2018 NFL Division 3

[Owen Brannigan]

[FermGael]

Where to start.
Barry Cassidy is as good a place as any. 
There can be no complaints about the 2 Fermanagh sendings off.
But how Forker stayed on the pitch is beyond me.  Dropped the knees and then struck in the first half and Barry then decided to book the wrong Armagh player. 
Last 20 minutes was all about Barty making the game about Barry.  Some terrible decisions.

Fermanagh did very well to hang on for that draw with 13 men.
Unlike other games some lads stood up and put the shoulder to the wheel.
It wasn't pretty but Armagh helped by kicking some outrageous wides.
Rafferty was clearly a massive loss for them.
We could have snatched it at the end as well only for a great black card from the Armagh corner back.

There is a reason Fermanagh and Armagh are in this division .
Both lack quality and need to stop the side to side passing possession game.
It was an awful watch.


Man on the PA at Brewster Park: "The Armagh team we're not sure of as their management refused to furnish us with it". 
Great piece of work.  Even raised a chuckle from the Armagh management.

All to play for next weekend against Longford.
Happy enough with that after last week.
Still in our hands.

[mackers]

Disappointed to read that about Forker. I didn't see the incidents you refer to but it wouldn't be surprising. He's been having a very good campaign as his discipline had improved. He was one of Armagh's better players today..
Armagh's squad is being stretched to breaking point with all the injuries, good to see Brendan Donaghy back.
Fermanagh played in a very defensive manner as expected. Armagh struggled to break them down with repeated lateral passing in the first half. We played with more urgency in the second half and broke through with increasing regularity but then kicked some awful wides.
I thought we did very well in midfield in the second half securing a mountain of possession against a quality midfielder in Donnelly.
I would predict a tough day in the office for Fermanagh next week as Longford are the best team we have faced in the division by some distance.

[The Insider]

Great effort from Longford today. Took a while to get going as they let Westmeath go 5-0 up before they decided to start to play . The Bull was immense. Took some huge marks and prevented at least 2 of Heslin's free's dropping over the bar. Good to see James back even it was only for a brief time due to his black card. To be in with a chance of promotion in our own hands going into the last game is probably more than most expected . Disappointing crowd today as the snow in Westmeath this morning put a lot of people off travelling. They missed a cracking game . 

[Captain Obvious]

Fermangh Armagh game was dreadful however all that mattered today was Armagh securing promotion without needing to worry about round 7. 

[Owen Brannigan]

Barry Cassidy referring on Sunday lads.

God help both teams.

Where to start.
Barry Cassidy is as good a place as any. 
There can be no complaints about the 2 Fermanagh sendings off.
But how Forker stayed on the pitch is beyond me.  Dropped the knees and then struck in the first half and Barry then decided to book the wrong Armagh player. 
Last 20 minutes was all about Barty making the game about Barry.  Some terrible decisions.

Told you.  Best referees are virtually invisible and Cassidy shines out like a beacon.

[Patrick-Armagh]

That was a terrible game of football today between Fermanagh and Armagh, in bitterly cold windy conditions, on a heavy pitch, that contributed to the poor show. While I'm delighted that Armagh have achieved promotion, I wasn't pleased with how they played. Fermanagh bought a great amount of intensity to the game in the first half and really suffocated Armagh. Their tackling and turnovers were excellent. They got some good scores from play and Armagh indiscipline handed them a number of simple frees. The youth, inexperience and lack of quality the deeper we've had to go into our panel showed in the first half.

Second half we played a lot better, won a lot of ball in the middle, tightened up defensively and looked more threatening going forward. But like the first half our shot execution and free taking was abysmal. Fermanagh didn't seem to be able to bring the same level of intensity to the game in the second half. I didn't see what the first red card was for, but the ref was right in front of it over on the other side of the field. The second player could have no complaints about his second yellow either. I didn't see what Forker did, only the aftermath. He does have form and for years has been doing stupid macho things, which gets him and the team in trouble. His discipline has really improved this season but I wouldn't be surprised if he did something he shouldn't have. One player for me who definitely should have walked was Niall Grimley. He swung at elbow at Seamus Quigley and while it didn't connect and Quigley faked injury, the intent was there and should have been a red.

Today's performance will stand to some of the younger, less experienced members of the team, while others didn't really take their chance, in what were in fairness tough conditions. Playing Fermanagh in the League final as another warm up to the Championship clash could see the animosity that clearly exists between the teams go up another level.

[Throw ball]

That was a terrible game of football today between Fermanagh and Armagh, in bitterly cold windy conditions, on a heavy pitch, that contributed to the poor show. While I'm delighted that Armagh have achieved promotion, I wasn't pleased with how they played. Fermanagh bought a great amount of intensity to the game in the first half and really suffocated Armagh. Their tackling and turnovers were excellent. They got some good scores from play and Armagh indiscipline handed them a number of simple frees. The youth, inexperience and lack of quality the deeper we've had to go into our panel showed in the first half.

Second half we played a lot better, won a lot of ball in the middle, tightened up defensively and looked more threatening going forward. But like the first half our shot execution and free taking was abysmal. Fermanagh didn't seem to be able to bring the same level of intensity to the game in the second half. I didn't see what the first red card was for, but the ref was right in front of it over on the other side of the field. The second player could have no complaints about his second yellow either. I didn't see what Forker did, only the aftermath. He does have form and for years has been doing stupid macho things, which gets him and the team in trouble. His discipline has really improved this season but I wouldn't be surprised if he did something he shouldn't have. One player for me who definitely should have walked was Niall Grimley. He swung at elbow at Seamus Quigley and while it didn't connect and Quigley faked injury, the intent was there and should have been a red.

