Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mourne Rover]

Paddy Power has listed us as 8/13 against Monaghan on Sunday, with 13/8 for an away win and 15/2 the draw. Those odds could easily have been the other way round on the strength of our McKenna Cup performances, but, with only two other home fixtures to come, we really need to get something out of this game. It is a tight division and points on the road will be hard to find.

Even allowing for injuries and unavailability, James will hopefully name our team at a reasonably early stage. If Mark Poland is fit again, it would give us a big lift.

[The Raven]

Does anyone know what has happened to the Down website, over a month since last update. Our senior footballers and hurlers have played 5 games and a word about them.

[Confused]

13/8 is a good price for Monaghan. Think it will be ultra close. Does anyone else feel that we will struggle this year.  I think a good result for down in the league would be to stay in the division.

[snoopdog]

13/8 is a good price for Monaghan. Think it will be ultra close. Does anyone else feel that we will struggle this year.  I think a good result for down in the league would be to stay in the division.

Yeah there are alot of teams of similar standing, a lot of close games. Down will need to win all their home games. But when you look at the fixtures you would fancy away wins in Laois and Louth and armagh are seriously struggling with injurys at moment.v It will be a hard league to call, as i say alot of evenly matched teams with probably only donegal the standouts.
A win on Sat night is a must.

[Mourne Rover]

Snoopdog, we are at home against Louth and the away games are in Armagh, Meath, Galway and Laois. We have not beaten Armagh at the Athletic Grounds for more than two decades and the trips to Navan and Salthill will be very tough. While Laois are rebuidling, O'Moore Park will be a bearpit in the last round of fixtures if there is anything still at stake.

It is absolutely correct that a defeat on Saturday night would leave us in bother, as, apart from Louth, which is a derby, our only other home match is against Donegal. Our championship draw is completely unfavourable so we don't want to go into it after a league struggle.

It was noticable that Ryan Mallon was man of the match for Queen's in the Sigerson yesterday so he would be well worth a start against Monaghan.

[Gabriel]

Team to play Monaghan -

1. Shane Harrison
2. Daniel Mc Cartan
3. Peter Turley
4. Darren O'Hagan
5. Ryan Boyle
6. Aidan Carr
7. Conor Garvey
8. Kalum King
9. Ryan Mallon
10. Darragh O'Hanlon
11. Mark Poland
12. Jerome Johnston
13. Donal O Hare
14. Niall Madine
15. Conor Maginn

[Mourne Rover]

The team is reasonably strong evidence that Down are taking this one seriously. Danny Savage and Connaire Harrison may be disappointed, and Liam Doyle and Peter Fitzpatrick may not be fit enough, but it is otherwise a decent line-up with Benny on the bench. It is probably sensible for Shane Harrison and Brendan McVeigh to rotate in nets during the league.

Monaghan seem to have kept a couple of their bigger names in reserve, but it should still be pretty competitive. Hopefully the weather will not spoil things, although the forecast is not good.

[DownFanatic]

Team to play Monaghan -

1. Shane Harrison
2. Daniel Mc Cartan
3. Peter Turley
4. Darren O'Hagan
5. Ryan Boyle
6. Aidan Carr
7. Conor Garvey
8. Kalum King
9. Ryan Mallon
10. Darragh O'Hanlon
11. Mark Poland
12. Jerome Johnston
13. Donal O Hare
14. Niall Madine
15. Conor Maginn

Four of the starting 15 weren't included in the provisional National League panel. Quite an attacking minded setup.

[whitegoodman]

Interesting team with a very small forward line against big strong Monaghan team played on heavy ground, makes for difficult game.  Need a good start to league so hope I am wrong on that.  Anybody any updates on;

Ambrose
Gordon
Rooney
Laverty

Them along with McKernan would make some difference to that team.

[Mourne Rover]

The availability of Dan and Ambrose will define our season, but we need to remember that they are both entering their 30s with an extensive injury record and nothing can be guaranteed. Although their club colleagues will be best informed, the word is that they are making a huge effort to get back.

Laverty is a little gem who will hopefully be involved in the league, while Rooney is not quite at the same level as the other three but is still a potential starter in the championship. McComiskey, on last spring's form, would be another serious addition, while Hughes has not gone yet, and there are a few signs that we are going to have decent competition for places in all sectors .

