Messages

I see there's a piece with Donal McAnallen in the Irish News today where he talks about the 98 team. Goes without saying, but Cormac would certainly have gone on to enjoy the same success with the seniors. Nice picture of him, Hughes and McGuigan

So, if Armagh had beaten Tyrone in the 2003 AIF, would you still be advocating this?

Always easy to be wise after the event, I know, but when the Down fans invaded the pitch in Newry, it was something which didn't sit easy with me. Ok, we had beaten Tyrone, but I did feel it was a big over-reaction.

I always knew at that point the Tyrone would go further than us in Championship, I didn't necessarily think they would win it, but felt that once  a few injuries cleared up and if they could get a good bit of momentum through the qualifiers, that they could get to the AI semi-finals at least. Knowing the type of person Mickey Harte is, I knew he would use that experience, as if he needed to, to motivate his players again.

I would also wonder what this means for the provincial championships? Neither team yesterday were provincial champions this year and Tyrone have 'only' won two Ulster titles in the last six years, but won three Sams.

Anyway, congratulations to Mickey Harte and Tyrone, they did it when it mattered and are worthy winners.

Can anyone break the six-year Tyrone-Kerry stranglehold on Sam?

What's so shocking about losing to Galway? They went on to win the All-Ireland that year.

Mark Harte

have to be critical of the management team lads - i really think down have the crux of a team that should progress to the last 8 on a regular basis, but without a system of play based on armagh's style we will never get anywhere.

we dominated midfield for the best part of 3 games, and when its an old fashioned shoot em up, we are just about ok, but will always struggle with the lack of quality out and out defenders. instead when we come against an armagh style game plan, we have no plan B in attack, no alternative at all, and our defence is left exposed time and time again.

we need to adopt a defensive style game plan ASAP or else we face another 10 yrs in the wilderness.

ps why didnt we throw ambrose or someone like into num14 when running the ball in wasnt working. lets have 2 or 3 big men in there and launch the ball in on the full back line. jesus at least give it a try when plan A doesnt work!

I don't think there needs to be a major tactical overhaul. What happened yesterday was just as I'd feared.
Player for player, I think we were capable of matching Armagh, but I always knew that if it came down to a battle of wits, that Armagh would win because Peter McDonnell is a very shrewd tactician.

Having said that, I don't think we need to ape Armagh to get success. Ok, we need a plan B, but I still think we should play to our strengths which is essentially a running game and quick movement. It's no coincidence that we ruled midfield in the two Tyrone games, yet still got more joy out of the passes down the channels to our half-forwards and the quick interchanging of passing.
There's no point in adapting a rigorous defensive style when we simply don't have that type of player in the county.

Looking at the qualifiers and I think we have been lucky to draw one of the few counties with a worse record than us in the qualifiers.
We are a better team than we were in the division 2 final against them in 2004 and they have gone in the opposite direction.
Yesterday was a big letdown, but I think it will give the managment the chance to front up to some things the Tyrone win maybe papered over. However, as I say, no major change needed and with Cole back at FB, we should have a more settled look in defence.

As a matter of interest when is it the last time that Down won a first Round Championship Match?

Erm, 2007.

Actually, technically speaking, last year's win over Cavan was in the preliminary round.
The last time they won a first round proper/quarter-final was in 2003 when they went all the way to the Ulster final.

Have to say I agree. Have a lot of time for DJ, he is a genuine Down man and if the team showed have the heart he does, they'd run through brick walls to win a match. However, he doesn't do himself any favours and has become a bit of a laughing stock of late. I would've thought that someone as measured and thoughtful as Ross might be able to have a quiet word in the ear. Having said that, if the half-time team talk did the trick on Sunday, then he'll gladly take the consquences of another ban.

The Cole ban, on the other hand is a disgrace. It's not a case of it not being overturned because CCCC will look weak, surely if it's proved to go contrary to the GAA's own rules, it has to be thrown out.

Do you know what I think happened here. It happened infront of the Ulster counsil officials who were sitting and standing over a bit from me. They would have had the same view as our Strabane friend who posted earlier and he said he it looked bad. Now I think that these Ulster Council half wits are the ones who pushed it.

Not likely is one of them was Danny Murphy.

Regardless of what Cole did, the fact remains that it was dealt with by the referee at the time.

This sets a very dangerous precedent. Who decided to ask the referee to "have another look"? Was is Coldrick's final decision to upgrade the yellow to a red? If not, then we have problem. We can't have matches being re-refereed by committees just because somebody spotted something on the Sunday Game or read about it in the paper the next day.

I know this might smack of bias, but in the wake of last week's attack on referees by TV pundits, surely the GAA should be supporting their refs and not trying to emasculate them in this way.

Will they be looking at every tackle now to try & hand out retrospective suspensions?

Certainly hope so, then he could give that free to McComiskey near the end which he should have and there would be no need for a replay.

There are more people in the Armagh side of Newry than about 10 rural clubs combined, and they are not catered for.

They are catered for by Bosco and other Newry clubs (except maybe Ballyholland). Why does it matter that it's the Down or Armagh CB that are 'catering for them'. If a lad feels strongly that he is from Armagh, but still plays for one of those clubs, then he can still play for his county if he's good enough. I seem to remember the McGuinnesses, who play hurling for Shamrocks and Down saying they would switch to Armagh as that's where the live. You find in most counties, around the county boundaries, that the same thing happens. Why aren't the Tyrone CB catering for 'Tyrone' people around Ballinderry?

Fear Boirche I disagree with you that if Gordon has a broken thumb he has no chance....I know a number of club players who have played with broken hands/wrists with casts on...I know this is illegal but if the referee couldnt see the plaster on the arm what could be done Smiley This is about playing through the pain barrier and the will to win! Dan Gordon has the will to win and drive in abundance as he showed on Sunday...he will play on Saturday I'm sure of it!

I really hope you're right, but it depends what the exact problem is. I just think that a broken bone, albeit a small one, is a major injury and playing him is highly risky, not to mention an invitation for opposing players to try and aggravate that injury.

If Down are admitting that Dan has a broken thumb, but still think could play, then they're having a laugh.
Either it's not broken and he'll play, or it is, in which case he has no chance.
Similarly, with Tyrone - if McGinley has concussion, he will not play, but if it's not concussion there's a chance he'll play.
Managers give very quick, inaccurate diagnosis which end up making them look silly later in the week./

I think that the Meadow/Armagh Road end of town would be served by Bosco.
Geographically, you could argue that some of Newry is in Armagh, but in GAA terms (and postal terms for that matter) it is a Down town.
Once you start going towards Bessbrook/Camlough you're into Carrickcruppen/Shane O'Neills territory and on the Dublin Road end, you're talking Killeavy/Forkhill.
There are people in Newry who consider themselves from Armagh, but who play for the Down clubs in the town. It would be interesting if one of them got called up to either one of the county teams.