Down Club Hurling & Football

umpire · March 11, 2012, 03:18:16 PM

http://www.midwestradio.ie/mwr/listen-live.html

Very clear coverage of first half

EagleLord · March 11, 2012, 03:25:33 PM

Loving that version of Star of the county Down there at half time..

SHEEDY · March 11, 2012, 07:27:29 PM

much needed win for down today. the lads showed plenty of character after all the criticsisms of the past few weeks. i know mayo had a man sent off early on but the match still needed to be won. hopefully this result will bring a bit of confidence for the next few games.

marsbarkid · March 11, 2012, 09:14:59 PM

thanks for the link lads, it was interesting to hear the 'impartial' commentating on midwest radio.

Dont think them boys liked the ref too much!

NP 76 · March 11, 2012, 10:21:20 PM

Just home from a great day in Castlebar . Good hard working performance with alot more direct football played . Mayo only scored 3 pts from play and in my view the referee who was absolutely desperate gave them alot of easy scorable frees when the Mayo man was doing the holding on the Down player . Aidan O Shea deserved his red card for an awful elbow on Danny and their supporters didnt shine themselves in glory by booing Danny when he got the ball after it . Down were well fit for the physical side of things and no one was afraid to throw themselves about . After Dan was moved back into full back we looked more than we did at any stage in the last 3 games . Ambrose did alot of work and was busting through but some of his handeling wasnt great but it will improve with game time . Niall Mc Parland did very well as did big Kalum . Danny covered every blade of grass and worked very hard but some silly shot chices when a score was on . Aidan Carr was excellent in general play and was reliable in his free taking . Garvey got an early yellow and was not at the races after it . Benny didnt start but looked lively when he came on and scored 2 pts . The referee was asbad as i have ever seen . Down had 2 pts disallowed at the end for what no one seemed to know . In fairness he was as bad for both sides . Great victory today after the last 2 disappointments fair play to James used his bench well at the right times

dundrumite · March 13, 2012, 12:19:43 AM

Just looking at the page here and 2 comments have been made in reference to Down's victory over Mayo. Yet rewind the clock a number of days and look in comparison to roughly 3 pages worth of comments on a defeat, including some having a personal go at named individual players from behind the safety of a pseudonym. Maybe it's the Irish mindset, to focus on the negatives of defeat and let a good victory, away to the league winners slip under the radar. Or maybe the game wasn't televised and not that many fans travelled down? Either way it tells a tale.
The "passion in shirt" comment last week got me. After a match I try to gauge the opinions of those with no emotional ties who have often a more sound judgement of a game and Benny Tierney in his article "beware of the fickle" (appropriately named) reported that Down played with bucket loads of endeavour. Whist there were reasons for defeat, I would say lack of passion wasn't one.
Admittedly if betting man I would have placed my dosh on Mayo, so am happy to say fair play to Down for proving me wrong and hopefully this will set up for a good finish to get primed for an Ulster campaign.

Leo · March 13, 2012, 02:05:21 AM

Dundrumite, I was wondering about the lack of posting on this topic myself. Although I do feel some of it may be due to the problems (at least I) experienced recently -where logging on to the site seemed to take as long as it takes the GAA to realise that outdoor basketball is not really all that attractive.
Gaelic football at the minute (Down included) is mired in over-analysed super-scientific tosh to the point of zero entertainment and to the benefit only of those tax-payer funded "coaches" who have brainwashed the association and its media cheer leaders with their defensive dogma to the point of utter pointlessness.
So no wonder that previously energetic posters have fallen silent (as I have until now) through inertia or possibly simple boredom.
I am more energised by the Rory McIlroy discussion elsewhere.

