Down Club Hurling & Football

[SamFever]

  Looking forward to a 3 week run-in to the AI QF.

[snoopdog]

Did you also know you where talking complete shite by saying he wasn't named to start?

Get over yourself you clown . I was told by a Tyrone man he wasn't in the starting 15.

[OgraAnDun]

Down now at 11/2 on PaddyPower. Worth a tenner in the morning.

[Targetman]

Good luck AnDun tomorrow, Erin's Isle bar in Albufeira for me tomorrow, hope I'm celebrating about 4ish, first championship game missed in years, gutted but sure I'll not care when we lift the Anglo Celt!!

[Dubh driocht]

I watched the 1999 semi-final between Down and Tyrone in Albufeira. Tyrone were hot favourites. As good as it gets.
On the way to the AI semi-final in 1991 my younger brother used an expression about Peter Withnell  that our da often said;
"Cometh the hour, cometh the man".
This week he assured me that Connaire Harrison will be the man today. That's good enough for me.

[Hoes before bros]

Your Tyrone mate is just as full of shit as you are then snoop

[Targetman]

Gutted for the Down men today, it's a learning curve and we're not anywhere the top but wouldn't it be great to send them Armagh pricks packing if we draw them ( we're bound to) keep er' lit lads!!

[OgraAnDun]

Gutted for the Down men today, it's a learning curve and we're not anywhere the top but wouldn't it be great to send them Armagh pricks packing if we draw them ( we're bound to) keep er' lit lads!!

I think halfway through the league (or even after staying up) most people would have taken your hand off to beat Armagh and Monaghan and end up in an Ulster Final even if it did end up in a beating. There's things to improve on and a bit of luck at key moments might have seen the game played out differently but we can't complain too much. I think it shows you really do need to be in Division One to be competing, as Down just hadn't come up against a defense as professional as Tyrone's before today. Onwards to the qualifiers and let's hope we draw Armagh. It only gets easier if we win as the Dubs lie in wait for a quarter final.

[Hoes before bros]

Targetman you were exactly what was missing today as Harrison offered nothing. Not all his fault though as he was basically double marked. It's a bit disappointing that there was no plan b as Tyrone were always going to play colm cavanagh in front of him. The only time Down looked like scoring was when they ran at them but Ryan Johnson and O'Hanlon were happy to run round in circles and play keep ball until Tyrone turned them over and went down the other end and punished them. However Id have took getting to an Ulster final at the start of the year so well done to all involved

[SHEEDY]

Very disappointing day for the players, management and the large Down support. Tyrone stepped it up at the start of the 2nd half and we just couldn't respond. Beaten by the better team, just disappointing it was over as a contest long before the final whistle.

[thewobbler]

We got schooled today.

It happens.

Whether we learn from it is the big question.

[forevergreen]

Today was always going to be tough and whilst we all hoped for a win I don't think the players looked like they believed it could happen. But for brief spells we looked lost against the organisation of Tyrone. Once they closed up shop at the back, our half back line didn't look like it had the power to break the lines.
We didn't have the intensity in the tackle that was brought to the Monaghan game. Harrison was well shackled and Cavanagh blocked any potential space.
Hampsey done a lot of harm and basically done what McKernan done v monaghan. McKernan didn't get the ball or the space to dictate and whilst his black card was harsh I don't think it had any bearing on the result.
The biggest test will be lifting themselves to topple Armagh or monaghan again but neither of them are world beaters so hopefully players can believe in themselves and go to the well again.

[Mourne Rover]

We surprised ourselves by getting to the final and it would have been amazing if  the goal O'Hanlon should have scored had left us in front at the break. However, reality kicked in the third quarter and the game was effectively over ten minutes after the break.

We have nothing to be ashamed of as we have made striking progress in the last couple of months and we were up against a Tyrone side which is way ahead of our present level. Their bench was particularly impressive and we would probably have to accept that the final margin could have been much worse than eight points.

However, we are still one match away from a quarter final which very few would have predicted, although being asked to beat either Armagh or Monaghan for the second time in the same summer will be tough.

Cunningham did well in nets and had no chance with either goal. Gerard McGovern was probably the pick of a defence which was always going to have a tough day. Donnelly had a decent spell at midfield before he tired, while all of our forwards worked hard on limited possession with Ryan Johnston the pick of the bunch.

Regrouping is never easy but at least we can look forward to opposition the next day which will be much closer to our own standard.

[PAULD123]

I have a slightly different view to most people. In the first half we lived with Tyrone. Tyrone fans say that's only cos they had a bad first half. But funnily enough aparantly Armagh and Monaghan both played poorly against us!!

To win a team needs belief and confidence. For Tyrone that comes through their experience. For an underdog it needs to be proven during the match.

We missed some critical scores. In the first minute a great pass was put into Harrison and he let it bounce off him, Tyrone went down the field and scored. What would getting an easy quick score have done for our lads self belief?

We missed a goal chance in the last minute before half time and an easy point at the start of the second half. Four points would have given energy and belief back to Down. Would Tyrone have hit their purple patch so easily?

When Tyrone had that patch where they scored 7 consecutive points, we had four wides from fairly scoreable positions. The 9 point deficit that opened up caused our lads heads to drop. We failed to stay within a few points and the confidence sapped.

By the time our lads started to fight again it was too late but at least we saw some reaction. Then we were hit by a couple of sucker punches in the goals.

So my overall view remains that man for man our boys are not that far away from Tyrone for skills. But team confidence and belief leaves us 8 points behind. Tyrone are a machine that doesn't stop. We were only good when things were coming of for us and faltered when they weren't.

We missed a fair few scoreable chances and sometimes players passed up a scoring chance to move the ball to somone else. This only changes with confidence. It isn't a fundamental lack of skill.

Lots of what if's here I know. Lots of optimistic conjecture. But I really believe if they stick at it and learn to bring the energy and aggression of the first half to every minute of the game (especially when a good bit behind) then this Down team could win Ulster at least.

[Smurfy123]

What game were you watching Pauld?
Tyrone should have been completely out of sight after 27 minutes.They squandered about 3 goal chances and kicked numerous  wides.Down done well to come back to within 1 but they were always going to up it for a bit in the second half to out the game to bed.
We don't have the marquee forwards we used to have and I feel that's our weakness at the minute.Our defence have been sound to date but could do with 2 more quality players but what Burns needs to do for next season is find a mobile midfield and 3-4 forwards
Burns will get next year at the job but I think Down need to go for a Jimmy McGuinness type manager if they are to win trophies next year
Harsh maybe but true
To many lads getting carried away after a few wins
Monaghan have been shown for what an average team they are
Armagh also
I know this won't go down well but here it's a discussion board I'm entitle to my opinion