Down Club Hurling & Football

[NP 76]

A lot of changes to a team that won last week. I read somewhere that Roscommon were a very big team from 7 to 12 what size is Magee? He def deserved a run after impressing in the Mc kenna cup. This won't be no easy ride but hopefully Newry will swing it for us

[Mourne Rover]

Garvey was named at full back last week but instead spent most of the game following his man out the field. He is still a fine defender and it would be a surprise if he does not start when the championship comes round. Howard is a more natural corner back and McArdle is probably our best bet on the square at the moment but McCorry will want to see a couple of other options during the league.

[ardtole]

Best of luck to portaferry today.

[Shamrocks Gaelp]

Anyword on the minor panel?

[Smurfy123]

After last weeks smash and grab I thought we would push on.A complete shambles from start to finish.Add to Kildare getting beat tonight really puts last week into perspective.The sooner Dan Gordan and Marty Clarke are back the better.Not one starting player tonight would start for Dublin.I could go on.I said here 2 weeks ago that Kildares form was poor and got ate for it.Pushed off the ball all to often.Anyone know this strength mans background?Full report to follow tomorrow

[Shamrocks Gaelp]

Bad bad display tonight. Out classed all over the field, especially in midfield and full forward. Donie shine and Senan Kilbride typified what we need, a quick, strong target man. I was absolutely dumbfounded by either the managements or stevie Kane's decision to continue with long, aim less, kickouts, however mooneys dead leg and mckernans black card were huge turning points. Re assesment is needed

[supersub]

I presume you are referring to Sloan the strength and conditioning coach. What has he got to do with it? In the short space of time he has been working with the team the effect his knowledge, training and overall involvement would plan to have made would not bare fruit on the second weekend in February. He is someone who's involvement is a long term goal and end results cannot be judged now. Things such as fitness, ball handling, decision making, score taking can all be worked on and improved week to week with a noticeable improvement in the majority of these over a short space of time. No need to push the panic button, usual story ensuing, last week a win and we were the bees knees, this week a defeat and we aren't good enough. Nothing proved this early in the year, don't get too dispondant.

[Smurfy123]

Good point super sub.You seem to know your stuff.

[Mourne Rover]

It's always disappointing to lose at home, but we at least showed some spirit and an ability to reorganise when it looked as though we might get a hammering from a side which was packed with huge and very capable players down the middle. The result also emphasised that we are very much a work in progress and we need to get our own bigger men back if we are to make a lasting impact.

While McCorry pretty clearly started the wrong team, he made a range of astute changes which might even have got us a draw if we had not been on the wrong end of some questionable cards. McKernan was a huge loss early on and getting reduced to 14 through Howard's dismissal early in the second half gave us a mountain to climb.

The Derry referee did us very few favours, with the most inept decision coming when a Roscommon defender collided with his own keeper and was immediately given a free which led directly to a point for them, However, the comeback was still on and a few cooler heads in the closing stages could just about have rescued a result we would not really have deserved.

Kane's handling was excellent although our well beaten midfield  and half backs seldom won possession from his kick-outs. O'Hagan was impressive again against a fine corner forward and Howard battled away against an opponent who was a head taller than him. Turley found the going tough, although McArdle had another decent display. We missed McKernan badly after his early black card and Devlin never really settled in an unusual role at wing half but put over a couple of fine frees.

Madine never rediscovered his form from last week but Fitzpatrick improved steadily after a poor start and looked much more comfortable in the closing stages.

Maginn and Laverty worked as hard as ever and it was a pity that Mooney, after a couple of eye-catching runs and a brilliant catch, seemed to pull a hamstring so early. O'Hare started like a train but faded in the second half, while Crilly and Savage were sadly too small and too light for this particular contest.

Poland never got into the game from the bench with Gavey also out of sorts before his black card. However, Johnston was impressive before taking a late knock and McConville was in the right place again for a goal and a point, O'Hanlon has potential but needs to watch his discipline, while Donnnelly never settled.

