Down Club Hurling & Football

[T O Hare]

Mayobridge x factors auditions ( bit of a laugh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtBV1EHpcsg

[Mourne Rover]

Just back from Casement and I'm still not sure how we won that one. We could have been eight or nine behind at half-time as they had missed a penalty and a few other good chances. Down started very slowly and our defence were caught for pace all over the place. However, there is a decent spirit about the team, so we managed to keep in touch on fairly limited possession and were only one behind at the break.

The second half was a big improvement, starting with a fine run and point from Colgan who had struggled until then. Colgan also started to pick out McComiskey, which made the real difference. One point when he picked the ball up with his back to goal on the right wing, dummied to the right and put it over with his left gave us the confidence to push on.

We finished the stronger side, with a series of turnovers of possession creating decent chances which we managed to miss. You would have bet on Tyrone taking us into extra time, but they could not get out of their own half in injury time.

Caldwell made a difference when he came on as sub, and Murphy also looked the part when he came on, but you would still worry about the defence. We are unlikely to get away with such a poor start against Derry, which will presumably be back at Casement on Saturday week, but beating Tyrone is always a great result.

[stiffler]

Mayobridge x factors auditions ( bit of a laugh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtBV1EHpcsg

9 mins into that video is a clean joke.

[Square Ball]

would that be the "Horse it inta ya Cynthia" song?

[stiffler]

Aye, that lad is a clown!

[T O Hare]

he looks to be a superstar in the making that lad

[goldenyears]

irishnews report

DOWN came from four points behind midway through the first half to edge past Tyrone by the narrowest of margins in last night's Ulster U21 Championship semi-final at Casement Park.

The Mournemen now face Derry in the final, but for much of the opening 30 minutes it looked as if Tyrone would be progressing to the April 5 decider.

With 15 minutes gone of the first half, the Red Hands led by 0-4 to no score and had a penalty saved by Down keeper Michael McAllister.

The Mourne machine then began to click into gear, and four points from man-of-the-match Paul McComiskey, added to Kevin McKernan's 16th minute effort, saw the sides level at

0-5 apiece five minutes before the break.

Sean O'Neill's point ensured Tyrone took a one-point lead into the interval, but within 15 seconds of the restart James Colgan drew the sides level for the first of four times in a pulsating second half.

With 46 minutes gone, Down were now in the ascendancy. The impressive Kevin McKernan, the game's top scorer from play, put the Mourne men 0-11 to 0-8 ahead. Two Gareth Devlin points and a great score from Colm Cavanagh levelled the game at 0-11 apiece before Shane O'Hagan fired Tyrone in front for the first time in the second half.

Two McComiskey points put Down ahead as the game approached four minutes of injury time, and McKernan's fourth had Pete McGrath's side with one foot in the final.

Tyrone sub Conor O'Donnell put the minimum between them but Down held on for a date with Derry next week.

Both sides had started nervously and it was Tyrone who settled first. Ronan McRory slotted over two points after five minutes, either side of a Cathal McCarron effort.

They spurned a great chance to go further minutes later when Cavanagh was dragged to the ground by Kevin Duffin, but McAnulla's penalty was comfortably saved by McAllister.

It took Down 15 minutes to register their first score through McComiskey, who finished the game with six points. McKernan was the only other Down player to raise a flag in the opening half, after the tenacity of Ciaran Brannigan earned the Burren man enough time to slot over.

The second half was nip and tuck, and as McGrath admitted, it was a game that could have gone either way.

"If you were honest about it, 10 minutes into the game, Tyrone could have been out of sight," he said.

"The penalty was an excellent save from our keeper, they had other goal opportunities and they were the better team in those opening 10 minutes.

"They were running rings round us and making inroads into our defence and we seemed to have no answer. It took us a long time to settle, but once we did settle and get a few scores on the board and it became a one or two point game, it was anyone's match.

"It was going to be whatever team held their nerve and got the right break at the right time, and probably in the last 10 or 15 minutes we got the breaks."

McGrath added: "Donegal had two convincing wins against Monaghan and Armagh, so if Derry have given them a bit of a hammering then they are going to be a very hard team to beat in the final."

