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[we more than often are a different proposition in quarter finals and Semi finals]

4 meaty teams in through the back door - Kerry, Kildare, Down and Laois. All the Provincial Champions will want to draw Laois and all the Back door teams will want Mayo! And then there is Kerry!

I remember they all wanted Mayo last year too.

Oh, i know! As i have always said we may have problems winning Finals. But we more than often are a different proposition in quarter finals and Semi finals!

Dream on kid, every team wants the losers from Mayo

Disappointed with today.

Don't think Kerry are as good as they looked nor Tyrone as bad. I think Tyrone thought that Kerry were feeling the pressure coming into the game and thought they could outfox Kerry. The approach and tactics from Tyrone were totally wrong. They played pretty lethargic and no-one was making any good runs forward. Tyrone didn't show the necessary intensity needed and Kerry took hold of the match.


For once unlike the teams of the past there does not seem to be a cohesive unit, it was like a jigsaw that didn't fit. Tactics haven't worked the last few years against the better teams who keep all the men back in their half. It failed in 2009 and last year I'd be reluctant to say it did in 2010 as we did everything but win. Something new needs to be tried. I think trying big Seán at 6 perhaps could be something to try. We definitely are still missing a big presence around the middle of the field as per usual and worryingly someone to pick up the scraps. We do have decent forwards in Coney, R. O'Neill and McCurry but we need a team.

Things need to shook up and perhaps new voices such as Monroe and Canavan should be brought into the backroom team, though not sure if Canavan would settle for second fiddle.

Don't think either side covered themselves in glory and more players should have seen shown the line, Coldrick seemed to respond to the crowd alot. I'm not sure how far Kerry will go, but I'm not convinced that they'll win sam, maybe a semi...

If the likes of yourself posted more, this place would be worthy of a lot more attention, good reasoned post. I disagree with you that Kerry "aren't as good as they looked" and don't really know what you mean? We have a decent defence and midfield and a top class forward line IMO and of the 3 main contenders for the All Ireland right now, Cork, Dublin and Donegal, I don't think we have anything to fear really. We know Cork and dublin inside out, Donegal will be a new experience alright, but we have, I think, better kickers of the ball than most teams which may be crucial if we play them.

From a Kerry perspective, we're happy with the win today, but when the dust settles, everyone will realise that we've only won a qualifier and that 2 weeks time in the 1/4 final (hopefully!) will be a huge battle. Some of the players were quite exuberant (overly so, some would argue) at the end..some people have expressed "surprise" at that...but there was huge pressure on them from within AND outside the county...if they lost, a few of them would have to retire with the prospect of having the "never beat Tyrone" line thrown at them for eternity aswell as losing at home and being the first Kerry team in 17 years to be beaten in Killarney in the c/ship, so I can understand the emotion...but they will be brought back to earth with a bang this week I'm sure.

As for today's game...Kerry by far the better team I thought, could have won by more. Tyrone hadn't a stitch of a forward really apart from young McCurry who is a good prospect. Stevie O'Neill obviously wasn't near fit, Mugsy was well contained, Penrose hardly touched the ball and was taken off. Strange to see such an non-effective Tyrone forward line. Coney & Kavanagh are huge losses obviously. Galvin and Donaghy had their best game since last year at least for us..great 2nd half by Donaghy. Most of the team played well, Darran Sull, Curtin and O'Leary made good impact from the bench aswell.

Coldrick really is an appalling ref, it has to be said...I hate criticising refs as they have a thankless job, but today is a good example of all that is wrong with modern refereeing. Guaranteed you will have McEneaney, Bannon and all the referee big-wigs telling us that he had a great game though.
Firstly, this GAA unique tradition of booking 2 people whenever there is an incident is a joke. Coldrick did this at least 4 times today I think. He funked out of a lot of decisions for both sides. Curtin's reckless hit at the end was at least as bad as Mcguigan's to be fair, so why wasn't it red....there was no consistency. Can't believe an experienced guy like Brian would be so silly though. Conor Gormley, on numerous occasions went in with the knee and also likes to catch people by the throat which should be a booking, but it went unpunished. Filthy late tackle on Gooch on the stand side aswell at one stage.
Kerry got a free in the first half when O'Donoghue fell over with nobody near him really. Darran O'Sullivan got a very soft free in the second half....I could go on, and on. Maybe none of the decisions changed the game, but down the line in bigger games they could make a difference, thats the problem.

