Ulster Senior Football Final, Donegal v Down 22nd July .

[In the Onion Bag]

There can be no argument over this one.  We held them close for 35and but for the Donegal goal should have led at half time.  The 2 nd half was a different story, Donegal had learn't all they need from the 1st and snuffed us out completely.  We were pathetic, devoid of ideas in the 2nd half and when Donegal realised they had us about 50 mins in they used the game as a practice match.  This shows great professionalism and so well done Donegal.
Still and all I had a great day barring the result.  The atmosphere in Clones on Ulster final day is some thing else.  Fans mixing so well together.

I also have to praise the Down fans I traveled with, including some doz Albanians who are gr8 craic. We enjoyed a party atmosphere in the Parador Bar until I had had enough and left 20 minutes ago. Were are great losers and don't let losing get in the way of a party.

Good luck to Donegal , your football has become much more enjoyable than last year. 

[T Fearon]

Good job it's not in Tipperary.It's a long way there,apparently.

[eviemonkey]

That was a serious statement of intent from Donegal. Granted Down were disappointing and looked like they rolled over a bit before the end but still to shoot 2-18 with 10 or 11 different scorers shows they have a greater range of scoring options that would have been assumed before the Championship.

Before there was maybe a perception that if you contained Murphy you could contain Donegal but he was relatively quite today but others stepped up to lead by example. Two to impress in particular are McHugh and Bradley who are displaying All Star form at the moment. Donegal are flexing their muscles more as an attacking force whilst looking as difficult to break down as ever at the back.

[In the Onion Bag]

In fairness we have taken more than our fair share of stick from Downies and hell slap this loss up Down. I have nothing good to say about Down and i am glad every time they lose.

I think my opinion stems from when, after I had watched our minors lose the AI final to Meath, i was no sooner home than about twenty of my neighbours thought it would be a good idea to come to the door to give me stick about the worst loss in my lifetime as an Armagh supporter, I have hated Down ever since and will do until the day I die, you talk about rats up a drainpipe, I would say my neighbours in the point that did that to me that day were more like snakes in the grass.



Cannot take that Arma keik on a day like this. Trust Arma to bring the tone down.
Guess the only answer to your impetulent rant and to Tony is: 5 up compared to one in a row is best. 
Stick your chin out and someones sure to hit it.

[Lucifer]

I'm still in a bit of shock at that second half.

At every level of football I've ever watched, there is a tendency for the team chasing the game to throw caution to the wind and drive forward en masse - even though all this ever does is reduce space at the end you're attacking, while opening space at your own end. It's human nature I suppose.

But I've never seen any other team throw caution so quickly and so pronounced as this Down team. We're football's equivalent of masochists.

Given that it's basically a semi-pro team, this is inexcusable. Our poor, poor full back line.


Congrats Donegal by the way; an outstanding display.

I was thinking this very thing early in the second half.  It was suicide.  Truthfully, it may not have made a difference to the result, but Down really didn't need to commit so many bodies forward at such an early stage and could have been much more competitive for longer IMO.

[southdown]

I thought the heads went down much, much too early in the second half.

[Aristo 60]

Well done Donegal.

Unfortunately for Down they are and have been shown in the past  to be a confidence team and so it was again yesterday. For that reason alone I'd dramactically change personnel for Saturday and let guys whos heads mightened be as down as the rest like McConville and Rooney have a big piece of the action.

It was very sad to see the once great Danny Hughes reduced to coming deep for ball only to dither and fail in our half of the field.  I was reasonably happy with McCardle , the two Dans and O'Hagan, Doyle and Poland but the rest didn't do enough.

We very definitely failed to "pick the lock" but Donegal were only a door in the first half, in the second half they were a battering ram and the only way to beat a battering ram is to bring out a bigger battering ram.

Very glad I didn't take the tempting odds on offer, them dirty gg's always get it right!

We can still take tipp if we want it and I'll be there to lend what support I can. We will need 15,000 other down men and women to lift the boys head's again. Your county needs you. 

[AQMP]

I think if Down can get their heads right, they should beat Tipp.  Tipp struggled to put away a poor enough Antrim side.  Had Antrim beaten Tipp I'd have made Down firm favourites so they should have enough to beat Tipp. 

A brilliant second half from Donegal.  I'd say they could give it a right rattle the year!

[Declan]

Donegal very impressive alright and deservedly would be most in most peoples' top two picks for ultimate glory in September

[snoopdog]

Congrats to Donegal, you were far and away a better team that Down.
Id love to know what exactly Aidan O'Rourke is getting paid to do with that Down Defence, he has watched Cork run through them twice already this year along with Monaghan in the first half of the Semi but yet he could nt organise them.
Also what was McCartan at with Danny Hughes holding him by the scruff before he went on.
I dont think this management team can bring this group of players any further.
down need a fresh approach soon beofre its too late. no doubt we do have some great players but we have some very average ones also, mix that with what seems no game plan at all and you end up with yesterdays result.
Also where is the killer instinct gone in front of goal? those chances in the first half were as good as you could get but both were put over the bar?

