Áth Cliath V An Dún. 7 30pm 02 Aibreain 2011

[Mid Down Gael]

Cork defeated today.
a win in kerry and a cork defeat would see us in the final.
tough call though.

Dont think there is much chance of Armagh beating Cork, while Kerry are going really well at minute, we will also have bother in Killarney with Tomas OSe, Galvin and Brosnan all back in flying form. 3 massive losses to Kerry last year when we defeated them. But you never no, there is always hope.

Disapointing end to last night, felt sorry for big King, he didnt go out to do that. Danny Hughes was our best player once again, an absolute brilliant footballer.

[dublin7]

The reason Dan McCartan got booked is because from the minute he came on he decided he wanted Bernard Brogan's shirt & refused to let go. Was warned by the referee to cut it out, but kept it up & was booked by the ref.

Thought the amount of handpassing by Down was ridiculous. On a wet night like that made no sense.

From dubs point of view an inexperienced back line performed well & Alan Brogan coming into form for the championship

[Mid Down Gael]

The reason Dan McCartan got booked is because from the minute he came on he decided he wanted Bernard Brogan's shirt & refused to let go. Was warned by the referee to cut it out, but kept it up & was booked by the ref.

Thought the amount of handpassing by Down was ridiculous. On a wet night like that made no sense.

From dubs point of view an inexperienced back line performed well & Alan Brogan coming into form for the championship

Have to agree with you here, the umpire warned McCartan and then he persisted in holding Bernards jersey. The umpire then let Syl Doyle know who booked him when he committed a foul. Dan is serious for holding jerseys of opponents, James couldnt wait to get him on, didnt see the need when Benny McArdle was doing rightly and Gerard McCartan is a very decent man marker, who does it without holding jerseys.
Would like to see Carr in for Poland at 11 next week, Poland dosent do near enough and he is too inconsistent with frees. Or even play Clarke at 11 and play Murtagh at 15 allowing Benny to roam deeper from time to time. Colgan would deserve a start too imo.

[ardtole]

I think Gerard McCartan has been the find of the season for us this year. Id be very disappointed if he didnt start against Armagh come championship time. Although with McArdle, Howard, Dan McCartan and Dee Rafferty all chasing a corner back slot we have strength in depth here for the first time in a long time.

[Mid Down Gael]

I think Gerard McCartan has been the find of the season for us this year. Id be very disappointed if he didnt start against Armagh come championship time. Although with McArdle, Howard, Dan McCartan and Dee Rafferty all chasing a corner back slot we have strength in depth here for the first time in a long time.

Howard wont start, he couldn even make the 26 man squad last night. the six at present are doing rightly, even though Garvey and Rooney have mixed some brilliant stuff with awful mistakes in recent games. Dan McCartan should have to earn his place back as Gerard and Benny have done well and do not deserve dropped just to get Dan on.

[snoopdog]

I think Gerard McCartan has been the find of the season for us this year. Id be very disappointed if he didnt start against Armagh come championship time. Although with McArdle, Howard, Dan McCartan and Dee Rafferty all chasing a corner back slot we have strength in depth here for the first time in a long time.

God Down defended terribly last night, the 2 goals were gifts not to mention the 2 other great goal chances Dublin had.
Downs forward play was back to its worst under ross and paddy.
Dublins every man behind the ball didnt help though.
James has a serious amount of work to do for May 28th
Can blame ref all we want but Down beat themselves last night and after todays result in Castlebar have done themselves out of a great chance for a league final place.

[ardtole]

If Dee Rafferty gets fully fit he would have to be in contention for a start. But as you say MDG the 2 lads in posession of the jerseys at the minute fully deserve to hang on to them. But its a great position to be in, if one of the starting corner backs is getting a roasting or has picked up a yellow and is sailing close to the wind we have a couple of ready made replacements. It hasn't been the case in recent years though. I would be a wee bit concerned about James eagerness to get Dan on and I dont think he was our best option to be picking up Bernard Brogan.

[Mourne Rover]

People may be forgetting that Benny McArdle had been booked, albeit harshly, and it would have been a big risk leaving him on Bernard Brogan. Dan McCartan was probably our best marker last season and was a reasonable option for the last quarter of a game we had a decent chance of winning. However, I agree with the suggestion that Gerard McCartan has been our find of the league and switching him on to Brogan might also have worked. Dee Rafferty was outstanding in 2010 also, and there is also Darren O'Hagan to come back, so there is strength in depth there.

[whitegoodman]

I may be in the minority here but I think rafferty is slightly on the wane, thought he was poor in the 3 outings in croke last year and I no he was on cooper in one of them.  he is past 30 now and will struggle to get back in imo. queue the barrage of abuse.

agree with mdg on Carr and colgen coming in nxt wk but thought it was right to take mcardle off, he was struggling and booked. lavery must be wondering what he has done wrong, hasn't been seen since cork although it was good to see eoin back

[PAULD123]

We have a chance next week and the lads need to take it. At the very least they need to prove their championship credentials by winning. We played well against Cork until the last fifteen, we were better than Dublin but lost, we out classed Armagh but only won by a point. I have no doubt they will put in a good shift next week but there is that wee bit of killer instinct missing, that little bit extra that edges one team ahead of another. There is no switch of player or smart tactical move that will solve this it will have to come from within the players and the team.

Everything else is fine. For all our debates, Down are now playing some of the best football in the country, it is just a matter of somehow the lads learning to convert that quality football into victorys. That sort of 1990's Meath spirit.

[heffo]

we were better than Dublin but lost

Indeed.

[Leo]

.... but there is that wee bit of killer instinct missing......

It's hard to find the killer instinct if the most lethal forward we have ever produced is left isolated and friendless up the field while the rest of the team run circles around themselves in our own half until they get dizzy enough to cough up the ball to our oponents. Cluxton hadn't a single save to make all night, we never once got ear a goal chance. That has nothing to do with Benny but all to do with "some of the best football"

[snoopdog]

The Kiler instinct that Down need is Caolan Mooney,
If your good enough your old enough.
i know he is off to Collingwood in the autumn but in my opinion the Down seniors need him.

[highorlow]

Nice picture of the Dublin goading in today's Irish Times.

The whistles on the Hill need to stop.

[heffo]

Nice picture of the Dublin goading in today's Irish Times.

Give over will ya. If by goading you mean Alan Brogan celebrating scoring an injury time winner into the Hill.