Anyway, the real championship is underway and I'm just glad we're still there. would expect Kerry, Kildare, Meath and Down to be the 4 qualifiers facing the 4 provincial winners..thats where things will really hot up.

Lastly, fair play to Mickey Harte (and a few of the Tyrone players who we might not see again)...he took his time leaving the field this evening and stopped signing autographs and posing for photographs with people, which given what he and his family have gone through is a remarkable testament to the man's humanity if nothing else. Whether he stays or goes, he has been a brilliant manager and good for Gaelic Football.

Two good posts. 

Kerry by far the better team in a fairly ill-tempered, ill disciplined game.  Coldrick was appaling but it didn't affect the outcome.  Some other poster said it but I thought Tyrone looked lethargic and to use a modern term, "leggy".  They didn't look "up for it" for some reason.  I'm not sure how good Kerry are but I'd say they're one of the few good kick passing teams left in the Championship.  Anyway I think a 10 point victory was about right.  But respect to M Harte.

Look lad, when real talent breaks through, you sit up and take notice. There'e no such thing in the Tyrone team at the moment.

[Tyrone have been in freefall since '09, with no sign of any talent coming through. They seem to be heading the same way as Armagh and Derry, in fact the Ulster championship look to be in serious decline.]

No harm with showing a bit of emotion after the game. Fair play to the Kingdom, they played on a different level to Tyrone yesterday.

Tyrone have been in freefall since '09, with no sign of any talent coming through. They seem to be heading the same way as Armagh and Derry, in fact the Ulster championship look to be in serious decline.

So the likes of Peter Harte, Clarke and McCurry don't count?

Seen much of McCurry have you?

Was he playing yesterday?

Oisin McGonville is some dope "I wouldn't write off down for the rest of the year".

Why Oisin you clown?

Tyrone are still way ahead of Armagh who in turn are miles ahead of Derry.

How many players from the 3 counties would get on the Kerry team?

There's not much between them all. You wouldn't have a top team with the pick from the 3 of them.

[Tyrone have been in freefall since '09, with no sign of any talent coming through. They seem to be heading the same way as Armagh and Derry, in fact the Ulster championship look to be in serious decline.]

No harm with showing a bit of emotion after the game. Fair play to the Kingdom, they played on a different level to Tyrone yesterday.

Tyrone have been in freefall since '09, with no sign of any talent coming through. They seem to be heading the same way as Armagh and Derry, in fact the Ulster championship look to be in serious decline.

So the likes of Peter Harte, Clarke and McCurry don't count? Tyrone have plenty of underage talent to develop and there's no better man than Mickey Harte to mould them into seniors Even now they remain in the top 6-8 teams in the country, promoted back D1 at a canter in the spring. If the last three years are 'freefall', it's strange that the vast majority of counties would happily take their results - Tyrone won yet another Ulster minor title today.

The irony of what you've said is Kerry are far more likely for a rough landing in the coming years than Tyrone are.

I don't think any of those players put their hands up last night. I thought Tyrone were beat in every position last night, with no sign of any young talent that would be good enough at the highest level. Plenty of counties have had success at underage without it translating into the senior side.

Ironically, Kerry haven't won a minor since '94 but seem to bring in 1-2 players every year.

Ulster football is in serious decline and Tyrone are so far behind now, they remind me of Armagh/Derry, its scary.

We'll see what they will do in the future, I wouldn't hold my breath. I don't think they caught a ball around the middle of the park all day yest.

No harm with showing a bit of emotion after the game. Fair play to the Kingdom, they played on a different level to Tyrone yesterday.

Tyrone have been in freefall since '09, with no sign of any talent coming through. They seem to be heading the same way as Armagh and Derry, in fact the Ulster championship look to be in serious decline.

They should have a Christy Ring equivalent in the football where the likes of Derry & Kilkenny footballers could realisticaly compete for some silverware.

The Derry boys wouldn't beat snow of a rope.

