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Class link!

1. Duffy
2. McGoldrick
3. McCloy
4. D. Mone
5. McQuaid
6. Gormley
7. D Freeman
8. Doherty
9. S Cavanagh
10. R Kavanagh
11. Woods
12. Muldoon
13. Bradley
14. Corey
15. T.Freeman

Look lads we've all had a bit of fun giving Derry a chance, but in all honesty i just cant see how Dublin will lose unless they have a total stinker (which would not make Derry better than us)

Roll on Kerry in the 26th!

Talk bout getting your excuses in early Tankie! "if we lose" talk! 
Dub's aint met a defence as strong as ours, time will tell!
Fergal Doc will have some tussle with Whelan, and i expect him to come out on top. Management should have done their homework on dublin's kick-out's too.
At this point i would not swap the Derry team for the Dublin one.

In a real pressure cooker situation the dub's have a knack of becoming a shrinking violet, long may it continue!
Paddy Bradley will really want to turn it on, on the big stage, none bigger than tomorrow!

Sometimes in these really big games, a lesser known lad i.e not a big name rises and plays out of his skin, i just Derry have a couple of these! 

Up Derry!!

All the best to the farney, derry will be getting behind you whether we win lose or draw!

Scanlon starting midfield for Kerry, seen him a few times this year and not convinced.

Tommy Freeman 8/1 for first goal, get it on|!!

Derry 3/1 doubled up with Monaghan +5 points at Even's.
A modest 20 quid stake gets you 180!!

My old friend full-back, are you going down to it? Supporting derry i hope?
Hope armagh win the hurling, all of derry will be supporting them!

Just went onto ticketmaster, got 2 lower cusack 306 for me and the old man! cant wait now!

thats where im at myself, lower cusack, 306!! cant believe you still got them on ticketmaster?! 

I predict Dub's to start well as per usual, maybe even lead at half time but then derry to settle and use their sub's well i.e Diver, Skinner & McGuckin. Dublin still with doubts in the back of their head throwing away a 7 point lead against Mayo last year to crumble in last ten mins, Paddy bradley to really turn it on, even if double teamed. Dublin under-eatimate our defence, i would not swap them for any other county's back 6.

Good luck to all the panel and management, really looking forward to it! 

Really looking forward to the game at this stage. I think Derry's best chances of beating the Dub's lie in the following (may be easier said than done mind you);

1. Good use of the bench; in Eoin Bradley we have a lethal forward option and score-getter. Use him early enough if necessary, no point putting him in with 8 mins to go. Same for big Joe Diver. If Kevin McGuckin does not start he should be a very steadying influence too when called upon.

2. Quick ball into the forwards; Less tipping and going across the pitch, all players should be capable of leaving a good 40 yard kick pass into the forwards.

3. Put the odd high ball in to test the full-back McConnell. He is still relatively unexperienced at this level.

4. Have a kick-out strategy, Gillis should not just hit the ball as far as he can every time to the same area. Too predictable, vary the thing and keep the Dub's guessing. Aim a few towards Muldoon's wing, we saw against Laois how good he is in the air.

5. Derry are renowned for being a big, strong, physical team, let's bring this to the fore. Get the hits in, hard and fair and dont stand back and admire their forwards. We are there on merit and should not be intimidated. if the dub's race into a few points lead early on, dont panic, just slow it down until we settle and let our own football do the talking. Confidence in our own ability is paramount!!


Only a few pointers IMHO. The referee could have a big bearing on how the game pans out too, lets hope he is not overly picky and lets the game flow, as opposed to ticking players at every free and holding things up. This takes away the advantage of a quick free and allows the opposition to get back in numbers. 

May the best team win! 

the amateur status police would not be the first to refund him for lose of earnings on a Saturday for example if he had a game / training! 

Anyone see the new elvery's ad with Ciaran Mac? A bit daft, but fair play to him, i'm sure he got a few bob for it.

aww yes. very funny and something different! 
Dennis Leamy made some tackle in it too!

aye, why shouldnt McDonald get a few bob out of it if you ask me!