Today's performance will stand to some of the younger, less experienced members of the team, while others didn't really take their chance, in what were in fairness tough conditions. Playing Fermanagh in the League final as another warm up to the Championship clash could see the animosity that clearly exists between the teams go up another level.

Not convinced the Grimley incident is as clear cut as you suggest. The referee had given him a free and Quigley continued to pull and drag him. Grimley threw the arm back to break free. Don't think it was a straight red but probably should have been a second yellow. But was in last seconds of game. On a similar note if Grugan had have fallen as theatrically as Quigley when the Fermanagh man 'pushed him with his head there could have been another red.
Speaking of Quigley he was hardly recognisable he has lost so much weight.

This has been a good league for Armagh. Given the quality of players who left the panel at the start of the year I thought we would do well to stay in the division. Add the incredible injury list going in to the game today I could not see us getting anything from the match. In the end we probably should have won. Hopefully fitness and quality of play will improve as the ground hardens.

[regal]

Armagh players not playing today:

Morgan McKay Hughes
Shields Higgins McElroy
O'Neill
Campbell Rafferty ohanlon
Clarke O'Neill

Others - heffron / caolan Rafferty

A good achievement for the current squad to gain promotion with a game to spare.

[Throw ball]

Armagh players not playing today:

Morgan McKay Hughes
Shields Higgins McElroy
O'Neill
Campbell Rafferty ohanlon
Clarke O'Neill

Others - heffron / caolan Rafferty

A good achievement for the current squad to gain promotion with a game to spare.

You could add Ryan McShane who was injured against Offally and Gavin McParland who although named in subs today has not played football since September due to a head injury.

[Patrick-Armagh]

Not convinced the Grimley incident is as clear cut as you suggest. The referee had given him a free and Quigley continued to pull and drag him. Grimley threw the arm back to break free. Don't think it was a straight red but probably should have been a second yellow. But was in last seconds of game. On a similar note if Grugan had have fallen as theatrically as Quigley when the Fermanagh man 'pushed him with his head there could have been another red.
Speaking of Quigley he was hardly recognisable he has lost so much weight.

This has been a good league for Armagh. Given the quality of players who left the panel at the start of the year I thought we would do well to stay in the division. Add the incredible injury list going in to the game today I could not see us getting anything from the match. In the end we probably should have won. Hopefully fitness and quality of play will improve as the ground hardens.

I see your point. But whether or not he was being dragged it's a dangerous thing to do IMO. If he'd have connected it would have been red. As for Grugan's penalty incident, I thought it was one. The defender clearly pulled him back. I was thinking the same about Quigley, then I saw the one I thought it was, Sean, sitting in front of me and going to warm up and then checked the programme again and saw that it was Seamus, his brother who was playing!

It's been a good league. As you point out, we've faired better than expected. Losing O'Hanlon, Clarke, Campbell, O'Neill and Morgan at the start of the season was very hard to take. But players like Rafferty and Grugan have really driven this team on. Add in the list of injuries to key players who would definitely start like McKay, McParland, Donaghy and Hughes to name some, we've had to play players who in all likely hood wouldn't have gotten a game and most of them have performed very well. To compete and do well in the Championship and Division Two, we'll need a lot of these guys fit and available.

[Patrick-Armagh]

Armagh players not playing today:

Morgan McKay Hughes
Shields Higgins McElroy
O'Neill
Campbell Rafferty ohanlon
Clarke O'Neill

Others - heffron / caolan Rafferty

A good achievement for the current squad to gain promotion with a game to spare.

Add in Stephen Harrold, Eugene McVerry, Kevin Dyas and Michael Murray as long term absentees, but players who would make us better and you have some team there! It's actually quite frustrating, when you think of what's missing and the players who've done so well and we've unearthed, we'd have some squad of players to pick from!

[stew]

That was a terrible game of football today between Fermanagh and Armagh, in bitterly cold windy conditions, on a heavy pitch, that contributed to the poor show. While I'm delighted that Armagh have achieved promotion, I wasn't pleased with how they played. Fermanagh bought a great amount of intensity to the game in the first half and really suffocated Armagh. Their tackling and turnovers were excellent. They got some good scores from play and Armagh indiscipline handed them a number of simple frees. The youth, inexperience and lack of quality the deeper we've had to go into our panel showed in the first half.

Second half we played a lot better, won a lot of ball in the middle, tightened up defensively and looked more threatening going forward. But like the first half our shot execution and free taking was abysmal. Fermanagh didn't seem to be able to bring the same level of intensity to the game in the second half. I didn't see what the first red card was for, but the ref was right in front of it over on the other side of the field. The second player could have no complaints about his second yellow either. I didn't see what Forker did, only the aftermath. He does have form and for years has been doing stupid macho things, which gets him and the team in trouble. His discipline has really improved this season but I wouldn't be surprised if he did something he shouldn't have. One player for me who definitely should have walked was Niall Grimley. He swung at elbow at Seamus Quigley and while it didn't connect and Quigley faked injury, the intent was there and should have been a red.

Today's performance will stand to some of the younger, less experienced members of the team, while others didn't really take their chance, in what were in fairness tough conditions. Playing Fermanagh in the League final as another warm up to the Championship clash could see the animosity that clearly exists between the teams go up another level.

We are better than Fermanagh, we are promoted and I think we will be a solid division 2 team the first year and hopefully we will kick on in year two and push for promotion.

I think we will be fine against Fermanagh in the Championship but I have been known to be wrong before, Down for example last year.

[Blowitupref]

Low scoring contest in a windy Tullamore. HT Offaly 0-4 Sligo 0-2 both sides down to 14 men. Carroll for Offaly,Coen for Sligo.

[Blowitupref]

55 mins gone Offaly 0-6 Sligo 0-6