An Dún v Muineachán

[An Cloch Scoilte]

Lets get this ball up and rolling!!

Any Farney men out there waiting to get the championship up and going??

[Pangurban]

They have not saved the Hay yet,so dont expect a response

[ExiledGael]

Couldn't call this game but I'd expect it to be a cracker, don't think it's live though.
Two of the best goal getters in the game in Tommy Freeman and Benny Coulter.
Is it in Clones?

[An Cloch Scoilte]

No its in Newry!! Should be a packed house this time I expect!!

Comhairle Uladh wouldn't need to be charging E18 for the Terrace for only one game saying that the Minors isn't gonna be on!!

[FarneyMan]

Going to be a very tough game for Monaghan, Down have home advantage and 2 tough games under their belts !
Looking forward to a cracking match though, still over 2 weeks away...................Whats the capacity of Newry lads ?  Its not too often that Monaghan plays outside of Clones so am looking forward to the trip !
Our last game out (Meath game) brought the lads back down to earth, it showed up a weakness in our full-back line that Coulter and co. are more than capable of exploiting..............im hoping this has been addressed but the truth is we just don't have a commanding full back................Id be happy enough with the rest of the team, plenty of scoring forwards, and hopefully they will compensate for our defensive deficiencies !  Look out for a few of our under21 stars making an appearance either starting or off the bench, Brendan McKenna, Shane Smith, Ciaran Hanratty, Conor McManus, Ciaran Hughes (nudies son), alot of talent there..................but Down away will be a tough start to the championship....................

[thebandit]

Should be a high scoring encounter.

Bring on the away trip 

[DownFanatic]

According to the hogantruth.com

Down have received a timely boost ahead of their Ulster SFC quarter-final against Monaghan on June 10 with the return of defender Adrian Scullion to the fold.

Scullion, who is a native of Bellaghy in Derry but plays his club football with Carryduff, opted out of the panel during the National League due to his wedding and a change of jobs. But Down boss Ross Carr expects him to return to training this week and the half back could go straight back into the team against the Farney County as Damien Rafferty and Liam Doyle, who can play in both defence and attack, are both currently on the injured list.

[Dubh driocht]

Not sure if Scullion will make a whole pile of difference but he is a bit bigger ( but not cuter).The Sunday Tribune had a hype piece on Paul Mc Comiskey yesterday- while I agree with every word, I think Ross and DJ are right to keep him under wraps -however I would like to see more than 15 minutes of him.Have Monaghan been away on trips /team building stuff ?They are always a tight team in the championship .As the loser goes in to round 1 of the qualifiers, it is crucial for Down to get the win.Any word on Liam Doyle and Mickey Walsh ?

[An Cloch Scoilte]

Doyle should be back by the middle of July as far as I hear!!!

As regards Scullion, it can only be a good thing having him back in the panel, as he adds that built of physical strength to the defence! He has played Championship before and the man doesn't lack a set of Billiards!!!!!!

[armaghniac]

As the loser goes in to round 1 of the qualifiers, it is crucial for Down to get the win.

You will probably be in round 1 anyway, as if Monaghan don't get you, Derry will. Armagh will be waiting for you.

[An Cloch Scoilte]

one thing is for sure Armaghniac, Down are still in with a shout of winning the Anglo Celt for 07, something that can't be said for Armagh

[wobbller]

 Armagh will be 6 weeks without competitive football .The most Down will be without this much needed match pratice will be four and possibly only 2 weeks and with at least three matches under their belt.Enjoy the wait!

[armaghniac]

one thing is for sure Armaghniac, Down are still in with a shout of winning the Anglo Celt for 07, something that can't be said for Armagh

And Enda Kenny has a shout of becoming Taoiseach.

Armagh will be 6 weeks without competitive football .The most Down will be without this much needed match pratice will be four and possibly only 2 weeks and with at least three matches under their belt

Sure they can play the subs, they would be as competitive as Down.

However you Down supporters will have more games to go to, enjoy!

[redandblackjack]

However you Down supporters will have more games to go to, enjoy!
[/quote]

At least the Down support will be there in numbers at the games orange man. After all your county's spouting about supporting your team you lot have been exposed for the bandwagon jumpers you's are! 2,000 tickets returned, how embarrassing! Big Joe is 100% correct.

