Down Club Hurling & Football

[mournerambler]

Anyone know how Warrenpoint v Glassdrumman went?

[Mourne Rover]

The Ulster championship draw in some ways provides an opportunity for Down. We have spent the last few years concentrating on the Ulster fixture and then failing to perform in the qualifiers. This time round, we need to be realistic and accept in advance that we are likely but not certain to go out at the first provincial hurdle. Our big game, in all probability, is in the first round of the qualifiers and we should  prepare accordingly.

I'd love to think that we could give Tyrone a decent game, but the evidence is strongly against us. We beat them at Casement way back in 1999, and they have since developed to a completely different level while we have gone backwards at a rate of knots.

In eight attempts, we have gone beyond the first round once (2003). The only way for teams like ourselves to improve is through the qualifiers, where our overall record has been played nine and lost seven. Derry, for example, who are better than us but not at Tyrone's standard, have won 16 out of 19 in the qualifiers.

Our performances in the Ulster championship during the same time have been generally, with only a couple of exceptions, somewhere close to our potential, given the players available. In the qualifiers, again with only a couple of exceptions, we have usually failed to turn up. The Meath game this summer was fairly typical. We managed one point from play on our own ground, and that was in the first minute.

Losing at an early stage of the Ulster championship does nothing for us, but a run in the qualifiers just might. I will be in Omagh, convincing myself that we have a chance, but, while you never know, 
we will be big outsiders.

Persuading Down players that we can make an impact in a competition in which they plainly do not wish to be involved is a huge problem, but Derry seem to have managed it. We can either pray for something approaching a miracle against Tyrone, or we can learn to love the qualifiers. 

[amallon]

on the mobile so this will be brief. Congrats to the bridge on a hard earned win. The stone have earned the total respect of serious football people in the bridge. And probably in down. They are the real deal. Congrats to the harps and to saval thanks for adding 2 local derbies to next years fixtures. Oiche mhaith. County champions! Yes! Sweet!

[No1]

Congrats to my mates at Ballyholland, thank God we won't have to face Murtagh again next year!

Warrenpoint beat Glassdrumman and are safe.

Mourne Rover, do we not go straight into the Tommy Cooper cup if (or when!) Tyrone beat us?

Well done to Mayobridge.

My most sincere comiserations to the RGU and S*ul for their play off disappointments this year. 

[spiritof91and94]

Once again we seen Mayobridge win a championship and well done to them.
Longstone lost the game in the first half yesterday when the Bridge were there for the taking - they missed roughly 2.4 of reasonably easy scoring chances then in the second half they didnt show up at all - Ambrose was a major dissapointment for them as were the six forwards with none really stepping up after last week, I also thought the decision to start Barry Kelly went against them as his lack of match practice showed up - although given his committment to the stone over the years it was good to see him play in a final.
When Benny changed his footwear at half time the script was set up for him and he showed his class by playing out exactly how it was wrote - thought Walsh and Brian Grant were immense as well for the winners - Longstone lacked a leader yesterday and paid the price but they may well be back.

Bryansford won the McGirr Cup on Saturday with a great win over Cavan Gaels who have won the Cavan Minor Championship for the past two years so it was a great win but we need to build on this. Watch out for Phillip Bonny coming through the ranks as he showed on Saturday he is a different class - Ryan McMenamin said on giving him MOM that it was the most accomplished performance from a player so young he ever seen.

[southdown]

Absolutely gutted.  That game was there to be won had we taken our chances in a first half which we completely dominated.  But the Bridge had too much class when it really mattered and congratulations to them, i hope they beat Dromore and do well in Ulster.  We will be back though, there is a county title in this team.  Im too hungover to type an more.......

[5 Sams]

It looked a bit hairy for us in the last 5-10 mins when Murtagh got a straight red but the sending off seemed to make our boys take responsibility. There was only 2 points in it at that stage and Ballymartin were getting on top but we managed to get a goal and a point to kill them off.

Benny was the difference in the bridge game. The stone never took their chances and Ambrose didnt get started at all but when Coulter appeared the game changed not least beacuase he got the decisive goal.

[behind the wire]

congratulations to the bridge once again.

not as good a game as last weeks encounter, didnt think the atmosphere was as good. thought longstone didnt get their no11 onto the ball enough. if ambrose had have looked for him a bit more instead of trying to carry the ball things may have been different. dont think we have seen the last of longstone though.

warrenpoint v glasdrumman was a poor game. finished 1.16 to 0.5 to the point. i think the referee must play to different rules than anyone else, could have sent players off numerous times throughout the game but only got round to doing so one minute from the end when a good aul melee kicked off down in the bottom corner. the warrenpoint keeper made an awful eejit of himself in the process.

why did murtagh hit the ballymartin lad? just saw it out of the corner of my eye. couldnt see any reason for him doing it but im sure he didnt do it for nothing.

[5 Sams]

why did murtagh hit the ballymartin lad? just saw it out of the corner of my eye. couldnt see any reason for him doing it but im sure he didnt do it for nothing.

Behind the Wire. Have a read of a report on the match and you'll get some idea why he did it.

http://www.ballyholland.org/reports/index.php?id=92&theyear=2007

[DownFanatic]

How does everyone think our clubs will go in the Ulster series? Mayobridge are up against what seems to be a very good Dromore team. I fancy the Bridge's chances though as they have the greater experience. I don't hold out much hope for Downpatrick against Tyholland. The Monaghan side have Gary McQuaid and Raymond Ronaghan in their ranks and surely they will be too good for the RGU. Bosco may find it tight against Aughamullen. Colm Flanagan lines out for them. Although they could sneak a good run in Ulster.