WGM's point about the lightness of our attack in wintery conditions against a physical and accomplished Monaghan side is a good one, but these are the days when you find out who has what it takes. A win would be huge for us.

[SHEEDY]

down v monaghan postponed until tomorrow at 2pm

[Line Ball]

The availability of Dan and Ambrose will define our season, but we need to remember that they are both entering their 30s with an extensive injury record and nothing can be guaranteed. Although their club colleagues will be best informed, the word is that they are making a huge effort to get back.

Laverty is a little gem who will hopefully be involved in the league, while Rooney is not quite at the same level as the other three but is still a potential starter in the championship. McComiskey, on last spring's form, would be another serious addition, while Hughes has not gone yet, and there are a few signs that we are going to have decent competition for places in all sectors .

WGM's point about the lightness of our attack in wintery conditions against a physical and accomplished Monaghan side is a good one, but these are the days when you find out who has what it takes. A win would be huge for us.

Are you for real? If we are relying on Dan and Ambrose to make us into a team then we might as well throw in the towel.  We would all love to see them back but I believe their best days are behind them, particularly Ambrose who has had an horrific time over the last few years.  I would be more concerned with No.3 and No.6  We have no standout candidates for either position - Turley is a carthorse, he'll try and make a big effort but he's not a county full back.  Carr at CHB just wants to spray passes around but backs of the No.11 when he looks like troubling him rather than pushing up on him.  We still have the issue where the county management continue to play their sons/brothers which does nothing but bring pressure on them. 

I think it is going to be a long year.

[snoopdog]

down v monaghan postponed until tomorrow at 2pm
[/quote
Seriously??

[whitegoodman]

The availability of Dan and Ambrose will define our season, but we need to remember that they are both entering their 30s with an extensive injury record and nothing can be guaranteed. Although their club colleagues will be best informed, the word is that they are making a huge effort to get back.

Laverty is a little gem who will hopefully be involved in the league, while Rooney is not quite at the same level as the other three but is still a potential starter in the championship. McComiskey, on last spring's form, would be another serious addition, while Hughes has not gone yet, and there are a few signs that we are going to have decent competition for places in all sectors .

WGM's point about the lightness of our attack in wintery conditions against a physical and accomplished Monaghan side is a good one, but these are the days when you find out who has what it takes. A win would be huge for us.

Are you for real? If we are relying on Dan and Ambrose to make us into a team then we might as well throw in the towel.  We would all love to see them back but I believe their best days are behind them, particularly Ambrose who has had an horrific time over the last few years.  I would be more concerned with No.3 and No.6  We have no standout candidates for either position - Turley is a carthorse, he'll try and make a big effort but he's not a county full back.  Carr at CHB just wants to spray passes around but backs of the No.11 when he looks like troubling him rather than pushing up on him.  We still have the issue where the county management continue to play their sons/brothers which does nothing but bring pressure on them. 

I think it is going to be a long year.

Is any of Dan MCCartans brothers in the Down supporters club??? Must be otherwise how could he be awarded Down supporters club player of the year last year if he is as bad as some on here would have u believe!!!

Also harsh on Carr and Turley.  Who would you have start in them positions instead ??

[Mourne Rover]

Fair play to the county board and all those involved in making an early decision on the postponement before people start to travel. The forecast for tonight is not great, so tomorrow may be a doubt as well, but at least we know.

Line Ball, if you think Ambrose's best days are behind him, you were not at our championship matches last summer when he was our best player against Donegal and in the first Derry game. Dan has certainly been unlucky with what amounts to a freak recurring problem with the same foot, but, at 30, he will still be a top class player if the injury heals properly.

You are also being very harsh on Turley, who was excellent at centre half last season and definitely capable of making a full back in the absence of McArdle and big Dan. We know that Carr is not a man marker, but, with packed defences everywhere, what he gives us is the ability to find time and space while breaking from the back.

It is pretty childish to get digs in over the relatives of the management, as any regular attender will confirm that Dan McCartan is our most reliable corner back and we know that Jerome Johnston is at the very least worth a run in the league.

We have had plenty of long hard seasons over the last two decades, but, if we get our best side out, and enjoy a little luck for a change, we are capable of giving it a rattle in division two.