Down Club Hurling & Football

[Hedgehunter]

As for the intermediate games, Darragh must be absolutely sick.. The game should have been over at HT but they kicked wide after wide. Shamrocks hung in there and produced at the right times and looked stronger in the closing stages.

Glenn were very comfortable in the opening 20mins and leading 7-2 at one stage but the johnnies kept chipping away at the scoreboard and brought it level deep into the 2nd half, Glenn got a 2nd wind and finished the stronger with a couple of great points from Brooks and Bagnall to close out the game.

Should be an interesting Final.

I also witnessed the man with the hat take an accidental slap to the chin during the bit of pushing and shoving on the sidelines during the 1st match.. Which started after the booting of the footballs onto the pitch to waste time in the dying embers..

[elk]

Glenn took CPN to the wire last year they must be a shoe in for the inter

[BarryBreensBandage]

Glenn took CPN to the wire last year they must be a shoe in for the inter

Yes, they nearly got past CPN elk, but the players we lost this season left us wondering how we were going to do at all this season.
We lost the two Millars, Niall McParland and Denis Murtagh.

Plus club captain Conor Cranney had a cruciate at the start of the season. Goalkeeper John O'Hare wasn't available, but is back now.

This is where, before the final, credit has to be paid to Tony Bagnall, his management team, and the players for what they have achieved this year.

They have had the mindset of we'll concentrate on who is here, not who is not here.

And the way the team has grown this year, the younger (and older) fellas stepping up to the plate and getting us to an intermediate final, I have nothing but admiration for the lads for getting this far.

Having said that, I will be sick if Shamrocks beat us!!

[elk]

Glenn took CPN to the wire last year they must be a shoe in for the inter

Yes, they nearly got past CPN elk, but the players we lost this season left us wondering how we were going to do at all this season.
We lost the two Millars, Niall McParland and Denis Murtagh.

Plus club captain Conor Cranney had a cruciate at the start of the season. Goalkeeper John O'Hare wasn't available, but is back now.

This is where, before the final, credit has to be paid to Tony Bagnall, his management team, and the players for what they have achieved this year.

They have had the mindset of we'll concentrate on who is here, not who is not here.

And the way the team has grown this year, the younger (and older) fellas stepping up to the plate and getting us to an intermediate final, I have nothing but admiration for the lads for getting this far.

Having said that, I will be sick if Shamrocks beat us!!
[/quote
Good luck to both you and shamrocks may the best team win

[BarryBreensBandage]

Glenn took CPN to the wire last year they must be a shoe in for the inter

Yes, they nearly got past CPN elk, but the players we lost this season left us wondering how we were going to do at all this season.
We lost the two Millars, Niall McParland and Denis Murtagh.

Plus club captain Conor Cranney had a cruciate at the start of the season. Goalkeeper John O'Hare wasn't available, but is back now.

This is where, before the final, credit has to be paid to Tony Bagnall, his management team, and the players for what they have achieved this year.

They have had the mindset of we'll concentrate on who is here, not who is not here.

And the way the team has grown this year, the younger (and older) fellas stepping up to the plate and getting us to an intermediate final, I have nothing but admiration for the lads for getting this far.

Having said that, I will be sick if Shamrocks beat us!!
[/quote
Good luck to both you and shamrocks may the best team win

Fair play, thanks man.

[PAULD123]

Two very different semi-finals.

If Kilcoo had played Ballyholland in that form they also would have hammered them. So scorelines mean very little for me.

Looking at Kilcoo last night I would say that they are more vulnerable than previous years but still have certain aspects that are magnificent.

Passes that are looping are a disaster against Kilcoo (like high looping hand passes). That gives them time to see where the ball is going, the receiver has to effectively stand still and wait for the ball and by the time it gets there Kilcoo have surrounded him with 2-3 players to force a turnover.

Running into contact with kilcoo players is equally a disaster.  Same thing, first guy slows the attacker down then they quickly get 2-3 round the man to force turnover ball.

They way too beat Kilcoo seems to me to find a way to attack that excludes thier ability to surround and force turnover, it is their main strength and they rely on it heavily.

CPN are fast and move the ball well, and are happy to get it quickly into the full forward line with long direct play, but have some attackers that are more than happy to take men on. And indeed, to run at a second defender while being chased by a first. If they do that to kilcoo I think we could see them getting swallowed up very quickly.

I think the Point can beat Kilcoo but they need to be moving the ball very fast once it goes into the full forward line, it can't be a held-turn-run option very often.

In defence CPN look probably capable of keeping the Kilcoo players reasonably quiet. However Kilcoo have scored a lot more freely in the league, average score is 16 points per game even if you exclude the fluke score against Downpatrick in the first game, and have averaged 15 in the championship (fairly consistently).

