Sligo V Down Rd 4 Qualifier

[SLIGONIAN]

Problem with Down is there strengths are where we are weak aswell, never mind even trying to lift our lads. One thing i cant believe about last sunday was our midfield, and FB, chb, CHF and our FF line all not at the races and we still only lost by a 1pt. I wouldnt panic though as most of them froze and no one in Sligo will know what to expect this Sat. If the bandwagon stick with the players it will give them a great lift coming out onto the field but i doubt they will.

[Mano]

We lost by 1 point because Roscommon are a poor team relying on Shines frees. If we weren't so ill disciplined we would have won the game as Ross didn't have enough good forwards to score. Our tactics were non-existant while O'Donnell had Ross playing the a well thought out plan.

There needs to be changes made at 3 and 6. No point going out with the same players as Coulter and Clarke will have a field day. Would put Donovan full back and bring McGovern/Kennedy into corner back. Centre back - if Quinn is half fit he should start.

[seafoid]

Best odds on qualifiers at present (no Betfair market yet):

Louth 16/5 Boylesports
Dublin 4/9 Ladbrokes

Kildare 10/11 Ladbrokes
Monaghan 5/4 Paddypower

Down 10/11 Ladbrokes/Paddypower
Sligo 6/4 Boylesports

Cork 1/4 Paddypower
Limerick 5/1 Boylesports

No provincial finalists favourites. Are the qualifiers that good?

[Denn Forever]

No.  It is just that beaten finalists haven't hade good luck in the qualifiers.

Hope that this year will buck the trend.

[ross4life]

We lost by 1 point because Roscommon are a poor team relying on Shines frees. If we weren't so ill disciplined we would have won the game as Ross didn't have enough good forwards to score. Our tactics were non-existant while O'Donnell had Ross playing the a well thought out plan.

Well let's look at the stats.. Roscommon 14 pts frees 7 & from play 7, Sligo 13 pts frees 4 & from play 9 (not a lot different)

You underestimated the Rossies as a team but don't underestimate the power of a good free taker! back in 1991 we played meath in a ALL Ireland Semi final losing by one point in a game we should have won that day we scored 1-11 Derek Duggan Scored 1-8 (8 free's )

anyways best of luck v Down

[Orior]

Ah feck it. I suppose I'll have to start supporting an Dun now.

Looking forward to this match. Need a big game from the defence.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

We lost by 1 point because Roscommon are a poor team relying on Shines frees. If we weren't so ill disciplined we would have won the game as Ross didn't have enough good forwards to score. Our tactics were non-existant while O'Donnell had Ross playing the a well thought out plan.

There needs to be changes made at 3 and 6. No point going out with the same players as Coulter and Clarke will have a field day. Would put Donovan full back and bring McGovern/Kennedy into corner back. Centre back - if Quinn is half fit he should start.

Mano they outfielded ye all day, their wingmen where too fast for ye. Roscommon would have beaten, Galway, Mayo, Leitrim and a good wack of counties around the country on sunday. Its not like ye had 25 wides and threw it away, ye where beaten by a better team on the day. I wouldn't start looking down on them because of their league position, if so Sligo and Longford had no right to beat Mayo and ye only won because we played shite.

[Shrewdness]

We lost by 1 point because Roscommon are a poor team relying on Shines frees. If we weren't so ill disciplined we would have won the game as Ross didn't have enough good forwards to score. Our tactics were non-existant while O'Donnell had Ross playing the a well thought out plan.

There needs to be changes made at 3 and 6. No point going out with the same players as Coulter and Clarke will have a field day. Would put Donovan full back and bring McGovern/Kennedy into corner back. Centre back - if Quinn is half fit he should start.

What utter bullshit. What you're really trying to say Mano, is that Sligo were beaten by a team with only one forward

[snoopdog]

Media totally writing down off for this one.
Sligo are certs.
Hopefully the Down bus driver doesnt end up in Clones.

[Mano]

We lost by 1 point because Roscommon are a poor team relying on Shines frees. If we weren't so ill disciplined we would have won the game as Ross didn't have enough good forwards to score. Our tactics were non-existant while O'Donnell had Ross playing the a well thought out plan.

There needs to be changes made at 3 and 6. No point going out with the same players as Coulter and Clarke will have a field day. Would put Donovan full back and bring McGovern/Kennedy into corner back. Centre back - if Quinn is half fit he should start.

Mano they outfielded ye all day, their wingmen where too fast for ye. Roscommon would have beaten, Galway, Mayo, Leitrim and a good wack of counties around the country on sunday. Its not like ye had 25 wides and threw it away, ye where beaten by a better team on the day. I wouldn't start looking down on them because of their league position, if so Sligo and Longford had no right to beat Mayo and ye only won because we played shite.

Thats true but we were unfortunate to lose Taylor injured early on and his replacement was anonymous. Cregg continued to win break after break and in second half won 5/6 kickouts and we persisted with the smallest man on the field on him. Finally moving Harisson swung the game our way as kickouts went down the middle which we started to win breaks and Harrison scored a great point.

