Football Championship 2014.....

Full value for the win? Really? Did the dominate that much in your eyes?

TC I would say that Derry feel that it was a brilliant chance lost to get to an Ulster final as, bar the first 15 minutes of the second half, they were on top possession wise and really should have done better from scorable positions. What is the obsession with trying to pass through the iron blanket? It was like watching Arsenal at times, I was screaming for someone to try a shot from 30/40m out!

It was in truth terrible fare. Lateral football, fear of missing, over-use of handpassing and the only good thought that occurred to me was the vision of some kind of scuffle that would result in Marty Duffy getting a box on the jaw as he interjected himself into matters.

If this is what's ahead the Sky people won't be long pulling plant. I'm too busy with election issues to rant any further at the moment.....

Was thinking the same thing Boxty, it was an awful game and that's coming from someone who loves a good defensive battle but sure what can you do?

Oh and if Peter the Greats punditry is anything like his commentating today then Sky are in for a borefest! He made Mark Sidebottom & Osin McConville sound good!

bald eagle wrote:Full value for the win? Really? Did the dominate that much in your eyes?

First half half fairly even, one side taking their scores the other not. After Derry 6th point Donegal stepped it up to score i think 1-6 without reply and for the rest of the game they had Derry at arms length. Did they dominate the game? no however they were full value for the win IMO.

Gaa_lover wrote:

bald eagle wrote:Full value for the win? Really? Did the dominate that much in your eyes?

First half half fairly even, one side taking their scores the other not. After Derry 6th point Donegal stepped it up to score i think 1-6 without reply and for the rest of the game they had Derry at arms length. Did they dominate the game? no however they were full value for the win IMO.

I felt that Donegal were the better side, though themselves far from impressive.

Derry kicked some lovely long range points, but they never really opened Donegal up nor created a worthwhile goal chance. On the other hand, Donegal converted 1 of 3 goal opportunities (McBrearty squandered two).

As so often in the past, Mark Lynch had a bad day when he was really needed, while Gerard O'Kane's trademark surges were neutered by McIvor's tactics of having him sweep in front of his fullback line. Throw in Doherty's injury-enforced departure, and you could make a case for Derry's top 3 players all contributing little.

Derry had a good league campaign because they were fitter than everyone else in Feb/March, but the hiding they took from Dublin was an indication that this advantage had slipped as summer approached. They aren't a bad side, but today was a truer reflection of where they really are. Derry will have a chance to get going again in the qualifiers, and could improve as Ryan Bell and James Kielt come back to fitness, however they still lack a bit of class in attack. Eoin Bradley, anyone?

Donegal will be delighted with their win, but shouldn't be fooled into thinking that they are back on track. They weren't good today, bar a 10 minute blitz, and McFadden and Gallagher's careers are running on fumes at this stage. I don't think that it will happen but, given what they'll have put into winning today, I wouldn't be totally shocked to see someone like Fermanagh stunning them in the next round.

Just about sums it up TC, although they would be in deep in the dungheap if anything were to happen Murphy, McGlynn or Lacey, as their quality and desire carried them a long way today. McBrearty, while having a great burst of pace, is overly dependant on the citeóg which cost him his earliest goal miss.
McFadden looks gassed, big Nealie unfit and only for McLoone's goal they would have struggled badly I feel.

Derry are unable to compete with crowded defences. Granted they kicked a few grand points but they were somewhat of the Holy Mary order and they're not always assured of such efforts. They are struggling badly for punch in the inside line and truth be told their half-forwards wouldn't strike terror into many sides.

Tyrone's to lose at this point.

Some perspective 


Started without any of 3 first choice midfielders.
As TC states this game was like the last 3 Donegal v Tyrone games -tight but  Donegal pushed on when they needed
Encouraging return to form/fitness  from Lacey and McGlynn (top 2 players in country 20  months ago )
Gallagher is a concern but people forgetting about Rory  Kavanagh ( probably our best player in league)
Ryan Mchugh showing that he has a better football brain than Mark.
McBrearty won't be as bad again.
Once again we are showing that scoring goals v Donegal won't be simple and if you don't get a goal you will need 15 points.
McFadden is the main concern - I always maintain that every AI winner has at least 2 top drawer forwards 
McFadden became one for one year only. McBrearty needs to step up. 
We have had worse outcomes in May

On a side note, what a fantastic little pitch in celtic park. 30 mins in the road from letterkenny too. Good day out.

