Down Club Hurling & Football

[Cloc Mor]

Heard he has been given the all clear and sent home.  Ward had just missed a goal chance and IMO James got so emotional/irate with the miss and just fainted.  He gets too involved during games and his condition was more due to fainting than anything else.  This is a warning though.  I have seen him really lose the bap during games and he needs to settle down.  Getting involved with that wind-up merchant Dawson wouldn't have helped him either - they had several confrontations during the game.

[lecale4]

Bredagh Win EDRLBredagh won the East Down Reserve League with a 5-15 to 1-08 victory over Liatroim clinching the title from St Pauls & Bryansford. Excellent season for the boys, the seniors in the play-offs and plenty of young talent coming through.

[orangeman]

Was there a free for all on Burren match ? Heard it was very dirty - you're a bit over the top about Sean Ward ( Downfanatic ) - he trains as hard as the rest - puts in tremendous effort and you comoe on here questioning his parentage - now that IS dirty !

[southdown]

Downfanatic is not one bit over the top about sean ward, he was just out there to hurt somebody, no football in him at all.  And he succeed, big peter could well miss the final over that pricks constant dirt. The cowardly punch he gave Peter from behind right into the head just sums up that ignorant big lump.  Burren would be better suited to trying to play football, dirt clearly didn't work for them.

[orangeman]

I just think it's unfair to single out someonoe on the board and question his parentage - tell me this - did any of the Longstone players punch anybody tonight ??

[southdown]

Orangeman, where you there to be able to judge? yes, a stone punched and was rightfully sent off at that.  Ward could have had 3 red cards, and that is not an exageration.

[orangeman]

He obviously wasn't as bad as you're making out if he wasn't sent off - it takes two to tango and from what I hear, Longstone were every bit as bas as Burren - ??

[southdown]

Indeed he was.  If you are talking to someone who was actually at the game they will tell you the same.  Downfanatic sums him up well.

[orangeman]

The boys that did manage to get sent off must really have deserved it  - Ward wasn't !

You don't like Ward, I take it - is it not a case that he is a big strong, committed player who plays a tough and uncompromising game - if he were playing for Down, you'd be cheering him on !

[Colonel Cool]

SHC Semi Final Result
Ballygalget 0-16 0-11 Portaferry
A poor enough game that lacked the intensity of recent championship matches between these two. Gramham Clarke dislocated his should after 6/7 minutes and had to go off. I must say the reaction of a small section of the Portaferry support was a disgrace. The rivalry between Portaferry and Ballygalget is getting way out of hand.
Playing with a strong breeze Ballygalget went in 10-7 up and I have to say I didn't think they had done enough. In the second half Portaferry never got going at all where as Galgets lifted there game. Ports were missing easy frees and Ballgalget took every opportunity with Magic, Paddy rat and Johnny Boon picking off points. The game was over with 10 minutes left when a 21 yd free was saved by the Ballygalget defence.
Altogether it was a disappointing game for the large crowd but Ballygalget won't worry about that.

[thewobbler]

Personally, I thought Burren were a disgrace yesterday. Half of them had no interest in playing football, they were just there to kick lumps out of Longstone. It would have been bad for football if they had have progressed yesterday, so well done to the Stone for (more or less) keeping their tempers under control.

[Brick Tamlin]

Couldnt agree more. I dont see the sense in it myself. This macho intimidation ideal that some Burren men carry onto the field with them nearly every time they line out is not only sad to see but it makes them look foolish also.

A Very Armagh-like performance from Burren - Hoke everythin long & Diagonal to Ciaran Byrne and hope for the best, and when not doing this,pull, drag, kick and generally try to take Stone main men out of it cynically. Must mention that their work ethic and comittment could have seen them through in the end but it would have been unjust to a very mobile and pacy Stone team who looked like they had a point to prove.

Outstanding mention to young Ambrose for great final 20 mins - very much a leader in this period.
Mention for most of Stone's front 6 - great interplay and movement.

from a Burren perspective - County men (and use that term loosely) were woeful to be honest.
PJ Mc Alinden should have started without doubt.
Ciaran Byrne Battled manfully and should have had a pop at posts more often himself.
Murdock in Goals kept them in match in first half with string of saves -fine game.

Referee - ABSOUTELY BRUTAL -bottled several decisions throughtout  - notably not sending off Sean Ward when the tube did nothin but foul all day (and he even did that badly).
he seemed to award softer frees to Burren especially in first half whereas Stone had to work alot harder for frees - see Dan Mc Cartan on several occasions tryin to take Ambrose Shirt and shorts home with him on at least 3 occasions yet no frees. Mc Cartan could have walked too for tally of frees conceded.

Sendings off - Barry Kelly rightly walked for what was a clinker on Mc Alinden.
Chris Mc Govern also rightly sent to the line for tryin to re-construct Barry Doran's face with his elbow/arm. Several more could have walked.

Poor showing again for club Football in Down and not much talent on show to Tempt County Management id say.

was sitting beside a senior referee and he himself couldnt believe how brutal the ref was.

[charlie stubbs]

was at the games on sunday great intermediate game the fioght ballymartin showed when all looked lost has to be admired.the number 9 showed great guts after messing up and ballyholland got a goal made a great catch and scored the winner.

as for the senior game terrible game of football.i doubt the longstone supporter said f**k off back to tullylish i would imagine it was something to do withjames as eoin isnt one to overreact.i backed the stone at 6/4 how burren where favourites is beyond me.their forward line is terrible.from a neutral point of view,sean ward did appear to be looking to get involved everytime he could.even after james collapsed i saw a longstone player go ask for a water bottle and he got a jab in the face!glad longstone got threw as they tried to play football while burren where trying to bully them out of it.ambrose rodgers scored a great point near the end,great run and finish.heard people saying the bridge will walk it though i expect the stone to put it up to them

[topgun]

nothing to do with the thread, thought i would take the opportunity to let us no that if anyones interested poker classic (texas) in the Harps club Armagh on friday night, 8 30pm start, £20 in, proceeds in aid of mencap, member of the harps running the New York marathon in november, all support greatly welcomed, see www.justgiving.com/paulhagan if anyone would like to contribute.

Thanks Topgun

[amallon]

Bridge v the Ford
Our 9 point victory probably flatters us a bit as Bryansford were on top possession wise for large parts of the game.  We just had too much power up front for them which made up for our deficiencies elsewhere on the park.  Congrats to Cathal 'geezer' Magee who must have been watching some Benny Coulter videos because his goal was very Bennyesque!

Burren v Stone
The football wasn't near the standard of the Bridge Bryansford game but there were more twists in this game than a Poirot novel.  Burren like every team have to play to their strenghts and they have big strong lads so why not try and throw your weight about a bit.  I was very impressed with the Stone who went at Burren from the start and played some nice football.  Stone should have won by more.  I'd like to wish Wee James and the Longstone player stretchered off speedy recoveries.

The Final - Mayobridge v Longstone
Its great to see the Stone get to the final and if they weren't playing us I'd probably be supporting them.  Our defence will have to tighten up for the final but so will the Stone's.  Burren could have engineered a couple of goals for themselves yesterday.  I don't think the Stone's mid field will be as strong as Bryansfords so hopefully we get get more ball round the middle.  Can the Stones defence live with our forwards?  I wouldn't be surprised if Ambrose is played in mid field in the final.