All Ireland Quarter Final Ard Mhacha v Dún na nGall

[BluestackBoy]

Arrived home from the match disappointed but pleased with Armagh's run this year. Read the points here and most seem fair and balanced. Did not see what McGee is being slated for but know as an Armagh man that Forker can be a bit hot headed. The incident at half time with Lacey was similar to one he was involved in with Tony Kernan in Armagh championship last year. So it was probably nothing personal with Lacey and he would need to learn this time.

I then read a few other websites and started to get annoyed. Firstly there was the amount of comments of how bad a match it was and why would anyone want to watch Ulster football. If they don't enjoy it why are they watching it - just to have something to complain about. Some of the crap issued against Armagh would feed the believe that we have in the North that we are not very well liked by some in the 26 counties!

Then I listened to RTE. It seems they, and others, want Aaron Findon to face a long ban for pushing the Donegal doctor. Now there is no doubt that he shouldn't have done it. But we have to remember that this is a young fella of twenty and we all did stupid things at that age. We can also ask what was the doctor doing there anyway. I did not see anyone lying injured on the field. But that is besides the point. The referee dealt with the matter. We were told that nothing was done about the Meath v Dublin melee because the referee dealt with it. RTE can push as much as they like but if the CCCC pursue it Armagh will rightly ask questions. Besides is a push worse than a punch or a bite?

McGee pushed a young Armagh forward backwards over the advertising hoardings after the ball had gone out of play.  Pointless act.

It was a proper championship game with a whiff of sulphur to it, but only a whiff. Neither side could be seen to back down & no damage was done.
I read that the yellow card count was 6-0, can that be true?

[Throw ball]

Arrived home from the match disappointed but pleased with Armagh's run this year. Read the points here and most seem fair and balanced. Did not see what McGee is being slated for but know as an Armagh man that Forker can be a bit hot headed. The incident at half time with Lacey was similar to one he was involved in with Tony Kernan in Armagh championship last year. So it was probably nothing personal with Lacey and he would need to learn this time.

I then read a few other websites and started to get annoyed. Firstly there was the amount of comments of how bad a match it was and why would anyone want to watch Ulster football. If they don't enjoy it why are they watching it - just to have something to complain about. Some of the crap issued against Armagh would feed the believe that we have in the North that we are not very well liked by some in the 26 counties!

Then I listened to RTE. It seems they, and others, want Aaron Findon to face a long ban for pushing the Donegal doctor. Now there is no doubt that he shouldn't have done it. But we have to remember that this is a young fella of twenty and we all did stupid things at that age. We can also ask what was the doctor doing there anyway. I did not see anyone lying injured on the field. But that is besides the point. The referee dealt with the matter. We were told that nothing was done about the Meath v Dublin melee because the referee dealt with it. RTE can push as much as they like but if the CCCC pursue it Armagh will rightly ask questions. Besides is a push worse than a punch or a bite?

McGee pushed a young Armagh forward backwards over the advertising hoardings after the ball had gone out of play.  Pointless act.

It was a proper championship game with a whiff of sulphur to it, but only a whiff. Neither side could be seen to back down & no damage was done.
I read that the yellow card count was 6-0, can that be true?

Seems that card count was right. Thought it a bit lob sided on what I saw. Clarke also played a lot further out the field and got his usual booking from McQuiilan. He always seems to find it hard to get frees from this particular referee.

Talking of Clarke I read someone saying he is over rated. I think most Armagh people will agree with me when I say he is too honest compared to many other corner forwards. He cannot 'buy' a free. Even when he tried in the Sigerson final his attempt was laughable. This has not been his best year. Hopefully that is a good sign for Armagh.

[Armamike]

I thought Armagh were brilliant today.

Unfortunately they're a bit of a Wexford '08 and they'll flounder in division 3 next year.

Hope that's as accurate as the rest of your predictions Nostradamus.

[you take er!]

I thought Armagh were brilliant today.

Unfortunately they're a bit of a Wexford '08 and they'll flounder in division 3 next year.

Some people can't even see when they are mugging themselves off. That sort of comment will be taken seriously by nobody my Red Hand friend.

[bigpaul]

I remember division three alright. That's real Sunday morning football.

It would be harder for yourself to forget that!!!!!

[J70]

Any team that kick their restarts down the throats of players for 50/50 ball is on a hiding to nothing.not only that but slow restarts are a killer too.armagh did well this year and they have plenty to build on.donegal did the usual.they need beaten for the sake of the national game.

What a load of hyperbolic bollocks.