Couldn't see Donegal falling at next hurdle Thomas. With few injury concerns, Kavanagh to come back, harmony back amongst the group and big neil with a few weeks recovery, expect training to be intense for next few weeks and perhaps only beat Antrim/fermangh by 3 or 4 points.

A lot of players under p coming into yesterdays game particularly McLoone. A lot saying he was at fault during league. Too loose at centre back. Thompson likewise. Both had storming games.

McFadden very lucky to stay on. Would have made more sense to put Jigger in corner and move Toye to half forward. Derry exposed O Connors size in first half, as he wasn't able to put a tackle in and derry attacked in waves down the left hand side.

Durcans kicking shows why Donegal players would have him in their top 5 most important players.

johnnos bulls wrote:On a side note, what a fantastic little pitch in celtic park. 30 mins in the road from letterkenny too. Good day  out.

Last time I was there I took a hurl to the face in full force against the wonderfully sporting Na Magha Hurling Club and bit through my tongue, not the nicest night out but at least we hammered them out of the park!

Looking at the Fermanagh team named tonight the dropped Seamus Quigley is replaced at full forward by two time all star full back Barry Owens.

Roscommon expect to expose any Mayo weakness' on Sunday in the Hyde. Paddy Joe Burke is not a man with any doubts in his mind. He  is probably the best known and best behaved Rossie supporter I know.



Here are more typical examples of the type of fan the Rossies are likely to attract on Sunday. The Roscommon Herald headline next Weds. may well read    Rossies Roasted

 

Armagh team for Sunday:
Mc Evoy

A Mallon
Vernon
Morgan

Shields
Donaghy
Mc Keever

Toner
Findon

C Rafferty
Dyas
Mc Verry

Clarke
E Rafferty
Campbell...

Cavan (SF v Armagh): C Gilsenan;J McLoughlin, R Dunne, F Flanagan; J McEnroe, A Clarke, D O’Reilly; G McKiernan, D Givney; C Mackey, N McDermott, M Reilly; E Keating, M Dunne, J Brady.


If Cavan can contain Clarke in any half-assed fashion then Armagh look to be in trouble here.

Encouraging news from the Monaghan camp re injuries. McManus doesn't need the surgery that would have ruled him out for the summer, and it looks like Lennon will be fit for the Tyrone game. McManus looks to have an outside chance of being involved but if he's not 100% I wouldn't risk him, a bad knock and he'll be out for the summer for real. Still, things look better than they did a couple of weeks ago.

Boxtyeater wrote:
If Cavan can contain Clarke in any half-assed fashion then Armagh look to be in trouble here.

Armagh are clutching at straws in an attempt to find something. They have 9-10 good lads (none of them much better than good, Clarke excepted), but the rest are all very limited. Grimley keeps shuffling the deck hoping to find a wining formula, but the squad is just very weak. Still, Armagh are at home and will be less cavalier than last year. They'll also have a real desire to pay back the Breffni boys for last summer's humiliation. On the other hand, Cavan have the better form and a more settled. organised look about their line-up. I'm still on the fence here.

patk wrote:Encouraging news from the Monaghan camp re injuries. McManus doesn't need the surgery that would have ruled him out for the summer, and it looks like Lennon will be fit for the Tyrone game. McManus looks to have an outside chance of being involved but if he's not 100% I wouldn't risk him, a bad knock and he'll be out for the summer for real. Still, things look better than they did a couple of weeks ago.

Even a half fit McManus would command attention from the Tyrone defence in a way that none of his potential replacements would. It's a bit like in the 2003 AI final, when the game was 25 minutes old before the McNultys realised that Peter Canavan could barely stand let alone run.

