Muineachán V Ard Mhaca USFC

[mountainboii]

Looking ahead for Armagh. With Mallon out the next day will MOR get a game. Will Ronan Clarke be fit. Will the defence see any changes?

Probably depends on the draw. If they get a London or Longford they might give one or two lads a chance, but if it's a Donegal or Kildare they'll probably stick with what they know. I'd have O'Rourke back in the team in a flash, especially after the clueless, ineffective displays of one or two yesterday.

[Main Street]

I have to take it all back in my dissagreement with Bingo over "massive changes" needed in the Monaghan game
Who could have imagined such full rear replacement surgery on a team on the eve of the big match.


In Peadair O´Donnell's excellent book "When the Gates Flew Open", he tells of an escape attempt from Mountjoy during the Civil War. All the plans were set in motion. The final piece was getting the help one of the screws who was sympathetic.
Just as the plan was about to be effected, that screw was asked to help but he hesitated and refused. The escape plan flopped. Peadair wrote that the screw should have been asked for his help a few days earlier in order for him to adjust from being sympathetic to being active, that the sudden shock of being asked to become an active participant immediately, was too much.

It appears Banty left it late to inform the rest of the team who were not directly involved with the goalkeeping change that the sub goalie would not be used to replace first choice Duffy. Maybe the circumstances dictated the timing, but as Duffy was an injury worry for some time, it was late to come up with a radical plan B.
Credit to the team who adjusted to the circumstances and got their heads together.

[INDIANA]

On the positive side for Armagh:

1. Hearty's kickouts were good, he had no chance with the goal, and he saved a point by catching the ball on top of the crossbar. Well done Paul.
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If you are looking for another positive i thought Duffy was excellent.

Jamie Clarke looks class as well. A footballer as well. Not a bodybuilder.

[Schkite]

Indeed, Jamie Clarke looks like he's got the right stuff, played very well along McDonnell in the opening 15-20 minutes and with better ball in the second half during the period Monaghan sat back, could have done more damage. The point he got in the second half was excellent I thought, the way he got the ball under pressure with three defenders around him, got dispossessed by McQuaid, but got the ball back and put it over the bar under pressure. Looks like a real find.

[illdecide]

Indeed, Jamie Clarke looks like he's got the right stuff, played very well along McDonnell in the opening 15-20 minutes and with better ball in the second half during the period Monaghan sat back, could have done more damage. The point he got in the second half was excellent I thought, the way he got the ball under pressure with three defenders around him, got dispossessed by McQuaid, but got the ball back and put it over the bar under pressure. Looks like a real find.

Yes true enough but he lost the ball a good few times and was blocked down 3 times too, he's a lot to learn but def has the potential to make it but he's far from the finished article yet

[Olly]

I thought there was some great catching and long kicking in this game by both sides.

Armagh I love to watch as their players are real men. They have rippling bodies and have obviously spent a long time in the gym working on their torsos and arm muscles and shoulder reps. However, when it's a very sunny day they seem to sweat a lot more and are gasping away for breadth whilst smaller boys like Freeman and Hanratty are bouncing about like little cheeky lambs.

As much as Armagh are a sight for sore eyes, I think their whole management set up needs to be aware than big men don't neccessarily deliver the big package when things get hot.

On another note, did anyone else see the sign on the M1 outside the slip road sign before Junction 2. It said A55 Outer Ring. It looked like Ass Outer Ring !!!! I laughed and laughed.

[Onion Bag]

Well done to monaghan a great display,

if they can keep producing performances like that, they will get a good decent run in the All Ireland and will def win Ulster.

[Main Street]

Indeed, Jamie Clarke looks like he's got the right stuff, played very well along McDonnell in the opening 15-20 minutes and with better ball in the second half during the period Monaghan sat back, could have done more damage. The point he got in the second half was excellent I thought, the way he got the ball under pressure with three defenders around him, got dispossessed by McQuaid, but got the ball back and put it over the bar under pressure. Looks like a real find.

