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Definitely a tricky assignment for Armagh. of the starting 15 v Down I'd say only 3-4 lads tops played to their potential. freakishly almost every sub who came on performed excellently (bar sheridan who got injured) and it was this that got us over the line. Having a strong bench is essential in championship but we'll need more from the players that start. We def have an issue seeing games out which would leave it that even if we're 6/7 ahead at any stage Cavan will still be confident of pegging us back which is worrying. Cant call it - whoever manages the game better on the daywill come out of it.

Would like to think Armagh can get out of this Div but i'm less confident than I was for the reasons already stated. I think any 2 from Fermanagh, Armagh, Derry & Westmeath can go up. Re Offaly - Armagh gave them an awful hammering last year so i don't expect an easy game this time around.

Typical first game of the season - keen, imperfect, a little fractured,littered with new faces and players out of position. But ultimately good to see county game back. I Thought young lappin up front for Armagh Did himself no harm in his first start. Also, Smurfy123....that was a superb analysis of the game, are you a journalist by trade???

Kildare are maybe 6-18 months further on in their development as a team. Definitely the best team we'll have met in the championship to date. Hopeful, but we will see. If not this year then soon, but certainly feel we will be in this come the latter stages of the game. Good luck lads.

McKay did have a hamstring injury picked up v Westmeath, I hear he is ok now though. Wouldn't be surprised to see him at some stage tomorrow. Big and mobile which could be invaluable v Kildare.

What's the story with ye Westmeath men?? You don't come out to support your county at home then you criticise Armagh for daring to travel in numbers (took over the ground was the quote I think) you slate us for contributing to the local economy, (how dare we) and then when your subs fire water bottles at our supporters we again come off badly!! I would suggest your county delegates should be more concerned about getting your own supporters to games and finding players who can put the ball over the bar. Worst case of sour grapes I've heard in a long time.

Interesting perspective, thanks for your kind suggestions, duly noted and much appreciated.

Didn't witness any aggression on the terrace but then again I was more concerned with the unchecked aggression on the field and on the sideline. Can't ever remember Gardai having to intervene in the stands before in Cusack Park, make of that what you will.

Surely Gardai felt the need to step in on this occasion if Subs were firing objects at fans like what has been claimed? Found it a very strange and sour grapes from Westmeath tbh

Only mention of "subs were firing objects at fans" came from a fella with 77 posts on gaaboard. Make of that what you will.

So does one need 1000+ posts to be seen as truthful? I'm sorry I had no idea. Let me take my lying ass back to the drawing board and get posting so I can be taken seriously. My dear fella, I watched it happen - and when unsuspecting supporters get showered with water, and objects they will more than likely react whether they are from Armagh, Westmeath or Dublin. The atmosphere was otherwise pretty good I like a lot of supporters was there with my children who enjoyed the whole experience - not least the opportunity to talk with and get photos taken with players after the game. BTW the Westmeath players and management stayed on the field chatting to supporters every bit as long as the Armagh ones did so I don't think they had much truck with what went on on the field.

What's the story with ye Westmeath men?? You don't come out to support your county at home then you criticise Armagh for daring to travel in numbers (took over the ground was the quote I think) you slate us for contributing to the local economy, (how dare we) and then when your subs fire water bottles at our supporters we again come off badly!! I would suggest your county delegates should be more concerned about getting your own supporters to games and finding players who can put the ball over the bar. Worst case of sour grapes I've heard in a long time.

I'm not a fan of the black card in anyway, shape or form but I agree with the last few posters it is the sheer inability of referees to understand it. Far too often refs and officials spend time stopping the game to speak to, book or black card players for the most innocuous of things. A Kildare player got booked on Sunday for a textbook shoulder - IT WASN'T EVEN A FOUL! yet the ref feels he has to book the player - honestly I was shouting at the TV it's typical of the way the game is going sanitising on field things as well as off field stuff (whatever clown felt putting a screen up to stop fans expressing their emotions at a final win needs their head examined) Refs are getting too caught up in the 'rules' and trying to be centre of attention, the best refs are those we hardly notice. How often are refs praised on TSG?? There is a reason for it generally because they are becoming obstructive in games ruining them as a spectacle and being far too card-happy. I will give a little bit of slack though in that they need to be helped by players & players squealing, falling and diving when there is no need ruin it for others. Tyrone players have more than played their part in this Phillip Jordan, Sean Cavanagh and Tiarnan McCann to name but a few.

Can't understand someone travelling half the length of the country expecting to get beaten by 7/8 points  A better team than Westmeath might well have sent us home last week, that said, they didn't. We came out on top of a tight game using our bench to good effect. Hopefully gives confidence and moves us on a little more. I'm hopeful if not confident.