The build up to this game has intrigued me. The bookies have Tyrone the slightest of favourites, while most posters on Hoganstand seem to fancy Monaghan, believing them to have a stronger panel. While it's very possible that I'm biased, I don't see it that way. I think that Monaghan are a very good side with an excellent manager, but they have neither been used to playing nor beating top sides over the last last couple of years, whereas Tyrone have.

Aside from the relegated Donegal in last year's Ulster final, Monaghn haven't beaten a division 1 side yet. To be fair, the only other one that they played was Tyrone in the AI qtr final, when they were beaten.

Tyrone will feel the loss of Conor Clarke's strength in midfield, but I still think that we are the more proven side at this level, with several wins over genuine top class opposition over the last 18 months. To win, Monaghan will have to show more than they have up til now, particularly against a side that they've always struggled to beat.

Looks to me that Armagh are going for strength and power with this selection. McGeeney will have them fit to burst through walls no doubt. Cavan will do well to avoid getting down into the trenches with them.

A dour contest looks to be the order of the day, enabling Pat Spillane to grind his teeth at the thoughts of Ulster football.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

Boxtyeater wrote:
If Cavan can contain Clarke in any half-assed fashion then Armagh look to be in trouble here.

Armagh are clutching at straws in an attempt to find something.  They have 9-10 good lads (none of them much better than good, Clarke excepted), but the rest are all very limited.  Grimley keeps shuffling the deck hoping to find a wining formula, but the squad is just very weak.  Still, Armagh are at home and will be less cavalier than last year.  They'll also have a real desire to pay back the Breffni boys for last summer's humiliation.  On the other hand, Cavan have the better form and a more settled. organised look about their line-up.  I'm still on the fence here.

Armagh won a few Ulster and All Ireland underage titles 2004 to 2009 then you have the many good Crossmaglen players. Surely they would get more out of this current senior panel with a better manager than Grimley who really should have been let go last year.

Only 2 Cross starters AFAIK G-L. Grim times in Armagh football circles.

Ming-esque rationale/statistics lean heavily towards the Rossies:


After years of deliberation I have finally decided what I want to spend my confirmation money on...backing the Rossies to win on Sunday! However, before I made such a huge commitment, I said I'd do some research and look at the head to head's between the two teams. here's how it went.....Very quickly, thanks to Chris O'Dowd I found Beyoncé is behind the Rossies, but Jay-Z is going for Mayo (Bono, filling him with *****)

So I had to look further and tried a classic football talent indicator

Number of train lines servicing Dublin = Roscommon 2 - Mayo 2

As you can see, still nothing separating the two teams, so a more detailed look was required and I found the below stat's very useful

Scrabble score = Roscommon 15 - Mayo 9
Hollywood actors = Roscommon 2 - Mayo 0
Sads of turf brought home last year per head of capita = Roscommon 1,653 - Mayo 439
A chicken in Roscommon lays an average of 6.2 eggs per week, it's at 4.7 for a chicken in Mayo
Roscommon towns have won 3 Mayo county titles ....Mayo towns have won 0 county titles in Roscommon.
Proximity to the elusive source of Wexford strawberries = Roscommon 249km - Mayo 332km (Closest wins)
Number of counties that border Roscommon 7 - Mayo 3 (And we give them 1)
All-Ireland titles = Roscommon 10 - 4 Mayo ....Including handball
How many kinds of everything remind Dana of each county = Roscommon 13 - Mayo 6
National League points this year = Roscommon 9 - Mayo 6
Length of time a custard cream holds it's structure after being dipped in tea = in Roscommon 7 seconds - in Mayo 4 seconds
% of people who know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em = Roscommon 86% - Mayo 34%
Number of Flash Gordon's enemies residing in each County = Roscommon 1 - Mayo 0
Average number of levels in box footings over the last 50 years = Roscommon 7 - Mayo 4
So after my detailed analysis of both teams, I think it's obvious they'll be only one winner on Sunday.... The Mighty Roscommon

Gaa_lover wrote:
Armagh won a few Ulster and All Ireland underage titles 2004 to 2009 then you have the many good Crossmaglen players. Surely they would get more out of this current senior panel with a better manager than Grimley who really should have been let go last year.

