USFC - 2/6/27 - Derry v Down

[T Fearon]

Now Brian Mc Iver joins Paul Grimley in the search for Plan B

[From the Bunker]

After the non event of recent televised games. Good to see a sorta tight(ish) game with plenty of scores (and not just from one team. Both not bad sides and have some very decent players. There won't be many not wanting to meet Derry in the back door.

[Jinxy]

Well done to both teams.
Both very positive and some great scores.

[Declan]

Enjoyed that game. Some excellent play and good scores. Mckiernan has serious pace and was impressive

[lynchbhoy]

Now Brian Mc Iver joins Paul Grimley in the search for Plan B

Grimleys still looking for plan A tone!

[EC Unique]

Donegal will hardly be sweating after that. They will destroy that Down defence especially the full back line. They are very poor.

[southdown]

Poland single handedly dragged us back into that game

[yellowcard]

Very decent game, some turnaround by Down in the last half hour. Derry will be disappointed to score what they did and still lose, their defence was poor at times. They looked to lack a bit of leadership in the second half when it was needed whereas Down had Poland and McKernan pulling the strings.

McKernan is a powerful runner from midfield and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Donegal whilst Poland is a very good playmaker with great vision. Coulter was a great player but is nowhere near the player he was. He could still do a job on the edge of the square but the game Mc Cartan seems to favour is 2 small fast mobile men up front. This will be totally ineffective against Donegal who will swallow them up all day.

[T Fearon]

True LB!

Great week for Down all the same,win today and a new bridge from Sammy Wilson!

[Kidder81]

Donegal will hardly be sweating after that. They will destroy that Down defence especially the full back line. They are very poor.

The bitterness hasn't subsided from last week.

[emmetryan]

Hi guys,

Tactical analysis of Down's win over Derry up here
http://action81.com/blog/?p=7300

Thanks,
Emmet

[guevara]

A win in any Championship game is always brilliant but Today's will potentially mask over some serious problems for Down. Derry could've had the game dead and buried by HT but somehow managed to take the foot off the pedal. I just fear Donegal will be too strong and physical for us and their levels of fitness superior, especially in the Second Half of the game.

McVeigh - Fantastic save from Bradley in the first half that kept Down in the game. Poor kick out that resulted in a Derry Point when

Turley wasn't even facing him.

McCartan - Done rightly. Kept tight and was the best player in the Full-Back line.

McArdle - Anyone trying to promote him as the answer to Down's FB problems needs their head examined. Gave Bradley far too much respect and room and got tortured all day. Only for Turley on several occassions his day would've got a lot worse. Simply never tight enough.

Boyle - Tough Championship debut against the elusive Lynn who was probably Derry's best player in the Second Half. Poor wide after a great run summed up his day.

Rooney - Got a bit of a roasting at time from James Kielt who kicked some fabulous points. Very strange decision to start him in front of Mallon who would've been better suited to this game with his direct runs at Derry's poor defence.

Turley - Done the job he was asked to do in helping out McArdle. Saved his Team Mate on several occassions. Does it simple.

Quinn - Poor game in my opinion. Never got going. Big improvement needed.

King - Fabulous tackle on Lynn in the later stages but generally has faded from the player he was in 2010. Needs to offer more.

McKernan - Kicked 4 great points that effectively won the game for Down. Great passer of the ball and offers a good source of quality supply for his inside Forward's. Down's best Player.

Rodgers - Physical presence around the middle and won a lot of break ball in the first half. Good to see him get some Championship game time.

Poland - Better game than recent form. Got on a lot of ball and generally used it well. 1-2 is a great return.

Madine - Great game. Kicked 0-3 and is a big physical presence. Faded towards the end.

O'Hare - Good finish for the goal but just feel we need more from him in general play. Will find it much tougher against Donegal.

Coulter - Tough day for Benny. Mixed the good with the bad. Seemed to spill more ball than he usually would.

Laverty - Lucky man not to see Red for persistent fouling and then a stupid ankle tap when on a Yellow Card. Needs to get on the score board more.

[whitegoodman]

Where u at the game guevara or watching on tv ??  Only reason I ask is that although I agree with a lot of what u have said I think ur rating of king was very harsh.

A lot of his work doesn't be seen on the tv and I'd go as far to say that he was close to my mom and it was one of his best games ever for Down, a great foil for mckernan as well.

A bit harsh on Rooney too I thought.  Kielt is a class act and took some great scores but I thought Rooney kept him quiet for long periods.  Also thought he got forward quite well.  Whatever Mallon offers he certainly ant the man to mark Kielt !!!

[Aristo 60]

I thought King was immense and a contender for motm although McKernan probably gets the nod.

Thought we won midfiled all day long and not sure why all kick outs weren't being put there when we were so dominant.

Wouldn't be so hard on Benny McArdle as Bradley was on fire.

Laverty's interception to me was the crucial moment and but for it we wouldn't have romped home so handy.

Great turnaround, Donegal won't allow us to do the same. If we can get within 5 or 6 points of them we'll have put down some sort of a marker in Ulster 

Well done the minors too. Celtic Park a happy hunting ground for the Down men.

Will enjoy watching this on tv later!

[guevara]

I was at the game WG. Agreed Kalum does a lot of the dirty work around the middle that isn't seen or noticed a lot of the time but in my opinion and its only that, he isn't having the same impact on games like he was a few years ago. Lets not forget Derry had an injured Patsy Bradley & a 19 year old debutant in Bell so Down were expected to dominate in that sector.

On Rooney I thought he looked sluggish and Kielt had a big impact for Derry in the first half. Mallon should have started ahead of either Rooney or Quinn. To say Mallon wasn't the man for Kielt is based on what?
Benny McArdle was very poor. No matter how good Eoin Bradley was, Benny had Peter Turley sweeping in front and still managed to foul on countless occasions when there was no need. These converted free's kept Derry within touching distance at a crucial stage of the first half and in Championship Football you will get punished for this. We got away with it Today in my opinion but anyone who can't see the problems there is naive.