All Ireland Quarter Final Ard Mhacha v Dún na nGall

[stew]

Armagh unlucky today and should have forced a replay at the very least especially at the final kick. On that display we are the weakest team left in the quarter finals .
Having said that we have only faced ulster teams this championship and these games are always scrappy as fcuk.

We have 3 weeks to improve and buy some kicking boots .
It has to be stressed though Armagh were courages and had a chance to close that game out if they'd had the legs.
Obviously,  as the Armagh lads had already predicted before the game ,their kickouts were shocking.

They, more than anything, cost us the game!

Thanks for the memories Paul.

[Armamike]

Disappointing to lose the game by a point.  But a lot to take away from this for next year. There's a lot of stuff to admire in that team.  But the old flaws that have been there came back to bite - poor enough shooting at times and the goalie's kickouts. If we can do something about the kickouts we will move to the next level and be genuine contenders imo.   

[ONeill]

Armagh lads being true to form and landing a final box after the whistle. Lucky it was over or he could have got a fair few in return.

Gutted again but at the same time proud and optimistic about the future, that said today we gave up a lot of ball through bad decision making pertaining to diagonal balls, why we pass to a team-mate with an opponent draping over them is beyond me, also we gifted them two tap overs because we argued with that idiot in the middle!

Clarke and Dyas were very poor, I thought Grimley should have given Clarke the freedom to roam and if Toner was fit to play for five minutes surely he could have been brought on sooner!

We had no answer for Murphy but once again the Kernans showed their class and Vernon did well at the back even though he gave up a crucial free.

Priority number one now must now be promotion to division 2 followed by a run at Sam next year, we have proven we can hang with Champions and I am as proud of this campaign as an Armagh man can be, we won't be cinderella next season, we are legitimate contenders for Sam and we are Armagh!

Bit early to be on the batter

[bcarrier]

McGee been a dirty bollix again

Impossible to like some of those Donegal players.

Hard luck Armagh.

+1

First time since 1977 I wanted Armagh to win.

[stew]

Armagh lads being true to form and landing a final box after the whistle. Lucky it was over or he could have got a fair few in return.

Gutted again but at the same time proud and optimistic about the future, that said today we gave up a lot of ball through bad decision making pertaining to diagonal balls, why we pass to a team-mate with an opponent draping over them is beyond me, also we gifted them two tap overs because we argued with that idiot in the middle!

Clarke and Dyas were very poor, I thought Grimley should have given Clarke the freedom to roam and if Toner was fit to play for five minutes surely he could have been brought on sooner!

We had no answer for Murphy but once again the Kernans showed their class and Vernon did well at the back even though he gave up a crucial free.

Priority number one now must now be promotion to division 2 followed by a run at Sam next year, we have proven we can hang with Champions and I am as proud of this campaign as an Armagh man can be, we won't be cinderella next season, we are legitimate contenders for Sam and we are Armagh!

Bit early to be on the batter

It is and I'm not!

[balladmaker]

Donegal by a point but I witnessed an imminent change of guard in Ulster today, a Donegal team who are only heading one direction, and a youthful Armagh team on the way up.  With a better keeper & kickouts, Armagh would have won today.

[J70]

Jaysus, we made hard work of that, and could have had no complaints if Armagh had snatched the draw at the end due to an idiotic move by McBrearty. Utterly dominant for 25 minutes of the second half, we nearly kicked it away through awful shooting (and shot selection). That said, we were rather fortunate in the first half when a goal against the run of play, and the move of Murphy into full forward, completely changed the game. Armagh, likewise, missed some good chances when they were on top then, and indeed, over the whole game, seemed to find it easier to get scores from play. We've a lot of work to do for the next day. That performance, at least shooting-wise, will no trouble Dublin much. MCFadden in particular needs to find some form, while McBrearty needs to settle down with the hollywood attempts.

Some of the players, on both sides, let themselves down today with their behaviour, but I suppose there was always going to be some aggro when neither side wanted to be seen not standing up to the other (Eamon McGee spoiled an otherwise excellent performance with a cheap shot on a youing Armagh forward at the end. Armagh no.10 didn't cover himself in glory either).

[J70]

McGee been a dirty bollix again

Impossible to like some of those Donegal players.

Hard luck Armagh.

+1

First time since 1977 I wanted Armagh to win.

Right, because it was only one team with players acting the bollocks today. 

[muppet]

Jaysus, we made hard work of that, and could have had no complaints if Armagh had snatched the draw at the end due to an idiotic move by McBrearty. Utterly dominant for 25 minutes of the second half, we nearly kicked it away through awful shooting (and shot selection). That said, we were rather fortunate in the first half when a goal against the run of play, and the move of Murphy into full forward, completely changed the game. Armagh, likewise, missed some good chances when they were on top then, and indeed, over the whole game, seemed to find it easier to get scores from play. We've a lot of work to do for the next day. That performance, at least shooting-wise, will no trouble Dublin much. MCFadden in particular needs to find some form, while McBrearty needs to settle down with the hollywood attempts.

