Derry v Armagh Championship

[Bogball XV]

Eoin Bradley wasn't being cynical, more like petulant, the scuffle was borne out of frustration imo, it looked like a bad hit on first glance, replays showed it to be fine.
I do think Armagh as a team were extremely cynical for the last 20 minutes, they had a 3 point league and they decided that Derry would not get back into the scoring zone if at all possible.  The repeatedly fouled in out the field, I'm not saying that the fouls were all terriblly dirty or dangerous, just that were cynical in that they stopped the flow of the game and made sure they'd time to get their defence in position (as if it had ever really moved too far out).  I know Derry have done more of this over the past year or so, but it is horrible to watch, our game with Monaghan last June was an awful spectacle too, yet a month later we had a score fest against the same opposition when tactics went out the window.

[Armaghgeddon]

Eoin Bradley wasn't being cynical, more like petulant, the scuffle was borne out of frustration imo, it looked like a bad hit on first glance, replays showed it to be fine.
I do think Armagh as a team were extremely cynical for the last 20 minutes, they had a 3 point league and they decided that Derry would not get back into the scoring zone if at all possible.  The repeatedly fouled in out the field, I'm not saying that the fouls were all terriblly dirty or dangerous, just that were cynical in that they stopped the flow of the game and made sure they'd time to get their defence in position (as if it had ever really moved too far out).  I know Derry have done more of this over the past year or so, but it is horrible to watch, our game with Monaghan last June was an awful spectacle too, yet a month later we had a score fest against the same opposition when tactics went out the window.

This frustrated me greatly. From watching the game, I was a little worked up at the time but whenever Armagh tried to take a quick free Deegan would blow his whistle and call for it to be retaken. When Derry took a quick free it was allowed, no whistle, play just carried on. So in that respect I dont blame Armagh for slowing the game down. The ref never allowed Armagh to play the quick ball, so Armagh didnt allow Derry to play the quick ball in.

[illdecide]

the game was def poor today and Armagh have a lot of room for improvement, that display today will not beat Monaghan. I was expecting more from Derry TBH but credit to Armagh they limited Derry to scraps, i was so frustrated at some of the ref's decisions but as stated on the Sunday Game it's Croke Park's orders.

Just on the Ronan Clarke issue, i believe Ronan to more injured than Armagh are letting on. He never even stripped out today even though he was named at no 30 in the programme and while the squad done their warm up before the game Ronan was no where to be seen. I know from experience that it's not an injury you rush back from and that it takes a long time to heel, i hope I'm wrong but I've a feeling we won't be seeing to much of Ronan this year.

[mackers]

Poor game of football but a good result.
Fair play to Hearty who had a fine game.
I'd like to think we will play better football than we played today and I get the feeling that that will be something that POR will tackle given his post match interviews although I'm not sure that the Monaghan game will be any better than today's match. We certainly didn't play as offensively as we did in the league and that was disappointing.
Thought AK and Kieran Toner were Armagh's best two players.
Watched the game on TV there and while BOTH teams did play cynically at times, the referee ruined the game. Brolly made an excellent point, the physicality is being taken out of our game. In hurling practically anything goes and it's a better game for it. Referees are conributing in a huge way to the stop start nature of modern football.
Spillane is such a hypocrite it's untrue with Colm O'Rourke pulling him on his comment on the amount of handpassing in the modern game, reminding him of his own team's liking for it. Also noticed in the Sunday Game stats that Kerry handpassed the ball 105 times in today's game, more than Armagh and Derry did.
Encouraging performance by the minors today except for a couple of minutes of madness at the end. Young Forker at CHF impressed and we have two good ball winners in midfield although the lad Gough needs to get rid of the ball quicker, and two nippy corner forwards who can take a score.

[Throw ball]

How many years now have Derry underperformed in the Ulster Championship? is it 12?

Underperformed? Maybe they're just not actually that good.

Nail. On. Head.
Ref ruined the game from the start, all players needed to do was run into a tackle, fall over and they got there free.
As for the "defined" handpass what a bloody joke, wasnt a throw ball in the match all were struck cleanly.
McKeever didnt get the yellow for the shoulder (perfect hit imo) but for the afters.
Penalty was a joke, Finmo got the ball clean with a bit of man, its a physical game so Armagh could feel aggrieved had derry scored it.
Justice was done when Gerd o kane missed (feel sorry for him, he'll be made a scapegoat now cos noone else had the balls to hit it.)

Do not think this was the case. The incident occurred just below where I was sitting and the ref had the book out before the tussle started. If McKeever was to get booked for his part in it 4 or 5 others should have been booked before him!