Down can have no excuses if the get beat by tipperary, and neither can McCartan.
6 day turn around my a.rse, are the management team dillusional to the chance that we may face a qualifier? If they hadnt prepared for that already then the door is the only option.

[babarino]

Great display from Donegal to pick up the cup and the game went fairly much according to script. They are fantastically fit; to see McFadden making bursting runs in the last five minutes shows how well conditioned they are.

One big black mark against Donegal was Neil McGhee stamping Conor Laverty's foot in the first half. He got a yellow but it should have been red, as there was clear intent to do damage. If there's any justice he should be out for the next game for what was a nasty act.

[wildrover]

My take on the game:

- Donegal have to be congratulated for a fantastic all-round performance. In a good all-round team performance the Stand-out performers for me were Frank McGlynn, Mark McHugh, Colm McFadden (albeit his spree came towards the end when the contest was over) and my Man of the Match Ryan Bradley.

- A wee word on Michael Murphy...do Donegal fans think they are getting the best out of him, or his his game being compromised by the way the team is set up? He seems to struggle to stay on his feet when trying to turn (I am not accusing him of diving) and isnt the scoring threat he was a couple of years ago...

- Down played well in the first half and but for some wayward shooting (mckernan, gordon, coulter efforts spring to mind) might possibly have opened up a bit of a cushion. The Donegal goal put paid to that and came at a very important time in the match. To be fair Down responded to the goal well through ambroses point (I was at an awkward enough angle but could this have been a goal opportunity?) In the second half, that Down capitulated was due to a couple of very costly individual errors (McKernan was particularly guilty of indecisiveness and spillages) followed by a period of ruthlessness that is only honed by the kind of regime that Donegal are currently running. Dan Gordon, Benny Mccardle, Darren O Hagan, Ambrose Rogers, Mark Poland and Conor Laverty were the pick of the Down players, while Dan Mccartan and Kalum King are coming in for their usual over the top criticism when I think they both had fair games. In my opinion Mckernan, Brannigan and Coulter had poor days at the office.

- The referee had a fair game too and despite some slight inconsistencies, tried to keep the game flowing as best he could. He was alert enough to notice that a Donegal kickout had been taken while the ball was still rolling and punished any player blocking a quick free by moving it up. Both sides could have had their grievances at various times (I didnt think the offences of kalum king and Brendan McCardle warranted a yellow card, while Karl Lacey was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge when bending down to pick up the ball and Down got a score from a free directly after) but in the end didnt impact on the result.

- For all of the negative publicity Donegal get for their cynicism, I have to say I did not see much evidence of it. They looked supremely fit, well conditioned and comfortable in their roles. They were able move up into a gear that Down didnt have. However,Their management will probably be a bit concerned about the levels of back-slapping and praise that comes their way in the next few days and it will be imperative that the squad remains grounded for when they reach Croke Park.

- For Down it will be a big task to raise themselves for a decent Tipperary team in 6 days time. I am hoping that they have enough experience (gained from consistently competing in division 1 and big games in croke park) within the squad to ensure they have the professional approach which will be required to win the game. They need to wipe yesterday from their minds. If someone had told them in January when they started training collectively that a win v Tipperary would see them back to Croke Park in an All-Ireland Quarter I am sure they would have bitten your hand off.

- Finally, despite some traffic problems entering Monaghan town and Clones itself, the setting was superb. Great to see a full-house and plenty of banter between both sets of supporters (roughly 50:50 in ratio)...

[Applesisapples]

Great result for Donegal against a disappointing Down team. The use of Conor Laverty baffled me I would have thought he would have been better playing closer to goal. That said Donegal are in with a shout of collecting Sam for the second time. Armagh County Board Take note of what a young manager with fresh ideas can do. Well done Jim McGuinness.

[LeoMc]

Well done Donegal. I have been critical in the past of their overly defensive set up but they are now much more of a scoring threat and as a by-product more watchable.
Is this new-found attacking edge coming at a cost though, Down created a number of goal chances but were not clinical enough. Their defenders were not as comfortable in front of goals as the Donegal defenders.

[cadence]

Well done Donegal. I have been critical in the past of their overly defensive set up but they are now much more of a scoring threat and as a by-product more watchable.
Is this new-found attacking edge coming at a cost though, Down created a number of goal chances but were not clinical enough. Their defenders were not as comfortable in front of goals as the Donegal defenders.

first half i thought down went right at the spine of our defence and broke it and made some good chances.