Donegal v Dublin semi final 28-8-11

[Seamy Beag Muldoon]

saw the Donegal team bus leaving croke park yesterday, 14 players sitting down the back and one up front.

[oakleafgael]

I feel a certain amount of sympathy for Connolly but he was responsible for his own demise. The rules are very clear, once he raised a closed fist there was always the possibility of a red card. The hypocrisy of the Dublin fans is amusing though. One of their own was every bit as guilty of feigning injury to the face and I dont hear the calls for his head.

[thewobbler]

The rules are the major problem here.

If the rules treat every contact the same, and don't allow the referee to differentiate between the purpose, aggression, context (provocation involved) and outcome of the contact, then it's basically an open door for cheats to exploit.

Players getting involved in macho argy bargy after a debatable free, or pumping chests when play stops after highly charged piece of action, is as much a part of the game as full length blocks and square on shoulder charges. It's called passion. The rules (or the current intepretation of them) have though moved the advantage towards the snidey, calculating cheats who provoke a reaction, then turn it into an international incident.

I've an old school take on these minor encounters that happen in every game of football. If you decide to get involved in one of these acts of manliness, you must behave like a man, and you should have no recourse if you are violently removed from it.

I'm not advocating violence by the way. I'm advocating that referees shouldn't arbitrate on minor squabbles between willing combatants. This simple change of tack would encourage the cheats and lowlifes away from turning games into farces. 

[North Longford]

Don't come on here much lately lads but anyone that genuinely believes a lad should be sent off and miss an all ireland final for what connolly did either has never played football, watches too much soccer or has a severe dislike for the dubs. Bloody hand bags, which was very similarly perpetrated by the 2 Donegal players in the same incident. Imagine if the ref had to do the 'right thing' and sent all 3 off!! its a mans game for f sake. And obviously for fairness I hope every subsequent similar incident to this is dealt with in the same way!!! And and of course it would be great to see the lads so adamantly backing the referees decision here because he was right showing a bit of balance and maybe querying the decision not to send the 2 Donegal lads off.

[Jinxy]

Don't come on here much lately lads but anyone that genuinely believes a lad should be sent off and miss an all ireland final for what connolly did either has never played football, watches too much soccer or has a severe dislike for the dubs. Bloody hand bags, which was very similarly perpetrated by the 2 Donegal players in the same incident. Imagine if the ref had to do the 'right thing' and sent all 3 off!! its a mans game for f sake. And obviously for fairness I hope every subsequent similar incident to this is dealt with in the same way!!! And and of course it would be great to see the lads so adamantly backing the referees decision here because he was right showing a bit of balance and maybe querying the decision not to send the 2 Donegal lads off.

I've absolutely no problem with the Dubs and I've played the game and given and taken my fair share of belts.
The fact that he might miss an All Ireland final is neither here nor there to be honest.
It was a sending-off offense.
I wish the ref had sent off the entire Donegal team so I didn't have to look at them, but that doesn't change the fact that Connolly deservedly got the line.
It seems that people are so disgusted by Donegals gameplan and antics in general, that it is colouring their perspective.
If he did the exact same thing to one of the Kerry defenders I doubt there would be as much outrage on his behalf.

[North Longford]

Why was it a sending off and the 2 Donegal lads not?

[brokencrossbar1]

Why was it a sending off and the 2 Donegal lads not?

I don't think people are saying that though.  The reality is the man lifted his hand and struck, with whatever force he used, the opposing player in the face.  Given the context of the game, there was always going to be a red card at some stage.  I figured it actually would have been for 2 yellows because it wasn't an overly nasty game, cynical yes, but not nasty.  I would have had one of the Magees as prime candidates for 2 yellows sending off for dry riding one of the Brogans all day.  Connolly was unlucky in many ways but by the letter of the law had to go, as should at least 1 of the Donegal lads. 
I think he will win it on appeal and I hope he does but you have to have some degree of sympathy fo a ref having to deal with such a game, he was always going to make a few mistakes.  The swarm defence has countless examples of "half fouls" that are very much touch and go.  I actually think Donegal really missed the boat in this one.  They had Dublin beatenand should have gone on a "full court press" for the first 10 minutes of the second half with Murphy and McFadden as a double tag team in the FF line.  They could still have swarmed 12 men behind the ball when needed but of they had another body with McFadden they would have scored at least 2 mpre scores I reckon and that would have finished the Dubs.  The crowd were turning, the first score of the half went Donegal's way, there was no real leadership being shown by the Dublin "stars".  They could have gone into a 7-8 point lead and soaked up for the last 25 minutes but they didn't show enough ambition.  The periods before and after half time  and in the last 3-4 minutes are the best times to score but Donegal didn't avail enough of those times.  I don't think they will be back next year at this level.

[Jinxy]

Why was it a sending off and the 2 Donegal lads not?

Is that a rhetorical question?