We lost by 1 point because Roscommon are a poor team relying on Shines frees. If we weren't so ill disciplined we would have won the game as Ross didn't have enough good forwards to score. Our tactics were non-existant while O'Donnell had Ross playing the a well thought out plan.

There needs to be changes made at 3 and 6. No point going out with the same players as Coulter and Clarke will have a field day. Would put Donovan full back and bring McGovern/Kennedy into corner back. Centre back - if Quinn is half fit he should start.

What utter bullshit. What you're really trying to say Mano, is that Sligo were beaten by a team with only one forward

Didn't say that - i thought Cregg was most influential player on the pitch and other half forwards dropped deep and worked hard and chipped in with a point each. The 2 corner forwards for Ross were well contained though. I'm sure Roscommon would have been expecting more from Heneghan as he destroyed my club in Connaught club championsip last year.

I just thought most of our lads didn't play up to the level of the previous 3 games. Our 2 best forwards didn't score from play and yet we scored 13 points. The management i think underestimated the Roscommon forwards - even at club level i have never seen a team before playing 3 full forwards against a strong wind. The ball went up to them 7/8 times in the first half while we needed someone down the other end of the field to drop behind the ball to crowd out the Roscommon forwards. Plus Kelly needed the space to run into and get away from McDermott. In the second half the Rossies half forwards were all behind the ball when Sligo were attacking.

I'm delighted for Ross as my mother is from Kilmore but obviously very disappointed with our own performance as we don't win too many Nestor Cups.

[ross4life]

Didn't say that - i thought Cregg was most influential player on the pitch and other half forwards dropped deep and worked hard and chipped in with a point each. The 2 corner forwards for Ross were well contained though. I'm sure Roscommon would have been expecting more from Heneghan as he destroyed my club in Connaught club championsip last year.

I just thought most of our lads didn't play up to the level of the previous 3 games. Our 2 best forwards didn't score from play and yet we scored 13 points. The management i think underestimated the Roscommon forwards - even at club level i have never seen a team before playing 3 full forwards against a strong wind. The ball went up to them 7/8 times in the first half while we needed someone down the other end of the field to drop behind the ball to crowd out the Roscommon forwards. Plus Kelly needed the space to run into and get away from McDermott. In the second half the Rossies half forwards were all behind the ball when Sligo were attacking.

I'm delighted for Ross as my mother is from Kilmore but obviously very disappointed with our own performance as we don't win too many Nestor Cups.

Heneghan Club player is different to the one that plays for the county 3 points in the two other games v london & leitrim will tell you that & rogers was selected as a corner forward but didn't play there

sure enough the two main forwards for Sligo didn't score from play but before Sunday Costello only scored 4 points in 3 games & must be noted McDermot marked Kelly in 2007 & also held him scoreless that day too

time to move on.. you guys have a very winnable game to make the last eight IMO you got the best draw (no disrespect to Down) Dublin,kildare & Cork would have been a more diffcult game!

[Banana Man]

Any update on Danny Hughes if he's playing or not lads??? Sligo are a good team, we will need everyone available to get past them

[Farrandeelin]

If Down get a good supply of ball to the full forward, they will win. If not, it could go either way.

[SLIGONIAN]

Sligo lads did no one think it was strange to see McNamara and McGovern on the bench? They havent played all yr, so how can they be match fit. Mark Quinn im told is fit and i cant understand why he isnt making the squad. There is alot of contradicitions coming from the management selections at present.

I wonder what McGoldrick, McGlynn and Finan thought of being dropped from the squad for a Connacht final? We learned an awful lot last sunday. But lads no one can say otherwise, we dont seem to be able to learn from our mistakes, how many times are we going to repeat history?

Its time Charlie and the Sligo players stopped talking to the media, look how cheap Mark Brehonys words are now, talk is cheap. I cant see many travelling on Sat, i hope im wrong as it would give the players a huge lift. Im going more in hope and uncertainty as no one knows what Sligo team will turn up.

Going on the info i have at present, the team to start would, Farrell, Harrison, Donovan, Kennedy, J Davey, M Quinn, Cawley, Gilmartin, Mullen, EOH, Brehony, Costello, Marren, Sweeney, Kelly.

Greenes kickouts are atrociously predictable, telegraphed and never in our favour, Farrell is far better in this way, also saving 4 one on ones in the junior final shows hes hard to beat aswell. Kennedy is a tenacious Corner back, get him there, and Donovan would be better option for FB, Mark Quinn is fit so get him back in. If Gilmartin doesnt perform id get Murphy in. Brehony cant play as bad again. Sweeney offers us alot more in FF line, instead of all 3 making same runs, he'll do the donkey work for them. In fairness to Sweeney he won good ball in midfield the last day which prob went unoticed by everyone. The changes above may seem drastic but weve nothing to lose now, see how it goes.

[ross4life]

I wonder what the Sligo Fan's make of having to play in Cavan at 7pm it must be like a 2 hour drive for some?