Yes true enough but he lost the ball a good few times and was blocked down 3 times too, he's a lot to learn but def has the potential to make it but he's far from the finished article yet

He showed enough that he is  a class act in the making.
He was too raw to this level to make the difference on his own in the second half and not through a packed enough defense made up of cute old timers. There was a small window for Armagh in the 2nd half, but closed after those 2 easy points were missed and were quickly followed by 4 in a row for Monaghan

[mountainboii]

Indeed, Jamie Clarke looks like he's got the right stuff, played very well along McDonnell in the opening 15-20 minutes and with better ball in the second half during the period Monaghan sat back, could have done more damage. The point he got in the second half was excellent I thought, the way he got the ball under pressure with three defenders around him, got dispossessed by McQuaid, but got the ball back and put it over the bar under pressure. Looks like a real find.

Yes true enough but he lost the ball a good few times and was blocked down 3 times too, he's a lot to learn but def has the potential to make it but he's far from the finished article yet

He showed enough that he is  a class act in the making.
He was too raw to this level to make the difference on his own in the second half and not through a packed enough defense made up of cute old timers. There was a small window for Armagh in the 2nd half, but closed after those 2 easy points were missed and were quickly followed by 4 in a row for Monaghan

Yeah, McDonnell had a scoreable enough free and Swift went through 30 seconds later only to tip the ball into the keepers arms from 21 yards. Had we got those two, it would've been down to four with 10 and a bit minutes left, and maybe Monaghan might have got a bit jittery. Instead both were missed and Monaghan went up the field and got a 50, which Finlay put over to push it back out to seven. That was the end of any Armagh resistance, Monaghan tagged on points for fun after that.

[Main Street]

I was well pleased with Hanratty yesterday, especially his pass for Freeman's goal.
The ball is like a hot potato in his hand at times and at other times he works himself into a strange frenzy. I´d guess at club level he is a handfull, but at this level it is another game.
If the lad could just use his speed and craft to get in front of his marker, grab the pass, but then relax a few degrees, find his man and lay off the ball, he could be a very useful cog in attack.

[EC Unique]

Well done to monaghan a great display,

if they can keep producing performances meeting teams that roll over like that, they will get a good decent run in the All Ireland and will def win Ulster.

Fixed

[mackers]

I was well pleased with Hanratty yesterday, especially his pass for Freeman's goal.
The ball is like a hot potato in his hand at times and at other times he works himself into a strange frenzy. I´d guess at club level he is a handfull, but at this level it is another game.
If the lad could just use his speed and craft to get in front of his marker, grab the pass, but then relax a few degrees, find his man and lay off the ball, he could be a very useful cog in attack.

He has football in him, I was well impressed with him when we beat ye in the u21 final in Omagh a few years back, but he has a wing mirrors issue. He sh1t himself when confronted by McKeever a couple of times and pulled out of a 50-50 in front of us in the first half.

Lavery looks like the only one with the required tools. Armagh are at a crossroads One wonders will that little wizard off their minors at corner forward last year be given a shot at it. Or simply be deemed too small. The latter I'd suspect. A sea change is required in Armagh football in my view. Talent has to supercede size. Currently in Armagh the latter is king IMO.
[/quote]

That was the most pleasing aspect of our minor win last year was that it was based on a lot of attacking talent, something that we need badly in the senior set up, we'll have to wait a while before those guys are ready for senior inter county action.

[Sandy Hill]

What a terrible performance; shades of 1995? against Derry in the Athletic Grounds. Grasping at straws, the "positives" I gleaned from yesterday were Hearty, Donaghy?, Duffy, Clarke (inspiring) and McDonnell. Just imagine what will be the outcome if we draw Kerry or Cork in the Qualifiers; doesn't bear thinking about! How come O'Rourke seemed to be so cool, dispassionate almost, on the sideline?

[Jinxy]

I thought there was some great catching and long kicking in this game by both sides.

Armagh I love to watch as their players are real men. They have rippling bodies and have obviously spent a long time in the gym working on their torsos and arm muscles and shoulder reps. However, when it's a very sunny day they seem to sweat a lot more and are gasping away for breadth whilst smaller boys like Freeman and Hanratty are bouncing about like little cheeky lambs.

As much as Armagh are a sight for sore eyes, I think their whole management set up needs to be aware than big men don't neccessarily deliver the big package when things get hot.

On another note, did anyone else see the sign on the M1 outside the slip road sign before Junction 2. It said A55 Outer Ring. It looked like Ass Outer Ring !!!! I laughed and laughed.

Good man Olly. 

[Ulick]

How come O'Rourke seemed to be so cool, dispassionate almost, on the sideline?

All part of the plan. Sure, who cares about another Ulster title?