AISF 2010: An Dún vs Cill Dara

[INDIANA]

suspected o callaghan took ten steps>

[fan01]

The Down fans let themselves down big time today...

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

Well done to Down, a very good performance. There will be a lot of talk about decisions from the officials but I felt Down were the better side over the piece and really shouldn't have found themselves hanging on at the end. They have a couple of superb players in the forwards and a good supporting cast. Add that to the confidence with which they are playing (an old cliche but a Down team with their tails up can beat anybody!) and  the fact that Cork haven't been fully convincing so far and Down have every chance of a very unlikely All-Ireland. Good luck to them.

[magpie seanie]

Give it 3 weeks and Down will be complaining about the ref.

Saying Down were the better side is moot. How good were they before they got that outrageously illegal goal?

[wavesofTORRES]

i totally disgusted at the outcome of what should have been a great game, the footy was poor at best from both teams, but the notion that slasher is the best ref around is dead and buried he simply stinks. yet again the outcome of a crucial match has been decided by gombeans in white coats how slasher threw up the ball in front of the down goals is a mystery to me when a down player can be seen clearly laying on top of the ball and touching it on the ground. it was a penalty no doubt. neither of these teams are good enough to be all ireland champs cork are the pick of a bad championship.

[Sandy Hill]

Could anyone paraphrase what Geezer said?

[Maiden1]

Could anyone paraphrase what Geezer said?

Few key decisions went against them. Down where very good

[bcarrier]

It was a square ball but with my red and black tinted glasses on i thought pat  did his damnest to even things up after it . Kildare had more than a bad rub of the green with the inches thing ... Woodwork well rattled today .

[Minder]

Most stupid question of the year, we have a winner


Joanne Cantwell to McGeeney - "Do you think the square ball decision and the "wide" point had a big bearing on the result"

McGeeney slightly bemused "Well it was four points".

[behind the wire]

Thought McGeeney spoke very well after the game, fair play to him. very sporting.

very exciting game. down got the rub of the green with decisions etc, great to make it to another final, it has been too long since the last one.

thought danny hughes and kevin mckernan were superb. and marty clarke is up there with the best i have ever seen in terms of skill and vision. if a few more players had his vision down would have had at least 3 goals today!

[naka]

geezer --a legend spoke with honesty this evening
wonder will croke park take a rattle at him when he said i wonder what the bigwigs are thinking about

[All of a Sludden]

[quote author=oakleafgael link=topic=16980.msg843114#msg843114
Down actually managed to beat the team that had McEneaney on board. The umpires made two mistakes that cost Kildare dearly but "the best ref in the country" gave Kildare an awful amount of handy frees. Both goals should have been disallowed.
[/quote]

McEneaney isn't to blame for allowing Downs goal or disallowing the point. The whole issue of who is responsible for what decisions needs to be looked at, though that wont happen any time soon.
I feel he tried to make amends for Coulters goal by giving a lot of soft frees to Kildare. Kildare like Louth were the masters of their own downfall. They had more than enough chances to win the game but took the wrong option at times and kicked some bad wides. They can blame referees and umpires all they want, but some of their shooting was like something you would see at one of our games. Missing from 20 meters?
Doyle had a good game, the Kildare forwards got plenty of space when they ball was played in early. The Down defence stood off them at times, but they seemed to prefer to carry the ball in to the forwards too often and Down crowded the defence.
Coulter was worth the €45 alone, he scored a sublime point and at times came out the field to good effect. Clarke is the man who makes that team tick, he always seems to have acres of space and never wastes possession. Fitzpatrick was very impressive and King was solid without being spectacular.
They wont beat Cork, this is Corks year. They have stumbled through their games, but they are here and the are no green and gold jerseys in their way. This Down team may well have its day, but not in 2010. They are certainly the most  improved team in Ireland, but I cant see them winning.

[Pangurban]

Overall Down the better team, but to be honest if i were a Kildare Man i would feel hard done by, you have got to feel for them. Thought Danny Hughes was MOM, ran himself into the ground, won dirty ball, intelligent deliverys. Every man played his part, and every Down Man is 3 inches taller tonight. We can win this Boys, if we keep our focus, but either way they are heroes all who have restored pride to Down

[The Worker]

Harsh luck on kildare, but Down played the better football and are rightfully playing on the 19th IMO

[All of a Sludden]

Other than Clarke is this the same team that were together under Ross Carr?