USFC Armagh v Derry, St Tiernach's Park, Clones, 19th June 2pm

[bennydorano]

Couldn't make it today, but my tuppence worth from watching the TV.

Niaive in the extreme in the defence, after 10 mins I was screaming for a sweeper, TK or BJP could have filled the role as neither filled their HF roles.  Obvious we went into the game with the mentality that we weren't reverting to the defensive type of play we've employed recently - that in itself is may win you some media friends (&fans)who are sick of watching shite, but it's foolhardy also, you have to be prepared to adapt tactically.  Last year we snuffed out Eoin bradley (was Paddy there too?), it should have been possible again today.  We have to find the balance.

I didn't listen to any post match analysis but giving POR a booting is cheap and easy to do.  When I saw Vincy Martin on I thought we've put a bit of thought into this as he has the physicality to pick up Lynch- it didn't work, and he was subbed after 30 mins I really dont know what else people expect - hindsight's 20/20 as they say.  I felt we got it right with the subs as well and but for Gilligan's goal I reckon we'd be preparing for another UF appearance.  It really knocked the stuffing out of us.  I dont want to sound too churlish, but we had little luck, we got wiped out in around MF, had no HF line, starved our main threats of ball - but still for some excellent Derry goalkeeping it could have been a different ballgame.

Derry are now in the position we found ourselves in, probably knowhere to go but down in terms of performance.  If they had've been playing Tyrone today, bradley and Lynch would have been nullified pretty handily IMO.

Kind draw required in the qualifiers to get a bit of momentum going again.  If we learn from our mistakes we can still have a bit of a run.

[Aaron Boone]

Derry mightn't be stopped.

[borderfox]

 Good game of football and the best team won on the day, It reminded me so much of Kerry in'06. Derry got their goals at crucial times and pulled away just when we were getting our noses back into it and fair play to them they've been waiting a long time to get back into an Ulster final so fingers crossed for them hopefully they can go and do it this time.
On another day Stevie's two goal chances would of been converted and big Paul would have saved two of Derrys goals. Luck wasn't with us today.
I'm not too despondent about going into the back door to be honest as the extra games we might get will hopefully bring us on a bit more and we have plenty of Ulster championships in the locker to reminisce about.
Lets hope we get a handy enough draw to a non Ulster team next time out. 

[bennydorano]

I'm not too despondent about going into the back door to be honest as the extra games we might get will hopefully bring us on a bit more and we have plenty of Ulster championships in the locker to reminisce about.
Lets hope we get a handy enough draw to a non Ulster team next time out.

Pretty much how I feel.  If we can get a decent draw and learn from today we can still have a decent summer.

[Bogball XV]

Derry were good, but got a lot of the breaks that we've missed out on in our last 7 ulster semi defeats since 2000   Also, a bit like armagh, a few of them came after good first round wins against decent opposition.

I heard McConville on talking before the game and you could sense that he'd bought into the belief that playing football wins matches, if Armagh had stuck with their traditional tactics they may well have won today, but then maybe they'd have lost to Down.  Leaving skinner with that sort of space was madness, but as most derry supporters know, skinner has always been capable of a performance like today's and he may well have proved unmarkable anyway, christ knows enough boys were tried on him today!!
As it was, it was great to see a decent open game of football, plenty of goals and plenty of goal chances.  Some excellent score taking and a bit of physicality too. 

Devlin in goals for Derry made two great stops, real game changers, the defence while always looking vulnerable, steadied up and defended well in numbers.  Both midfielders were excellent, big Diver has now had two very good games in a row for Derry, cna he make it three?
Up front lynch and Skinner stood out, but Kielt, Muldoon and Gilligan were also very important.   It was an excellent team performance for Derry, there seems to be a good spirit in the camp at the minute, lads willing to go that bit extra for one and other.  I'd say it wasn't a coincidence that the two lavey boys were the lads erroneously named on the team sheet either, Brennan probably told them what he was planning, O'Boyle came on and McCloy may well have a role to play against Donegal if they win.

All in all, our best performance in Ulster since 1997?

[mackers]

Slow decisions on the sideline to make changes were crucial.  Mallon should have been on Skinner, Donaghy on Gilligan, McKeever should have been pushed onto Lynch as he was the only defender who had the physicality for him.  HF line anonymous and allowed the Derry HB line to attack too easy.  Very slear that once Derry got ahead they dropped McGuckian back in front of the FF line and pressure should have been put on him by going to a flat 15.  MOR should not have been taken off, Padden was anonymous TK hit a few decent balls in 1st half but drifted out badly.  No ball-player in CHF is killing the front 2.

god almighty couldn't have marked Skinner today. I doubt Mallon would have made much of an impression tbh. As I said all week, Armagh would be in two minds about these two styles of football. The failure to revert to blanket defence cost. You cannot go man for man on the likes of skinner, lynch and gilligan. Armagh are the first team not to play blanket defence against Derry in about 10 years in the ulster championship.

