Messages

Some strange posts on here tonight , IMO thought we were very comfortable biggest 1 point win I've seen in a while . Armagh tried to play football in the first half but reverted to type in second turning up the physical stakes which in the past we would have been unable to cope with. We hit 3/4 uprights , post , and created 3/4 goal chances . A glance at the benches was the biggest difference however , I wonder how Armagh would have dealt with stevie pulling out minutes before throw in . Others have pointed to cross players and R Clarke missing , true but we started the match missing benny , ambrose , d raff , dan mc cartan and p mc comiskey. Lastly I thought c mc keever was the biggest w**nker on the Armagh but I think he has a rival in g swift .

I know I really should nt rise to some of the rubbish posts this week but any one who doubts M Clarkes ability obviously has nt watched him to often and don't forget only one year of senior football under his belt . To the match tomorrow night it's looking tight but hope we ll sneak it by a point or two , think Armagh have the upper hand at the back 6 and opposite for us !

Hats off to Cork best team on the day won , also the gesture by our players , management and backroom team at full time was a fantastic touch .
Now to next year , div 1 experience will do us the world of good and hopefully James can bring in another few young players to add to the squad . Big ambrose , Howard , duffin and Hannah amongst others will make the fight for places interesting but it's a great headache to have .
So glad Marty has confirmed his intentions too ! So thank you everyone involved from wee James right down to kit men , 2010 has lifted the hopes of our proud county we are on the right track and are doing it the Down way ! To all the posters who have been so negative about us this year (Clarke 's 1 at year , wee James 1st year ) the giant is stirring , the swagger is back , DOWN are back !!!!!!

When we win number 6 next weekend I hope the jealous posters on this board are watching how it's done with skill, passion,hunger and most importantly for entertainment ,flair !!! Armagh people mainly should watch how to really win an all Ireland " the DOWN way " . You hearing me h station you prat

Hail Marty full of pace , the ball is with thee. Blessed art thou amoungst men and deadly is your left peg . Holy Marty son of the Mournes play for us winners .......... Feck it , give it to benny  GOAL !!!!!!!!! Amen

RIP very sad news , thoughts and condolences to the family

Wat ??

Does anyone know if we in the Mournes have done anything in particular to upset that Ricky Nixon fella because apparently he is at it again , not content with Clarke ( admittedly now returned ) O Reilly and Mooney word has it a young fella from that forgotten place Kilwarlin has caught his eye ! Steve Mc Straw a late commer on the scene but with undoubted talent has been out all season after a serious rib injury pre season whilst playing for Kilwarlin s parent club Magheralin. Nixon has invited Mc Straw to trials in Navan in Jan 2011 should he recover from the career threatening rib prob. How much longer must we in Down watch this talent drain out of our Clubs . Go look in Tyrone Ricky , your not welcome in Kilwarlin !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[He does the simple things well]

In your opinion. Today was the first game I missed this year and you see very little on telly. Ambrose was Downs best player all year, closely followed by D Raff, then Daniel McCartan and James Colgan. Up front John Clarke was outstanding, Marty was consistent without ever setting the world alight. Hughes had a good game against Armagh, worked hard in others but never puts in 2 consecutive good performances.
Martin Clarke is just finding his feet in gaelic football. He does the simple things well and like all good players makes space for himself. He is potentially the best footballer since Greg Blaney, I would go as far as to say he is potentially the best Down footballer.

I dunno, I thought he gave the ball away a good few times.

He did, like everyone else and was an also ran imo.

Some bullshit being talked here about a 22 year old playing his first Championship match give the lad a break FFS. Not the best man in a Down jesery for sure but did make a difference , listen what Coulter said about him after the game !
A great result yesterday setting up a big game with Tyrone .IMO Headquarters should give each Armagh club 10 free tickets so they can experience an exciting Championship game !

I'd say it has to be in Casement doesnt it
5 O'Clock on a Sat evening might be hard for me to make & wont know until nearer the time

Just watching the Down game now on the sunday game
Looked like Down are still very dependant on Benny Boy

I'd bad memories of that last time they beat us up in Casement
That first match in 2003 was one of the most exciting games I've ever been at.

You'll be there, stuffing Whitefort burgers into your gob.

Tyrone will win at a canter.

No sorry your talkin out of your ass son.

[Derry wans seem to have a bee in their bonnets about Armagh's 'cynicism'. Paddy Heaney had a good whinge about it yesterday and today regarding Eoin Bradley]

Derry wans seem to have a bee in their bonnets about Armagh's 'cynicism'.  Paddy Heaney had a good whinge about it yesterday and today regarding Eoin Bradley.  Armagh may well have had a cynical edge a few years ago, but if any one cares to read through the league games you'll see more talk of Armagh's niaivety in their defending than anything else. 

At the end of the day  Derry brought about their own downfall with absolutely shocking tactics that meant they carried a lot of ball into the tackle - if you do that u are going to see a lot of frees.  Armagh's gameplan looked to me to be directly tailored for Derry and it worked a treat, maybe more credit should be given for that.

Aye, Heaney seemed to think the clincher in his systematic fouling theory was the stat that Bradley was Derry's most fouled player. Did he really expect that accolade to go to anyone other than Derry's most skillful, ball hungry attacker?

I have to agree with some of the Derry posts sour grapes or not , Armagh were back to there cycinal best on sunday with skinner singled out for special treatment as they strangled the life and fight out of Derry . Were did the new attacking style of play go on sunday ? straight out the window, POR wont be able to coach that out of players which have had it drilled into them from no age . Our Armagh friends might think a long summer awaits them and if they keep playiag like that it certainly will be ! On a positive note thought Vernon was a beast in the second half but if Stevie gets injured were are the scores going to come from .

