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Had a really poor game but was in good company! Not too many great performances from either team.

Gutted for all you Mayo fans out there - was sure you'd win it today. You gifted Dublin that one in fairness!!! Your forwards were seriously poor in the second half - beaten to every 50/50 and didn't put their bodies in where it hurt. Dublin played poorly for long, long periods and even Brogan, who'll probably be named man of the match, was below par by his high standards. Why was Seamus O'Shea removed? The other lad was anonymous. Lots of questions - the inquest starts now

If you were to put all current inter-county managers into a cage and made them fight cleanly, who'd win?

I think James McCartan would be wirey.

I'd lose all faith in Wee James if he fought cleanly!

just a quick query, in terms of referreing.
A corner back is marking his man as tight as possible and the corner forward pushed off him, ie two hands in the chest, breaks away to make a run for the ball. Fair enough, its accepted.
If however, just before the ball is played in, the corner back anticipates and he pushes the corner forward in the chest in order to make a break for the ball, referee awards a free in.

Corner back says to the ref, "whats the difference? he pushed me to go for the ball, i pushed him to go for the ball?"
Ref's response, "he is the forward, he gets the advantage?" Result free in, yellow card for the defender

Why??

A good corner back anticipates the pass gets his nudge in early before the referee or linesmen have turned to follow the play - Karl Lacey and Keith Higgins are two of the best exponents of this around at the moment and I'm sure every club has a player who gets away with it every week! I agree (as a former defender) it is frustrating and a defender is far more likely to be penalised or booked for this tackle. It's always been part of the game however and if you're cute enough you can at least break even with your oponent

Heard the immortal lines 'Unlike Pythagoras, he hasn't got the angle quite right on this one!' as Colin Ryan put a free wide today. Not a bad line in the midst of a pretty frantic second half! Any other classic lines you can think of?

Dublin fan in the Hill shouting 'Go home to your Queen' in the middle of the National Anthem when a northern side plays. Was funny the first time I heard it. Now its just a wee bit sad. Is it the same lad who shouts it every time or do they take turns?

At least they don't ask you "where ya park your tractor?"   

"Still parked at your mothers house  "

Sometimes they say, 'Go home to your Queen on your tractor!'

Will the game be on telly?

If that game's live on telly there's a real danger the Antrim management and Co Board will stay in Belfast to watch it. Maybe even a couple of the players. Why would they go to Thurles when it's on the telly?

History made last night with the first Championship game held in Garvaghy. In fact I think someone mentioned that it was the first competitive game held there. Drumragh beat Beragh 1-10 to 0-9. No dug outs and no outside taps was a bit of a balls, but good to get a game up there and even better to get the win. 

Drumquin. Drumragh beat Drumquin.

Great set-up up there, obviously still a few things to finish. Surfaces look great.
Someone mentioned last night that they're going to build a stand for 5000? Any truth in that as I don't really see the need!

A stand would be a good idea if there are going to be a few Championship games there. Also there may be the odd time when naughty clubs have to play each other at neutral grounds!

if we are going to play the championship in september & october every year another championship venue to play night games under lights would be useful!

It would be Baltic up there in Autumn & Winter! Probably in the spring and summer as well! It's a fantastic development but I agree a stand would be essential if there are going to be regular games scheduled.  Definitely a venue for thermals under your thermals and fans huddled together for heat! I didn't notice any fast growing greenery either as it needs a bit of shelter  - a game would be ruined there on a windy day.

Putting aside whether or not Geezer will return for a moment, do any fans think the negative press that Ulster football tactics has had, has influenced the thinking of the Co Board delegates who voted against McGeeney? His Armagh team were among the very first to withdraw the wing half forwards and play a supposedly negative brand of football and there has been a general backlash against this this season - particularly when we see Mayo and Dublin play with such abandon.

Or was it purely for football reasons - have Kildare and McGeeney gone as far as they can?

The players seem to feel that they were on a journey with McGeeney that would lead to success and they seemed to have really trusted what he was doing.

Thoughts please

Dublin fan in the Hill shouting 'Go home to your Queen' in the middle of the National Anthem when a northern side plays. Was funny the first time I heard it. Now its just a wee bit sad. Is it the same lad who shouts it every time or do they take turns?

[It is not directly related, but you can get very strange looks by wearing your county or club polo shirt to Tesco's in Glengormley. Men of all ages wearing soccer tops would be the norm.]