PAULD123 · March 13, 2012, 10:34:29 AM

Does anyone know how the Down U21s got on in their game against Monaghan at the weekend?

thewobbler · March 13, 2012, 01:11:07 PM

Quote from: dundrumite on March 13, 2012, 12:19:43 AM
Just looking at the page here and 2 comments have been made in reference to Down's victory over Mayo. Yet rewind the clock a number of days and look in comparison to roughly 3 pages worth of comments on a defeat, including some having a personal go at named individual players from behind the safety of a pseudonym. Maybe it's the Irish mindset, to focus on the negatives of defeat and let a good victory, away to the league winners slip under the radar. Or maybe the game wasn't televised and not that many fans travelled down? Either way it tells a tale.
The "passion in shirt" comment last week got me. After a match I try to gauge the opinions of those with no emotional ties who have often a more sound judgement of a game and Benny Tierney in his article "beware of the fickle" (appropriately named) reported that Down played with bucket loads of endeavour. Whist there were reasons for defeat, I would say lack of passion wasn't one.
Admittedly if betting man I would have placed my dosh on Mayo, so am happy to say fair play to Down for proving me wrong and hopefully this will set up for a good finish to get primed for an Ulster campaign.

Dundrumite, I'd like to think the main reason for the lack of comment is that between being in Newry and on TV, just about every gael in Down saw the Kerry game, but only a hardy few saw the Mayo game.

There is no doubt though that it's easier (and more fun) to give out than give praise. The truth is that without Marty Clarke and a few notable others, if Down manage to stay in D1 this season, it would be a tremendous achievement - and both the players and management deserve much more credit than they get.

PAULD123 · March 13, 2012, 01:18:09 PM

NP76, What actually happened with the full-time whistle? Did the ref blow it up early or was time up when he first blew the game up? Where was the re-start from, was it the middle like a start of a new game?

The Marshes · March 13, 2012, 01:28:52 PM

A great win by Down on Sunday and must be congratulated on a superb all-round performance. From what I hear the basics were executed well- passing, catching, shooting - which helped the team execute their plans and system.

Couldnt make the game as I had club duties on Sunday but according to some that means I am not a 'True Down Supporter'

amallon · March 13, 2012, 01:47:22 PM

Quote from: PAULD123 on March 13, 2012, 10:34:29 AM
Does anyone know how the Down U21s got on in their game against Monaghan at the weekend?

I bet you already know the answer to that one!

PAULD123 · March 13, 2012, 03:54:17 PM

Quote from: amallon on March 13, 2012, 01:47:22 PM
Quote from: PAULD123 on March 13, 2012, 10:34:29 AM
Does anyone know how the Down U21s got on in their game against Monaghan at the weekend?

I bet you already know the answer to that one!

Honestly I don't. I only knew about it because 2 lads from our club were playing but didn't hear the result. Was it a bad beating?

NP 76 · March 13, 2012, 10:25:27 PM

Paul the referee was desperate from start to finish but for all that he got the sending off correct in my opinion . He gave Mayo alot of very handy frees and only for poor shooting they would of went ahead . The take on the false ending was that Down had a free on the far side of the field . I cant mind who hit it but he went back to Mc Veigh with it who passed it on to someone else along the stand side of the field when the whistle blew . I had only just looked at my watch to check the time not long before and knew there was about 3 to 4 mins left but people jumped up to cheer when he called a hop ball . I thought that he had assumed that Mc Veigh had taken the free kick from the wrong place but the Down players were pointing out to him that the free was taken by someone else . It was confusing to all around the place but it worked out in the end . He got a very bad send off from the Mayo fans and had to be escorted off the field . From the sending off the attitude of the Mayo players changed and a few times they tried to ruffle the Down players up which we didnt react to . Lets hope we get another slice of luck this weekend

Mourne Rover · March 13, 2012, 11:57:03 PM

It is hard to assess a game you did not attend, but the better Down performances tend to be based on confidence and momentum. While we displayed neither against Kerry, the memory of the draw in Castlebar last year, when we really should have won pulling up, may well have an effect last Sunday

The early red card was certainly a big factor, but there would have been enormous pressure on the referee to even things up and our discipline and substitutions seem to have worked very well. Springing Benny from the bench plainly helped his game, and it will be fascinating to see if we try the same move against the Dubs.

Ambrose's return at midfield, with two points from play and a 45 as well, gave us a big lift, although we could really do with Doyle as well for his left-footed frees and general contribution. However, we are up and running again and there should be quite an atmosphere this Sunday.