In fairness sheamy Andy Mallon did well after Bradley's goal (I know it was too little too late). He beat him to a few balls and Eoin then started booting balls at him and got involved in a fracas with Brennan rightly taking him off. If he's getting involved in that silliness after taking Armagh to the cleaners what would he have been like if it was a tight match. I'd say that won't be lost on the Tyrone and Donegal management when they're thinking about how to handle him in the final. I felt that Donaghy was harshly yellow carded and as such had to stand off him. When he gets a chance to get turned and run at his man he is lethal.
Fair play to Derry they played well. POR was rightly applauded for getting the match ups right against Down and will be rightfully criticsed for getting them wrong today.
I have never liked Vincey Martin and he simply didn't have the pace for Mark Lynch who at last lived up to his reputation.
One of the Armagh posters earlier in the week dismissed Derry's midfield out of hand but they dominated our pairing. OUR HF line had a bad day although I thought Malachy Mackin put in a good shift.
As others have said we aren't as good as we looked against Down and not as bad as we looked today and we may still get a decent run in the qualifiers.
Finally, fair play to Paul McShane for getting our minors into their third Ulster final in a row.

[Tony Baloney]

Derry were good, but got a lot of the breaks that we've missed out on in our last 7 ulster semi defeats since 2000   Also, a bit like armagh, a few of them came after good first round wins against decent opposition.

I heard McConville on talking before the game and you could sense that he'd bought into the belief that playing football wins matches, if Armagh had stuck with their traditional tactics they may well have won today, but then maybe they'd have lost to Down.  Leaving skinner with that sort of space was madness, but as most derry supporters know, skinner has always been capable of a performance like today's and he may well have proved unmarkable anyway, christ knows enough boys were tried on him today!!
As it was, it was great to see a decent open game of football, plenty of goals and plenty of goal chances.  Some excellent score taking and a bit of physicality too. 

Devlin in goals for Derry made two great stops, real game changers, the defence while always looking vulnerable, steadied up and defended well in numbers.  Both midfielders were excellent, big Diver has now had two very good games in a row for Derry, cna he make it three?
Up front lynch and Skinner stood out, but Kielt, Muldoon and Gilligan were also very important.   It was an excellent team performance for Derry, there seems to be a good spirit in the camp at the minute, lads willing to go that bit extra for one and other.  I'd say it wasn't a coincidence that the two lavey boys were the lads erroneously named on the team sheet either, Brennan probably told them what he was planning, O'Boyle came on and McCloy may well have a role to play against Donegal if they win.

All in all, our best performance in Ulster since 1997?

On another day with a different ref Diver would have got the line. "Ifs" and "ands" though.

[ExiledGael]

Armagh's decision to go man to man again today cost them the game, Either naive/madness/stupidity/ignorance or arrogance, but totally based on their victory over Down. Bradley is one of the most dangerous forwards in the game and teams have shown in the last ten years that if you put a line in front of the Bradleys or double up and choke the space they have very few other go too men. I would rate Brendan Dongahy, Andy Mallon and Ciaran McKeever as three of Ulster's best defenders but one on one with Eoin Bradley, with that sort of supply, you have no chance. Suppose they deserve credit for going out and playing football but that's a risky game against forwards like that. Delighted to see Mark Lynch playing so well, always rated him after underage/Sigerson games and he deserves to be recognised as a top class player.
Some brilliant scores, the point from Jamie Clarke was outrageous and Derry took their goals brilliantly.
Heard Bradley saying on the radio after that Mark Lynch had a tenner on himself to score the first goal at 14/1.
Was really surprised at Derry's dominance in the middle but it's obviously an area they work on a lot, a lot of breaks picked up and balls palmed down to the waiting player below or to the side.
To be fair to Paddy O'Rourke he had holes to plug all over the field and there wasn't a lot on the bench to turn to.

[mackers]

To be fair to Paddy O'Rourke he had holes to plug all over the field and there wasn't a lot on the bench to turn to.

That's a fair point.....especially in the forward division.

[seafoid]

Nice to see Derry winning a big match

[Bogball XV]

I felt that Donaghy was harshly yellow carded and as such had to stand off him. When he gets a chance to get turned and run at his man he is lethal.

He was all over Bradley every time it looked like the ball might be kicked in for the first 15 minutes, the ref had no choice, nor did Donaghy to be fair.

[under the bar]

Holey moley.  One  promising league campaign and already jamie clarke is every bit as good as gooch or brogan!  He'll be the next canavan by christmas! 

[north down]

A good performance by Derry today. They're a big strong side and very capable of winning Ulster i.m.o. Will be interesting to see if Donegal or Tyrone will be able to handle them - I'm sure Jim and Mickey will hope to be scrutinising the video of today's game soon - but not until after next Sunday!

[Imposerous]

Holey moley.  One  promising league campaign and already jamie clarke is every bit as good as gooch or brogan!  He'll be the next canavan by christmas! 

League campaign?

Anyway.  Best team won today,  no question about it at all.   Good luck to Derry in the final.

[mackers]

Holey moley.  One  promising league campaign and already jamie clarke is every bit as good as gooch or brogan!  He'll be the next canavan by christmas! 

League campaign?

Anyway.  Best team won today,  no question about it at all.   Good luck to Derry in the final.

Never let the facts get in the way of a brutal attempt at a wind up.