[there are 2 sides to every story]

There has been some rubbish posted about the match since yesterday   >:(As much as it pains me to say it Armagh deserved the win they looked fitter, hungrier,and more fluent in attack,so well done POR hope they gave you the deserved credit after all the initial crying about a Down man getting the Armagh job . MC Donnell was unmarkable at times yesterday ,fantastic player however i would be concerned for Armagh  ( not really ) if he picked up an injury.
From a Down point of view M Clarke has played 8 or 9 games in three years so give the man time there is a lot more to come . Benny gave his usual effort yesterday ,again another goal to add to the tally is there anyone better currently at getting the 3 pointers ? Thought once he got into the game big King played well and looks a perfect foil for ambi or dan later in the season. I think to many Down fans however are getting carried away with the display , apart from R Clarke that was Armaghs Full team yesterday wereas we were missing D Raff, Ambrose, Gordon and Luke Howard and argueably one or two more. Our lack of experience in headquarters also told IMO and certain players just did nt step up on the day , combine this and the fact Armagh are 2 weeks closer to Championship Football we should nt lose sight of the improvement since last season. Lastly and most controversially I am sure Daniel Mc Cartan is kicking him self for the stamp at the end of the match but no one has mentioned onTV in the slow motion you can clearly see A Kernan deliberately land both knees in the middle of Dans chest on the way down so there are 2 sides to every story

There didn't seem to be 2 sides to the story when McKeever was hung after the Marshes!?

Have to say now did nt see M Clarke thump the ribs of Mc Keever before hand did you ? As i said Dan will be kicking himself for reacting but look at the replay its clear to see why

There has been some rubbish posted about the match since yesterday   >:(As much as it pains me to say it Armagh deserved the win they looked fitter, hungrier,and more fluent in attack,so well done POR hope they gave you the deserved credit after all the initial crying about a Down man getting the Armagh job . MC Donnell was unmarkable at times yesterday ,fantastic player however i would be concerned for Armagh  ( not really ) if he picked up an injury.
From a Down point of view M Clarke has played 8 or 9 games in three years so give the man time there is a lot more to come . Benny gave his usual effort yesterday ,again another goal to add to the tally is there anyone better currently at getting the 3 pointers ? Thought once he got into the game big King played well and looks a perfect foil for ambi or dan later in the season. I think to many Down fans however are getting carried away with the display , apart from R Clarke that was Armaghs Full team yesterday wereas we were missing D Raff, Ambrose, Gordon and Luke Howard and argueably one or two more. Our lack of experience in headquarters also told IMO and certain players just did nt step up on the day , combine this and the fact Armagh are 2 weeks closer to Championship Football we should nt lose sight of the improvement since last season. Lastly and most controversially I am sure Daniel Mc Cartan is kicking him self for the stamp at the end of the match but no one has mentioned onTV in the slow motion you can clearly see A Kernan deliberately land both knees in the middle of Dans chest on the way down so there are 2 sides to every story

[no point in getting worried about a pointless challenge game against a second rate team we have already humiliated this year..]

Settle down fellas .....We seem to have a few options in each position for this game ..no point in gettin our knickers in a twist about Sunday...we'll give it a quare good rattle .....our main objective is to get everyone fit for the championship...no point in getting worried about a pointless challenge game against a second rate team we have already humiliated this year..

How can a national final in Croke Park be deemed a 'pointless challenge match' for Down. I am struggling to remember Down actually winning a game at HQ in recent memory, can anyone enlighten me on this one. Get the excuses in early lads so that afterwards you can say that you are more interested in the bigger picture. I detect plenty of fear coming from the Down camp for this one.   

We look to have a far stronger panel than we have done in years and wee james looks the part so far but the Championship is what we are lookin at for sure and a sixth all Ireland all the lads have to do is get us to the final and let nature take its course 

Wee James is flat out in the media trying to keep a lid on things but it's obviously wasted on you!! I've a feeling your mummy was still wiping your a*se in 91 and 94 and you wouldn't know how much better the AI winning teams of 91 & 94 were compared to this years team. If Down (or Armagh for that matter) get to Croker to play in an AI QF this year they'll have had a successful season.

Of course they will have had a successful season you wally !!!! But i hardly think my post will f*^k up the way in which wee james is playing the media do you ? I believe every time Down take the field we will win, i think a lot of down fans do. Down teams through the years have came from nowhere to win all Irelands playing football worth paying in to see unlike Armagh . So sorry if ive upset you with my confidence but you know how the saying goes " it breeds sucess "

[no point in getting worried about a pointless challenge game against a second rate team we have already humiliated this year..]

Settle down fellas .....We seem to have a few options in each position for this game ..no point in gettin our knickers in a twist about Sunday...we'll give it a quare good rattle .....our main objective is to get everyone fit for the championship...no point in getting worried about a pointless challenge game against a second rate team we have already humiliated this year..

How can a national final in Croke Park be deemed a 'pointless challenge match' for Down. I am struggling to remember Down actually winning a game at HQ in recent memory, can anyone enlighten me on this one. Get the excuses in early lads so that afterwards you can say that you are more interested in the bigger picture. I detect plenty of fear coming from the Down camp for this one.   

We look to have a far stronger panel than we have done in years and wee james looks the part so far but the Championship is what we are lookin at for sure and a sixth all Ireland all the lads have to do is get us to the final and let nature take its course