Donegal vs Armagh Ulster Championship 2022

[marty34]

Jeez is Oisin McConville serious, crying match about the red after an embarrassing hiding??

He's giving the ref some stick too.. Armagh were poor and I'm not sure about the 'foul' one could say if the ball is in your hands you can't rip it out of his hands, nor can you 'tackle' him in the small ball

Yeah, nobody mentioned that - I thought the ball was ripped from the goalie's hands.  During the game when it it happened, Clarke on commentary didn't even mention it.  Neither did in the after match analysis either.  Hard to know what these lads get paid for.

On Clarke, I thought he was favouring Armagh a bit on commentary. I thought O'Neill's yellow was a yellow. He slid in with intent wheras Mc Hugh's foot wasn't sliding in. He just reached across with no intent.

Armagh needed a few scores just after half-time - had the chances but couldn't convert.

Donegal should have had more scores in the first half.

I'd say Bonnar is delighted this evening. A home game V Armagh but they came through it well with plenty to work on for the next game.

[marty34]

The whistle was long gone and it was thrown into the net from what I saw. Could he have taken the mark?

At the time, I thought heshould have punched/flicked it in.

He was on the edge of the square when he caught it.

[J70]

Well that was a heartening performance after a so-so league. Thoroughly deserved win for our boys on the day. Completely won the midfield battle, even if I was a bit worried at half time with all those poor misses (in fairness the conditions must have been a big factor with Armagh's similar misses in the second).  Great games from Murphy, McGee, Shane O'Donnell, Mogan, McHugh, Ban etc.

Will need to bring that intensity and competitiveness to the Cavan game. They ate us alive in that final two years ago. At least we'll be going in prepared this time.

Is there a more riveting sight in GAA than seeing a player like Ban Gallagher turn on the afterburners like Jack McCaffrey and Michael Donnellan used to do?


On the disallowed goal, are you allowed to strip the ball out of the keeper's hands?

[Armamike]

Our dismal record in the Ulster championship since 2008 continues.  Unfortunately it's hard to find any positives to cling on to for the qualifiers. And even if we do get a run, would that be a sign of progress given we can't win a game in Ulster?  We came off second best in most parts of the pitch, but obviously the midfield area and competing on the kick outs was the big problem.  The alarm bells were ringing at half time. Young Macken was a huge miss though we probably would have struggled anyway.  Rian was pretty quiet by his standards.  Maybe Donegal would have gobbled him up but I would like to have seen Rian kept more in around the square and the ball kicked in more to him as a target.  Not sure what to make of Donegal.  They look assured today and could win Ulster but then again they've flattered to deceive a bit in recent years. 

[Wildweasel74]

The only people who were blowing up Armagh were there supporters, there last 3/4 league games was not showing outstanding form. Totally ignored the fact that on this pitch Donegal for some reason are notorious hard to beat on.

[Wildweasel74]

See goal replay there now, O'Neill basically pulled the ball out of patton arms, sort pushed/throw the ball in the net. McConville may go bck and look at it, giving the amount of shit he was giving the ref about it on BBC.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

, I wasn't buying the League hype, especially after finding out they'd been training like racehorses since November, we're a decent team but still very much developing - we don't have the steel or experience that the real top teams have.

Yet there were howls of derision on here from Armagh fans when it was pointed out that Armagh were very clearly ahead of a number of teams with their preparation in the early stages of the league. That's not a huge issue as long as Armagh make other gains when everyone else is catching up with fitness but today was the first big test of that and Armagh failed very badly. Not beyond them to still build some momentum through the qualifiers, but unless they do indeed improve there will rightly be a lot of questions about management and how they have prepared this team.

[illdecide]

Never seen as many Tyrone ones so happy and leaving their two bit worth and gloating, frig sake wise up men.

As for the game...best team won, was very surprised how easy Donegal won. I'm not sure if Donegal were better than i thought or was Armagh worse than i thought...Maybe a bit of both. Armagh were cleaned out in Midfield and if truth be told we've been poor in this area for a long time and are crying out for a few good midfielders. Someone pointed out earlier post how J Hall keeps his place in starting 15 and how Ben Crealey etc in midfield starts. Stefan Campbell is one of the best forwards around yet is an impact sub...WTF. He's deadly around the edge of the square so play him there and then bring out the field at times if he hasn't the legs to get up and down the pitch for 70 mins (I'm assuming that's why he's not starting).
Anyway in saying all that Donegal were good and fully deserved their win and good luck to them v Cavan. Donegal have some great footballers with pace who are hard to stop. As for Armagh disallowed goal...In replays etc it could have stood but 9 outta 10 Refs would blow for a free out.

