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Dublin 1/3       Draw 15/2         Derry 3/1

Bit of value with derry there i think. On the handicap you will probably get +3 points at Even's.
the 2 week break will do Derry no harm, with Lynch, McGoldrick and Murphy picking up injuries and retiring against Laois. Any one any updates on these? Plus another 2 weeks will help Kevin McGuckin and help Eoin Bradley's cause. However he did not even warm up once during the Laois game, i thought he would have been thrown in near the end up front.

Really looking froward to the match. I genuinely think derry can spring a surprise but it will take some big performances. My worry is that we could maybe snuff out one of the Dub's forwards like Keaney / Brogan / Vaughan but it would be some task keeping them all relatively quiet on the scoring front on the one day. But we have the players to step up to themark so who knows?!

Dublin's kick outs are well documented so derry will have to do their homework here i.e who is going to track Shane Ryan out to the wings to try and thwart this.

There's talk of Derry maybe being fazed by the occassion and all but all the team has played in Croker before betwen Minors, 01, 04 and 05. Only one's who im not sure have played there are; Hinphey, Conway and Devlin, correct me if im wrong. But i wouldnt be too worried about these lads anyway and im sure they could adapt the best.

Murphy's injury is supposed to be quite serious. Waiting on a knee scan by all accounts.

This is a game where Dublin have to favoured but in Doherty, Lockhart and McGoldrick Derry have players that can stop Dublin's marquee names.

It is the first time this season that Dublin will have played against a decent defense. It will be a real test as to whether their forwards have improved. I think that Derry are trouble by pacey teams and this is where Dublin may have a crucial advantage.

Should be a good game though.

Barney

So Meath don't have a decent defence then?? That Derry defence conceeded as much as we did against a weaker Laois team...Derry have trouble against pacey strong teams...

Do you think Dublin are a pacier team than Laois? I know they are more physical but are they faster?

This is from a challenge match 2 weeks before the first dublin and meath game.

Late minute Magee goal seals Dubs win



DUBLIN 2-8 DERRY 0-11

A last minute goal from Darren Magee gave Dublin victory in this SF challenge at Na Fianna's grounds on St Mobhi Road on Saturday afternoon.

The game looked to be petering out to a draw but the Dubs mustered one last attack and were rewarded when the big Kilmacud midfielder fired to the net at the end of a move initiated by Declan Lally back in his own defence.

Dublin started brightly with the long early delivery towards Conal Keaney paying dividends and they led 0-3 to 0-1 after eight minutes.

Just before the midpoint of the opening half Barry Cahill was put through on goal by Keaney but he fired his shot wide of Barry Gillis' left hand post.

Three minutes later Keaney extended the Dubs lead with a fine point on the turn following a good pass from Cahill.

But from then to the break Dublin began using the wings more to very limited effort as Derry showed the greater accuracy in attack with corner-forward Mark Lynch kicking two superb angled points from out wide on the right wing.

The Oak Leaf County spurned a goal opportunity themselves when full-forward Enda Muldoon cut through the Dublin defence but could only find the side-netting.

Dublin led at the interval 0-6 to 0-5 after Keaney concluded the first half scoring in the 33rd minute following an excellent fetch by Darren Magee at midfield and strong running from Paul Griffin.

But inside the first minute of the restart Derry were level. A diagonal ball from Conleth Gilligan was midjudged by Ross McConnell and Muldoon tapped over for his third point from play shortly before going off injured.

Ray Wilkinson edged Derry in front for the first time in the 37th minute but Mark Vaughan netted two minutes later after Keaney's original effort was blocked out.

The sides went 20 minutes without a score between the 13th and 33th minute of the second half - with the Dubs guilty of some bad wides including three frees from Tomas Quinn (two) and one from Vaughan - before Wilkinson punished a badly misplaced pass from Stephen O'Shaughnessy to level the game.

But the home side marked the official opening of Na Fianna's new clubhouse and all-weather pitch with a Dublin victory when Lally foraged deep inside his own half to win possession before carrying the ball into Derry territory and which culminated in Keaney placing Magee who fired the winner.

