USFC SF - Tyrone v Donegal - St Tiernach's Park Clones - 26/06/2011

Who will have the pleasure of taking on Derry in the Ulster final? Can Donegal sping a surprise or will the favourites Tyrone move up a gear as they have done many times before?

I think Tyrone will win but will lose to Derry in the Ulster Final RMD.

I hope I'm wrong but I amn't expecting the most open entertaining game ever this weekend. Great opportunity for Donegal to measure where they are at. Playing a very different style to what you associate with the county but winning Div 2 and one game from an Ulster final means you can't argue with it. It is really hard to measure what progress Donegal have made so this Sunday should tell a lot.

Tyrone have their problems too but are the old (!) dogs for the hard road and know how to win these type of games. Some of the old crew looking rejuvenated - some looking old. I expect it to be low scoring and if it is I think Tyrone have more scoring power. And if it is a miserable wet day I would expect Tyrone to dog it out. Red Hands for me.

(Reading back thru the post I note a lot of canine references there though I never mentioned Collie Kavanagh!)

Jayo Cluxton wrote:I hope I'm wrong but I amn't expecting the most open entertaining game ever this weekend. Great opportunity for Donegal to measure where they are at. Playing a very different style to what you associate with the county but winning Div 2 and one game from an Ulster final means you can't argue with it. It is really hard to measure what progress Donegal have made so this Sunday should tell a lot.

Tyrone have their problems too but are the old (!) dogs for the hard road and know how to win these type of games. Some of the old crew looking rejuvenated - some looking old. I expect it to be low scoring and if it is I think Tyrone have more scoring power. And if it is a miserable wet day I would expect Tyrone to dog it out. Red Hands for me.

(Reading back thru the post I note a lot of canine references there though I never mentioned Collie Kavanagh!)

I expect Donegal to be quick out of the traps but as you say Jayo Tyrone will probably pull back their lead. First draw of the year. Hope a certain Tyrone player doesn't act the pup.

What date is the Ulster final set for anyone know? I may well be in attendance depending on date and Donegal getting to it. assume the venue will be Clones?

mossbags wrote:What date is the Ulster final set for anyone know? I may well be in attendance depending on date and Donegal getting to it. assume the venue will be Clones?

The date of the Ulster final is the 17th of July in Clones. Donegal minors were knocked out in the first round so We'll probably not see you there Moss.

I certainly hope that this game is a little better than the league fixture which will go down as one of the worst poerformances i have witnessed from Tyrone since the late nineties. On that particular night Hub Hughes, McGuigan and O'Neill were helpless but the latter two had great games against Monaghan. Hub is probably going to start in the middle with Cassidy out injured and this should bring a better balance to the midfield. I've a funny feeling that McCarron may start against Donegal again because of his size and to his credit the best part of his game is defending a high ball which may be useful against someone like McFadden. I also expect big Joe to start in defence and Justin could possibly play some part in the latter stages of the game.

Everyone is expecting Donegal to come out of the blocks pretty fast to build up a lead and then use their "system" to great effect in the latter stages of the game. In fact the opposite could happen and I'd be hoping for an explosive start from Tyrone and they should then hopefully have the class and experience to see off the Donegal challenge. Clones has been a good place for this Tyrone team in recent years and hopefully that continues. A draw is a real possibilty but I'd settle for a one or two point victory as a stepping stone to the 3 in a row.

I suspect Donegal could win this.

Based on the same premise I said Armagh would beat Down, and Derry would beat Armagh.

A gut feeling. Well a little more, but I doubt if it will be enjoyable.

I'd agree with all of that Mugsy, including McCarron starting. Given Donegal's 3 big inside men, I think McCarron must have a good chance of starting - I'd play him, as it is horses for courses.

You could see McCarron, Joe McMahon & Gormley all back there, with Ricey in front of them. That would leave a half-back line of Davy, Jordan & Swift, who will spend most of the day marking the space left by Donegal's retreating half-forwards. Personally, I'd try Sean O'Neill at CHB, as I think not having someone to mark would suit him, and he is more creative than the other 3, but Mickey is more likely to stick to what he has.