On the Referee today and Ref's in general...Is it me or is our games now virtually contact free, it's so frustrating watch any game now and all players have to do is lift their legs up and fall and it's a certain free out...Very frustrating and i'm not blaming the Ref for today's defeat as he'd no bearing on the result whatsoever.

[Milltown Row2]

Define non contact? You can't push a player you can't pull a jersey you can't charge a player you can't play with a closed fist, head or over the neck tackles are finished thankfully, no trips or deliberate pull downs allowed other than that it's still same as before

[thewobbler]

Armagh's tackling was rubbish today. It jumped in form between over-aggressiveness, flailing and mis-timing. It's pretty much how you expect forwards to tackle, and Armagh are a team of forwards.

It means every other tackle results in a free. As a supporter it drives you mad, and it's the most natural thing of all to feel it's imbalanced and to blame the referee who keeps blowing that f**king whistle. Problem is it's not the referee's fault, no matter how much you want it to be. Natural defenders adapt their physicality to the the disposition of the ref. Natural forwards don't have have that control.

——

There's a remarkable similarity between this Armagh crop, and Down during the  Paddy O'Rourke times. The players are committed to the man in charge. There's a generational talent at 14, surrounded by high quality but inconsistent forwards. There's stopgaps at midfield. There's forwards playing defence. There's defenders who just aren't county standard. Which means they're capable of winning games at a league intensity against pretty much anyone. But the holes everyone knows exist, they become all too obvious when the notch is turned.

[Throw ball]

Much talk about Armagh being poor tacklers and blaming Geezer. Now undoubtedly he could help improve the situation but I have been saying for years that the way football is refereed in the county doesn't help. Many of the frees given today wouldn't be given at an under 15 game in Armagh. In the minor match last night I think Armagh got 6 cards to Derry's 0 and a high proportion of the frees given were against Armagh. It seems to be a trend.

[tyrone08]

Much talk about Armagh being poor tacklers and blaming Geezer. Now undoubtedly he could help improve the situation but I have been saying for years that the way football is refereed in the county doesn't help. Many of the frees given today wouldn't be given at an under 15 game in Armagh. In the minor match last night I think Armagh got 6 cards to Derry's 0 and a high proportion of the frees given were against Armagh. It seems to be a trend.

Bit of a trend here is right. Armagh get involved in meelees and give away more frees due illegal or aggressive tackles yet somehow they are apparently always innocent.. Less gym work and more football coaching would go along way.

[general_lee]

Define non contact? You can't push a player you can't pull a jersey you can't charge a player you can't play with a closed fist, head or over the neck tackles are finished thankfully, no trips or deliberate pull downs allowed other than that it's still same as before

You can't touch a player nowadays unless it's a clean tackle first time with contact on the ball and nowhere else and isn't from behind. You can't put your non-tackling hand anywhere on the player or you'll get blown up.

[anportmorforjfc]

Pathetic performance from Armagh yesterday, the time has surely arrived where McGeeney has got to go. The tactics in the first half were shocking. Not pushing up on the kickout enabled Donegal to build from the back and into scoring position within 2 or 3 passes. I don't understand how Hall is even on the panel never mind starting, offers absolutely nothing. Donegal must have kicked 6 wides in the first half alone and dropped at least 3 short. It's the performance again and again in the Ulster championship that annoys me not the fact that we lost. We seem complete enept to win a substantial meaningful game. The ref was definitely not the reason we lost but the consistency just wasn't there imo. I thought Armagh had to do alot more to win a free. 7 fouls given away by Donegal all game doesn't seem to make sense to me. I don't think a run to the quarters through the back door should save geezers job but it probably will. Anyway congrats to Donegal much better team on the day.

[JoG2]

Define non contact? You can't push a player you can't pull a jersey you can't charge a player you can't play with a closed fist, head or over the neck tackles are finished thankfully, no trips or deliberate pull downs allowed other than that it's still same as before

You can't touch a player nowadays unless it's a clean tackle first time with contact on the ball and nowhere else and isn't from behind. You can't put your non-tackling hand anywhere on the player or you'll get blown up.

Half a dozen times every game 3/4 players are slapping at a man's shoulders, arms, everywhere but the ball and the player with the ball gets called for over carrying