I am very puzzled by Lone Sharks comments. I am critical of Armagh when it's required. I think k they could be more disciplined, I think they have 1 or 2 individuals who need to wind their neck in when it comes to the chest out aggression stakes. But ffs lads WM were in the business of diving and the ref was pretty obviously trying to make a point that there would be no physical contact worth mentioning. It was embarrassing. The games I know have gone replaced with a type of netball that seems more suitable to sky sports and the commercial aims of the GAA. Ridiculous. Glad to be in the hat.

i think posters have to remember you talking about  U-14 and the feile is not meant to be all about winning , I cant see anything wrong with shaking things up every few years to stop a super 8 situation arising at such a young age

I'm not worried about winning the thing. As I said in an earlier post my son was more disappointed about missing the experience and getting away for a weekend with his mates than anything else.

Been At 3 county feile watched everyone else who won get to the main event. This is his last year and it gets taken away. Not very fair.

I absolutely concur 100% with this& it was my point as well

You take er! If it makes you feel any better, the same team lost out on a place in the Féile two years ago on a coin toss! Of course I was taking them at the time!

Certainly doesn't make me feel any better, That would be almost as hard to take! Tossing a coin to decide anything in sport is a disgrace. (bar what end you are playing from)

To be honest i've lost faith in the Feile. We have a hurling club in our town who go to the Feile EVERY year whether they win the county Feile or not (in fact 3 clubs from the county went this year) I assume this is in order to 'promote' hurling in weaker counties. As a football club we have our training and games disrupted EVERY year in order to facilitate the hurlers going to the Feile, despite on occasion not having won the county Feile. This year however our club made it to the final of the county football Feile - this has only happened on a handful of occasions over the years. We lost out narrowly to the winners and as you would expect everyone in the club was very disappointed. This disappointment was compounded when we discovered that a neighbouring club were to enter the Feile as a 'host club' given there were not enough clubs to host in Monaghan. The club in question (and fair play to them by the way) were beaten in the first round of the Shield comp in the county yet got to go to the All-Ireland competition due to their Geographical location. I would have thought the county runners up (situated 3 miles away would have been next in line to enter as a host.
I am cross due to the effort that was put in by the lads and the opportunity missed for our lads- it seems that the powers that be hand pick who they want at times which is disappointing on those who are perhaps more deserving. In short I dont believe its a level playing field which would have you question why have young lads out training in all conditions from January to try to qualify?

You are absolutely correct in your assertion that your club, as Féile runners up, should have been next in line for a place. But, if I'm right in my assumption the club you refer to were entered into Division 10 and the team that beat you in the county final were entered into Division 1 so your club would be at least Division 2 standard at a minimum? Perhaps the only vacancy as a host club was at Division 10 thus ruling you out, and them in due to their geographical location?

Yes I did hear that this was the case, but the authorities don't seem to have a problem with putting a  teams in divisions for which they are too strong a la New York. There could have been re-jigging here and there i feel to have us in an appropriate division had they wanted to be fair and/or representative but it appears this is not a priority and anyone can be shoehorned in. Still not taking away from any of the young lads who took part im sure its something they enjoyed and will always remember.

To be honest i've lost faith in the Feile. We have a hurling club in our town who go to the Feile EVERY year whether they win the county Feile or not (in fact 3 clubs from the county went this year) I assume this is in order to 'promote' hurling in weaker counties. As a football club we have our training and games disrupted EVERY year in order to facilitate the hurlers going to the Feile, despite on occasion not having won the county Feile. This year however our club made it to the final of the county football Feile - this has only happened on a handful of occasions over the years. We lost out narrowly to the winners and as you would expect everyone in the club was very disappointed. This disappointment was compounded when we discovered that a neighbouring club were to enter the Feile as a 'host club' given there were not enough clubs to host in Monaghan. The club in question (and fair play to them by the way) were beaten in the first round of the Shield comp in the county yet got to go to the All-Ireland competition due to their Geographical location. I would have thought the county runners up (situated 3 miles away would have been next in line to enter as a host.
I am cross due to the effort that was put in by the lads and the opportunity missed for our lads- it seems that the powers that be hand pick who they want at times which is disappointing on those who are perhaps more deserving. In short I dont believe its a level playing field which would have you question why have young lads out training in all conditions from January to try to qualify?

I agree BCB1 and i think down's midfield is as poor as ours TBH so heads or tails

Lads I think some are being a little disrespectful to players here. Midfield, as the current game stands, is not the area it once was i.e. four 6' 2" guys competing for long kick outs. It's more about energy, positional sense and passing ability. Don't know about Down but Armagh whether it be Sheridan O'Neill or Ethan have the required tools for that job. So midfield doesn't worry me.