[mylestheslasher]

Jasus Jinxy you are some joker. If that was a red card the "great" meath teams would have finished every game with 10 men. I bet you any money if the ref had slow motion replay of the incident he never would have sent connolly off. I also agree 100% with Indiana. Donegals football was putrid (of course they can play putrid football if they want) and their repeat cynical fouling disgusting. The rules need changing to prevent this getting any worse or the popularity of football will diminish severely

[sheamy]

Why was it a sending off and the 2 Donegal lads not?

I don't think people are saying that though.  The reality is the man lifted his hand and struck, with whatever force he used, the opposing player in the face.  Given the context of the game, there was always going to be a red card at some stage.  I figured it actually would have been for 2 yellows because it wasn't an overly nasty game, cynical yes, but not nasty.  I would have had one of the Magees as prime candidates for 2 yellows sending off for dry riding one of the Brogans all day.  Connolly was unlucky in many ways but by the letter of the law had to go, as should at least 1 of the Donegal lads. 
I think he will win it on appeal and I hope he does but you have to have some degree of sympathy fo a ref having to deal with such a game, he was always going to make a few mistakes.  The swarm defence has countless examples of "half fouls" that are very much touch and go.  I actually think Donegal really missed the boat in this one.  They had Dublin beatenand should have gone on a "full court press" for the first 10 minutes of the second half with Murphy and McFadden as a double tag team in the FF line.  They could still have swarmed 12 men behind the ball when needed but of they had another body with McFadden they would have scored at least 2 mpre scores I reckon and that would have finished the Dubs.  The crowd were turning, the first score of the half went Donegal's way, there was no real leadership being shown by the Dublin "stars".  They could have gone into a 7-8 point lead and soaked up for the last 25 minutes but they didn't show enough ambition.  The periods before and after half time  and in the last 3-4 minutes are the best times to score but Donegal didn't avail enough of those times.  I don't think they will be back next year at this level.

Good post. Agree totally with your analysis. They lacked even a little attacking courage which would have seen them home. I also don't think they'll be back at this stage next year. Gotta take your chances when you get them.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Evening Herald refuses to go over the top.

[Jinxy]

Jasus Jinxy you are some joker. If that was a red card the "great" meath teams would have finished every game with 10 men. I bet you any money if the ref had slow motion replay of the incident he never would have sent connolly off. I also agree 100% with Indiana. Donegals football was putrid (of course they can play putrid football if they want) and their repeat cynical fouling disgusting. The rules need changing to prevent this getting any worse or the popularity of football will diminish severely

It always comes back to this with you Myles. 

[INDIANA]

Why was it a sending off and the 2 Donegal lads not?

I don't think people are saying that though.  The reality is the man lifted his hand and struck, with whatever force he used, the opposing player in the face.  Given the context of the game, there was always going to be a red card at some stage.  I figured it actually would have been for 2 yellows because it wasn't an overly nasty game, cynical yes, but not nasty.  I would have had one of the Magees as prime candidates for 2 yellows sending off for dry riding one of the Brogans all day.  Connolly was unlucky in many ways but by the letter of the law had to go, as should at least 1 of the Donegal lads. 
I think he will win it on appeal and I hope he does but you have to have some degree of sympathy fo a ref having to deal with such a game, he was always going to make a few mistakes.  The swarm defence has countless examples of "half fouls" that are very much touch and go.  I actually think Donegal really missed the boat in this one.  They had Dublin beatenand should have gone on a "full court press" for the first 10 minutes of the second half with Murphy and McFadden as a double tag team in the FF line.  They could still have swarmed 12 men behind the ball when needed but of they had another body with McFadden they would have scored at least 2 mpre scores I reckon and that would have finished the Dubs.  The crowd were turning, the first score of the half went Donegal's way, there was no real leadership being shown by the Dublin "stars".  They could have gone into a 7-8 point lead and soaked up for the last 25 minutes but they didn't show enough ambition.  The periods before and after half time  and in the last 3-4 minutes are the best times to score but Donegal didn't avail enough of those times.  I don't think they will be back next year at this level.

Donegal didnt lose anything. They had no conviction and no plan B. Mc Guinness never believed they could win the game and that was proven by leaving one man up front when they were behind.

I cant imagine there are no Donegal players today feeling had they pushed up in the last 5 minutes they could have nicked it. But they didnt because their coaching staff went for a damage limitation approach.

Mc Guinness is preaching a full court press today "Well donegal in the past would have played beautiful football and lost".

Newsflash Jim - you played rancid football and lost.

You'll notice the last word in the above 2 sentences is the same.

Cest la vie.

[The Hill is Blue]

The bottom line is that Connolly was sent off as a direct result of cynical cheating by a Donegal player - and I'm disgusted.  I'm sure everyone on this forum would feel the same if one of their county men were to miss out on the opportunity to play in an All Ireland Final in those circumstances

[heffo]

All the talk of whether it's a push, stike or kiss on the cheek will hopefully be redundant as I'm told the red card will be thrown out on a technicality.

I also hear that if the technicality doesn't hold up that he won't be available for the final as Croke Park are not for turning.