Down Club Hurling & Football

[5 Sams]

Harps played poorly but were comfortable in the end V Liatroim..4 point win

[DownFanatic]

Down SFC
Downpatrick 0-11  Loughinisland 0-03
Kilclief 0-09  Rostrevor 2-23
Liatroim 0-09  Ballyholland 2-07
Shamrocks 1-09  An Riocht 2-10

Island finished their game with 12 men. 3 saw reds. An ageing Kilclief were just simply outclassed by Rostrevor.

[angermanagement]

Who was sent off for Loughinisland ?

[DownFanatic]

Who was sent off for Loughinisland ?

Two straight reds and a yellow/red combo. Don't quote me on that though. Think it was Dom McClements, John McCarthy and Seamy O'Hare who got the line.

[alba2]

All games in club championship going as expected so far and with a clonduff win tomorrow night - the top four clubs in the county are into the quarter finals automatically.  Is there any real need for this new system? The cream always rises anyhow.

[supersub]

May not have been as straight forward if Burren hadn't got that last minute point!!

[knockitdown]

May not have been as straight forward if Burren hadn't got that last minute point!!

or if castlewellan could shoot!

[NedFlanders]

In the build up to the upcoming Down Club SFC fixtures in the next few days I have complied a team that I believe are the best players in their position in Division One currently outside the county panel (Just to clarify ex-county players have been excluded, although a few of these have flirted on the outskirts of the panel in recent times). I also know there are some Div 2 teams playing in the SFC but I haven't been to any div 2 games this year, and so I cannot say who is playing well etc.

Anyway, here is my tuppence worth....

1)Mickey Cunningham (Castlewellan)
2)Stevie Toner (Bryansford)
3)Jamie Barr (Mayobridge)
4)Nial McEvoy (Kilcoo)
5)Darragh O Hanlon (Kilcoo)
6)Ciaran McGovern (Burren)
7)Michael Hughes (Longstone)
8)Niall Madine (Saval)
9Felim McGreevy (Kilcoo)
10)Eamonn McGovern (Burren)
11)Jason Brown (Clonduff)
12)Liam McKibben (Castlewellan)
13)Ryan Kelly (Longstone)
14)Eamon Toner (Burren)
15)Cathal Magee (Mayobridge)

??

Not being bias folks but Chris Killen has been a standout preformer for An Rioch this season. Averaging 6 points a game, worth a try out atleast in my opinion. Also, young Paddy Gartland also giving some sterling displays aswell

[supersub]

In the build up to the upcoming Down Club SFC fixtures in the next few days I have complied a team that I believe are the best players in their position in Division One currently outside the county panel (Just to clarify ex-county players have been excluded, although a few of these have flirted on the outskirts of the panel in recent times). I also know there are some Div 2 teams playing in the SFC but I haven't been to any div 2 games this year, and so I cannot say who is playing well etc.

Anyway, here is my tuppence worth....

1)Mickey Cunningham (Castlewellan)
2)Stevie Toner (Bryansford)
3)Jamie Barr (Mayobridge)
4)Nial McEvoy (Kilcoo)
5)Darragh O Hanlon (Kilcoo)
6)Ciaran McGovern (Burren)
7)Michael Hughes (Longstone)
8)Niall Madine (Saval)
9Felim McGreevy (Kilcoo)
10)Eamonn McGovern (Burren)
11)Jason Brown (Clonduff)
12)Liam McKibben (Castlewellan)
13)Ryan Kelly (Longstone)
14)Eamon Toner (Burren)
15)Cathal Magee (Mayobridge)

??

Not being bias folks but Chris Killen has been a standout preformer for An Rioch this season. Averaging 6 points a game, worth a try out atleast in my opinion. Also, young Paddy Gartland also giving some sterling displays aswell

No chance

[whitegoodman]

Was at a few games at the wkend but not all and there werent too many playes that stood out, even our "county" players.  One player that did impress was Ryan Kelly.  Like most of our forwards he is very light which might stand against him but he should be given a go in Mckenna cup next year.

Have to say also that the quality in the first half of the kilcoo and Castlewellan match was as bad as ive seen in a while.  In fact the standard across the board this year in the league has been terrible.  Im not sure whether this is because the league is a bit of a nonsense this year and that there is this stupid back door system in the championship or if there is just a general slip in standards, either way it is hard to watch at times and doesnt look great for the prospects of our county side.

Another gripe i have is why does the championship have to be played one week after the county are finished.  With the next round for the winners this weekend not due to play until the middle of september was there not plenty of time to get these games played.  It basically meant that any team with county players had 2 training sessions with them before going into their most important match of the year to date.  This may be ok if a team has 1 or 2 panalists but if a team has 4 or 5 then it doesnt give them much time to bed into the team or the system.  For a club having county players can at times be more of a hinderance than an honour!!!!

Rant over.........

[DownFanatic]

I agree that the standard of club football in Down is poor at the moment.

Bar Burren who have recently represented the county with distinction in the Ulster Club SFC, our Intermediate and Junior teams have been continually outclassed in their Ulster campaigns.

Correct me if im wrong but we are yet to have a representative in the Ulster IFC or JFC Final since both competitions became official. Burren and the Bridge have made SFC Finals but I would rank us at the bottom of the pile in Ulster along with Donegal in terms of Ulster success across the three grades.

[ApresMatch]

DF Down clubs have poor records at junior and intermediate level for a few reasons,one being that clubs in other counties can enter junior or intermediate despite playing at a higher standard of league football. For example Culloville who won the Ulster Intermediate last year are an established Div 1 team in Armagh,it would be like Saval entering the Intermediate in Down. Ulster should apply a grading system across the counties.

[DownFanatic]

DF Down clubs have poor records at junior and intermediate level for a few reasons,one being that clubs in other counties can enter junior or intermediate despite playing at a higher standard of league football. For example Culloville who won the Ulster Intermediate last year are an established Div 1 team in Armagh,it would be like Saval entering the Intermediate in Down. Ulster should apply a grading system across the counties.

That system only really applied in Armagh, Cavan and Antrim and as far as im aware it has now been done away with in Armagh. Tyrone and Monaghan consistently do well at IFC and JFC level and their system of championship grading is based on League placings like our own.

[Down Mad]

I remember a couple of seasons ago when Tullylish played Lisnaskea in the first round of the Intermediate Ulster Championship. Lisnaskea were a Fermanagh 1st Division side who actually went on to win the All Ireland that year.

[Mid Down Gael]

Down sfc result Clonduff 2-8 bryansford 2-11.Qualifier draw is Clonduff v rostrevor, An Riocht v Longstone, Ballyholland v Saval & Downpatrick v Castlewellan .