Basically, if the Point can keep working hard in defence and avoid getting swamped in their long balls forward to Ross, then I think they have  very good chance against a Kilcoo team that is still very good but probably a touch off the abilities of their own team a few years ago under McCorry.

[skeog]

Fair play to both commentators who seem to know everybody in Down, and Down Gaa for showing the games free.

[Ed Hardy]

The 1st semi final was basically over after 10mins, CPN never got tested at all. Last nights game never got going at all I thought, very strange atmosphere for semi final and big local derby.

CPN play good brand of football, all very comfortable on the ball, but I think Kilcoo will be to strong, fit and too experienced to lose the final. Will be interesting game tho.

On separate note, doubt Paddy Tally has seem much in championship so far to warrant calling in to squad next year, Ryan Trainor worth a shot at it? John Boyle been excellent so far, but cant see him going back on the panel at his age. 

[Smurfy123]

Lotto are u suggesting a player from Kilcoo sledging a dead parent on the field of play?
Jesus I'm all for a bit of slagging in this page but generally light hearted to get a rise
If that's the case I would imagine the aforementioned club will take immediate action
But again lotto nothing anyone writes on here can be taking seriously
Disgusting if true. Where the hell is the game going to with that bullshit

[PTC]

Not a great game last night but kilcoo won't care they are into another final, eight years in a row is some achievement they must have some hunger to keep coming back and you wouldn't bet against them winning it again. The three tough games they had should leave them in good shape for the final they just know how to grind out a victory when things aren't going well.

[maldini]

As for the intermediate games, Darragh must be absolutely sick.. The game should have been over at HT but they kicked wide after wide. Shamrocks hung in there and produced at the right times and looked stronger in the closing stages.

Glenn were very comfortable in the opening 20mins and leading 7-2 at one stage but the johnnies kept chipping away at the scoreboard and brought it level deep into the 2nd half, Glenn got a 2nd wind and finished the stronger with a couple of great points from Brooks and Bagnall to close out the game.

Should be an interesting Final.

I also witnessed the man with the hat take an accidental slap to the chin during the bit of pushing and shoving on the sidelines during the 1st match.. Which started after the booting of the footballs onto the pitch to waste time in the dying embers..

The Darragh maor uisce did the right thing when that cuntish tactic started. Threw the Shamrocks bag of balls over the wall into the stand

[Lotto]

Lotto are u suggesting a player from Kilcoo sledging a dead parent on the field of play?
Jesus I'm all for a bit of slagging in this page but generally light hearted to get a rise
If that's the case I would imagine the aforementioned club will take immediate action
But again lotto nothing anyone writes on here can be taking seriously
Disgusting if true. Where the hell is the game going to with that bullshit

Yes, I have total faith in the guy who told me at the game. I'm surprised no one else has heard this. I've done a bit of digging and there was talking of the lad going to the young Mayobridge players house to apologise. If it was my lad who received this abuse, God forbid, I'd be telling him to go f**k himself and his apology. There is absolutely no place for this in our games. Ask about yourselves men, someone will be on here to confirm it's true.

[6th sam]

As for the intermediate games, Darragh must be absolutely sick.. The game should have been over at HT but they kicked wide after wide. Shamrocks hung in there and produced at the right times and looked stronger in the closing stages.

Glenn were very comfortable in the opening 20mins and leading 7-2 at one stage but the johnnies kept chipping away at the scoreboard and brought it level deep into the 2nd half, Glenn got a 2nd wind and finished the stronger with a couple of great points from Brooks and Bagnall to close out the game.

Should be an interesting Final.

I also witnessed the man with the hat take an accidental slap to the chin during the bit of pushing and shoving on the sidelines during the 1st match.. Which started after the booting of the footballs onto the pitch to waste time in the dying embers..

The Darragh maor uisce did the right thing when that cuntish tactic started. Threw the Shamrocks bag of balls over the wall into the stand

This is getting more common, can have a significant impact and the rules need to respond . Play does not need to stop unless the second ball is actually interfering with play. The onus should be on the team who is advantaged by playing down the clock to remove the second ball from play immediately or risk additional time being added on and black card.
I think the black card has been a mixed bag, whereas it is a disincentive to some cynical play it hasn't clamped down on unsporting playing down the clock behaviour. Cynical fouls in the dying minutes are encouraged to get over the line. This is easily remedied ,  Black and yellow card fouls  to count down the clock should also incur a 2 minute additional time penalty

[terrifictommy]

Heard about this during the week, happened during game on Tuesday. I don't think writing words on this page will be descriptive enough of the ugliness of such events. Win at all costs and the world is against us - Not the blueprint I want for our county. Forget the apology, people only apologise when others show distaste for their actions.

[Hedgehunter]

Is it any wonder there are rows in football nowadays when these scumbags tactics are rife..