Down Club Hurling & Football

[ardtole]

I think it was 09 alright clutch. We would have had Philly Gill, Eamonn McEvoy, Stevie Smith, Clifford Connor,  Mick Magee, 2 Teggarts, 2 Deegans, Liam Mullan, Peter Kelly, Aaron Beattie, Sean Paul Halpin, Malachy Crangle, all strong players, in hindsight that team underachieved, and were unlucky too in playoffs, particulary against Glenn one year before the all ireland minor final in st johns and against Banbridge in kilcoo i think. 

We struggled badly for the past 4/5 years with most of the above players moving on for one reason or another, but we have quite a young team now and starting to progress again, I think the leagues reverting to four divisions will benefit their development also.

[Mike Tyson]

Soft free?? Maybe he was making up for all the Soft ones he gave Laverty and co. Wasn't an easy game to ref but Kilcoo set the tone with their Tiarnan McCann impressions, either that or they were eating grass!!! Kilcoo had Burren beat and didn't put them away. Pull the dogs tail and he will bite u

Two wrongs don't make a right. Thought the ref was poor enough, a serious amount of wrestling going on throughout and he did nothing to try and stop it. At one point booked a player from each team who weren't involved in it. Burren no.18 should have got a second yellow at the start of the second half for sinking the boot in Jerome Johnson. Laverty collapsed at the slightest touch.

McKernan was anonymous apart from the lucky goal. Burren full forward won an awful lot of ball but didn't really have the support coming of him to lay it off. Thought Kilcoo were the better team until the second half of extra time. Brought on two young lads who looked far too light to make an impact. No 4 Daryl Brannigan man of the match for me, unlucky not to have a goal after a great run.

Why was Steven Kane dropped?

[Club Rossa]

Is there a back door in the Down championship?

[Dulaney]

Is there a back door in the Down championship?

Short answer is Yes. After the first round of fixtures there will be 8 teams who won and 8 teams who lost. The eight winning teams play each other for a place in the 1/4 finals meanwhile the 8 losing teams play each other. The 4 teams defeated that didn't reach the 1/4 finals then play the 4 successful teams from the losing group for the remaining 4 places in the 1/4 finals. Clear as mud I know but at the minute no team has actually been knocked out of the senior club championship in Down. 

[Club Rossa]

Thanks for that.

[T O Hare]

Really enjoyed the second game last night. Burren were lucky in the end to get the win but mentality it will be massive for them. Kilcoo still have the best team in Down and Stevie Kane and PD will be some help to their side.
We have a lot of work to do but we are happy to beat a resilient Saval side. Benny moving to full forward worked a treat while Conleth O'Hare was a constant threat throughout.

[whitegoodman]

Burren got lucky last night and I said previously that hammering the lessor teams would mean nothing when it comes to playing Kilcoo.  I don't think that trying to mix it with Kilcoo helped Burren either, they got caught up in stuff instead of playing their own game.

The two Brannigans are two of the best corner backs in the county and the younger brother at half back had McKernan in his pocket all night.  They also had a bit of help with plenty of numbers filtering back, contrast this with Burrens naivety giving Jerome acres of space to move into.  Jerome has any amount of pace and is a good finisher so he should kick on and become a county regular next year.   Like many of the Burren forwards Ryan Johnston has all the attributes but flatters to deceive and was quiet for parts of the game last night.  Laverty was also well marshalled.

The first game was over as a contest once Saval received a harsh sending off.  For the life of me I don't understand why Mayobridge don't have Benny on the edge of the square permanently.  He is still one of the most dangerous players in the county and offers so much more from FF rather than midfield.

Does anyone know can Burren and Kilcoo meet again before the final or is it like the county back door where Tyrone couldn't meet Donegal again in the qualifiers having previously played them in the Ulster championship.

[umpire]

2nd Round

SFC
Group A
Burren v Liatriom
Glenn v CPN
Castlewellan v Mayobridge
Clonduff v Rostrevor

Group B
Downpatick v Longstone
Annaclone v Ballyholland
Bryansford v Saval
Kilcoo v Clann Na Banna

IFC
Group A
Loughinisland v Ballymartin
Saul v Drumaness
Bredagh v St John's
An Riocht v Darragh Cross

Group B
Drumgath v Newry Shamrocks
Tullylish v Dromara
Atticall v St John Bosco
Carryduff v Kilclief

[general]

When is the 2nd round of championship games to be played?

