NFL DIV3

Trevor Hill · April 25, 2009, 09:54:59 AM

I am surprised that Ross is using the U21s, they have a much more important game coming up. At the end of the day this is a meaningless game, no one really cares if we win or not, promotion was the main aim. The U21 AIF and the preliminary round against Fermanagh are much more important to our season.
Garvey had a good game last day out when he was switched to full back, O`Reilly scored 3 fantastic points last week at the same venue for the U21s. No Paul Murphy

cavan4ever · April 25, 2009, 10:16:38 AM

Quote from: Trevor Hill on April 24, 2009, 06:39:29 PM
Promotion is already in the bag but defeat by Tipperary in Saturday's Allianz NFL Division 3 would not augur well for Down's Championship chances.

Anything other than promotion would have been dismal for Ross Carr's side and their form was mixed enough given defeats by Cavan and Limerick.

The Mourne County did defeat Tipperary 0-18 to 1-9 in their Division 3 league opener in February.

Down should again win with something to spare in Longford (1830 BST).

Despite that result on 1 February, Tipperary boss John Evans says that his team will have no fears at Pearse Park.

After that reverse, his teams produced five straight wins to claim a shock promotion and a shadow side's defeat in their final game against Longford didn't matter - as Division 2 football had already been guaranteed.

Evans has recalled all his main men for Saturday's encounter with only four players remaining for the Longford reverse.

Goalkeeper Paul Fitzgerald returns along with Conor Morrissey, Ciaran McDonald, Brian Fox and Christy Aylward in defence.

George Hannigan and Brian Jones are back in midfield while attack changes see Sean Carey, Niall Fitzgerald, James Tierney and Barry Grogan making their return.

Ross Carr may also be tempted to make changes to his line-up with Dan Gordan available again after being out for a couple of months because of injury.

However, Peter Fitzpatrick has been in excellent midfield form for both the seniors and under-21s and could be retained at centrefield alongside Stephen Kearney.

Daniel Hughes was Down's star attack against Roscommon as he hit four points from play while Paul McComiskey is also looking the part in the Down attack after being out of the equation for some time because of a serious back injury.

Overall, the Down attack has the look of a very formidable unit although Benny Coulter has not been quite at his brilliant best during the current league.

Down should get the job done on Sunday and anything other than a comprehensive victory will suggest that the Mournemen may again struggle to compete in the business end of the championship.

I dont think whoever wrote this piece has given enough respect to how far Tipp have come this year.

Louth Exile · April 25, 2009, 12:35:12 PM

C4E..... Have you heard the word?

cavan4ever · April 25, 2009, 02:58:58 PM

Quote from: Louth Exile on April 25, 2009, 12:35:12 PM
C4E..... Have you heard the word?

Bird is the work

Mourne Rover · April 25, 2009, 06:32:16 PM

Benny is out for Down, as are all the u21s. Dan starts, McArdle, Sexton and Cathal Magee in as wel.

downman · April 25, 2009, 06:35:39 PM

young down team

downgirl · April 25, 2009, 06:41:19 PM

Why is Benny out?

Mourne Rover · April 25, 2009, 07:21:40 PM

Benny went off injured in a club game a week ago. McAllister is in for McVeigh in goals, and has done well so far. However, it has been a dodgy enough performance from Down so far and we are lucky to be level at the break. If they had got a goal rather than a point from their penalty, we would be in trouble. Howard was caught the wrong side of a bigger opponent, although he has been otherwise good and the foul looked just outside the box.

Turley has been our best defender, and gives us a physical presence we need, but Rooney and Carr have been ordinary at wing half. Dan is playing his way back to match fitness slowly, but Kearney, after a decent league, has been disappointing.

Our best player has been Murtagh, who had been in mixed form over recent months but really looks the part today and took his goal cleverly. Hughes has won every ball down his wing without scoring,and the rest of the forwards are tackling well but not looking dangerous. Hopefully Ambrose will get a run in the second half, but we are struggling in a number of areas.

milltown row · April 25, 2009, 07:27:14 PM

halftime commentry was brutal, your man couldn't stay still and (although my Irish is shite) his Irish is shite

Down look tired now. only one winner here

Mourne Rover · April 25, 2009, 08:09:55 PM

ETwas always a possibility, although, despite an ordinary enough performance, we should have won it in normal time. When we got level, we managed to miss about five simple chances in a row. It was a decent recovery, after we looked a beaten team in the third quarter, but they had an easy chance with the last kick of the match and misplaced a pass. We finished the stronger side, but it is anyone's game in extra time.

Maguire01 · April 25, 2009, 08:43:32 PM

Congratulations to Tipp. I had a couple of quid on Down, but it's good to see Tipp prove everyone wrong this year. Good luck to them in the Championship.

Schkite · April 25, 2009, 08:47:01 PM

Well done to Tipp, great to see them win it and continue their great win. A very good chance of a Munster final this year the way they're playing. Like yourself Maguire I lost a bit of money on it too!

After all the talk of how many Ulster league winners there'd be, now a good possibility of none! $:-\$

INDIANA · April 25, 2009, 08:59:41 PM

hard to know how so many good underage players go so bad in down. Thesis material there.

Mourne Rover · April 25, 2009, 10:11:18 PM

There's not much wrong with our underage players, as they are in the AI u21 final and correctly they were all left out today. McComiskey and Fitzpatrick would have made a difference today, and we are never the same team without Benny.

However, the best side won, and, apart from the final quarter of normal time, when we took over and should have pulled away, we were always struggling with Tipp's pace and direct style.

A reality check will do us no harm going into the championship, as our league form had been mixed and a division three trophy might pursuaded us that we are further along the line than is actually the case.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect today was that Ambrose was not even fit for a ten-minute run, meaning that he is unlikely to feature against Fermanagh.

McAllister was good under the dropping ball but a horrendous short pass cost us a point and effectively the game in the first period of extra time. McGovern was reasonable, Garvey is stronger going foward than defensively and got a fine point in ET, while Howard started well but faded like a number of others.

Carr got a wonder point near the end, and put over some decent frees, but probably had his worst ever game for Down. He constantly gave the ball away or hit poor passes. Turley was taken off after a single handling error, probably prematurely, and Rooney was ordinary.

Dan took a couple of fantastic catches, as well as two fine points, and can only improve with match practice, but Kearney, after an encouraging leage, looked limited.

Sexton also needed a game, but was poor, and both Boyle and McArdle looked good early on but declined sharply. Murtagh had a fine first half but started running into blind alleys after the break and had a couple of dreadful misses from close in. Hughes kept trying, even when things were not working for him, and got a brilliant solo point but had a fairly frustrating eveing. Magee set up the goal, suffered from poor service and generally did OK.

Ireland worked very hard when he came on, and Cole steadied us at the back but gave the ball away cheaply going forward. Duffin got stuck in, but seemed to be responsible for possibly the worst pass of the night across his own 20m line. It was good to see Murphy back, although he probably should have won the game late on when he shot wide and had a man inside him.

All in all, the match confirmed that we are still a work in progress. Unforced errors were a major concern throughout, and Fermanagh will have seen very little to worry them. It would be very hard to predict our starting 15 in Enniskillen, and at least four u21s have a prospect of making it.

INDIANA · April 25, 2009, 10:21:44 PM

Juts an observation mate- None of your players seem to fufill their potential at senior level. Has to be a reason for it. Based on that You'll struggle to make the last 16. Tipp are a better outfit than they are given credit for but at the same time -you would have expected with down's track record they would be beating them.