Down Club Hurling & Football

thewobbler · January 22, 2008, 10:12:01 PM

Haha, it's very true Western Exile. The scary thing is I imagine most of the defence today will feature strongly come championship time...but the same can't be said of the forwards.

passedit · January 22, 2008, 10:21:58 PM

Maybe it's because Down won, but i thought the coverage was very competent by local (i'm including RU and RTE in that definition) radio standards. won't judge anyone by what i hear on the radio but Clarke appears to be the big plus from the campaign so far, rarely was he mentioned that a down score didn't follow soon after. Young Magee seemed to give a better account of himself as well. Here's hoping for a derry win tomorrow night and dry weather in Belfast till saturday.

corn02 · January 22, 2008, 10:26:18 PM

5fms coverage of Down games is excellent. The main commentatot (name?) is a bit mono tone but he is very good at it, and Quinn plays the co-commentator well.

Lecale2 · January 22, 2008, 10:27:31 PM

Casement hasn't been playable for the last 2 weeks. Antrim McKenna cup game and Armoy's JHC match were both moved. I wouldn't be hopeful. Obviously Casement is far handier than Omagh.

thewobbler · January 22, 2008, 10:29:52 PM

John (Jack) Devaney is developing into a very useful commentator. He gives a good flavour of the game and always finds a way to recap what has happened even when Jerry Quinn goes off on a long ramble. Contrast and compare even tonight Devaney's offering compared to that Damien fella from Armagh. Damien introduced the show, and in the space of 30 seconds managed to splutter, stuuter and repeat himself twice. I wouldn't like his style anyway, but if he can't be bothered to write a preamble for a match, Five FM really don't need an excuse to get shot of him. Cue Devaney at the ground, and in 30 seconds he introduced the match, and how we have arrived at it properly.

And in fairness to Jerry Quinn, he does know a fair bit about the average footballer in Down (very useful at McKenna Cup time) and likes to throw in an opinion or two, which is more than some of the analysts will. I also sense that he has learned a bit and is getting genuinely comfortable in the role. At the start he tried to join in at describing the action, but is much better in an analysts role.

the milkman · January 22, 2008, 10:31:05 PM

Was at the game 2nite very hard fought win in very tough conditions against on paper a strong Cavan team!
Some good individual performances, Doyle and mc guigan worked very hard! Backs looked hairy enough at times. Midfield was keek, neither player looked anywhere near standard!
But most impressive thing was coming back from the Cavan goals i have no doubt that previous Down teams would have folded at this stage and the atmosphere was brilliant for a McKenna cup game!

5 Sams · January 22, 2008, 10:31:59 PM

Easy lads...its the McKenna Cup for Christ sake. Before we start getting excited we need to win the 3rd division of the league and get a good run in the championship beginning with beating Tyrone. Dont get me wrong .....fair play to the lads for making the final but as Winston Wolf said in Pulp Fiction...

"lets not start sucking each others dicks just yet".

whyarerefssobad · January 22, 2008, 10:33:08 PM

was at the match thought Hughes scored the goal could be wrong big Maggee played well as did Clarke midfield was poor Doyle was very good again

Naomh Pol CLG · January 22, 2008, 10:41:49 PM

Quote from: 5 Sams on January 22, 2008, 10:31:59 PM
Easy lads...its the McKenna Cup for Christ sake. Before we start getting excited we need to win the 3rd division of the league and get a good run in the championship beginning with beating Tyrone. Dont get me wrong .....fair play to the lads for making the final but as Winston Wolf said in Pulp Fiction...

"lets not start sucking each others dicks just yet".

