Down Club Hurling & Football

[whitegoodman]

I think you need a bit of perspective on Down club success at Ulster levels. The cold hard facts are that it’s been an abysmal run since Burren were pride of place in the 1980s. But there’s more to it than that.

The only club to have won an SFC since the mid-nineties who would have been prepping for Ulster from the start of the campaign were Mayobridge. Burren were an ageing side when they won their last couple in the 90s. The wins by Rostrevor, Clonduff, Kilcoo and Burren in the time since were signals for rampant celebrations for the great achievement of county honours; Ulster was only an afterthought.

And although Mayobridge got slapped about a few times in Ulster, they generally did well, won their fair share of games and if truth be told were unlucky to come to prominence at a time when winning Ulster meant seeing off greatest club team of all time in Crossmaglen, as well as a splendid Ballinderry outfit. I’d go as far as to suggest Crossmaglen’s dominance of football places an asterisk beside the last decade of provincial club championships. Getting put to bed by Cross doesn’t make a team a bad team, or a soft team, it makes them a normal team.

I’ve a funny feeling that Burren and Kilcoo, now they both have the weight of county title expectations lifted and some provincial experience to call upon, will both put up good shows in Ulster over the coming years.

As for the other provincial titles, personally I’ve little respect for the winners of either. In Down, the 16 best clubs from the previous season compete for senior honours. It is only through a freak of nature, such as when a gifted minor team breaks through to senior ranks at once, and wins an intermediate title before settling as a senior team, that Down teams will ever have a chance in these competitions.  If everyone else followed Down’s system, then provincial titles would be fair game. As things stand, it’s a cheating contest. 

Would agree with this.

Burren reached an ulster final in 93 i think were they were beat by Lavey and then should have beaten Cross in 96 in Cross when shorty missed a penalty and they were beat by a point.  That was the start of the great Cross team and the end of that Burren team.

Mayobridge went close against Ballinderry and Cross on a couple of occasions but couldnt get over the line.   Always felt that if that Bridge team with Walsh and Coulter in their prime and Linden still firing had of met Cross in mid summer they would have torn them apart.  But sure that is not what Ulster club football is all about.  Since then although the Bridge were still ahead of the rest in Down they were beginning to be on the wain with the loss of Mickey and then Francie and to a lessor extent Walsh and Grant. 

IMO Mayobridge are were Burren were in the late 90's, still respected but not feared like they once were.  Kilcoo and Burren have taken over this mantle and it is up to them to have a go at Ulster particularly Burren this year with an "easier" looking draw in Ulster for the Down team and the experience they would have gained from playing Cross last year.

That being said Clonduff shouldnt be taken for granted and any team that beat Kilcoo can have a go at anyone, especially on a one off derby match which happens to be a final

Why not get a time machine and bring Tom O'Hare forward 40 years   Each team plays the hand they are dealt, and Mayobridge were a fine team, and we played them many times over the summer months and never did they tear us apart.  They were unlucky in many respects that they were around when we were around but the reality is we only ever played once in Ulster, the 2004 Final, so our dominance had very little bearing on their failure to win an Ulster Championship.  We played Burren 3 times and while you may say that Shorty's missed penalty was a key factor i would say Shorty's refusal to take a 14 metre free in the last minute to equalise and put the pressure on young McAlinden was a bigger factor for Burren losing.  Having watched a fair bit of Down football I would have to say one of the biggest issues is that there are an awful lot of good footballers and some great footballers but not enough hard footballers.  Autumn football is won by dogs of war and they are the key to getting success.

If u were playing them in the summer it must have been in challenge matches which are hardly comparable to Ulster Championship.  Im not saying that the Bridge deserved to win an Ulster, just that they were unlucky a couple of seasons and that they had the type of footballers who thrived on the hard ground of summer rather than the heavy ground of winter.

You must have a better memory than me as i dont remember shorty's refusal to hit the free at the end.  I also only thought they played each other twice, 1 point win for Corss in 96 and 4 point win for Cross in Newry the following year.  Unless your including last year?

Agree with ya completely on the lack of hard footballers, something that troubles us for the county as well as the clubs.

[brokencrossbar1]

If u were playing them in the summer it must have been in challenge matches which are hardly comparable to Ulster Championship.  Im not saying that the Bridge deserved to win an Ulster, just that they were unlucky a couple of seasons and that they had the type of footballers who thrived on the hard ground of summer rather than the heavy ground of winter.

You must have a better memory than me as i dont remember shorty's refusal to hit the free at the end.  I also only thought they played each other twice, 1 point win for Corss in 96 and 4 point win for Cross in Newry the following year.  Unless your including last year?

Agree with ya completely on the lack of hard footballers, something that troubles us for the county as well as the clubs.

played them in challenge games and a few tournaments when we were at our peak and so where they and trust me there was nothing friendly about them.  Ask anyone of the Bridge lads involved.