There won't be much trouble on the streets of Clones this year with Armaghs 'supporters' absence!!!

[DownFanatic]

Terry McLoughlin - Sunday Tribune

Down Let Teenage Genie Slowly Out Of The Bottle

SO FAR the Down management has used Paul McComiskey sparingly. His championship role has been that of the impact substitute . . . but what an impact the teenager has made.

An outrageously constructed point from a seemingly impossible angle helped keep Down alive in the opening round tie against Cavan.

His assist for a goal ensured the replay. Last Sunday his impact was equally decisive.

Two late points provided the copper to fasten a meeting with Monaghan on June 10.

The scores were built around break-neck speed of thought and unflappable self-belief.

There has been criticism of Down football in recent times that not enough was being done to unearth physical specimens of the Ciaran Donaghy mould. But the one thing that has never in doubt in Down is the ability to produce flair forwards.

McComiskey is the latest to come off that particular production line which is part of the accepted Down tradition.

For if ever a player was equipped to follow in the footsteps of Mourne legends such as Paddy Doherty, Mickey Linden and James McCartan, the teenager fits the bill.

McComiskey still has a huge way to travel in football terms to meet the requirements of legendary status . . . but the journey has already started.

In a senior football career that can still be measured in minutes, the buzz surrounding the Dundrum forward has been immense. But the Down management duo of Ross Carr and DJ Kane are far too hard-bitten to allow any member of their squad to get carried away by headlines.

Anyway McComiskey, a product of Red High De La Salle football nursery in Downpatrick has become accustomed to dramatic press coverage.

His ability to score goals has never been in doubt. As an underage soccer player he hit 49 goals in one season.

Mark Hughes and Blackburn Rovers were desperate to sign him. Glasgow Celtic would have loved to get him in a hooped shirt. All the top Irish League clubs sought his signature. But when it came to football codes and team colours it was always going to be Gaelic football and Red and Black. Colleges All Star honours were followed by two seasons as a county minor.

In his first he helped Down win the All Ireland title. Earning the Man-of-the. . .Match award was secondary to helping win Down's sixth All Ireland crown.

Being the key component in every team he has represented is something that McComiskey has had to get used to. This season Queen's University, with the little accountancy student playing a tantalising and continually teasing role at corner forward, won the Sigerson Cup after three successive final defeats. He was the youngest player on the pitch but as usual McComiskey was able to turn in a performance above all expectations.

But expectation has never affected his attitude towards football. He plays the game with an unshackled approach to the attacking arts. This approach was evident from the day he debuted as a senior club football player at the age of 15 and from then it was inevitable that he would wear the Red and Black of Down.

Whether the Cavan defence knew what was in store for them before McComiskey came into the action can only be speculated upon. But now the genie is out of the Down bottle. There are many that would subscribe to the view that genius, rather than genie, would be a more appropriate description for the 19-year-old.

There are certain players that once the crowd is aware that they are to make an appearance, the response is electrifying. The impact on the rest of the team is just as significant. Down supporters know full well that whatever McComiskey contributes it will be based around scoring, or making scores. There is no other way that he is able to play.

One of the central parts of McComiskey's armoury is the intelligent way that he uses his speed reserves. The dip of the shoulder is balanced by blistering acceleration before the target is attacked.

Coming off the substitute's bench is not something that McComiskey has been used to during his football career to date. It is a tribute however to the Down management that they have been able to harness the huge potential of McComiskey so effectively as a replacement. It suits both parties to a tee.

Calls to have McComiskey given a starting role against Monaghan in a fortnight's time will continue to be resisted. The management see a player that will be unleashed when the pattern of the game dictates, not on the basis of public opinion.

When the call does come, the Dundrum man will do what is asked. All he has ever wanted to do is play for Down, and while it always looked like he would achieve his goal, he has never taken that honour for granted. A little cameo at Casement Park last season after the end of the first round minor championship match against Cavan reinforced that point.

Although on the beaten team, the 1-4 personal tally from McComiskey had kept Down alive until close to the final whistle. It was a towering performance.

It was recognised by half a dozen of his Cavan opponents. All of them rushed towards McComiskey, asking to swap shirts, all of them wanted his shirt above that of any other player.

He declined all requests.

As far as McComiskey was concerned nothing could persuade him. All that mattered was being identified as a Down player.

That identification process will be further consolidated before long.