Down v Tyrone NFL Div 1 Newry Sat 2nd Feb 7pm

[Man Marker]

Good win this eve. Clarke and Gormley very good in second half in my opinion.
In fairness the defence tightened up a lot in the second half.

Cassidy was usual joke referee... High tackles go unpunished , yet Sean Cav gets booked for trying to make the Down player get back the required distance for the 45!

Nice start to staying in Div 1.,

The ref gave yellow cards to all high tackles and got the call on King correct before HT . Good win, and we could have been in serious trouble b4 HT with the amount of wides down hit on the trot, on another day we could have been 7down at HT. V good 2 nd half. For the life of me can anyone explain why Mc aliskey was taken off, he was so heavily involved with our best football, and at the stage he was taken off he was influential in the gl and two pts we scored to take the lead, baffled. Big Sean was embarressing, greedy and just played for himself. Talk about favourites Mickey!!

[orangeman]

How did he get the King call correct? Baffled how King stayed on the field. Having been on a yellow, he tackled McMahon high as McMahon was running out to tackle another Down player. If that didn't warrant a yellow, I am lost.

FromBBC NI website -


Home midfielder Kalum King had appeared fortunate in the first half not to be sent off after a high tackle on McMahon even though he had already been yellow carded.
McMahon didn't enjoy the same leniency although he had appeared to have been involved in some off-the-ball afters in the incident which led to his second booking.
But despite McMahon's departure, Conor Clarke, Cavanagh and full-forward O'Neill added further points to secure a deserved win for the Red Hands.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

'Baffling' would be a fair description of that refereeing performance (again).

Good contest, if a little too tetchy at times, and a much better second half from ourselves than first -- Penrose and Clarke did well when they appeared, steadying things and making it more difficult for the Down runners.

Good result, all factors considered.

[Fuzzman]

What happened that time along the sideline? It's not often ye see Mickey get involved with the ref like that. . Commentary on Setanta wasn't great I thought also. He kept calling Joey Justin McMahon. Previous first round matches would see King get a suspension as he took out Joey off the ball.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Wee James manhandled Mickey Harte at one point (was as dirty on the sideline as his players were on the pitch  ), and  Mark had a word with him at the final whistle about being abusive to his Da.

[Fuzzman]

What did ye Down wans think of the ref?

[Aaron Boone]

You don't go near Mickey.

[southdown]

Penrose didnt cover himself in glory.  Started a row with Laverty, held him up and then lay on the ground when he wasnt touched.

[TY14ED]

Penrose didnt cover himself in glory.  Started a row with Laverty, held him up and then lay on the ground when he wasnt touched.

Hold on now- this is the typical response from any team playing Tyrone- try & throw some dirt. Both teams did things last night that we wouldn't be happy with but they are happening in our games. Laverty, Poland & a few others can throw themselves to the ground to con referees with the best of them. But no, the aristocrats will keep throwing dirt at Tyrone to tarnish their image.

[southdown]

 simply stating what i saw. Laverty got his second yellow following an incident started by Penrose and in which Penrose lay on the ground when he wasnt touched. This is not about throwing dirt, get over yourself. Im entitled to an opinion on what I saw.

[tyroneman]

What about Mc Curry? Injured or out of favour?

[Mourne Rover]

Both sets of management exchanged words along the sideline during the game, but it appeared to be Michael Harte junior rather than Mark, who took matters further after the final whistle. It was a difficult match to referee, with so much going on, but the main Down concern would have been the late Cavanagh free which was given as a point when the entire stand could see it had drifted a couple of feet wide. Coulter was at the wrong end of a couple of dodgy calls, particularly when he was blown up for overcarrying just after McMahon was sent off. McMahon's second yellow looked harsh, but Tyrone coped with the pressure just that little bit better than Down.

[Beantown]

Thought Down defended very well, Tyrone goal came from a poor kick out.  Although the passing and movement for the goal was top drawer.

Tyrone's fitness levels look as high as they are in the summer, which augurs well for the warmer days and firmer ground of championship season. 

Still bewildered by some of the refereeing decisions, but tha'ts to be expected on most occasions these days

[omagh_gael]

Thought Down defended very well, Tyrone goal came from a poor kick out.  Although the passing and movement for the goal was top drawer.

Tyrone's fitness levels look as high as they are in the summer, which augurs well for the warmer days and firmer ground of championship season. 

Still bewildered by some of the refereeing decisions, but tha'ts to be expected on most occasions these days

Re your fitness point. In my opinion this has been part of our downfall in recent years where our great starts  to the year end in damp squibs as we don't have the extra couple of gears come the firm sod. Perhaps with the injection of youth this year we may have those extra 5-10 minutes of intense 'pressure football' that is required.

[under the bar]

Good won for Tyrone in the face of disgracefully partizan refereeing.  Trampish behaviour indeed from Down management