Hub will probably start in place of Cassidy, although Colm Cavanagh could get the nod. I'd go for Hughes, as he has been in better form, and offers more reliability.

So who does Joe McMahon replace? Well, I have a hunch it might be Dooher (I certainly hope it won't be Peter Harte), although I guess he could come in in a straight switch with Swift. We'll see tonight.

1 Pascal McConnell - An Baile Nua
2 Martin Swift - Coill an Chlochair
3 Joe McMahon - An Omaigh
4 Ryan McMenamin - An Droim Mhór
5 Davy Harte - Aireagal Chiaráin
6 Conor Gormley - An Charraig Mhór
7 Philip Jordan - An Mhaigh
8 Kevin Hughes - Cill Íseal
9 Sean Cavanagh - An Mhaigh
10 Brian Dooher - Clann na nGael
11 Brian McGuigan - Ard Bó
12 Peter Harte - Aireagal Chiaráin
13 Martin Penrose - Achadh Uí Aráin
14 Stephen O’Neill - Clann na nGael
15 Mark Donnelly - An Charraig Mhór

16 John Devine - Aireagal Chiaráin
17 Aidan Cassidy - Eochar
18 Colm Cavanagh - An Mhaigh
19 Kyle Coney - Ard Bó
20 Cathal McCarron - An Droim Mhór
21 Damian McCaul - Domhnach Mór
22 Aidan McCrory - Aireagal Chiaráin
23 Tommy McGuigan - Ard Bó
24 Justin McMahon – An Omaigh
25 Owen Mulligan - An Chorra Chriochach
26 Sean O’Neill - An Droim Mhór

RMDrive wrote:1 Pascal McConnell - An Baile Nua
2 Martin Swift - Coill an Chlochair
3 Joe McMahon - An Omaigh
4 Ryan McMenamin - An Droim Mhór
5 Davy Harte - Aireagal Chiaráin
6 Conor Gormley - An Charraig Mhór
7 Philip Jordan - An Mhaigh
8 Kevin Hughes - Cill Íseal
9 Sean Cavanagh - An Mhaigh
10 Brian Dooher - Clann na nGael
11 Brian McGuigan - Ard Bó
12 Peter Harte - Aireagal Chiaráin
13 Martin Penrose - Achadh Uí Aráin
14 Stephen O’Neill - Clann na nGael
15 Mark Donnelly - An Charraig Mhór

16 John Devine - Aireagal Chiaráin
17 Aidan Cassidy - Eochar
18 Colm Cavanagh - An Mhaigh
19 Kyle Coney - Ard Bó
20 Cathal McCarron - An Droim Mhór
21 Damian McCaul - Domhnach Mór
22 Aidan McCrory - Aireagal Chiaráin
23 Tommy McGuigan - Ard Bó
24 Justin McMahon – An Omaigh
25 Owen Mulligan - An Chorra Chriochach
26 Sean O’Neill - An Droim Mhór

few if any surprises here - thought McCarron might have got a start in place of Swift to deal with the aerial threat. Big Sean back at midfield along with Hub should make a big difference. That said i think the msot crucial decision is where Donegal decide to play Murphy, play him deep like he did in previous two games and they could be playing into Tyrones hands play him on the age of the square and we could be in bother. Expect the first 15-20 minuites of this to be a real ding dong battle

Durkan
McGrath, McGee, Lacey
Cassidy, Thompson, Boyle
Kavanagh, Rafferty
McElhinney, McHugh, Bradley
McFadden, Murphy, McBrearty

No changes from the team that started against Cavan.

On paper tyrone's team is two and a half times better than donegal's.

I always felt though that if donegal built up any momentum they would be incredibly difficult to stop. Great to see reduction in ticket prices too.

If Donegal run at this Tyrone team they will beat them..Quick ball into the forwards is the way to do it,Wouldn't be so sure about putting a very young McBrearty in the corner....

Donegal 0-4 Wides 1
Tyrone 0-6 Wides 6

32 minutes gone.

Tyrone are dominating Donegal all over the field. Although quite a poor return for the amount of time they have dominated the game. I think Doegal could win this, they were becoming a bit more lively towards the end of first half and Tyrone were looking a little tired....

Just realising how crap this game is.