DubsforSam - Just picked up my tickets last night, wont be sitting too far from you after all. Lower Cusack - Section 306.   

Just thinking, its a credit to Jason Sherlock that he is still playing county football, a very dedicated and under-rated cog in the dublin wheel IMO. I remember him terrorising defence's in '95, and scoring that famous goal where he lost his boot! But for derry's sake, i hope he has one of his quieter games on saturday. His influence cant be under-estimated, his movement, bravery and unselfish link play are a joy to watch, not to mention ability to take a score himself.

Looking forward to the game big time!

For what it's worth going by radio repaorts (probably not a pile) but Derry report a clean bill of health for saturday, all players available for selection. Im expecting team selection to be something like;

Gillis

McGoldrick
McCloy
Lockhart

O'Kane
McGuckin
McEldowney

Doherty
Conway

Lynch
Murphy
Muldoon

Devlin
Bradley
Gilligan

Hoping big Enda can continue to revel in his free role out the pitch and make a few telling plucks like he did against laois. If things were not going well, plan B could be to throw him in at full-forward in the closing stages where he caused a lot of trouble for full-back McConnell in the challenge game played a couple of months ago.
We have good man markers in defence so should be a few great match up's. Id rate Keaney as Dublin's best forward so probably like to see Lockhart on him.

A lot could depend on the benches and who springs who at the vital stages. As i previously said Diver and Eoin Bradley could have a big impact.

So with just 5 days left, can we expect any changes on the Dublin team?
No injury concerns?
I dont anticipate any changes for derry apart from Kevin McGuckin coming into the defence.

In Joe Diver and Eoin Bradley, Derry have a couple of great options on the bench to bring on.

Im gonna call it, Derry by 2 points. 

Always throws up a lot of debate with chat of the All-Stars!

Corks Nicolas Murphy is well placed, his aerial ability is unreal!

Enda Muldoon wont be far away, hope I dont put the scud on him now though.

Bray should be there too. Moyles although not at his best on saturday has shown his versatility well, wont be too far away.

Orangeman - Think Hughes got subbed in the 55th minute for Tommy.

Is Big John McConville far away from making the panel? Could certainly do with a big, natural fielder around the middle. Was he called up towards the end of 2005 to squad training?

Was Colm Cavanagh on the bench and fit? i thought he would have been a good sub to bring in, possibly at wing forward and use the big spaces to run at the defence, as he did in croker aginst the Dub's in first round of national league?

Not too bad to get tickets here in Derry, if you're attached to a club anyway.
Anyone hear any stories about Dub's paying big money for tickets?

Really looking forward to the game myself.

With dub's habits of rotating the positions of their forwards, i wonder will the derry backs be assigned to track a certain opponent or just play the positions. i think id like to see lockhart on Alan Brogan if he starts in the full forward line, but wouldnt want him to be dragged out to centre-half back. This would also apply to McCloy if he is fit to play IMO.
Would be confident in Kevin McGuckins ability to play anywhere in the back line.

Well there is big money being offered on ebay etc and other websites.....

Forwards aren't being moved that much in last couple of games...sherlock/vaughan have rotated but thats really about it....

So Loup - you got your tickets yet??? Where abouts are you?

yes Dubs, have tickets but aint got them in hand yet, probably tonight though. lower cusack i think. You sorted yourself? Dont mean to rub it in or anything but its not too bad gettin tickets at present up here.

On the rotation thing, suppose thats true that Dublin have stopped it a bit. Do you think it helps them i.e confuses the oppositions defence? Or hinders Dublin in that your forwards dont know what they are at half the time with all the chopping and changing which previously went on?


Dunno what that craic about the goalies is. Glenulin's current no. 1 is Shane O'Kane (derry sub keeper) and their no. 2 is eoin mc nicholl (former minor keeper and u21) but he is currently in the states.