All-Ireland Club Championship

[berfaharps]

Hey, I must say I actually really enjoyed the game on saturday, though it was baltic. I would'nt agree that cross were destroyed at mid field, the young lad there for them looks a good prospect. The 2 best forwards on view were mc conville & cooper who both showed their class when needed. The best player on the pitch (Let me pinch myself) was John Donaldson. Its been a while since i last saw him, but he has improved and cleaned up his game fantastically, his tackiling was superb on sat. On current form he should be back with the county.

Still a hard game to call for the replay, i'll go for cross, as i don't think they'll hit as many wides the next day

[Uladh]

For the neutral it was a very enjoyable game on saturday even if the quality wasn't the best at times. i have to take my hat off to crokes, i never thought they'd be able to get back into the game but they showed a lot of character. armagh folk can testify that oisin's customary goal just after half time usually means curtains and cross can protect a lead better than anyone.

Therein lies the danger for cross i think. no matter how slow their build up, and boy was it slow, crokes seem to be able to pick their way through the debris and bodies better than any club team i've seen. Cross weren't as effective at condensing their defence as they usually are. thankfully crokes don't have potent scorer in the full forward line when the gooch drifts outfield. more often than not gooch picked the killer pass and crokes could've worked a goal on a few occasions. McKeown was the obvious choice to do a job on gooch but given that he struggled so badly i'm not sure cross have anyone to do it. McKeown can certainly do a better job the next day but he needs more help from the defenders around him. stop the gooch and crokes' goose is cooked.

by the same token the crokes defence, particularly the full back line, were hanging on by their fingernails at times. Whether the kerrymen will be aware of it or not the cross forward line can play so much better. john mc never really got into it and murtagh never got to the pace of the game. both can be match winners the next day. the occasion seemed to get the better of ahern but he has been excellent for the rangers this year. The fast track in croker suited mcnamee to get away from his marker but the heavy sod in portlaois will slow him considerably. it'll be a day for the full forward line to win the ball first and foremost and hanratty can certainly be the man for that job and allow oisin to play off him.

The advantage for crokes the next day is that they won't wait til ten minutes into the second half to realise that if they they play their football, the cross defence can't really live with them. their wing forwards were both excellent on the day. they ran themselves into the ground defencively and carved cross up with their lines of running going forward. as has been said many times with regard to armagh, aaron needs to take a long hard look at what is required from him defensively for cross to win the all ireland.

the last mention should go to young McKenna, who produce some great football when it was needed most. his bursts forward for his points were cavanagh like and his catch from the last kick out was the stuff of dreams.

Not sure who will win the replay but the team that panics and makes big changes usually lose out.

[maddog]

the last mention should go to young McKenna, who produce some great football when it was needed most. his bursts forward for his points were cavanagh like and his catch from the last kick out was the stuff of dreams

Was that the cross no 8. If so was very impressed. Hanratty could step up a bit on what he showed on Saturday.

[brokencrossbar1]

I have to say one thing about the Gooch.  Everyone talks about him playing well, but from my perspective I was very happy seeing him doing what he did out the field.  He may be able to make the killer ball, but as you say Uladh, he was playing it to where he should have been.  

As regards the replay,  Portlaoise is a tighter pitch and I do not think the wing forwards (and No.10 in particular) will get the same latitude as they did in Croke park.  As you say Uladh the heavier sod may not suit the likes of Mickey Mac, but the Crokes forward line are all very much of that mould and could struggle as a unit.  David McKenna had a very good second half and played above his 19 years.  With more help from more established men he could have been the winning of the game.

Personnel wise Cross may only make 1-2 changes but tactically they will stay the same.  If they can win a larger percentage of the break ball, which traditionally we could do, then they will have a stronger chance.  

Crokes will be dictated by the injuries to Brosnan and McMahon as to what they will do so it is anyones guess what might occur there.

If Cross can get more direct ball into Johnny they will win I believe.  That is how we did it before and it is how it will happen again.

BTW Uladh,  I realised over the weekend who you are.

[Onlooker]

I agree with berfaharps' rating of John Donaldson.   I thought he had a really fine game and was one of the best players on the day. The replay is very open, but I can see Crossmaglen edging it.

[Declan]

I have to say one thing about the Gooch.  Everyone talks about him playing well, but from my perspective I was very happy seeing him doing what he did out the field.  He may be able to make the killer ball, but as you say Uladh, he was playing it to where he should have been.

Don't disagree with that but I think thats what happens at club level- He feels he has to go and do that whereas for Kerry he now he'll get quality ball. Still he's a beautiful player to watch.

 

[Travis T O Justice]

Is the replay set for Portlaoise this weekend??

[ziggysego]

Is the replay set for Portlaoise this weekend??

Croke Park, 1st April

[Uladh]

Portlaoise april 1st?

[magpie seanie]

The point about Cooper is interesting. For me I think he's a better player than I thought (and I knew he was class) on the evidence of last Saturday. They would defo have lost had Cooper stayed inside, isolated getting no ball or being marked out of it (Cross' extra man in front of back two in early stages was working well).

Overall think Crokes gave up a great chance of winning it. When they got the lead at the end they went negative and tried to defend it by controlling possession. Understandable and actually a hard thing to avoid doing in such pressurised circumstances but it gave Cross the whiff of blood they needed to rise themselves for one last push. As O'Neill said - they are some outfit.

[Hardy]

Agreed - Cooper's performance as a sublime 'playmaker' was an eye-opener for me and he's climbed up the hierarchy of the greats in my mind as a result.

[DrinkingHarp]

Is Brosnan fit for Crokes ?

[Oraisteach]

Cross 0-2    Crokes 0-0

[Oraisteach]

Cross 0-3 Crokes 0-0

[Oraisteach]

Cross 0-3 Crokes 0-1