[thejuice]

Just saw McKeevers shoulder there on the highlights, missed it during the live broadcast. It was a thing of beauty. Perfect

[Throw ball]

Thought Armagh looked good from 1-9. Solid displays by Mallon and Donaghy on the Derry dangermen. Not sure how Mallon was given MOTM as Eoin Bradley got round him a couple of times, but he did as good a job as most will do on him. Half backs did well again, kept their men quiet and attacked well. McKeever is very good in the sweeper role. Thought Vernon mixed the sublime with the ridiculous. Great run and point in the second half, but he still hasn't rid his tendency to fumble a lot of ball. Toner and Lavery are improving all the time. Pity Lavery had to go off as I thought he was going nicely. Toner is putting in consistently solid displays for the first time this year, great to see. Martin hadn't much to do on Lynch when he came on, the ball hardly went near them.

Thought the forwards were more patchy. Was encouraged by Henderson's display. He looked the real deal today, getting out in front a lot. Derry coped well with McDonnell in open play, but his frees were excellent. It looks like he's put some serious work into them in the last couple of years, used to be very inconsistent. Great goal by Clarke, will do his confidence the world of good. Brian Mallon must be looking over his shoulder at him. Thought Kernan did well, was very busy and involved in a lot of attacks. Mackin and Swift didn't set the world alight. Swift was a particular disappointment.

Agree totally with you. Maybe there was a different match on TV! As for Swift I would hope he does not lose his place for the next game based on this performance. He has been waiting about 6 years to make his Championship debut and hopefully he will be better for having that game over him.

[Aerlik]

The pick up is not a core skill and is impossible to execute properly at speed when the ball is travelling towards a player and he moving towards it.

Are you for real?  Of course it is a core skill, taught from the very beginning.  33 years ago, it was one of the first skills we were drilled on.  Unless things have changed it is still or at least should still be coached.  And a ball travelling to you is one helluva lot easier to flick up with the foot than one rolling away from you where you have to bend forward to scoop the ball into the hands.

[D4S]

3 things that are clear after watching today's game:

1.  Armagh are a poor side who will not be in the Championship in the later stages.

2.  Derry are brutal.

3.  The new handpass rule is destroying the flow of the game. Both teams suffered badly because of it.

I would have to disagree with comment number 1.  I'd expect armagh to make it to the quarter finals this year, and who knows what can happen then.  I agree with your other 2 comments but as Meatloaf said 2 outta 3 ain't bad!  Was a terrible game but it was never going to be a classic, to go to celtic park and win in the 1st round of the championship is no mean feat.  So as a Down man I say fair play to Armagh, they passed their first big test of the season and with relative ease!

[Hoof Hearted]

The pick up is not a core skill and is impossible to execute properly at speed when the ball is travelling towards a player and he moving towards it.

Are you for real?  Of course it is a core skill, taught from the very beginning.  33 years ago, it was one of the first skills we were drilled on.  Unless things have changed it is still or at least should still be coached.  And a ball travelling to you is one helluva lot easier to flick up with the foot than one rolling away from you where you have to bend forward to scoop the ball into the hands.

Why did you wait until until you were 15 before you started playing !!

[BerfArmagh]

Poor game of football yesterday. Armagh were negataive, below par but did what they had to do. As for Derry, I don't know where the go from here, they were absolutely clueless. The only fella they had showing int he forward line was Eoin Bradley, who will miss their next game.

As for Armagh, I thought A Kernan, Toner, Mc Donnell, Hearty, Donaghy & Mc Keever were our best performers. I though POR messed about far too much with the team selection. Vernan needs to play MF or HF, as hes not suited to CHF. I thought ANdy mallon had a nightmare agian, 3rd match in a row & Mal Mackin, might be better suited to an impact sub role. Henderson tried hard, but he does'nt deliver when it matters, i think he might just have lost his place to young clarke.  Room for improvement..... that performance certainly would'nt beat monaghan.

[BerfArmagh]

Also I thought Swift played quite well, he'd obviously been given a more defensive role & he was unlucky with some very close wides, which if they had of gone over woul have kept him on the field... he needs another run out

[wherefromreferee?]

Celtic Park have shite toilets, a shite one way system to get to the shite toilets, a shite microphone for the poor girl from Lavey singing the National Anthem, and a shite scoreboard that thankfully started to work for the senior game.

[BerfArmagh]

i actually laughed at the anthem on TV. You could'nt hear the young girl sing. As for the band, they were brutal...... worst NA i have ever heard

WOnder if catherine jenkins is avaialable to come over?

[Denn Forever]

Eoin Bradley was sent off having got a second yellow didn't he? 

So he missed the rest of the game just or have they changed the rules?