AISF 2010: Corcaigh vs Áth Cliath

[cogito]

I honestly think Dublin will be waiting quite a few years for a better chance to win an All-Ireland after today.

I admire what Gilroy has done there and I respect the intensity, work-rate and graft Dublin brought to Croke Park this year. It was refreshing to see the whole-set up stripped back to basics. However, in my opinion hard-work only gets you so far. Hard-word lets you compete with the best teams but 9 times out of ten, the better team will break you down once you get tired and that happened today. Dublin's work-rate was exceptional but there is no way they could maintain that level of performance for 70 minutes.

I'll give it to Bernard, he has fantastic abillity. However, I do think he is too greedy. His last point should have been worked to try and get a goal and I thought that kick was pretty much saying, "Look at me, We're losing but I got another point so give me an All-Star".

O'Gara does serious work for BB, but needs to seriously brush up on his basic skills. From a Cork POV Colm O'Neill was exceptional when he came on. What was Counihan thinking thought starting Carey on BB? That was madness.

[cogito]

And even Stevie Wonder saw that was a penalty..

[tyroneman]

Who are the top 3?

What basis now makes them top 3?

I would have thought that as Munster and Ulster champions this year and having shared every All Ireland between them since 2003 - Tyrone and Kerry would still qualify (on averagesuccess) as 2 of the top 3 teams in the country.

Cork are the next best thing.

Just my opinion and yes - technically the 2 teams in the final this year could be classified as the top 2..this year.

[Rossfan]

Top 3 ... Cork, Kildare and Down.
None of them too far ahead of "the pack"

[The Real Laoislad]

And even Stevie Wonder saw that was a penalty..

Watching it again on the Sunday Game it was even more clear cut that I had previously thought,Brian O'Driscol would have been proud of that tackle

[johnpower]

Tough luck on the Dubs today , I think that they will learn a lot from today and will be a serious team over the next number of years . Cork will be pleased in the manner that they got through . It will be an interesting challenge for Conor Counihan and his back room team of what is their best starting 15 . No doubt the penalty was the turning point 

[paddypastit]

Thoughts from the match:


1. The penalty was a nailed on, stonewall no brainer. Simple as that.

2. Cork were there for the taking.

3. Cork are seriously overrated but have the best bench in football.

4. And have at last devleoped a set of b@lls

5. Gilroy has done wonders with that Dublin team

6. Dublin are still not a "top 3" team and won't be until they get some composure in the last 10 on a regular basis

7. The "top 3" themselves are not really that far ahead of the pack.

7. Bernard Brogan is feckin fantastic - never thought he would be that good when he came on the scene.

8. McConnell let his team down badly today in the final quarter. Brainless.

That is a good and fair summary. I was on the corner of the Davin and Cusack stands and had a 'side on' view of the penalty. What the photos above don't show is that McConnell 'drove through' his man. As Donnelly's said, the only question was how a man on a yellow card managed to get away without a second for that foul.

As to the Dublin changes, Bud should be declaring his Boden membership in making the case for Keaney. O'Gara is no butterfly and was not as good today as in each of the last two days but he did endless ploughing for Brogan - the type of selfless dirty work that Keaney would never do. When Keaney did come in he made bad decisions on the ball and did nothing to take the pressure off Brogan.

Dublin played this game at a very high pace and in the last ten minutes that caught up with them. McConnell's indiscretions were a result of a tired mind as much as anything else.

My reaction on the final whistle was that the best team lost but then factor in all the possession Cork had, the wides, the number of frees that Dublin conceded and that Cork came from 5 points down within the last 20/25 minutes and it is hard not to say that Cork deserved it.

In terms of the All Ireland, I think there is an awful amount of ramaish being written here about how either Cork or Dublin would / will win the final. For my money, literally, going into the semi finals these two teams were 3rd and 4th best of those left in the championship in terms of performances this year to date and that has to be the reference point for assessing their prospects. Granted Cork have experience and a great squad and having emerged from this test will likely be favourites but barely deserved.   

[magpie seanie]

That is a good and fair summary. I was on the corner of the Davin and Cusack stands and had a 'side on' view of the penalty. What the photos above don't show is that McConnell 'drove through' his man. As Donnelly's said, the only question was how a man on a yellow card managed to get away without a second for that foul.

I know I'm in a small minority on this one but does no-one think the defender was pulled over?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

That is a good and fair summary. I was on the corner of the Davin and Cusack stands and had a 'side on' view of the penalty. What the photos above don't show is that McConnell 'drove through' his man. As Donnelly's said, the only question was how a man on a yellow card managed to get away without a second for that foul.

I know I'm in a small minority on this one but does no-one think the defender was pulled over?

There was definitely an 'element' of that; a consummate draw for the foul.

[ballela-angel]

Someone earlier mentioned Bernard Brogan wearing an ear-piece - I thought I saw one too - Can anyone shed any light on that one?

[paddypastit]

That is a good and fair summary. I was on the corner of the Davin and Cusack stands and had a 'side on' view of the penalty. What the photos above don't show is that McConnell 'drove through' his man. As Donnelly's said, the only question was how a man on a yellow card managed to get away without a second for that foul.

I know I'm in a small minority on this one but does no-one think the defender was pulled over?

There was definitely an 'element' of that; a consummate draw for the foul.

There was and that is clear in the last of the three photos in the sequence. I didn't see the play back on TV but from the angle I had O' Connell drove forward into O'Neill with his upper body, had both hands free and around the attacker - think you can see that in the first photo of the sequence and had already taken his feet off the ground with the impact of the  'body hug' (again that is clear in the photo). The entrapment of the arm comes on the way down - 'just to be sure like'.

From that discussion though and it was referreed elsewhere, the Cork team is right up there as being one of the most cynical around at the minute. They were falling and feigning against Roscommon, again today and against Kerry. Mind you they got plenty of legitimate contact today as well and while there were a few soft frees either way, they evened out.  Thought the referee was barely with the game but wasn't a winning or losing factor for either side IMO.

[magpie seanie]

Yeah and actually in contrast I saw several Dublin players getting heavy rattles and just getting on with it. Fair play to them.

[ONeill]

It looked more like ear plugs himself and O'Gara were wearing.

Did they think:

a) It'd cut out the crowd
b) It's cut out any trash-talking
c) The "whistle" ?

[Orangemac]

Definite penalty and yellow card. This was the turning point, Cork were kind of huffing and puffing until this. The introduction of O'Neill gave Cork a focal point, up until then only Kerrigan provided any kind of spark.

If Dublin had a few subs ( dare I say it Glenn Ryan or Jayo) for the last 10 minutes with a bit of composure they should have won. Like some others I don't agree with this there's always next year. This opportunity should have been seized.

Still get the impression ther is no real game plan with Cork just constant driving from half back through tackles.

Whoever wins next week will more than likely go into the final as underdogs. Both Kildare and Down would have better 16-20s than Dublin and would probably be more tactially aware than Dublin.

Dublin do deserve a lot of credit for the distance they have came since last year but next year will be harder still.

[Donnellys Hollow]

If Dublin had a few subs ( dare I say it Glenn Ryan or Jayo) for the last 10 minutes with a bit of composure they should have won. Like some others I don't agree with this there's always next year. This opportunity should have been seized.

Jaysus they'd never get away with that would they??