We probably expected to lose to Kildare and beat Roscommon, and typically we have got it the other way around, but we still have two points from two games. The next fixture, away to Cavan, will be likely to tell us if we have a realistic hope of promotion.

[whitegoodman]

That was pretty abject last night.  There is no dressing it, first half was probably worse than James last game against Kildare.

I have a lot of respect for what McCorry has done and I know it's early days and whatever but there are a few strange/worrying things that are continuing to happen.

- for the majority of the first half we had 6 fowards none of whivh are even close to 6 ft.  Is this realistic, all nice quick forwards but against bigger and stronger men will this work? We will come up against bigger, stronger and better teams than Roscommon and we were bullied out of it last night.  Big Arthur has his limitations but at least he has the strength and power to cause teams some problems.  Can you complete with the likes of Crilly, Maginn, Savage, Jerome, Laverty and O Hare all in the one forward line?? IMO at least two of Ryan Johnston, McKernan, Mallon and Mooney need to start in forward line.

- is this midfield going to be a long term option?  Are there not other options? Has McCorry made a rod for his own back here?

- Luke Howard was on a man at least 4 inches taller than him.  We were lucky than no high balls were sent in on him but in a world where we are seeing a more and more professional approach this seemed to be very amateurish.

- lads playing in positions that are they are not accustomed to.  Madine at midfield, Devlin at wing back/ midfield.  I have heard of lads that play in the forward line for their clubs playing corner back in training.  Is this McCorry trying to be a tactical genius and making something that isn't there.  Square pegs round holes and all that!!

Jim is coming in and trying to make an impact and I get that but not providing a bit of leniency to experienced footballers who have still something to offer such as Gordon, Coulter, Rooney and Rodgers many come back to haunt him.  Common denominator with all of them lads, size and power not to mention ability.

Again it's early days but that is now five games played and probably another 5 challenge matches and I'd suggest Jim still doesn't have a clue wha his best 15 is.  There is still time before June but I'd be more worried about getting another 4 points to be safe first. MR has suggested that the Cavan game will determine whether we have any prospects of promotion.  It may also determine if we have any prospects of relegation.

Positives from last nigh;  Kane seems like a decent option, composed, vocal and a good kick out.  Whe the ball was played early into Donal and Jerome there were capable of taking scores.  Donnelly put his weight about and may offer something around the middle.

[NP 76]

Totally agree with you WGM. Most of our forwards are corner men who just don't have the power to brake the tackle and create an opportunity. When the ball is delivered in early we look dangerous but we won't do this and continually turn back. We have no leaders on the field who can dictate things. Last night I think we made 3-4 clean catches but yet our keeper continued to kick straight down the middle when we were winning nothing. Roscommon had men running through us at will last night at one stage Kilbride was being tackled by 3 down men and they couldn't get him stopped he then tripped and yet was still able to get the ball away. We replace men with small men as we have no other choice. If Kalum king and Dan Gordon can't offer us something around the middle more than we have now I don't know where we will go. To be honest we stole it last week which probably gave us a false sense of where we are last night a more true reflection. On the sending off I just can't work out when a man is just after getting a yellow why get involved in the next instance that happens I just find that stupid

[Mourne Rover]

We were probably a little too pleased with ourselves after the Kildare game, and we seem to be heading in the opposite direction after the Roscommon defeat, so we need a degree of perspective. This Down team is very much a work in progress and there are likely to be good and bad days throughout the rest of what looks like a pretty tight division.

It would be great if we could draft in some physically strong and capable central players, but there is no indication that Gordon and King are going to make themselves available, Ambrose's fitness remains uncertain and Rooney's form was not great last summer. It is not impossible that Benny could be talked out of retirement but it would depend on how he gets on when Mayobridge's season starts. Marty should return when his condition permits it, although the timetable remains unclear.