Derry are being beat by triple scores. They must be the worse team in Ulster. 

Tbh sundays conditions suited donegal in that the main weapons to beat a team with donegals tatics were negated as long range point taking and accurate long passing are made nearly impossible. Meaning that donegal had time to get back and pack defence. Maybe if roles reversed donegal would have won any way but only because brennans derry don't do packed defenses like donegal do with their anti football approach. Don't get me wrong donegal did what they thought they needed to win and made most of what ref gave them I hope derry would have done same in that situation. But I don't but into the notion that donegal would have won penalty or not as it was even up till that point. Derry may be on way out but there has been strides forward for derry and the mental block of not getting to final next step is to win one. Kildare this sat won't get it as easy as a lot of u boys seem to think.

I read an article about Brennan in the Irish Times on Sat. He said that footballs a simple game, you have to get your forwards to score and your defenders to defend.

That seemed to be his gameplan on Sunday, which obviously failed to work. Fail for Brennan.

Maybe it's not as simple as you think Brennan. He should have devised some tactic to try and counter the swarm Donegal defence.

The jury remains out on Brennan this year. Derry beat a hopeless Fermanagh team and an Armagh team that are on the slide. I saw Armagh get hammered in the league by a 14 man Cork team and realised that they're a spent force at the game.

So your point about Derry having improved this year is fairly suspect. If Kildare beat ye well, which I suspect they will, would you consider it to be a successful season?

Yeah but take the donegal pen out of it as it should not have been given and put in the derry one that should have been given that wipes out the six points. Without the pen would donegal have got them two points or kill off game the way they did I doubt it. Neither team had started second half too well and the ball in for pen was more a hopeful punt than a pass. And just cause u write a wee bita irish at end of a post don't make ur points any more correct

If the roles had been reversed and Derry had been awarded a dodgy peno, I honestly believe the Donegal players would have rolled up their sleeves and still have won the game comfortably.

You could see throughout the second half that they were the more determined players with a steely attitude. Donegal also had a game plan and 2 forwards capable of executing it.

What was Derry's game plan, it certainly wasn't apparent during the 70 min's.

Brennan's pathetic whine is just an attempt to take the heat away from his inept gameplan and inability to upset the Donegal mass defence. I would have expected more from a man of Brennans experience. He should have taken his beating like a man and accepted that Derry were second best on the day and at that a poor second.

I can only see one outcome for Derry on Sat.

Auf wiedersehn!

Nobackdoor ur contradicting urself now as it was the penalty that kick started donegals second half dominance and I think they would not have played so well without it. The penalty gave donegal upper hand and the room to impose their ultra defensive style on rest of game

It certainly gave Donegal some momentum, but the gap at the end was 6 points. The sign of a good team is that resilience to triumph in the face of adversity.  Derry are very far from beiang a good team and as I alraedy stated they were lamentable on Sunday. Donegal dominated the second half of the game and Derry were patently lacking any sort of game plan.

Brennan is a great man to whine, maybe he should look a bit closer to home at himself and his players to see where the real reasons of the loss reside.

IMO the form of the Ulster final will take a hammering in the latter stages of the championship, Donegal will be exposed as being a mediocre side and Derry, well they've already been revealed as  a team of journeymen at best.

Slan Doire, ta sibh an lag

The penalty was harsh IMO.

However Brennan's team were beat off the pitch in the second half. Derry scored a sum total of 3 points in the second half which is a pitiful return at this level. Derry should have used the ball more effectively and come up with some plan to negate Donegal's mass defence.

Derry are almost impotent without the Bradley bros and on Sat night, Kildare will beat seven lumps of shite out of them and Brennan will have another whine.

Derry & Brennan will be out of the championship and we won't have to listen to your whining anymore. You're just nowhere near what's required, so don't be blaming the ref for your ineptness lads.

Donegal's game will be exposed by Cork or Kerry in Croke Park

Probably but so will most teams. If Donegal had been offered Div 2 and Ulster titles in January they would have been very happy.

Donegal took some nice scores today, but I thought Derry were beyond bad. Well done to Donegal on their provincial success, but I do fell there limited game plan will be exposed by a team possessing calibre players like the aforementioned teams.