Down Club Hurling & Football

[supersub]

Down Senior training squad were well beaten last night by a much fitter, faster and stronger Kilcoo side in Eoghain Rua Pairc.

Down team boasted only Kalum King (played at full foward) and Aidan Carr (centre half foward) in their starting 15 while Conor Laverty and Aidan Brannigan played for their home club. Ill try my best and list the team below:

1. Mickey McAlister (banbridge)
2. ?
3. Peter Turley (D'pattick
4. Eamon  (Clonduff)
5. David McKibben (Bryansford
6. John McCarthty (L'island)
7. Keith Quinn (Mayobridge)
8. ?
9. ?
10. Arthur McConville (Clonduff)
11. Aidan Carr (Clonduff)
12. Timmy Hanna (Bryansford)
13. Marcus Miskelly (Darragh Cross)
14. Kallum King (Bryansford)
15. Ross McGarry (Warrenpoint)

Final Score: Down 1-6 Kilcoo 2-7

Good to see Aidan Carr started... That will keep Ross happy anyhow!!!!!!!
Wonder how many of them names will we see come league or championship tho?? Need a few to freshen up things in the panel - just hope some of the above have the committment for it.  That lad Mc Kibbin from the ford is a good lad as is Timmy Hanna.  Arthur Mc Conville - are you serious - James should have went to the u21 game the other day between Clonduff and Mayobridge - Mc Conville was totally outclassed in every position he was sent to.  Not now or never will be a county footballer... Keith Quinn - over rated and is still available for u21s this year and Ross Mc Garry - does he even play for the point anymore - must have stayed in the single figures for games this season.....

bit harsh on McConville he had an outstanding championship for clonduff.

But my point is - is he a county standard player.. If not then he should not be there..... Can he compete with King, Rodgers, Mc Ardle, fitzpatrick (even tho he is gone for the minute) for a midfield slot or with anyone in the full forward line. No imo he cant.  Good club championship means little in the big picture.  |The teams that went out in the early rounds of the cship will still have a fair quota of players and rightly so...

Would rather McConville than McCardle any day.

[EagleLord]

Would definatley dissagree with that supersub. McArdle takes alot of unfair stick I reckon. When he plays for Burren hes as dynamic as you can get, a strong runner, hard to keep up with when he gets in his stride. If he recreated this attitude when playing for Down then he would turn alot more critics into fans. That said, hes on a downer right from the off, when he was named at midfeild last yr against Antrim, before a ball was kicked, I heard Down spectators saying 'Ah Jesus Anoton is starting' and things to that nature. Hard enough for a 20yr old to cope with that. Basically, if I was given a choice to choose between Anton or Arthur, for me, its a no-brainer.

[whitegoodman]

Ruling Arthur out as a county player at the age of 20 is harsh to say the least.  He had a decent championship, has potential but would have a bit of work to do on his overall fitness and other areas of the game.

On Anton I would agree with Eaglelord.  He is alot more dynamic than Arthur currently and his performance against Roslea last wk was very impressive.  He is getting bigger and stronger and is only going to improve.  It will be interesting to see how he fares against a physical opponent like Eoin Lennon on Sunday.  He reminds me of what Ambrose was like at around that age, dynamic and physical but a bit raw.

[charlieTully]

Down Senior training squad were well beaten last night by a much fitter, faster and stronger Kilcoo side in Eoghain Rua Pairc.

Down team boasted only Kalum King (played at full foward) and Aidan Carr (centre half foward) in their starting 15 while Conor Laverty and Aidan Brannigan played for their home club. Ill try my best and list the team below:

1. Mickey McAlister (banbridge)
2. ?
3. Peter Turley (D'pattick
4. Eamon  (Clonduff)
5. David McKibben (Bryansford
6. John McCarthty (L'island)
7. Keith Quinn (Mayobridge)
8. ?
9. ?
10. Arthur McConville (Clonduff)
11. Aidan Carr (Clonduff)
12. Timmy Hanna (Bryansford)
13. Marcus Miskelly (Darragh Cross)
14. Kallum King (Bryansford)
15. Ross McGarry (Warrenpoint)

Final Score: Down 1-6 Kilcoo 2-7

Good to see Aidan Carr started... That will keep Ross happy anyhow!!!!!!!
Wonder how many of them names will we see come league or championship tho?? Need a few to freshen up things in the panel - just hope some of the above have the committment for it.  That lad Mc Kibbin from the ford is a good lad as is Timmy Hanna.  Arthur Mc Conville - are you serious - James should have went to the u21 game the other day between Clonduff and Mayobridge - Mc Conville was totally outclassed in every position he was sent to.  Not now or never will be a county footballer... Keith Quinn - over rated and is still available for u21s this year and Ross Mc Garry - does he even play for the point anymore - must have stayed in the single figures for games this season.....

bit harsh on McConville he had an outstanding championship for clonduff.

But my point is - is he a county standard player.. If not then he should not be there..... Can he compete with King, Rodgers, Mc Ardle, fitzpatrick (even tho he is gone for the minute) for a midfield slot or with anyone in the full forward line. No imo he cant.  Good club championship means little in the big picture.  |The teams that went out in the early rounds of the cship will still have a fair quota of players and rightly so...

based on his perfomances this year he should be on the McKenna cup squad, he should at least be given a chance, has a lot more skill than king and can take frees, he is worth looking at surely, was king a county standard player before james whipped him into some shape, is he a county standard player now? based on his performances this year i would argue no.