Very true, but its good to be positive, and lets be honest its been a while since we have had to opportunity to be so.

passedit · January 22, 2008, 10:44:21 PM

Quote from: thewobbler on January 22, 2008, 10:29:52 PM
John (Jack) Devaney is developing into a very useful commentator. He gives a good flavour of the game and always finds a way to recap what has happened even when Jerry Quinn goes off on a long ramble. Contrast and compare even tonight Devaney's offering compared to that Damien fella from Armagh. Damien introduced the show, and in the space of 30 seconds managed to splutter, stuuter and repeat himself twice. I wouldn't like his style anyway, but if he can't be bothered to write a preamble for a match, Five FM really don't need an excuse to get shot of him. Cue Devaney at the ground, and in 30 seconds he introduced the match, and how we have arrived at it properly.

And in fairness to Jerry Quinn, he does know a fair bit about the average footballer in Down (very useful at McKenna Cup time) and likes to throw in an opinion or two, which is more than some of the analysts will. I also sense that he has learned a bit and is getting genuinely comfortable in the role. At the start he tried to join in at describing the action, but is much better in an analysts role.

Spot on Wobbler, if thon damian is the same fella i think it is he's actually outperforming my expectations. Devaney is already O Hehir compared to the likes of Jimmy Smyth and Brian Carty. Quinn is good at what is for me the harder job (adverts for scor aside) compare his efforts to canavan and gormley or even some of the muppets 5 Live use for the sacar and he doesnt come out too bad.

5sams, great line from a great film, there'll be some crowd in Newry expecting big things on the second all the same. Don't worry Arma's own WW Uladh will be along in a minute to put everyone back in their box.

Pangurban · January 22, 2008, 10:50:10 PM

No matter what the competition or time of year, winning beats losing, its a good habit to acquire

buglebhoy · January 22, 2008, 10:53:56 PM

I have to admit, i jumped on the mckenna cup bandwagon tonight an took myself down to the marshes. Was very impressed with the way down played. Very direct football. Whenever down began to fist past from side to side which was rare, kevin mckernan got on the ball and kicked it forward.

Clarke impressed me most as did danny in the last 20 minutes. i felt down upped their game when murtagh came on and boys started showing and fighting for the ball! doyler was excellent, great passing and going forward.also it's the best i've seen kevin mcguigan play in a down shirt, worked his socks off. Was really impressed with magee, goes about his game effectively, no fancy stuff!

Was impressed with DJ along the line also, he organised the defence, gave great calls and told men where to go

lets hope down win on sunday, would be a great boost for rest of season and give some much needed confidence!

5 Sams · January 22, 2008, 11:10:02 PM

Sorry to be a killjoy but don't get me wrong lads. I agree with all this "a win's a win" crack and the confidence booster that it is......but I remember us laughing at Armagh taking the McKenna Cup around the primary schools in Armagh when they won it in the early 90s....lets not get carried away...these are pre season friendlies for all intents and purposes...let's see how we get on when we meet full strength teams and we have our first 15 on the field

bridgegael · January 22, 2008, 11:21:22 PM

was it not hughes that scored the goal?? a good performance from down tonight, thay never folded when cavan got their goals, they kept playing football and thr result was the right one. murney was lucky to only get a yellow when mckeever got sent off, could have went then too. roll on saturday

amallon · January 23, 2008, 12:00:09 AM

Another good nights entertainment in the Marshes. I think the lack of a midfield put our defence under so much pressure through out the game. I'm not goinng to write either of Lynch or Turley off completley but its looking more and more like Ambrose and Gordan have midfield nailed. What sort of injury did Gordan pick up? When will Ambrose be back? How long before Paul Murphy is back?

I'm not going to but the boot into the defence too much due to the problems around the middle. I was critical of Cathal Magee's earlier performances in the McKenna cup and have been made to eat my words tonight around the Bridge, he put in a great performance tonight, as did John Fegan, Sexton and Clarke. Clarke especially knows where the posts are.

No disrespect to Fermanagh but I expect to be playing Derry in Casement on Sunday. I haven't really been following their progress in the McKenna cup in much detail but it will be a real test for Down to come up against Muldoon and the Bradleys.