Ulster U20 and Minor Championships 2024

[Walter Cronc]

Congrats Down and good luck in AI series. Who was that ref and what county. A plonker!

[SHEEDY]

Congrats Down and good luck in AI series. Who was that ref and what county. A plonker!

the ref was Pat Clarke from Cavan, was at the match and thought he was poor for both teams, didn't think he influenced the result though.

Down were excellent in last 30 minutes, Murdock and Savage are 2 class acts. Great win.

[Walter Cronc]

Congrats Down and good luck in AI series. Who was that ref and what county. A plonker!

the ref was Pat Clarke from Cavan, was at the match and thought he was poor for both teams, didn't think he influenced the result though.

Down were excellent in last 30 minutes, Murdock and Savage are 2 class acts. Great win.

No question the best team won. Thought he was very harsh on us but maybe that's rose tinted glasses on. Who you play now?

[Blowitupref]

Congrats Down and good luck in AI series. Who was that ref and what county. A plonker!

the ref was Pat Clarke from Cavan, was at the match and thought he was poor for both teams, didn't think he influenced the result though.

Down were excellent in last 30 minutes, Murdock and Savage are 2 class acts. Great win.

No question the best team won. Thought he was very harsh on us but maybe that's rose tinted glasses on. Who you play now?

All Ireland semi finals

Down v Kildare
Kerry v  Sligo

[onefineday]

Underage football is about producing players. It's not a win at all costs mentality. Senior football is. Especially in Derry where our Ulster champ record is pitiful.

Maybe in professional sport it is, but in gaa it's a lot more than that. Great if you can develop and get players to come through to play senior, but for the majority playing in that game tonight, going on to win an all Ireland u20 in croker would almost certainly be the pinnacle of their Gaelic football career. Another all Ireland success at this level would be a fine achievement for the county, it's not as if either county is stacked with medals at any grade and underage success is important in the development of younger players, probably more so when they get such limited game time at senior level.
As someone else mentioned, with the amount of championship action to come this year, getting a few full length quality games under their belts might stand to them better than a few mins towards the end of a couple of games
.

[marty34]

Did both teams play their U20s?

[meatsy86]

Well Naturally enough it was an U20 match so yes the U20s played. However I assume you mean did both teams play their Senior panellists. Down did but Derry didn't play Eoin McEvoy or Lachlan Murray.

[Walter Cronc]

Underage football is about producing players. It's not a win at all costs mentality. Senior football is. Especially in Derry where our Ulster champ record is pitiful.

Maybe in professional sport it is, but in gaa it's a lot more than that. Great if you can develop and get players to come through to play senior, but for the majority playing in that game tonight, going on to win an all Ireland u20 in croker would almost certainly be the pinnacle of their Gaelic football career. Another all Ireland success at this level would be a fine achievement for the county, it's not as if either county is stacked with medals at any grade and underage success is important in the development of younger players, probably more so when they get such limited game time at senior level.
As someone else mentioned, with the amount of championship action to come this year, getting a few full length quality games under their belts might stand to them better than a few mins towards the end of a couple of games
.

We'll agree to disagree.

[Truth hurts]

Questions have to be asked about how that Down team were handled at minor level. They are a serious outfit.

From the 2020 minor semifinals only Kerry have made it back. Down, Sligo and Kildare have replaced Derry, Roscommon and Meath.

Covid 19 pandemic ?

[Rossfan]

Our Minors squeezed past Sligo on a Stephens Day so wet and windy you wouldn't put a wild animal out in it never mind 16 year old gasúns.
Sligo obviously had a coaching and development system for those lads afterwards and it showed this year as they bet us and the other 2 big dogs!
One thing struck me watching some of the game last night .... the 7 step rule was being used!

[Maroon Manc]

Many of those Down players involved in the win 2 years ago?

[Nanderson]

Many of those Down players involved in the win 2 years ago?

Ryan Magill, Paddy McCarthy and Ordhran Murdock all started 2 years ago

[Walter Cronc]

How many of last night's team started in the minors v Fermanagh 2 years ago?

[Lucifer]

Congrats Down and good luck in AI series. Who was that ref and what county. A plonker!

the ref was Pat Clarke from Cavan, was at the match and thought he was poor for both teams, didn't think he influenced the result though.

Down were excellent in last 30 minutes, Murdock and Savage are 2 class acts. Great win.

No question the best team won. Thought he was very harsh on us but maybe that's rose tinted glasses on. Who you play now?

I thought Derry came down the harsher side of the decisions, but similarly didn't feel it influenced the result.  That said, I actually quite liked how he went about refereeing the game, he had very little sympathy for the ball carrier and gave nothing easy, he was consistent about that too.  It goes against the grain nowadays where referees tend to blow for slight contact, so I can see how it infuriated some.

By my reckoning it was the 53rd minute until Derry delivered a foot pass inside to the FF line (discounting a nice threaded pass to the full back who made a clever run inside in first half.)  They seemed extremely risk averse even in their running game.

[Estimator]

How many of last night's team started in the minors v Fermanagh 2 years ago?

By the looks of it 8 involved in both games for Down, and from Derry there was an overlap of 12 players from last night and the 2020 AI Final.

2023
Down: Oisín Treacy; Fiachra McAvoy, Patrick McCarthy, Finn Murdock; Thomas Hardy, Ryan Magill, James Kelly; Odhran Murdock (1-01), Tom McCarroll; Tiarnan Ryan, Oran Cunningham, Harry Magill; Oisín Savage (0-08, 0-05f, 0-01m), Jason Morgan, Callum Rodgers (0-01)
Subs: Jamie Doran (1-01) for Ryan (23), Cian Cunningham for R Magill (ht), Cormac Greene for McCarroll (55), Eoin Loughran for Savage (58), Senan Carr for O Cunningham (59)

2020
Down: C Grant, F McEvoy, P McCarthy, L Guinness, J Kelly, R Magill, E McKernan, O Murdock, J Howlett, N Toner (1-1), O Cunningham, O Savage (0-2), T McCartan, Z Murdock, C Rodgers.
Subs: E Loughran for Howlett, W Kelly for J Kelly


As a comparison
2023
Derry: B O'Connor; J Murray, J McDermott (0-1), L Brady; P McGurk, D Gilmore, R Forbes; D Higgins, P O'Kane; P McCullagh (0-1), C Diamond (0-3, 2f), M Doherty (0-2); M Downey (0-1, f), N O'Donnell (0-1), R O Mianain.
Subs: C Downey for O Mianan, S Deehan for O'Kane, N McGonigle for Doherty

2020
Derry: Kian McGonigle; Patrick McGurk, Lee Brady, Adam McGonigle; Donncha Gilmore, Eoin McEvoy, Connor Sheils; Dan Higgins, Patrick O'Kane; Jody McDermott, Matthew Downey, Mark Doherty; Niall O'Donnell, Lachlan Murray, Charlie Diamond.
Subs: Callum Downey for Dan Higgins (30+1 mins – half time, blood sub), Callum Downey for Charlie Diamond (38 mins), Jude Moore for Adam McGonigle (49 mins), Peter McCullagh for Lachlan Murray (61 mins).