1. Two teams dropped men back behind the ball, both today and other days. Not just Donegal.

2. How is the "sake of the national game" dependent on whether or not Donegal win or lose? The sky didn't fall when we won a well-deserved All Ireland two years ago. Our success didn't hamper Dublin's progress into what will likely end up as one of the (if not the) greatest teams the game has ever seen. Similarly, our potential lack of success is not going to change the fact that a lot of teams see the mass defence/swift break model as their best route to success. We were hammered by Mayo last year. Did that stop numerous other teams from dropping men back this year? Armagh who "did well this year" among them.

3. Why is it only Donegal who attract the ire of so many? That Monaghan's hammering of us last year was completed by a team with an identical gameplan seems not to have mattered to anyone. Only Donegal seem to take the abuse. Is it because we actually made it work and won an All Ireland? Would no one give a shit if we tried defensive tactics and failed dismally like, say, Cavan this year or Fermanagh in past years?

[Zulu]

It's because Donegal are far worse than pretty much anyone else. Most opponents have to play defensive football against Donegal due to the way they set up which leads to some god awful games. I would normally love to see Donegal win an All Ireland but as long as you play like you under Jimmy I hope you don't. I'll be supporting Dublin in 3 weeks time and I think most neutral supporters will also.

[Syferus]

It's because Donegal are far worse than pretty much anyone else. Most opponents have to play defensive football against Donegal due to the way they set up which leads to some god awful games. I would normally love to see Donegal win an All Ireland but as long as you play like you under Jimmy I hope you don't. I'll be supporting Dublin in 3 weeks time and I think most neutral supporters will also.

I don't think you're quite grasping what Anyone But Dublin means, Zulu.

[J70]

It's because Donegal are far worse than pretty much anyone else. Most opponents have to play defensive football against Donegal due to the way they set up which leads to some god awful games. I would normally love to see Donegal win an All Ireland but as long as you play like you under Jimmy I hope you don't. I'll be supporting Dublin in 3 weeks time and I think most neutral supporters will also.

No one HAS to set up defensively. If Donegal keep all their men back, why would their opponents need to do likewise?  Why not just leave your men forward and let your backs join the attack in support if they have no one to mark? Are you suggesting Dublin will opt for blanket defense in the semi?

And sure haven't we been hearing for the past few weeks how stupid it is for teams to go man for man against Dublin?

[GJL]

Best game of the Championship so far this year. I was glued to it.

[general_lee]

Well done Donegal, probably the better team but only just. Go on and win it now!

With a few tweaks Armagh should come back stronger next year. Harsh to single out McEvoy, if he came improve his kickouts he's a good enough shot stopper to keep his place.

Thought Joe McQuillan was a bit one-sided but other than that a gallant performance and plenty of positives to take away from that game. So hard to lose by a point but it will hopefully bring this team on.

[CD]

Just a note about the traffic. It was feckin' brutal. An hour and a half to get out of the college car park and onto the M1. Surely there's got to be something better than having to do this every time. I vowed tonight I'd never drive into Drumcondra gain on match day.

Any tips, anyone?

If you are willing to walk 30 mins there a loads of places to park.

Take a right anywhere along Drumcondra on the way into the city and park around St Mobhi road. If there's no roadside parking Na Fianna always have match parking at their grounds. It's about a 25 minute walk to Croker along Botanic Avenue coming out at Fagans. Going home, stay on Mobhi road (parallel to Drumcondra road) through Ballymun (quickly) and straight onto the motorway. You'll be in Drogheda before others will be out of the College!

Alternatively, take the port tunnel. Go right on exit towards North Circular road. There's a primary school there in the shadow of the Davin stand with loads of parking and it's really handy to get away from  - through the tunnel again.

[seanaglis]

It looked like magennis had told the donegal players the armagh keeper was useless and to test him out. Mcfadden took a very speculative long range shot at one stage, the donegal goal ws a joke, he should never have bben beaten at his near post, the dodgy punch and the fact that the donegal players pushed up on armagh kick outs and didnt let any be kicked short. Hes a liability and donegal knew it

[BluestackBoy]

It's because Donegal are far worse than pretty much anyone else. Most opponents have to play defensive football against Donegal due to the way they set up which leads to some god awful games. I would normally love to see Donegal win an All Ireland but as long as you play like you under Jimmy I hope you don't. I'll be supporting Dublin in 3 weeks time and I think most neutral supporters will also.

Donegal had close on 30 attempts on goal yesterday, so all that nonsense about "defensive" & "negative"  is shown to be what it is, nonsense.
The problem for some seems to be that Donegal's defence is good at what it does & so the inevitable conclusion is that whatever other traditional values are disappearing from the GAA, begrudgery is alive and well.

[T Fearon]

Benny.Park in Clerys, (bit of a walk I know) and exit via the Port Tunnel onto M1.No queues or traffic jams