SCORERS - Dublin: C Keaney 0-4 (0-1f), M Vaughan, D Magee 1-0 each, C Moran, D Connolly, T Quinn, G Brennan 0-1 each. Derry: E Muldoon, M Lynch, R Wilkinson 0-3 each, B McGoldrick, C Gilligan (0-1f) 0-1 each.
DUBLIN - S Cluxton; D Henry, R McConnell, P Griffin; P Casey, B Cullen, B Cahill; D Magee, C Whelan; C Moran, S Ryan, D Connolly; M Vaughan, C Keaney, T Quinn. Subs: J Magee for Whelan, G Brennan for Cahill, D Lally for Quinn, S O'Shaughnessy for Henry, P Flynn for Moran, D Murray for Connolly, C Goggins for Cullen.
DERRY - B Gillis; M McGoldrick, K McCloy, G O'Kane; P Cartin, SM Lockhart, C McKeever; F Doherty, J Diver; B McGoldrick, C Gilligan, G Donaghy; R Wilkinson, E Muldoon, M Lynch. Subs: P Murphy for Muldoon, Patsy Bradley for Cartin, J Conway for Diver, J Keenan for McCloy, E Lynn for B McGoldrick.
REF - P McEnaney (Monaghan).

I dont know about Dublin, but I know the Derry team named above will be nothing like the team that will start against the Dubs in the quarters.
Wouldnt read anything into this at all.

The match will be on the 11th with a 4pm throw in.
From a reliable source!

tbrick18- Cooper on a par with Canavan, you're a bit early with that one surely? Give him a few years then we can figure that out...

Cooper has already played in a stack load of All-Ireland finals, won a few Sams and got a host of All-Stars, think it's fair to say he's on a par with Canavan in a different kind of way. ie Canavan was a leader, and drove Tyrone to two titles and one final, but Gooch is simply magic on his day and he's only a brat of a caddie yit.
Think us Northerners hold Peter the Great in almost too high of regard compared to others, that's not to undervalue him, happen to think he, Gooch, Mo Fitz and a few others are the outstanding players in living memory
[/quote]

I agree totally with this comment. Good and all as Canavan was, I've seen games (only a few mind you) where he was marked out of it. Maybe only scored from a free. I've yet to see a game where Cooper hasnt scored from play and made at least a couple of scores for the team. Mo Fitz...class act too, but I always thought he retired too young.

Great tribute to Eamon on tonight's Road to Croke, with lovely pieces from both Dessies Dolan, Junior and Senior.  Credit where it's due, well done RTÉ.

It was a good tribute alright. I've yet to hear anyone say a bad word about the man.
Every time they play that clip of him in the Hogan Stand with Downey making the speech in 93 brings a tear to the eye.
Pure Derry, Pure Gentleman, Pure Class.

[Dermot Heaney]

Heaney? come on now. at the time one of the best forwards in the country?

please

Linden was better but Brolly played a beautiful game for Derry.  In fact within that Derry team he was the only forward they had outside their free taker, but as they won sam he was the only one they needed.  Class act.  That Cork team was done though. 

Jesus thats a bit harsh about all-ireland champions...Gormley, Seamus Downey, Joe Brolly, Dermot Heaney...at the time 4 of the best forwards in the country. Cant see how you thought that Cork team were done...apart from the first 10-15 mins of the game Derry were pretty much on top for most of the match. Cahalane should have been sent off...Davis was unfortunate as I think he got sent off as the ref realised he should have sent off Chalane.
The better team won that day no doubt.

If memory serves Heaney scored from play in almost every game he played. He won a lot of ball around the middle third and while not the fastest he had strength and could take on players. Now if a forward on an all-ireland winning team scored as much as he did, why should he not be considered one of the top 4 forwards in the country at that time?

Linden was better but Brolly played a beautiful game for Derry.  In fact within that Derry team he was the only forward they had outside their free taker, but as they won sam he was the only one they needed.  Class act.  That Cork team was done though. 

Jesus thats a bit harsh about all-ireland champions...Gormley, Seamus Downey, Joe Brolly, Dermot Heaney...at the time 4 of the best forwards in the country. Cant see how you thought that Cork team were done...apart from the first 10-15 mins of the game Derry were pretty much on top for most of the match. Cahalane should have been sent off...Davis was unfortunate as I think he got sent off as the ref realised he should have sent off Chalane.
The better team won that day no doubt.

naw wasn't at that one.. brolly was good when the intensity of the game and tackling was low but most corner forwards are the same.. he wouldn't lace the boots of canavan, linden, mc cartan, tony boyle fitzgerald or cooper..

Cooper and (I loathe to say it) Canavan are head and shoulders above all those you mentioned, but I would definately put brolly on a par with the rest.

