Down V Armagh - Newry 26th Feb

5 Sams · February 21, 2011, 10:39:39 AM

Big crowd expected next Saturday night for the visit of our neighbours.

Our boys will need to eradicate some of the basic errors evident in the last two games if they want to come away with two points.....some of our passing yesterday was piss poor..high balls into Conor Lavery?? $:-\$

We are stumbling along and picking up points without Benny firing on all cylinders yet.

Hope he kicks into gear on Saturday.

mackers · February 21, 2011, 10:54:35 AM

The exact same could be said of Armagh so it should be interesting. Our handling skills have been very poor and we showed some dreadful naivety kicking high ball into our FF line repeatedly yesterday.

bennydorano · February 21, 2011, 12:34:10 PM

A game that could be won from the sidelines (unfortunately for us), McCartan seems very tactically astute and will no doubt have our line chasing their tails. The amount of basic errors in Armagh's game yesterday was criminal - good to hear Down were something similar - if we repeat that there'll only be one outcome.

As for the Armagh team - I wouldn't waste McKeever on a man-marking job, I'd really like him to stay at CHB no matter what and hold the centre, if i remember rightly F Mo marked Clarke before and did a decent job? Mal Mackin did more than enough to deserve another start after yesterday's performance, but I reckon he'll be the fall guy for Saturday night's team. If Lavery is fit enough he will start and we'll move Vernon to WHF, toss of coin between BJP and Brian Mallon I'd imagine, it'll come down to whether POR reckons we have enough brawn in there and could do with some brains. I would start either ahead of Grugan but I'd say Grugan will get the nod - he does good things but is currently half of what an inter-county whf needs to be. I've no doubt he'll develop into something really good thou.

Team I'd like to see start:
McEvoy
Mallon Donaghy Moriarty
Duffy McKeever Dyas

Lavery(if fit) Toner

BJP MOR Vernon
Mallon Swift McDonnel

Banana Man · February 21, 2011, 01:14:10 PM

i see the irish news is bigging up Dyas from yesterday, how good was he?

mackers · February 21, 2011, 01:53:13 PM

Quote from: Banana Man on February 21, 2011, 01:14:10 PM
i see the irish news is bigging up Dyas from yesterday, how good was he?

He was v good, not brilliant (nobody was) but v good. He seems to be growing into the team and it is noticeable at times that the backs are trying to get him into space so that he delivers the pass into the forward line. Last year was a wipeout for him with his injury but now that he is injury free (fingers crossed) he is starting to come good.

fitzroyalty · February 21, 2011, 02:22:47 PM

For me Grugan has to start, a lot of people not convinced by him but IMO he was the only HF yesterday constantly making runs; 5-10 mins to go and he was still out in front and was acting as a good link man from HBs and MF which was what we were crying out for.

CV is too good in terms of workrate, drive etc to leave out of the team so if Lavery is fit, start him MF and have CV in HF line and drop BJP as the game will be played at a much higher tempo - Brian Mallon had a good night last time v Down in the McK cup and should start ahead of him.

What will the Down defence be like? Last time out it was pretty experimental, have the injuries cleared up?

PAULD123 · February 21, 2011, 04:25:22 PM

our defence is recovering but not at full strength yet. Dee Rafferty and Dan McCartan are both out, Rooney & Garvey made their first appearances at the weekend. It will certainly be a much stronger defence than Armagh faced in the McKenna cup. But it doesn't matter. Both teams are of similar standard just now (for one reason or another). It will be a tight game. Armagh will be much tighter marked than against Monaghan, so it will depend on how well their players link together rather than one player making great runs, as I don't see that happening.

5 Sams · February 21, 2011, 05:26:44 PM

Big Dan was very impressive yesterday...at one stage he was unmarked inside their 21 after he had caught a great ball inside his own 14 and kept running in support....if Marty Clarke had have been on the ball he could have been put through for a goal...

Anyone else notice there was very few Galway fans in attendance.....there was only a polite ripple of applause everytime they scored ....even when they got their goal ...

Don Johnson · February 21, 2011, 05:29:15 PM

Asked on the General but might as well say here too, any bars in Liverpool that would show this match lads?

5 Sams · February 21, 2011, 05:42:51 PM

If it's on Setanta it'll be on in O'Neills

TacadoirArdMhacha · February 21, 2011, 05:51:45 PM

Quote from: Don Johnson on February 21, 2011, 05:29:15 PM
Asked on the General but might as well say here too, any bars in Liverpool that would show this match lads?

Missing it myself as well. Some genius decided to fix the Ulster Scór semi-final for Saturday night in Silverbridge at 7pm. The two major GAA occasions of the weekend in the locality and they are both at the same time. Ridiculous.

DuffleKing · February 21, 2011, 09:14:24 PM

Quote from: PAULD123 on February 21, 2011, 04:25:22 PM
our defence is recovering but not at full strength yet. Dee Rafferty and Dan McCartan are both out, Rooney & Garvey made their first appearances at the weekend. It will certainly be a much stronger defence than Armagh faced in the McKenna cup. But it doesn't matter. Both teams are of similar standard just now (for one reason or another). It will be a tight game. Armagh will be much tighter marked than against Monaghan, so it will depend on how well their players link together rather than one player making great runs, as I don't see that happening.

I doubt that very much. Monaghan have much more natural markers than down. Down have better footballers in their defence.

Orior · February 21, 2011, 10:07:17 PM

I would have thought we need Grugan for the longer frees. Stevie can't get them off the ground.

ardchieftain · February 21, 2011, 10:16:26 PM

That's a kick in the stones Tacadoir. Surely these events shouldn't be clashing.
Bloody saturday nights - looks like i won't make it. Gutted.

Orangemac · February 21, 2011, 10:19:07 PM

Quote from: fitzroyalty on February 21, 2011, 02:22:47 PM
For me Grugan has to start, a lot of people not convinced by him but IMO he was the only HF yesterday constantly making runs; 5-10 mins to go and he was still out in front and was acting as a good link man from HBs and MF which was what we were crying out for.

CV is too good in terms of workrate, drive etc to leave out of the team so if Lavery is fit, start him MF and have CV in HF line and drop BJP as the game will be played at a much higher tempo - Brian Mallon had a good night last time v Down in the McK cup and should start ahead of him.

Would agree Grugan has to start with 1 eye on Ulster championship QF. Games like this will bring him on. He has scores in him and for too long our HF line has not provided enough.

Mallon should start also but in the corner and stay there. Swift was isolated too much yesterday. If Stevie comes out for the ball, better to have 2 men inside.

Is King back for Down? Fitzpatrick seems to have done well but with both Rodgers and King missing would Down be short of physicality in the middle?