men, and Dublin’s increasingly pressurised defence caved in.

Could Gilroy have done anything differently? Well, he might have changed his front 2, but did he really have any better options on the bench in terms of winning ball in front of Shields & Cadogan? Probably not. Nor did he have a midfielder to win a few balls over Walsh, Murphy and Kavanagh.

Pat Gilroy did as well as could have been expected with his limited resources, but Cork’s stronger subs bench (particularly around midfield) and their sheer persistency, won the game for them.

A key change also was that Cork started playing in the high ball instead of the lateral handpassing game. I can't understand why they persist with that when they have so many huge men and especially on a day like Sunday. Let the ball do the work.

I think a lot of people find the Dublin style good to watch TC - I haven't read one comment about it being a poor or defensive game. Don't necessarily agree with your Tyrone assessment either. Conditions were far more benign in the QF and Dublin players were not suffering as much as on Sunday last. They finished stronger than Tyrone - had you got better men on the bench?

Jaysus Jayo, you need to stop being so sensitive. Id've sworn that Mullins had written that response.

Dublin play extremely negatively/defensively, but it suits them because they have Bernard Brogan and, against most sides, can get away with it. Don't pretend that it is attractive to watch, as you were one of the main opponents to the system just 2 months ago.

Did Tyrone have better options than a man who was barely fit to move, and 2 men who had 5 minutes of championship football between them this year? Yes, we did.

I don't think its me being senstitive here TC - jaysus if you disagree with your opinion these days its down to sensitivity! I haven't seen one report or comment from Sunday calling the match defensive - have you? I have read a lot of comment about people really enjoying Dublin's style of football though.

Regarding who you had on the bench I wrote soon after the QF that MH was possibly being a bit too sentimental (loyal) with some of his players. It would have been hard to introduce any guy into that QF with 15 mins left when he had little or no game time prior.

I see you avoided the point. How can you now like the same style that you were up in arms about earlier in the season? The answer, whether you choose to admit it or not, is simple: The style started generating results.

Sunday's game was exciting (low on quality, but high on excitement), but that is because Cork came out and attacked, leaving spaces for Dublin to counter. A lovely mix of styles. If Dublin played, say, Derry, it would have been a very different spectacle.

And Harte introduced 2 players who had played no football all year (McGinley & O'Neill).