As regards Shorty's refusal, I was right behind it and he had the ball in his hands and would not take it and handed it to McAlinden.  I do count last year as it was just to show we actually played Burren more than Mayobridge.  For all Mayobridges talent they had a mental problem with Ulster and lost games they should never have lost. 

[forevergreen]

Mourne Rover & Forevergreen

Where either of you at the game on Saturday night?

Well True Blue, wasnt @ the game on Saturday night but I get your point. I have been told it was a physical encounter, but how many of all the championship matches this year could be described in that manner. If a championship match between Kilcoo and Clonduff can't raise the blood in either team something would be badly wrong.

My point is that in the Ulster Championship, the level of play becomes dogged and teams bring a higher level of physicality to them. All too often we have heard Down teams going into Ulster and having been beaten, then go on to complain about how physical or cynical the opposing team was. I'm not talking about taking a man out or fighting, simply being able to raise the physical stakes, whilst being ready for the referee to wave play on for what might be penalised in Down.

[weebob]

crossbar [ if u were standing behind shorty u would of seen him handing the ball to ruiari mussen he took the free . anyway shorty is a left footer and the free was close to the line on the left it was mussens free to take so less of the bull about shorty. the only resin cross won that game was they worked 24hrs a day for 2 weeks to build turnstiles to get your ground to county standard  . but for play to cross yous are a great club and a super team .

[wehatepauly2]

What is it with pauly2 and his personal attacks on certain kilcoo players?keeps going back to giving Anthony Devlin a hard time and how he is a bully,think pauly2  club could be doing with a few Anthony devlins in there team,Theyd be doing a whole lot better than what they are this past few years.but then again castlewellan will probably just go and transfer some knew players in like it's the premier league.they'd be no stranger to that carry on.just a wee jealous town man that has got nothing else to cry about so turns to giving his neighbours a hard time.dry your eyes pauly2

[Leonardo]

Some relevant discussion on here thanks to mourne rover's boredom. Correct me if I am wrong but did enniskillen beat clonduff, I am near certain they beat Rostrevor as well. I remember first round exits from the bridge at the hands of St galls and a hammering against ballinderry at the first round also. In recent years Kilcoo and Burren have gotten over the first hurdle only to cone unstuck in ulster semi finals.? The Down champions this year are on a good side of the draw and I believe at the opposite side are Armagh/ St galls/ Tyrone and Derry champions:

Errigal Ciaran beat Clonduff by one point in newry -ross carr missed last chance free to equalise

[brokencrossbar1]

crossbar [ if u were standing behind shorty u would of seen him handing the ball to ruiari mussen he took the free . anyway shorty is a left footer and the free was close to the line on the left it was mussens free to take so less of the bull about shorty. the only resin cross won that game was they worked 24hrs a day for 2 weeks to build turnstiles to get your ground to county standard  . but for play to cross yous are a great club and a super team .

You could be right about Mussen, I thought it was McAlinden. Anyway it was close enough for Shorty to take a cut at it!

[weebob]

good job for yous he didn't slip it over yous could have 1 all ireland less. did u ever look at it from that angle brokencrossbar1. time for the cot . good luck

[dundrumite]

See a down man has guided ballymacnab to a historic Armagh county final. Congrats to Declan Mussen

[Mid Down Gael]

See a down man has guided ballymacnab to a historic Armagh county final. Congrats to Declan Mussen

Declan Mussen is solely trainer of the Round Towers and has no imput with regards team selection, tactics etc... The team is managed by Seamy Loughran, a local man, who had guided them to the division 2 title in Armagh last year and a county final this term.

[dundrumite]

See a down man has guided ballymacnab to a historic Armagh county final. Congrats to Declan Mussen

Declan Mussen is solely trainer of the Round Towers and has no imput with regards team selection, tactics etc... The team is managed by Seamy Loughran, a local man, who had guided them to the division 2 title in Armagh last year and a county final this term.

Congrats to Semay Loughran on guiding Ballymacnab to a historic Armagh County final  I stand corrected.
MDG did Jermoe manage that crowd a few years back?

[Mid Down Gael]

Yeah managed them for 2 seasons, finishing mid table in division 2 on both occasions. 2008 and 2009.

[Mid Down Gael]

Down Minor Simi Finals

Warrenpoint 1-9 Rostrevor 0-10

Kilcoo 1-11 Burren 1-7

Kilcoo and the Point set up a repeat of the 2009 minor final in a windy Mayobridge tonight.
Marty Devlin was our star man kicking 0-7 in a good team display. A win in the final can make it 3 in a row for us, which would be a great achievement. Tonights win helps lift the gloom from Saturdays defeat in the senior simi.

[Square Ball]

is that 4 semis or finals Rostrevor hav lost in the last two or so weeks?
SFC, 2 reserves and a minor?

[umpire]

is that 4 semis or finals Rostrevor hav lost in the last two or so weeks?
SFC, 2 reserves and a minor?

And maybe Senior down to Div 2!!!

Still a fantasic gaa club. a credit to them.