It is not directly related, but you can get very strange looks by wearing your county or club polo shirt to Tesco's in Glengormley. Men of all ages wearing soccer tops would be the norm.

You should try it in East Belfast! I rely on the shock factor ('Is that a fenian football jersey that wee w@#&%£$s wearing') Plain sight is my camouflage! That and their absolute ignorance! I must admit I get a bit of a kick out of it!

[For me this is one of the weakest Tyrone minor teams that we have had in the last ten years.]

My biggest criticism of Tyrone, at both minor and senior level is that players of exceptional quality are being asked to sacrifice their natural talent and undoubted ability to play a 'system' of football. When the minors had a go at Roscommon today in the second half and the shackles of this defensive strategy were thrown off, their best players played in their natural positions and they demonstrated their ability. For me, that really shone through - number 11 looked an exceptional player and we wasn't given a chance to shine in the first half. I believe they're being suffocated by this defensive system and that some really top players aren't getting the opportunity to showcase their talents.

I think it's great that at senior level the two most attacking and adventurous teams in recent years will play out the final in three weeks time.

Have to disagree with you. For me this is one of the weakest Tyrone minor teams that we have had in the last ten years. (Lasts years team for example was a much more talented team), for them to get to a final is an unbelievable achievement, (most of them underage again next year) - Tyrone have had to set themselves up defensively, otherwise they simply would not count. That does not mean they do that every year, the 2010 minor team with Ronan O'Neill etc played a much more open game.
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Sorry Sam - you seem to have seen this team in action a bit more than I have. I don't know enough about them to compare them to teams in previous years. But I can compare them from half to half. I thought they were infinitely better in the second half when they played a far more offensive style of football and what look like some really good players got a chance to express themselves. I'd love to see them play like that in the final. I do agree with your comments about the 2010 team - they had some excellent players and I thought Richard Donnelly, Grugan and Conlan as well as a couple of really good Errigal players (one was a Canavan i think) would have made the step up to senior level. I noticed only Grugan along with O'Neill and McCurry on the senior panel!

I'm not knocking the achievement of the Tyrone team getting to the final - it's a fantastic achievement for any team to get there and I thought they earned it in the second half when they were prepared to take calculated risks going forward and supported Brennan and McKenna. The introduction of a very direct attacking player in McShane was crucial in this. - I'd say he's earned himself a place in the final 15!

I don't buy into this 'Tyrone Cynical Play' argument at all. I don't believe they are any more or less cynical than any other team in the country and the many statistics about fouling do seem to back this up. As a result of Joe Brolly's outburst after the Meath and Monaghan games they are just under the microscope at the moment at all levels. If the same scrutiny was applied to any other team I'm sure we could identify the exact same trends.
My biggest criticism of Tyrone, at both minor and senior level is that players of exceptional quality are being asked to sacrifice their natural talent and undoubted ability to play a 'system' of football. When the minors had a go at Roscommon today in the second half and the shackles of this defensive strategy were thrown off, their best players played in their natural positions and they demonstrated their ability. For me, that really shone through - number 11 looked an exceptional player and we wasn't given a chance to shine in the first half. I believe they're being suffocated by this defensive system and that some really top players aren't getting the opportunity to showcase their talents.

I think it's great that at senior level the two most attacking and adventurous teams in recent years will play out the final in three weeks time.

I think most people are in agreement in their view of the Antrim county board. However don't let this get in the way of the panel of lads going to Hurl on the 14 th. the buzz about the county is tremendous at the moment. Thurles here we come.......

It's a shame that the fantastic achievement of the u21 hurlers has been somewhat overshadowed by this! Just about every newsfeed I see about it begins with the fixture issue rather than celebrating the achievement

The biggest disappointment for Antrim is the manner in which the board and management have addressed the issue. The decision to play at Thurles has been made and they just have to get on with it  - even if we all agree it would make far more logistical sense to play in the midlands. But they should have made their objections through the correct channels with one spokesperson representing their views. As it is, the whining has gone on all week and turned many fans against them. As an Antrim resident, I know how hard it is to get young men out to play Gaelic Games on a regular basis and I would have liked the Antrim board to have had a more mature approach than 'We're not playing then!'. Both hurling and football squads have been blighted over the years by internal squabbling and by players storming off and refusing to play when things aren't going their way. Hardly surprising when this is the attitude of management.
Just my thoughts!