Some of the players, on both sides, let themselves down today with their behaviour, but I suppose there was always going to be some aggro when neither side wanted to be seen not standing up to the other (Eamon McGee spoiled an otherwise excellent performance with a cheap shot on a youing Armagh forward at the end. Armagh no.10 didn't cover himself in glory either).

Good balanced post.

[Oraisteach]

Dagnabbit, c**k-fightin' mother-pluckin'  heart-breakin' ..... So feckin' close to the semis.  Gonna write tons, but just read Stew's post and he pretty much sums up my thinking.  Kernans were terrific.  Fair play to that Donegal defense.  Our own was pretty good too, for the most part. Can't abide yielding so many high balls in the middle.  Murphy--what a presence.  Sad as hell, but so pleased with our c'ship run.  We'll done, Donegal.  Go get Sam.

[Armamike]

Jaysus, we made hard work of that, and could have had no complaints if Armagh had snatched the draw at the end due to an idiotic move by McBrearty. Utterly dominant for 25 minutes of the second half, we nearly kicked it away through awful shooting (and shot selection). That said, we were rather fortunate in the first half when a goal against the run of play, and the move of Murphy into full forward, completely changed the game. Armagh, likewise, missed some good chances when they were on top then, and indeed, over the whole game, seemed to find it easier to get scores from play. We've a lot of work to do for the next day. That performance, at least shooting-wise, will no trouble Dublin much. MCFadden in particular needs to find some form, while McBrearty needs to settle down with the hollywood attempts.

Some of the players, on both sides, let themselves down today with their behaviour, but I suppose there was always going to be some aggro when neither side wanted to be seen not standing up to the other (Eamon McGee spoiled an otherwise excellent performance with a cheap shot on a youing Armagh forward at the end. Armagh no.10 didn't cover himself in glory either).

Good post. Couldn't disagree with any of that.

[J70]

Very impressed with how we kept our cool after Armagh edged ahead again with a few minutes left and worked two excellent scores from Murphy and McBrearty.

[mylestheslasher]

Jaysus, we made hard work of that, and could have had no complaints if Armagh had snatched the draw at the end due to an idiotic move by McBrearty. Utterly dominant for 25 minutes of the second half, we nearly kicked it away through awful shooting (and shot selection). That said, we were rather fortunate in the first half when a goal against the run of play, and the move of Murphy into full forward, completely changed the game. Armagh, likewise, missed some good chances when they were on top then, and indeed, over the whole game, seemed to find it easier to get scores from play. We've a lot of work to do for the next day. That performance, at least shooting-wise, will no trouble Dublin much. MCFadden in particular needs to find some form, while McBrearty needs to settle down with the hollywood attempts.

Some of the players, on both sides, let themselves down today with their behaviour, but I suppose there was always going to be some aggro when neither side wanted to be seen not standing up to the other (Eamon McGee spoiled an otherwise excellent performance with a cheap shot on a youing Armagh forward at the end. Armagh no.10 didn't cover himself in glory either).

Good post. Couldn't disagree with any of that.

Common denominator to a lot of this stuff is Armagh wouldn't you say?

[From the Bunker]

Great Character by Donegal to pull out a win in the end! Pre McGuinness days they would have choked in that situation. Have to say they still look rusty compared to 2012 and McFadden has been out of form for two years now. Unless there is another plan(s), I cannot see them staying with Dublin like 2011 unless they revert right back to original extremist sort of setup and play of 2011.

[Jinxy]

Armagh lads being true to form and landing a final box after the whistle. Lucky it was over or he could have got a fair few in return.

Gutted again but at the same time proud and optimistic about the future, that said today we gave up a lot of ball through bad decision making pertaining to diagonal balls, why we pass to a team-mate with an opponent draping over them is beyond me, also we gifted them two tap overs because we argued with that idiot in the middle!

Clarke and Dyas were very poor, I thought Grimley should have given Clarke the freedom to roam and if Toner was fit to play for five minutes surely he could have been brought on sooner!

We had no answer for Murphy but once again the Kernans showed their class and Vernon did well at the back even though he gave up a crucial free.

Priority number one now must now be promotion to division 2 followed by a run at Sam next year, we have proven we can hang with Champions and I am as proud of this campaign as an Armagh man can be, we won't be cinderella next season, we are legitimate contenders for Sam and we are Armagh!

To be honest, and I've thought this for some time, much of Clarke's reputation is based on his performances at club level against weaker opposition.
I don't think he's in the top ten inside forwards.
He'd still get a game for us though.