Kildare v Down

Boxtyeater wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote: Had a great day last Sunday (some occasion) - aside from the result! But its good to be there so have a good 'un!

I had herself, the bro +wife, and the BIL + wife in the finest seats.....Great pre-game craic in Fagans, the ramble down, where the BIL encountered a long lost buddy, the match, a lock of greasy food, pints in Bowe's until closing (family connected) a nightcapX3 in the Ashling, a wanderly weave Westward, to find the gaff intact, followed by wise words from the local sages as we regaled each other....

the aishling

Bowe's a top shop - got off a 16A home back in 1988 with a Sat morning hangover and had to get off in town - hallleluiah - was cured! So Boxty - did your crew enjoy the Dub experience or did ye come across empty heads?

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Bowe's a top shop - got off a 16A home back in 1988 with a Sat morning hangover and had to get off in town - hallleluiah - was cured! So Boxty - did your crew enjoy the Dub experience or did ye come across empty heads?

empty heads from cork i hope you mean

Empty heads here
Empty heads there
Empty heads every bleedin' where .....

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Bowe's a top shop - got off a 16A home back in 1988 with a Sat morning hangover and had to get off in town - hallleluiah - was cured! So Boxty - did your crew enjoy the Dub experience or did ye come across empty heads?

Ah Jaysus Jayo, we were solidly fooked after 2 days of solid portering. We arrived in the city Sun morning (from Carton House), got a great reviving brekkie in O'Shea's at the bottom of Talbot St.. ..Top job , full shot with refills @ €6.95 per skull.....I'd rang Bertie who said he'd be in Fagan's but I'd missed him...Top banter with a good Cork crowd who knew some family connections....
Sitting behind Frank Murphy who squeezed me out of Hayes' in Thurles in '84, gave him some guff, and a wrap-up one with Cllr.Rachel Doherty (daughter of the Doc) in the Ashling......
Dauber most impressed with my w/end...

Dublin,while being no Ballinamore, is, I've found, an alright place.......Happy

I dinna understand it maself B!!!!! Tis full fo great skins - more than the fookers - yet ...

Right, i am off to me ma's for my dinner the the pub for pints to watch the game. Come on the lilly whites. I love bank holiday weekends

Kildare are awful. What is it with Leinster football teams folding on the big stage.

GAA-Fan wrote:Kildare are awful. What is it with Leinster football teams folding on the big stage.

Not over yet but Down look far superior. Their getting the rub of the green as well, Coulter was in the square and Kildare had a fine point marked wide.

It's nearly like the opposite to Kildare's other games, they started the stronger but as the half went on Down clicked into gear and Kildare are fading a bit, losing midfield badly. Down are only just getting into gear now and yet they're already 5 up. Very bad from the umpires though, goal was a square ball and Kildare had a perfectly good point ruled wide. But Down are playing some great stuff now, Marty Clarke is playing very well around the middle winning ball and delivering it in. I still expect Kildare to come back as they always have big second half performances, so it should be an exciting finish.

If previous games are anything to go by Kildares defence should start to get tighter. Kildare look tired.

Seems like nothing is going Kildare's way up front, good save and block to stop another Down goal there but they can't get it going at the other end.

Another game where the officials decision is costly.

Holy jesus what an end, couldn't have been closer, flicked onto the underside of the bar and bounced out. You have to feel sorry for the Kildare lads, that's crushing, but well done Down!

I really do feel sorry for Kildare. If only that point was given....

Well this thread can go on and on with pages and pages of analysis and debate but its hard to accept that the best team are in the All-Ireland.

Down played very well whilst Kildare were probably within themselves for long stretches, although a little bit of credit to Down for not letting them play to the best of their capabilites. But the injury to Earley and the subsequent cleaning in midfield, followed by two goal chances off the crossbar and the post, topped off by a goal that wasn't and a point that was must be heartbreaking for Kildare.

Looks like someone up in the sky has soft feelings for Down, a very lucky team. There's a 2004-like feeling to this year's championship, all sorts of freak results before the inevitable in the final.

In all fairness to Down they have played some great stuff this championship - yes they have been extremely lucky too. Kildare in ways cost themselves the place in the final with the easy shots they put wide but were also cost their place in All Ireland final by poor officiating.

Can't see Cork beating Down. Down don't lose All Ireland finals while Cork in recent years have been experts at it.

Again I wouldn't be rushing in to condemn McEnaney and officialdom in general.

Its says a lot about the rules when the widely percieved best referee and his officials gets so many big calls wrong.

Needless things like the handpass and the sideline kick were addressed at the start of the year but the controversial square ball and tackle remained as they were and once again, probably were the difference in victory and defeat.

Why oh why nobody has the sense to change these rules and make it easier for referees as opposed to harder, is certainly beyond me and probably beyond most else.

Well Kildare will be right to feel sore about the decisions but all in all I thought Down played much the better football over the whole game. I accept that without that goal things could have been different but we won't know thanks to poor decisions by the officials.

By and large Down negated the influence of Kildare's big dangermen, while up front Down's forwards looked much more composed in attack and took some great scores and some of the play, by Marty Clarke in particular, was great to watch. The loss of Earley obviously hurt Kildare badly as Down lorded it at midfield(but remember Down were missing Ambrose Rodgers aswell), and alot of breaks were won by Clarke who was roaming around the middle and providing a great link between midfield and attack, Kildare didn't have a player like that today. Also, Kildare's wide count proved costly today, all year they have racked up alot of wides in every game but due to the amount of attacks they created they got away with it - today Down stopped alot of those attacks and worked tirelessly in defence leaving Kildare's forwards no time, and as a result they ended up just kicking it away.

It just didn't seem to be Kildare's day, leaving aside the poor decisions by the officials they were very unlucky with some other attacks which just crept wide or hit the woodwork, Callaghan's first goal chance especially. As someone else put it, footballers won out against athletes, and it looked that way today. Of course Kildare have some very talented footballers also but overall Down looked to have the most natural footballers and that showed with the way they worked the ball around in the forwards.

Hard luck to Kildare, that's an awful way to lose a game but well done to Down, Cork will be very tough but Down will have no fear of them and give it an almighty go. Happy to see Down through, but I'd be happier if I didn't have money on Kildare!

Kildare had a perfectly good point waved wide, down's goal was clearly a square ball and down got at least 2 frees that were never fouls. Down's win is tainted. They should do the decent thing and offer kildare a replay

Down goal - Coulter was in the square
Kildare goal - Callaghan took at least 8 steps
Kind of evened itself out.

Thought Down did very well. When Kildare looked like they were coming back again Down chipped in with a point or 2. With others now sharing the burden with Coulter he seems to be playing better than ever.

On a side note, after a very stop-start Championship we had 2 very entertaining semi-finals with the bare minimum between winning and losing in each case.

whiterbananas wrote:Kildare had a perfectly good point waved wide, down's goal was clearly a square ball and down got at least 2 frees that were never fouls. Down's win is tainted. They should do the decent thing and offer kildare a replay

While you're on-line WB just have a look at the Kildare goal....Boxty Jnr counted 14, yes, a full solid 14 steps with the ball before ramming it.....Get out of it...

While Callaghan exceeded the four steps allowed by some way, it really should have been a penalty as he was quite clearly been fouled. McEnaney took it upon himself to allow the advantage.