MATCH STATS

Down: M McAllister; M Digney, C Murray,

H Magee; C Garvey, K Duffin, T Hanna; J Colgan (0-1), K McKernan (0-4); C Maginn (0-1),

C Magee (0-1), E Toner; C Brannigan (0-1),

R Kelly, P McComiskey (0-6, 3f). Subs:

J Caldwell for E Toner, J Murphy for H Magee,

S Grant for T Hanna

Tyrone: G Kelly; N McGinn, C McCarron,

H Gallagher; C McGinley, S O'Neill (0-1),

D McBride; A Cassidy, S O'Hagan (0-1); G Devlin (0-2), C Cavanagh (0-2), J McAnulla; R McRory (0-3), J Lafferty (0-2f), C McCarron (0-1). Subs: C O'Donnell (0-1) for C McCarron, D McDermott for D McBride, Shane McMahon for H Gallagher

Referee: G Walsh (Antrim)

[Mourne Rover]

Pete McGrath got a lot of criticism after the u21s flopped against Fermanagh last year, with people saying that his methods were out of date and it had been one of the worst championship performances by any Down team in recent seasons. He said very little, and got with  sending out a well-prepared side against Tyrone this time round which had enough self-confidence to cope with a pretty dreadful start.

He had to do without Martin Clarke and Peter Fitzpatrick, who were probably our best two players in the AI minor final of 2005, and he also dropped several  members of that squad, including Packy Downey, to bring in some new faces, so there was a lot at stake last night.

McGrath pretty clearly tactically outthought the Tyrone coaches at Casement, and also made substitions at the right time which strengthened us in the closing stages.

We still have a dodgy defence, so Derry will be a huge test in the final, but fair play to wee Pete for getting it right last night.
   

[Niall Quinn]

Peter Fitzpatrick

Where is he?

[ExiledGael]

Who has survived since 2005 minor final to U21s?
Apart from Clarke who has been lost to the big bad world?

[thewobbler]

The under-21 picture is a bit cloudy as John Caldwell, Packie Downey and Kevin McKernan spent more or less the year out injured in 2005.

Hugh Magee, Conor Garvey and Kevin Duffin are survivors from the defence, and i think Murney played some part on the way to the final. Colgan at midfield remains, and the wing-forwards Anderson and Lavery are on this year's panel. The full-forward line of McComiskey, Kelly and Brannigan remains intact.

I'd say the biggest surprise ommissions from 2005 are Eamon McConville (Sigerson player), Ricky Kerr (very useful forward) and most of all, Packie Downey. I wouldn't rate Downey as the senior county player he currently is, but he must have done something awful to Pete McGrath in the past not to feature in this squad.


Oh and by the way, credit to Wee Pete and the fellas for making the final. I wouldn't go over the top with praise for McGrath just yet though. You could try all day, but you'll never convince me that a county under-21 squad needs to do laps of Castlewellan Lake for training. Between their age and the amount of football commitments they have, they could hardly be fitter, and endurance training is a waste of time. But as half them haven't kicked a ball with the other half prior to the first training session, they do need to gel as a team....by playing football.

[Pangurban]

You could try all day, but you'll never convince me that a county under-21 squad needs to do laps of Castlewellan Lake for training. Between their age and the amount of football commitments they have, they could hardly be fitter, and endurance training is a waste of time. But as half them haven't kicked a ball with the other half prior to the first training session, they do need to gel as a team....by playing football.

WELL SAID WOBBLER

[BRIDGE LAD]

Well Wobbler and Pangurban, whenever you win TWO All Irelands with a County side i think we'll listen to what you have to say!!! I'm not related in anyway to the man but i think he deserves some Respect! He must be doing something right or they wouldnt be in an Ulster Final, oh and dont think Packy even bothered turning up for trials or didnt contact them so would you play him??

[umpire]

Down under 21 team has a lots of changes from
Down Minor team of 2005

M McAlliste, Banbridger;
G Magee, Rostrevor, C Garvey, Mayobridge,  H Magee Longstone;
G McCartan Rostrevor, E McConville Rostrevor, K Duffin Castlewellan;
J Colgan An Riocht, P Fitzpatrick Ballymartin;
D Lavery , M Clarke An Riocht, S Grant Mayobridge;
C Brannigan Bryansford, R Kelly Longstone, P McCumiskey Dundrum.

Subs -
R Kerr,
C Murney Rostrevor,
C Clerkin Rostrevor,
K McKernan Burren,
G Joyce Ballymartin

[Pangurban]

You have misunderstood me Bridge-Lad, i am a huge supporter of Petes, and like you feel he does not get the respect he deserves. My comment was related to the growing trend of placing fitness above ball skills, which are we are now even witnessing at U10 level. Fitness certainly has its place, but as wobbler stated most of these young lads are naturally fit, particularly given the amount of football they are being asked to play.