[Minus15]

Any clubs been involved in any dialogue in relation to the new league proposals for Div 3? Are players thoughts being taken into consideration? What is the general consensus?

[outinfront]

Well i would be in favour of some sort of change.  It was totally gutting putting in hard work this year, trying to keep it all going and then losing out in the play off.  Competitve football is what everyone wants.  It would be good to Find a way to do this and help all teams develop.
Having said that we had the opportunity to go up and unfortunatley couldnt take it.

[ardtole]

If its any consolation out in front I think you will win div 4 easy next year. Mitchels are very poor, and you would not recognize the current dundrum team from the one you would have last played a couple of years ago.

[Square Ball]

agree with outinfront, we diddnt take the opportunity to go up automatically. when you look back our first game of the season v Bright and against Saul when we were 8 up I think cost us dearly. if we had taken those 3 points we would be in Div 3.

regarding the new proposals I would be in favour of them, anything that get us a higher standard of football, its that simple

[DownFanatic]

Well i would be in favour of some sort of change.  It was totally gutting putting in hard work this year, trying to keep it all going and then losing out in the play off.  Competitve football is what everyone wants.  It would be good to Find a way to do this and help all teams develop.
Having said that we had the opportunity to go up and unfortunatley couldnt take it.

I have no doubt that Bredagh will walk Division 4 next year. No team will be able to get near you's. Regardless if the League structures change or not, you's are where you's are. League tables don't lie.

[6th sam]

agree with outinfront, we diddnt take the opportunity to go up automatically. when you look back our first game of the season v Bright and against Saul when we were 8 up I think cost us dearly. if we had taken those 3 points we would be in Div 3.

regarding the new proposals I would be in favour of them, anything that get us a higher standard of football, its that simple

Fair assessment SB.I don't think it does yourselves,Dundrum or Down football any good to be playing in Division 4.Though I respect your fear of change DF,my argument for 3 divisions is on the basis of experience in Div 2,3,4.I am passionate about GAA in Down as a whole,and one of my biggest frustrations is that most of the Club units of Down GAA contribute little playing wise to the county effort.We must try to address this if we are going to meet our potential as a county.Maybe my strong feelings are also on the basis,that as a father I don't particularly want my sons to be consigned to a footballing career in the lower leagues.In my own club,I know how hard it is to make the step from div 4 to div 2.Div 4 clubs may get a cohort of good players coming along,but by the time they work through the divisions,the momentum,can be lost,and they slip back down.Mayobridge is the only club in Down to have come from div 4 to div 1,in living memory.If we can work a system that elevates the self esteem of these Div 4 clubs,raises standards,and yet clubs have the majority of their games against teams with a roughly even standard(this would be ensured with a split),then I'm all for it.I think it's grossly unfair to our players,particularly young players starting out,to on the one hand demand their loyalty to the club they are born into,and the other hand consign them to Div 4 Football.Again, I reiterate that this is not a groundbreaking step to take,and in the unlikely event that it doesn't work out ,it's hardly the end of the world.Why not give this opportunity to Div 4 Players.
Regarding the championship proposal,anecdotally,players are delighted with this move.Again ,why not run with it,I'm confident we won't be disappointed.

[thewobbler]

Mayobridge is the only club in Down to have come from div 4 to div 1,in living memory

Maybe not division 4, but you'd have found Kilcoo, Saval, Ballyholland, Longstone, An Riocht, Liatroim all languishing in lower league football 20 odd years ago. Along with Mayobridge, they're now all SFC staples.

The county board doesn't decide a club's position 6th Sam. The attitude, resolve and persistence of its members do this.

[ardtole]

I agree with you 100% wobbler, if a team is good enough they will prosper in the current structures. Bredagh posters are upset that they lost out in the play-offs, but you cannot adjust the leagues just to give them a lift up. Similarily you cannot change division 2 just to accomodate the loser between kilclief, carryduff and tullylish, these 3 teams are quite a bit ahead of the rest of div 3 and whoever loses out will be sore too. But that is sport. Ardglass lost out in the playoffs 5 out of 7 years to get to div 2 and while it was disappointing at the time you have to regroup and try again.

Unless you actually win the league and lose in a play-off, which happened in previous years, there is no room for complaint.

[ardtole]

Mayobridge is the only club in Down to have come from div 4 to div 1,in living memory

Maybe not division 4, but you'd have found Kilcoo, Saval, Ballyholland, Longstone, An Riocht, Liatroim all languishing in lower league football 20 odd years ago. Along with Mayobridge, they're now all SFC staples.

The county board doesn't decide a club's position 6th Sam. The attitude, resolve and persistence of its members do this.

In this seasons div 4 almost half the clubs played in div 2 at some stage over the last 15 years, Saul, Drumaness (div1), Dromara, Teconnaught (div1 maybe 20 years ago), bredagh and maybe even bright, not sure about them though.

[No1]

Glenn not fielding today so Kilclief are promoted back into Division 2. It's been some year!

[dundrumite]

Glenn not fielding today so Kilclief are promoted back into Division 2. It's been some year!

Can you not get a team?
All the best to Burren today