[behind the wire]

cheers 5 sams. i know murtagh, like all good forwards, will come in for constant special treatment for from opposition defences on a regular basis but to do what he done in front of the linesman was silly. has he never heard of biding his time? he would have needed the referee that was doing the warrenpoint glasdrumman match, if it had been him murtagh would have got a yellow card.

[thewobbler]

Congratulations to Mayobridge. Obviously, the introduction of Coulter was the turning point of the game, but the reality is that the Sky Blues still looked as good as their opponents without him, despite being a long way below their best. Mayobridge appeared to playing within themselves before Benny was brought on. Their key playmakers Pluggy and Sexton couldn't get on the ball, and even when they did, without Coulter to hit, their preferred tactic of the long diagonal ball didn't seem as inviting.

Once again, it was Mayobridge's unheralded defence that were their more impressive unit. Shane O'Hare, Brendan Grant and Gavin Barry were excellent, and as a unit they gave Stone's quick forwards no breathing space and gave Barry Doran very few opportunities to practice his free-taking.

They were helped a bit by Ambrose sucking the life out of the ball once again (perhaps this is why Dawson persists with him at 14?) and by a general lack of directness or direction by the Stone in building from the back. Mark Doran though was, once again, superb.

I'd say Longstone are annoyed today that they didn't take their chance. This isn't an old Mayobridge team by any stretch of the imagination, and should they remain committed, will be the best team in Down for another 2-3 seasons at least. Stone met them playing below par and without their talisman (plus the very useful Conor Garvey), and still couldn't make an impact.

With regards to the Ulster, it's very obvious that Mickey Donnelly has being trying to turn Mayobridge into a more direct side, one more suited to winter football. And although a few of them look uncomfortable with it, I think it's a route they had to go down. The only problem is that to play this sort of game, in which you inevitably cough up possession on a regular basis, you need a strong midfield. From the last three games I've seen. Woodsy is not the force he was and Caldwell looks a bit green.

[Brick Tamlin]

Did the ref in the Glass/Wpt match not issue a host of yella cards and a few red ones aswell as a few black mark/ticks during that match. was it that durty??-who were main culprits. Any decent prospects for county involved, although highly unlikely.

on another note county footballers should know that every dirtbag up and down the county will want to get a nibble at them in the big games and use any means neccessary to nulify their unfluence. i would sympathise with them and its horrible to see but at the same time id expect more from our county footballers to be honest.

same old story with Bridge and Stone - depressing from a stone point of view in that they kicked themselves out of it and took numerous wrong options while the bridge were basically kept in the game by Mickey Welsh in 1st half. Then the arrival of Benny pushed them over the finish line. Smacked of desperation having to play him imho.

Congrats to the bridge on a another title win but overall its been a poor championship with little or no newcomers or potential county players on show which would worry me more than who wins our domestic titles.

[5 Sams]

Down GAA Fixtures



Wednesday 17th October 8pm

O'Neills International Sportswear

Div One semi-final in Newcastle

Burren v Kilcoo



Thursday 18th October 8.15pm

O'Neills International Sportswear

Div One semi-final in Newcastle

Mayobridge v An Riocht



Saturday 20th October

2pm ACPRFL

Mayobridge v Liatroim

Downpatrick v Longstone

Burren v Kilcoo

Bryansford v Rostrevor



Sunday 21st October

Pairc Esler:

1pm Div One Hurling

Shamrocks v Portaferry

3pm Div Two Final

O'Neills International Sportswear

Ballyholland v Saval



Sunday 21st October

1pm Div Two Relegation

O'Neills International Sportswear

Clonduff: Clann Na Banna v Glasdrumman



South Down GAA Fixtures



Sunday 21st October

11am U13FL

Ballymartin v Glenn B Andrews

Rostrevor v Tullylish P Mc Clory

An Riocht v Ballyholland B Rice

Saval v Shamrocks M Cranney

Atticall v Drumgath M Cole

Mayobridge v Clann Na Banna P Preece

No SD U20 FC today.

[goldenyears]

delighted that the harps have gone up, and to be fair i think should have done so last year. fair play to ballymartin, they have a good young side on the whole and will no doubt be top4 again next year. sometimes you have to lose one or two to bounce back and this year will be a great learning experience for their younger lads.....

re: murtagh's sending off, i thought he was a very silly fella to get involved. yes he takes so much abuse, but his style of direct running is always going to bring that on; he has matured incredibly this year and his temperament has gotten much better; for some reason yesterday he snapped for something pretty minor to be honest. to then do it in front of linesman plus main ballymartin crowd was very silly.....he will be a huge miss in the league final, and missing games such as this will be a harsh lesson....

as for the senior game, i was so disappointed with the poor fare on show - if this is the best we can muster in down then its no wonder we are in county diffs. the playrs just really arent there, but monaghan have shown with the right selection, organisation and direction we could still be a force. tactics have not been right for 5 or 6 years now and until they change we dont seem to have the players to play an old fashioned open game plan.....

longstone will be kicking themselves as they passed up such an opportunity to beat an average bridge team. this IMHO is hte poorest bridge team from all their recent winning teams, and the cracks are starting to appear. in saying that, having benny, walsh, sextons, grant, and the barrys will ensure they will be right up there for another 5-6 years. i just seriously doubt if they will be good enough for a very good dromore side.