[johnneycool]

Is there a back door in the Down championship?

Short answer is Yes. After the first round of fixtures there will be 8 teams who won and 8 teams who lost. The eight winning teams play each other for a place in the 1/4 finals meanwhile the 8 losing teams play each other. The 4 teams defeated that didn't reach the 1/4 finals then play the 4 successful teams from the losing group for the remaining 4 places in the 1/4 finals. Clear as mud I know but at the minute no team has actually been knocked out of the senior club championship in Down.

TBH,
    That doesn't seem to be a bad system. You're guaranteed at least two games, lose your first and you've another crack at it against a team in the same position keeping it competitive.
The first round winners also have something to play for in their next game, albeit there's still a safety net of another go if you're beat and no dead rubbers.

[urbangael]

Managed two games in the last 24 hours and both were enjoyable.It must be frustrating to be a Ford supporter as the whole is less than the sum of the parts.Dawson did appear clueless but the yellas usually produce at least one good championship performance each year and they were good value for the win. The O'Hagans, Aidan Carr and big Arthur were excellent and maybe Gearoid is potential successor to the man nobody seems to have a good word for
I reckon if the vote was run again he would be out.   Glenn were lucky to beat the Stone; however the fadhians had only themselves to blame for not getting Mark Poland on the ball enough.They still could have won it at the end when Ambrose was bearing down on goal but lost possession and Glenn went down the field for the insurance point.

Whats the point in even entering it then if you've no chance in winning!!  Your luck will maybe run out in the next round!  Dont worry you'll soon be meeting your old friends Ardglass in a few years but at least you'll have decent facilities!!

Ahh feck sake Charile Tully The caravan went up in smoke with Fran the Man #lovehate
Glenn where ahead the whole game but yeah must have been luck 

[stiff breeze]

Managed two games in the last 24 hours and both were enjoyable.It must be frustrating to be a Ford supporter as the whole is less than the sum of the parts.Dawson did appear clueless but the yellas usually produce at least one good championship performance each year and they were good value for the win. The O'Hagans, Aidan Carr and big Arthur were excellent and maybe Gearoid is potential successor to the man nobody seems to have a good word for
I reckon if the vote was run again he would be out.   Glenn were lucky to beat the Stone; however the fadhians had only themselves to blame for not getting Mark Poland on the ball enough.They still could have won it at the end when Ambrose was bearing down on goal but lost possession and Glenn went down the field for the insurance point.

Whats the point in even entering it then if you've no chance in winning!!  Your luck will maybe run out in the next round!  Dont worry you'll soon be meeting your old friends Ardglass in a few years but at least you'll have decent facilities!!

Ahh feck sake Charile Tully The caravan went up in smoke with Fran the Man #lovehate
Glenn where ahead the whole game but yeah must have been luck 

ah urban just take your medicine like a man . 

[Line Ball]

Championship fixtures for next weekend

Thursday August 20th
Venue: Burren
6.30pm Tullylish v Dromara
8.00pm Bryansford v Saval

Friday August 21st
Venue: Pairc Esler
6.30pm Burren v Liatroim
8.00pm Clonduff v Rostrevor

Saturday August 22nd
Venue: Clonduff
2.00pm Annaclone v Ballyholland
3.45pm Longstone v RGU

Venue: Castlewellan
5.30pm Ballymartin v Loughinisland
7.00pm Kilcoo v Clann na Banna

Sunday August 23rd
Venue: Liatroim
2.00pm Shamrocks v Drumgath
3.30pm Attical v Bosco

Venue: Downpatrick
2.00pm Carryduff v Kilclief
3.30pm Saul v Drumaness

Venue: Pairc Esler
6.00pm Glenn v CPN
7.45pm Castlewellan v Mayobridge

Monday August 24th
Venue: St.Patrick's Pk
6.30pm Bredagh v St.John's
8.00pm An Riocht v Darragh Cross.

[ballela-angel]

Trying to make travel arrangements and would like to know what dates the club football semi-finals and final are scheduled for - Cannot find it on the Down GAA website

[wobbller]

Senior and Junior Finals are to be on Oct11th.Int/Minor 4th. S/ F's of Senior and Junior are on weekend 25-27th Sept with the Semis of Minor and Intermediate the weekend before which is AIF weekend.  I think.