Donegal 1-6
Tyrone 0-8

Hughes sent off

mugsys_barber wrote:

mossbags wrote:What date is the Ulster final set for anyone know? I may well be in attendance depending on date and Donegal getting to it. assume the venue will be Clones?

The date of the Ulster final is the 17th of July in Clones. Donegal minors were knocked out in the first round so We'll probably not see you there Moss.

Any spare maps to Clones Mugsy?

Serious win for donegal!

Tyrone's last championship match they lost to Dublin and people are still excusing it because of the wides tally.

By half time today I realised that the wides tally is now a serious Tyrone problem. I also thought that as Gaelic football is now like basketball, you need to score from your possession, well if Donegal stop giving away possession they could sneak this.

And they did with a lot of luck. Both goals had an element of luck in them and Hughes sending off was harsh in the extreme.

But as I said earlier in the week, it was not pretty.

I think Derry will win the final.

Shocking stuff. Wides are one thing, but that game was lost on the sideline.

There is a fine line between loyalty and stubbornness, and an even finer one between stubbornness and stupidity.

Hard Luck to Tyrone. Things can't be that good if they are losing to Donegal. But credit to Donegal, 3/3 now. Deservedly in an Ulster Final.

Would love to have seen Tyrone do well after what happened earlier this year. Maybe they still well. I won't try and second guess Mickey Harte but going the conventional route didn't work out in 2009 and 2010. In 2008, they were massive surprises. Let's see if they can repeat 2008. Hope they get back to Croke Park anyway.

Tyrone should have had this game won in the first half, they completely domintaed proceedings and should really have been 10-1 up at half time. Whether it was tiredness or complacency but Tyrone gifted Donegal two points towards the end of the first half - the first being Conor Gormley's fist pas out of defence when hub was the better option and the second was Dooher trying a crazy crossfield pass. Donegal seemed to put all their eggs in one basket in the first half and looked like a beaten side until we threw them a lifeline.

Murphy surpriingly was anonymous for most of the game, joe McMahon did a terrific job on him before he was "taken out" of he game, Hub Hughes also deserved to go however some of the tackles on Sean Cavanagh warrented more than ticks and don't know how Anthony Thompson stayed on the field.

To their credit Donegal played their system to perfection in the second half and a spiders web was basically thrown across their own 50 yard line. Tyrone tried to break this by trying to run through this and coughed up possession time after time. I'm scratching my head as to how Davy Harte wasn't substituted, questioned why mugsy was withdrawn and Donnelly left on. Donnelly is a great ball winner but never got a shot away in 70 minutes I've just accepted at this stage that Dooher will play for the 65-70 minutes of each of the remaining games we may have in 2011 and am not going to annoy myself anymore wondering why. I felt Swift was unlucky at the end to be dispossesed but credit Brick Molloy for a wonderful finish - Good luck to Donegal in the final - Their tussle with Derry will make foir an interesting encounter

Its the qualifier route now of us and many supporters are calling for fresh faces, We may finally get to see Coney if we're lucky but with McKenna injured and Girvan having left the panel to concentrate on club football I struggle to see where these fresh faces will come from. Hopefully both McMahons will be available and Pete Harte slots into the half back line for the cousin. Perhaps a midfield pairing of Hub alongside either Cassidy or Colm Cavanagh with Sean moving back to 14 could be an option but playing well for 25 minutes in a game and hoping that its enough for the 70 minutes will not do and smacks of the 2002 performance V Sligo that put an end to Art and Eugene's reign

Disappointing stuff - the number of silly wides in the first half was ultimately our undoing we should have been 10 points up at half time but some how managed to go into half time only 2 up!!!! The persisting with young Harte at the frees was mind boggling to say the least, hes only a cub and his confidence was shot to pieces but we insisted on heaping more pressure on him. The last free in particular which he dropped short should have been taken by one of the more experienced lads such as Penrose or Cavanagh.

Hubs 2nd yellow was a daft decision by the ref and the tackle on Joe which only merited a yellow should have been a straight red. Swift can also count himself a tad unlucky being dispossesed in the manner he was for the second goal but again it came from us coughing up possessionin the final third of the field.