We will have to get the best out of present squad in the meantime, and we can at least look forward to seeing the Warrenpoint contingent back in action. Mallon would certainly give us an option around the midfield and half forward line, while Boyle and McCartan will be in contention for defensive places. McGarry is another talented but light forward, and last night showed that we have yet to get the balance right up front.

While Roscommon deserved their win, they did most of the damage in the ten minutes after McKernan's debatable black card. The way we responded when Howard got his red early in the second half gives us at least some encouragement, but the margin between pushing for promotion and slipping towards the other end of the table is going to be narrow.

[urbangael]

The engine room is where Down are lacking, point taken about small men but our smaller men will do damage when they get the right ball, O'Hare and jerome were examples of this.  O'Hagan is our smallest defender yet our best. The need for a more physical presence is obvious round half back, half forward lines and midfield.  Still not convinced about maidine in there. People keep referring to big dan and it would be great to have him back but by all accounts he can't commit due to work and family life so let's move on.   Gordon owes nothing to down.  Big Arthur showed enough physical presence to warrant more mins and mooney was mixing it we'll too Ryan johnston another realistic option here as well. Any update on the mooney injury? No point lads on the panel have they got time off or what's the story.  Crilly and savage look too light weight what about any other panelists, is Downey at well over 6ft worth a look?

[Shamrocks Gaelp]

Genuinely thought that after a couple of years out in the cold big packie would get his chance this year. Good to see him down on the bench the other night and in fairness that was a night for a big man like him. I think mccorry needs to try a couple of new combinations in the midfield and full back lines.

[Brick Tamlin]

Lets be honest here. That was as shite a performance at home under lights as I can remember in recent times. Some boys in here like to sugar coat and spin oul crap about returning players coming back and saving the day. A lot of fellas standing watching or at home on the couch surely make a big difference but they aren't available for whatever reasons. It just isn't going to happen. Forget about it. Roscommon are a decent side and would have designs on their own provincial championship so not taking too much away from a good win for them.

But from a Down perspective there were a lot of areas for improvement and one would hope that management will identify these pretty soon and remedy them for next day out. In our next game if the same mistakes or traits remain then you would be asking serious questions.

Kane is an able Goalkeeper and its between him and Cunningham for the jersey, but one thing that drives me crazy is the amount of times we hit re-starts high and down the middle of the field for a possession lottery. Can we not ping the ball 50yrds to a man's chest or into 10yrds space for him to run onto rather than the hoof down the middle. Not pointing finger totally at keepers here as there is a shared responsibility for players to make runs too and management to introduce a system that works. Possession is key more than ever, moreso when we have a makeshift midfield a team of midgets. Possession from kickouts is definitely an area for improvement.

The amount of times that we were brushed off in the contact was again astounding. And this wasn't just from the smaller guys. Only when we had numbers surrounding a man in possession did we look like creating turnovers but when a man came off the shoulder with any sort of pace it was clear to see how easy they could break the lines through defence.
In terms of our Lineup or shape - Devlin is no defender and never will be. Likewise for Madine and midfield.

We have a serious lack of physicality and height in the squad to compete and this is worrying. In this case id be expecting the bigger and more experienced men to be showing up and leading the way and to be frank they aren't stepping up and aren't leading. The last time McKernan played any in a Down jersey was couple years ago in Celtic Park. His black card was inexcusable. Id be expecting him to lead by example in how he plays and the same for few others. Players that are booked, ticked or even on the ref's radar that get themselves involved in anything silly have only themselves to blame if they walk. The risk is too much in todays game especially with incompetent refs. Donal O'Hare kicking a free kick from less than 30yrds into keepers hands is inexcusable. Not to be totally anti-Burren either, but these are just instances that stick out in the game. If anything id have doubted that Dan McCartan or Decky Rooney would have been bullied as much by Shine or Senan Kilbride. They would been tailor made for them in fact.

We cant carry a team of midgets especially in forward division. A good big one will always be better than a good wee one. We have a legion of good wee ones.