AI U21 in 2004 - we've seen the talent from that side already, and they are all over the hill. The 2009 minors were good, as were their minor of 2012 who tumbled out of Ulster in the first round. Cross have a lot of very good club players.

Overall, Armagh are low on talent. A better manager than Grimley may squeeze a bit more out of them, but they certainly wouldn't be in the mix for Ulster titles or promotion to division 1 or the likes.

Looking ahead to today's games I expect wins for Dublin and Mayo but am not prepared to predict by how much. It's possible Laois or Roscommon could be capable of causing a scare. It's also possible that they could be blown out of the water. I don't think either outcome would be a shock to anyone.

By far the most intriguing contest of the afternoon is the first one at Croke Park not least because Meath play the winners. I definitely believe Louth are capable of a shock. Kildare are kind of an unknown at the minute. Are they as good as they were under McGeeney or has there been a decline? Today's outcome and performance might give some indication to that but what a mouthwatering prospect the thought of Meath and Louth in the Leinster Championship in Croke Park for the first time since the infamous Leinster Final.

On it's final day as the "old Hyde Park" the denizens were treated to abonimable fare. This was abysmal stuff.
Neither side had ambition/vision other than to keep the game tight. Roscommon were woeful. The game in their hands, they managed to lose it through indisciplined tackling, loose marking and a failure to convert possession. That said, Andy Moran steadied the Rhubarbs, kicked 2 mighty points and saw them progress.

Laois lacked a stronger panel to make a game of it. Munnelly, Kingston and Strong kicked great points surging forward, yet Dublin's fitness/physicality saw them home.

Both games were refeered in exemplary fashions.

A few quick thoughts on this weekend's action:

- Dublin, while not yet at full throttle, scored 2-13 in the second half against a reasonable side.  When they click, there is no-one else who can score with them.

- Laois played well, and showed how to trouble Dublin.  You win midfield, press them up the field, and play at a very high tempo.  Laois' trouble was they they had too many small players, and they visibly tired against a more powerful side as the second half wore on.  Donie Kingston's injury didn't help in this regard, and Billy Sheehan was missed too.

- A fine game though, with some great scores from both Dublin and Laois.  As Boxty says, it was very well refereed by Armagh's Padraig Hughes.

- Kildare put a disappointing spring behind them and did to Louth what most people would have thought them capable, but not so many would have expected.  Kildare remain the second best panel in Leinster, and would be my early favourites against Meath in the semi.

- The Connaught semi was brutal.  Roscommon will feel that they let it slip, but Andy Moran turned the game when he came on, giving direction and a bit of class to an otherwise rudderless forward line.

- Mayo don't seem to be as advanced in their physical preparation as at this time last year.  However, even allowing for that, I'm struggling to see where the necessary improvement will come.  They still rely on the likes of Dillon and Moran, and neither are 70 minute men at this stage in their careers.

- The Armagh/Cavan brawl was embarrassing for both counties.  While there weren't actually that many punches thrown, I\d like to see a few suspensions and heavy fines for both counties.  This type of rubbish has no place in our games.

- Armagh got the better of the row, perhaps because they were the main aggressors.  James Morgan was like a wild man and can expect a ban.  I've no idea when Martin Dunne got injured, as the cameras showed him walking around, seemingly unhurt.

- Despite not rating them, I picked Armagh to win this game, but they won't beat the winners of Monaghan/Tyrone.

- I'm not sure where Terry Hyland thinks that he is going with Cavan but, wherever it is, it's the wrong track.  Cavan are not the side that many were beginning to think that they were.  They play a desperately negative brand of football, which means that every game becomes a dogfight. In employing an all-out defence, Hyland is doing a disservice to what is undoubtedly a fairly talented bunch of lads.  i mean, contrast with Laois, who can go home tonight having given their all and tried to express themselves in the right way.  They weren't good enough, but that's life.  Cavan players, on the other hand, must surely privately feel that they have more to give, instead of having their manager subject them to a footballing orchiectomy.