Brolly was a class act. The game of '94 was touted by many pundits as a game with the two best corner forwards in ireland in Brolly and Linden and I would put Brolly on a par with him.

I was at a corporate dinner once where Jarlath Burns was speaker. He said the in the weeks leading up to a championship game with Derry the whole worry in the Armagh camp was how they were going to stop Brolly. He was so fast, could turn on a penny and could score from the sideline. Not many oppostion players that I have known off have ever admitted worrying so much about any one player. I think that is a testament to just how good Brolly was.

I saw him play a few years ago for Dungiven in the ff line with big Geoff...the two of them destroyed us on their own.

A class act by any means.

Mayo got beat because they let Paddy Bradley get going. If you stop him early his effect can be nullified. He scored 1-10 in an ulster match a couple of years ago against Monaghan (I think it was monaghan) yet they were tight from the start in the ulster semi and he was very quiet - tho he did get a sloppy goal

On Sunday all but one of the Derry forwards scored from play. In the Monaghan game Bradley and Muldoon were quiet because the ball never came into that half of the pitch...I mean Derry had 2 wides for the entire game...they didnt even get a chance to do anything and Bradley still got a goal. I think over the last two games Derry have shown there is no longer the same over-reliance on Paddy Bradley to score as we now have other forwards who can do the business...Devlin, Gilligan, Lynch, McGoldrick Muldoon...so I think your a bit off the mark here timmy!

I havent seen the game or the point in question but I wouldnt be overly surprised if a replay was ordered.
With the number of issues taken to the Disputes Resolution Committe over thing like suspensions and video evidence, there is every possibility the same could be done here.
I've read some people saying Derry should just use it as motivation....the players would want an Ulster title every bit as much as the Tryone players do. You couldnt blame then for feeling hard done by if the point was so obviously not a point.
Difficult one to call and I know in the past nothing would have happened, but as I said in this day and age when solicitors are handling these sort of things for players and teams anything could happen.

A 10 point defeat was very disappointing, but I don't think Mayo were realistically 10 points inferior to Derry.
When Mayo drew level about 10 minutes into the second half, they had the possession and the chances to take the lead - Andy Moran kicked some terrible wides, C Mort was also very poor.
We didn't take the lead and when Derry got their goal (bad judgement by Clarke) some Mayo heads seemed to drop. Cunniffe and Kilcoyne going off injured also seemed to have an effect.
Having said that, Derry took some excellent scores, Paddy Bradley was brilliant. They isolated him on Liam O'Malley and he caused havoc.
As said before, the younger lads were the best performers for Mayo - Trevor Howley and Tom Cunniffe were excellent. Heaney also had a very good game.
I think the criticism of JOM is justified to a certain extent, in that he left it until after the Galway game before carrying out any experimentation. But the changes he made since have worked in my view. He is the right man to build the next Mayo team.
I think yesterday in Celtic Park was probably the last we've seen of Kevin O'Neill, David Brady, Ciaran McDonald and James Nallen in the green and red - wonderful players for Mayo, given so much to the county.

I'm not trying to rub salt in the wounds here, but the reason why Mayo had so many wides was due to the immense pressure put on the forward by the Derry defence. They were forced to shoot from impossible angles or positions as they had no choice. You must remember this is the same Mayo forwards that score 19 points in the win over Cavan, those forwards dont become bad or loose the skills in the space of one game. The simple fact was that they didnt get the time on the ball to take a meaningful shot.
I thought on the day Derry were at least 10 points the better side. Apart from that 10 minute spell at the start of the second half when Mayo had a lot of possession, Derry dominated all over the pitch.
In my opinion Mayo are a good side with a sprinkling of some excellent young players and then the older fellas like McDonald, Brady and Trevor Mortimer (who I thought was Mayo's best player). I wouldnt bet against yous next year provided the older fellas stay a while longer.

The mightiest Derry performance  I have seen in a long time....definately an improvement from the Armagh game even.
Lynch did do really well when he came on but it might have taken the withdrawal from the original starting line up to get the performance out of him.

Really happy with the determination, spirit and skill they players showed...this is how we all want to see our team approach a game, and continuing to do it will undoubtedly attract more supporters to every game.

Cant wait for the draw to see who we get next...some big hitters in there yet but think we have a good chance of beating anyone now if we can keep the heads and build on each game.

For the Derry v Armagh game the tickets were £10 or 15euro. So I'd guess they'd be the same for this game.