Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mourne Rover]

It's an unusual side, but, in a local derby, where both squads are so well known to each other, making a series of changes before the throw-in would indicate a lack of confidence so we have to expect that the team named will be pretty close to the actual line-up.

Ryan Johnston would obviously start if fit so we have to hope that he will make an appearance at some stage. Turley's experience and physique would also probably have got him the nod, if available, but Donnelly may bring us marginally more pace down the centre.

Harrison is a natural ball winner, so he may drop back towards the middle, together with Millar and Murphy, with McKernan behind them, Maginn linking and O'Hagan and Jerome left up front.

It is hard to remember when we ever went four consecutive seasons without a provincial win at senior, u21 and minor level, so we should not be lacking in motivation.

[Samforever]

That team smacks of running up the same white flag as for the first National League game v Fermanagh

[Mourne Rover]

The team listed in the previous post is the one released by the county board last night, but for some reason both the BBC and the Hogan Stand online reports today have McParland rather than Donnelly at midfield. It could just be a mistake but McParland is the more experienced of the two and was generally reckoned to be well in contention for a place.

[SHEEDY]

Good luck to both Down teams tomorrow. 2 wins in the ulster championship are long overdue, hopefully we can deliver against the aul enemy.

[snoopdog]

Good luck to both Down teams tomorrow. 2 wins in the ulster championship are long overdue, hopefully we can deliver against the aul enemy.

Yep looking forward to it. Hopefully the red and black will be flying high at 5pm tomorrow. Bringing the young lad to his 1st Ulster Championship game  so hope to God we win.

[Leftmidfield]

Good luck to both Down teams tomorrow. 2 wins in the ulster championship are long overdue, hopefully we can deliver against the aul enemy.

Yep looking forward to it. Hopefully the red and black will be flying high at 5pm tomorrow. Bringing the young lad to his 1st Ulster Championship game  so hope to God we win.

Can you be sure of getting a terrace ticket if you just turn up today ?

[OgraAnDun]

Well done to both teams today.

[Realmccoy]

Super stuff from both the minors and seniors today. Rid our luck at times but what a confident boost for the county. Good luck to Nial Donnelly with his recovery it looked nasty.

[SHEEDY]

Brillant to get 2 wins today. Thought in both matches we were clearly the better team but made hard work of killing them of I thought o'hanlon, darren o'hagan, mooney, millar and mckernan were real stand out performers. The defence really tightened up after the break and really we should have won by a couple of points more at end.
For the minors liam kerr was superb and hit some great points. 
On another note it was great to see such a big crowd in newry.

[Leftmidfield]

Brillant to get 2 wins today. Thought in both matches we were clearly the better team but made hard work of killing them of I thought o'hanlon, darren o'hagan, mooney, millar and mckernan were real stand out performers. The defence really tightened up after the break and really we should have won by a couple of points more at end.
For the minors liam kerr was superb and hit some great points. 
On another note it was great to see such a big crowd in newry.

Morgan v Johnston - who came out tops ?

[Targetman]

I reckon Morgan won that duel, he pulled and dragged Johnston for the entire game and got away with it, I wouldn't mind Morgan on our team although our cornerbacks especially Darren O' Hagan played well, Mc Geeney's ears must be ringing tonight ,Armagh ones none too pleased 😜

[RadioGAAGAA]

Congrats to all in both teams.

I suppose particular mention must go to the senior management who have had to deal with a lot over the past 18 odd months or so. Enjoy tonight lads!

[Mourne Rover]

It is absolutely correct to acknowledge the role of our management, who many of us doubted but produced the goods on the big day. Burns came up with a tactical plan which worked effectively, picked the right team and made substitutions which got us over the line.

We are a long way from the finished article, and Armagh were limited, but any win in the USC brings us forward and success in a local derby is as sweet as it comes.

It was a very strange game,  as we looked like running away with it early on before Armagh got a goal with their first attack, added another before the break and could easily have had two more. The touch from Doherty on to the post was crucial in retrospect.

However, we believed in our system and, while offering up so many goal chances was a big concern, we were generally the better side in the first half and completely outplayed them in the second.

Cunningham had no real prospect with their goals but his kick outs were decent. Doherty had a reasonable debut, both McGoverns was solid while Darren O'Hagan was exceptional, as was O'Hanlon, and Mooney was brilliant in flashes.

McKernan is a top class sweeper and hopefully the injuries which both he and Donnelly, who was also impressive,  suffered, are not serious. Turley was also hugely effective and both Maginn and Millar were everywhere. The two Johnstons did well, but are capable of better, while Harrison led the line excellently and was unlucky not to get a goal as well as his two points from play.

It is such a good feeling to know that the draw for the first round qualifiers is on Tuesday morning and, for the first time in four years, we can ignore it.

[ardtole]

I see Shay Miller got motm in the Irish News, well deserved I thought he was excellent. I wasnt optimistic ahead of the game but it was a good performance and a fantastic result.y

[Down Follower]

I mentioned it elsewhere, but Armagh really put me in mind of the Down team of 2003-2012 era.  Looked really dangerous and clearly had some good forwards but they always seemed to want a goal first and while it worked in the first half, when the space closed down in the second, they were very ordinary.  It was great to see Down doing this to another team instead of the other way about.  For years we were the ones wanting the space to open up so our dynamic forwards could zig zag their way through to goal only for the opposition to shut up shop and say, if you want to score, do it from out there.
This time it was us dictating the terms and it was great to see.  Maybe not from a football purity point of view but we either get with the times or we dont.
We have the weapons do do damage on limited possession in the Johnstons, Mooney and a few others. Barry O'Hagan could be another but he needs more end product.  4 times he got the ball when he came on and took his man on every time - 1 great point and 3 times he was just dispossessed.
Fair play to the management for turning around what looked like a terminal position only 3 months ago.  Stayed in Div 2 and a championship win over Armagh.   I think the fans targets have been met already, but I get the feeling this group have higher ambitions.