Ulster Senior Football Club Championship 2012

[Milltown Row2]

Cross deserve to be favourites but I just don't see this general opinion that they will run away with it. Kilcoo have earned their place in the final and will not lie down for Cross. Just because a team are favourites and likely to win does not mean they automatically win by big scores. I don't understand why a lot of people think heavy favourites = big margin. They are such strong favourite because when the chips are down Cross can bring the final push needed to close the game out, it's not because they go around blowing everyone out of the water. Cross win many of their game by narrow margins.

The chips will be down and while I still think cross will do it, they will not get it easy and if they win by more than 3 they will have had to play very well.

You say that but Cross have won easy in all their championship games in both Armagh and Ulster. Ironically, the tightest game they've got so far was off an Armagh team (who finished just above relegation in Division 1) who they only beat by 3. In their other games they've beat Maghery by 5, Pearse Og by 7, St Eunan's by 10 and Errigal by 6.

I tipped Kilcoo before as being the team to trouble Cross and they have all the right ingredients to do it, their downfall is their complete lack of experience which Cross will exploit. If Kilcoo can harness their aggression into football and maintain discipline a upset can't be ruled out, but it's hard to see.

Afraid not Fitz, 6/7 point win, if Kilcoo play like they did against us and score 1-9 then they will get beat

[EC Unique]

Hard to see anything but a Cross win here. They have the ability to raise the game by a notch or 2 when required and blow away the opposition as we discovered. They also have the cynical edge required that other teams have not experienced so much. If a strong ref takes charge they might get caught out though.

???Take a look at the DVD. Mc Quillan gave yous everything in Clones

I'd have to agree with crossfire, McQuillan gave EC some sftish frees which Cross didn't get in similar circumstances.

A couple of cross lads were very lucky to receive yellow instead of straight reds for off the ball stuff that was picked up by the umpires and linesman. I know for a fact the linesman instructed the ref of a red card incident (told the ref it was a def red for stamping) at the start of the second half but the ref issued a yellow.

Don't get me wrong it is not sour grapes as Cross deserved their victory but a Strong referee could make the difference.

Good luck to Cross and I genuinely hope they get their 3 in a row in March.

[Lone Shark]

Cross deserve to be favourites but I just don't see this general opinion that they will run away with it. Kilcoo have earned their place in the final and will not lie down for Cross. Just because a team are favourites and likely to win does not mean they automatically win by big scores. I don't understand why a lot of people think heavy favourites = big margin. They are such strong favourite because when the chips are down Cross can bring the final push needed to close the game out, it's not because they go around blowing everyone out of the water. Cross win many of their game by narrow margins.

The chips will be down and while I still think cross will do it, they will not get it easy and if they win by more than 3 they will have had to play very well.

Just to pick up on this point, any bookie who has cause to study these things will tell you that there is a world of difference between the Cross team since 2009 and Cross teams before it. Pre 2009, Cross were the masters at getting in front and doing what they needed to do to hold on. They racked up any amount of comfortable two and three point wins, even though intuitively there should be no such thing as a comfortable two point win. I'm not going to bother researching and getting the statistics up for the purposes of a post on a DB, but trust me, they back this up.

However since the new management took over, they're not the same team at all. Their use of the ball is a joy to watch and they score heavily. They aren't just winning games, they're covering the handicap as well.

To put it another way: the general match odds for this game are 1/5 Cross, 9/2 Kilcoo and 9/1 draw. The handicap is five in some places, and 4 in others. It should be five across the board - I'll punt Cross minus four.

However five or six years ago, if Cross were 1/5 to win a game, the handicap would have been either 4/5 Cross minus 3, or 5/4 about Cross minus four. This team is much more explosive than the previous version.

[Lone Shark]

Just to follow on from that point, I've just seen the numbers from Crossmaglen's season last year, in Armagh/Ulster/Ireland. Played ten games, W9 D1. However against the handicap, it was P 10 W8 D 1 L1. Not alone are they winning, they're winning by more than the bookies expect, consistently. I haven't got all their results for this year yet but they've definitely covered the spread against Eunans, Errigal and Pearse Óg anyway.

[yellowcard]

Cross to cover a 4 point handicap at 10/11 is a great bet. Have a feeling they will destroy Kilcoo.

[Orchardman]

jes wild bit of gambling chat going on here lads


As for anyone thinking kilcoo are being written off, well then ok, lets make them favourites and put pressure on them ( as if this board makes any difference). Kilcoo to stuff cross and win by 7

[Applesisapples]

Cross have beaten better teams this year and beaten them well. Kilcoo will need a slice of luck and a Joe McQullian type ref to win, you never know. Chelsea or Celtic vs Barca springs to mind.

[emmetryan]

Preview of Cross and Kilcoo here for anyone interested http://action81.com/blog/?p=6483

[Mourne man]

I reckon kilcoo will sneak it by one or 2 they have came in under the radar no one thought they would be st galls and they have no previous history of playing cross so they have nothing too lose

[tyssam5]

Cross have beaten better teams this year and beaten them well. Kilcoo will need a slice of luck and a Joe McQullian type ref to win, you never know. Chelsea or Celtic vs Barca springs to mind.

In fairness I think if Barca could have taken their points they'd have beaten Celtic! 

[Agent Orange]

Hard to see anything but a comfortable win for Cross tomorrow. Kilcoo simply have no answer to Jamie Clarke, he will destroy their defence. Oisin as always will keep the scoreboard ticking over and you would think Cross will also dominate midfield. Its hard to see any area of the field where Kilcoo will have the upper hand. Tomorrow is just another stepping stone on the way to three in a row.
Needless to say I have a few pounds on an An port mor, Cookstown, Cross treble.

[yellowcard]

Reading Joe Brolly this week and he maintains that Cross completed a 70 minute fartlek run around Gosford Forest Park the morning of their Armagh SFC semi final against Carrickcruppen. If its true then its downright disrespectful to their opponents and the Armagh championship. It is an indication of the disdain that they treat their opponents with in Armagh that they felt that they could have a slogging session that morning and still get to a county final later that day.

No doubt they will claim that it was all part of the bigger picture but what were they going to achieve having a training session and match on the same day? I'm not a sports science expert but even I would know that the risk of injury would be severely heightened by this arrangement.

[Walter Cronc]

Reading Joe Brolly this week and he maintains that Cross completed a 70 minute fartlek run around Gosford Forest Park the morning of their Armagh SFC semi final against Carrickcruppen. If its true then its downright disrespectful to their opponents and the Armagh championship. It is an indication of the disdain that they treat their opponents with in Armagh that they felt that they could have a slogging session that morning and still get to a county final later that day.

No doubt they will claim that it was all part of the bigger picture but what were they going to achieve having a training session and match on the same day? I'm not a sports science expert but even I would know that the risk of injury would be severely heightened by this arrangement.

Past your bedtime son. Give over. Cross have earned the right to prepare for games how they see fit!!

[DrinkingHarp]

Any links for the match online for those of us in the States?

[Walter Cronc]

tykestv.eu is usually good or you could subscribe to overplay.net which changes your I.p address and stream it from the tg4 site.