Messages

A lot of the Cross players are non-drinkers. Jamie Clarke is one I think.

I think McGeeney will go as well, I doubt he can bring them on any further.

Where could you possibly be going with this Benny!

Yeah would agree with a lot of that throwball. Like you, the anger is clouding a lot for me, I've had to take a heavy dose of depressants (cans) to take me down off the annoyance I felt when I first carried the door off the hinges when I walked into the house. I do think the referee was no more that averagely bad. I was waiting for both goals to be whistled up, but they weren't and that's what you have to live with. It's going to be worse down in Aughrim, what with the Micko gushing that's going to be spewed on the Sunday Game. Armagh have a serious job on there hands down there and the odds really aren't in their favour this time.

I stand corrected, although, amazingly, having just read the official guide, it is perfectly possible for a point to be given as square ball in the following circumstances. I didn't think the ball was wide myself, so I'll be interested to see this on the Sunday Game.

Foul Play
RULE 4 - TECHNICAL FOULS
4.9 For an attacking player to enter opponents' small rectangle before the ball enters it during play.
Exception
When a point is scored from outside the small rectangle and the ball is sufficiently high to be out of reach of all players, the score shall be allowed even though an attacking player may have been within the small rectangle before the ball - provided that the player in question does not interfere with the defence.

Betcha didn't know that!

On the ref, I have to say I thought he was alright and I would be the first to be on his case if I thought he was being more than ordinarily incompetent. I guess there was the Micko factor there, which didn't help Armagh as if the referees sympathies were going to be anywhere it was going to be with the blue and gold. But still and all, he was useless, but no more useless than referees generally are.

Was the point not ruled out on the basis it was about three foot wide?

As for AK I thought he was mom for two reasons.  1. He was the only player who came close to performing in the first half and 2. He seemed to have a hand in most scoring attacks. Mal Mackin was very good last 55 mins but was non existent first half.

If you cast your mind back you'll recall the umpire came out, after being instructed by the referee, and crossed the flags. This is the signal to indicate a square ball. Again, never have I seen a point and one from over 20 metres out for that matter, ruled out for square ball in all my born days. The Wicklow ones were only making the wide gestures because they knew the ref was looking to strike out the point. Even they must have been pretty amazed it was for square ball.

When the referee overruled his umpires to disallow Hanratty's non-point, an overweight smoker at the Dalton end shouted "How is that a square ball you fcuk ing gypsy"

Some intelligent people in the crowd.

M.Mackin was MOTM

Agreed, Mackin was far and away man of the match.

However, the point was actually ruled out for square ball, which I have never before seen in my life.

[Does the pitch at Aughrim have floodlights or is it likely to be a Saturday afternoon throw in?]

Why do Armagh & Down hate each other so?

It's not as if you've had grudge matches in recent times or both been strong at the same time to generate real rivalry??

Because the average Down fan has the humility of Graham Geraghty combined with the grace of a championship Hill 16 part-timer.

Armagh were horrendous in that first half tonight. Wicklow, for all their application and belief, are in Division 4 for a reason yet Armagh were very fortunate to still be in touch at half-time. Despite dominating the final 55 minutes, Armagh still conceded goals at crucial moments. The fact that 7 or 8 substitutions were made and the worst performing starting player survived 90 minutes says it all about the quality patrolling the line.

In an attempt to dwell on positives, Jamie Clarke was superb, Mal Mackin had another excellent match and all the substitutes who aren't related to members of the coaching staff had decent games. Johnny Hanratty in particular was excellent and should start in Aughrim.

Does the pitch at Aughrim have floodlights or is it likely to be a Saturday afternoon throw in? I presume Sunday is a non-starter given that the Minors are playing in the Ulster final.

Why would you need floodlights in the middle of summer? unless you think the Aughrim game will go to ET aswell.

Presume they'd need to take account of the possibility, although I suppose the light was grand at the end of the match tonight so perhaps that's a silly point to raise. My recollection that Wicklow qualifiers tend to be in the afternoon rather than evening though I may be wrong about that.

The Wicklow crowd were heartily annoyed by the extra time and now late they would be getting home. You couldn't blame the Wicklow county board if they decided to repay the compliment after the needless intransigence of the Armagh county board. Only issue is whether they have a ground with floodlighting. A shout out to the Wicklow support who were superb, some of the best supporters ever to come to Armagh if I might be so bold to suggest. Was talking to one lad going into the stand, he was wrote off, but a good, happy wrote off. I could contrast him with some of the wankers I passed at the underpass past Niall's Crescent who suggested I not bother going to watch the effing Armagh match, but would be better employed getting effed on cans. I passed no remarks on them, but still got called a w**ker for my pains. But that would be churlish.

Hughes gave Hegarty a slap. May have been harmless, but its generally at least a yellow. Harte is absolutely correct about McLoone. Didn't see the fouls in the lead up to the goals, but even if there was, there were plenty of fouls missed or not given our way.

Not to mention a penalty, but I doubt we'll be hearing much about that for the next 20 pages.

Donegal were a disgrace today with the cynical fouls, the time wasting, the yapping. A referee with balls would have shown 3 Donegal men the road before mcLoone even came on.

Puke football of the highest order and hopefully the thrashing they deserve is around the next corner.

Tyrone threw that game away, even against 16 men.

This is almost too beautiful.

Oh these grapes, they may be sour, but, man, they taste damn fine to me!

What was the penalty for BTW?

Pity?

RTE's GAA coverage reinforces every negative stereotype that puts off people from non-GAA backgrounds becoming more involved, going to games etc.

RYLE NUGENT!!!

He's no Jim Neilly.

Having thought long and hard about it, I believe this is going to be one of the hardest beatings Armagh have ever taken in championship history.

You can patronise them all you like but they were the better team for the majority of the game.

*Points at score board.*