Down Club Hurling & Football

[downredblack]

Good enough second half from Down yesterday and if they only came together collectively for the first time on Friday you couldn't ask for more . Few boys carrying the turkey but I'm sure that will be knocked off them in the coming months . Thought John Boyle did well up until he went off for God knows what , even landed Down's first 45 since the Gregory McCartan days . Impossible to judge Hugh Davey on one outing but I thought he did rightly , seen plenty of ball and made plenty of mistakes but he didn't hide so we will have to see . A lot of nerves and inexperience all over the pitch but as the game went on they started to get a feel for it so good luck to them . Bigger test next week .

On the Ronan Murtagh thing , I think it's poor enough form to be sticking up aul pub talk about players private lives on a discussion board , These lads  are putting in the hard work and trying their best to win for Down which is what we all want . If people don't rate a player that's fair enough but their private lives should not be up for discussion .

[Clown]

i agree, some of the personal abuse on here isnt on, it has the potential to knock a players confidence completely

writing about players private lives is also uncalled for. these players are amateur sportsmen, they shudnt hav to take this level of scrutiny and criticism

[SQUAREBALL]

Was at the game yesterday, and thought it was a promising display from the new guys.

The main thing that irritated me was entry fee. £8 to a McKenna cup match in Janurary against a university team, seemed abit much. And no student rate either. Another flop by the ulster council. May kill the supporters for the rest of the fixtures.

[thegael]

Down need Ronan Murtagh desparately, we don't measure our players by scoring alone - his blistering pace and strength are something to behold and has made many a fine contribution to Down.The guy is a very positive person and the sooner he is back the better!
Mickey Walsh is another we need and why in the name of goodness he is not there is beyond the gael - these managers need a lesson from Kevin  Heffernan in man management.
Kevin Heffernan wasn't running around putting his energy into bonding and drinking sessions ,but then again he is a man with wisdom!The sooner we in Down realise what is going on the better with this pantomine of paid hangers on.
Overall yesterday really told us nothing against a very sub standard side.






                                                                      the gael takes no prisoners!

[downredblack]

Was at the game yesterday, and thought it was a promising display from the new guys.

The main thing that irritated me was entry fee. £8 to a McKenna cup match in Janurary against a university team, seemed abit much. And no student rate either. Another flop by the ulster council. May kill the supporters for the rest of the fixtures.

Yeah and I want better value for my Euro , £8 is not E10 

[Open yer eyes Man]

I replied to comments made about him, initially in relation to the 'Spice Boy' thing.  I believe it was the current manager of Down who coined this phrase in relation to the exploits of some members of the Down team and their off the field activities.  There is nothing new here which hasn't been mentioned before.

I take it everyone is also going to jump to the defence of the Mayobridge senior team, including some prominent Down players, who are also coming in for alot of criticism for their 'culture of drinking and late nite activity.'  Theres not much mention of this

[5 Sams]

I replied to comments made about him, initially in relation to the 'Spice Boy' thing.  I believe it was the current manager of Down who coined this phrase in relation to the exploits of some members of the Down team and their off the field activities.  There is nothing new here which hasn't been mentioned before.

I take it everyone is also going to jump to the defence of the Mayobridge senior team, including some prominent Down players, who are also coming in for alot of criticism for their 'culture of drinking and late nite activity.'  Theres not much mention of this

No need for this type of sh1te on here...away back to Bebo and slag someone else off.

[the milkman]

So the Milkman, GAAHEAD 2008 and Open Yer Eyes Man have got pissed off with Hoganstand.com and have arrived on the board in the past 5 minutes making definitive statements about one of Down's most consistent performers over the last 7 or 8 years.....dont forget that Down have been pure dung over that period and he was one of the few that has performed consistently then. Murtagh will be back in a month...the lad has been knocking his pan in for Down over the last 10 years to the detriment of his social life, family life and career...he has a good good business going and is in the middle of making it even better ....so butt out and leave him alone....he'll be starting against Fermanagh in May...mark my words.

5 sams are you Ronan?

Obviously he has given great service to Down football over the years, I just think its time to change things about, having virtually the same panel for so long simple cant be good (unless you are winning)

and not once have I mentioned about a players personal life, dont think that it has any relevance and shouldn't be brought up here.

[Leo]

Thought John Boyle did well up until he went off for God knows what , even landed Down's first 45 since the Gregory McCartan days .

What???
I said at half time Boyle would be sent off for persistent fouling - he has no idea how to tackle and runs about like a headless chicken, pushing opponents anytime he is near one. Everytime he gets possession he turns back  towrads his own goals and then lays a lazy soccer-style sideways or backwards ball to another defender. It was only when he was moved up forwards in the second half that our halfback line got to grips with the game and started giving the sort of supply that turns into scores.

Not within a million miles of being a county player. A poor man's Kevin McGuigan with cycling shorts.

[5 Sams]

So the Milkman, GAAHEAD 2008 and Open Yer Eyes Man have got pissed off with Hoganstand.com and have arrived on the board in the past 5 minutes making definitive statements about one of Down's most consistent performers over the last 7 or 8 years.....dont forget that Down have been pure dung over that period and he was one of the few that has performed consistently then. Murtagh will be back in a month...the lad has been knocking his pan in for Down over the last 10 years to the detriment of his social life, family life and career...he has a good good business going and is in the middle of making it even better ....so butt out and leave him alone....he'll be starting against Fermanagh in May...mark my words.

5 sams are you Ronan?

Obviously he has given great service to Down football over the years, I just think its time to change things about, having virtually the same panel for so long simple cant be good (unless you are winning)

and not once have I mentioned about a players personal life, dont think that it has any relevance and shouldn't be brought up here.

Fair enough Milkman....on reading back through the posts I shouldnt have included you with some of the others eejits slagging off players....and by the way I'm not Rony...it's just that I know what sort of sacrfice these boys make and they have no way of defending themselves from some of the unwarranted stuff on here.

[downredblack]

Thought John Boyle did well up until he went off for God knows what , even landed Down's first 45 since the Gregory McCartan days .

What???
I said at half time Boyle would be sent off for persistent fouling - he has no idea how to tackle and runs about like a headless chicken, pushing opponents anytime he is near one. Everytime he gets possession he turns back  towrads his own goals and then lays a lazy soccer-style sideways or backwards ball to another defender. It was only when he was moved up forwards in the second half that our halfback line got to grips with the game and started giving the sort of supply that turns into scores.

Not within a million miles of being a county player. A poor man's Kevin McGuigan with cycling shorts.

I though he did well in the second half and set up some scores , no one for Down stood out in the first half . But if your going to write him off based on one game at the start of January fair play to you , I am going to give him and the rest of the new lads a fair whack .
Personal abuse of players is not confined to their private lives it seems .

[Brick Tamlin]

jaysus some of the stuff on here is getting ridiculous.

Some people just see this board as a vehicle to abuse and sling mud at players/managers whether called for or not. i think there is a fine line that shouldnt be crossed and some of the stuff on here is pretty much uncalled for and to be honest alot of guys wouldnt say these things face-to-face with said individuals. Internet discussion board anonymity can be quite cowardly.

can we disucss the match yesterday with some sort of semblance of sense and rationale, albeit its very hard to take anything or judge anyone based on these kind of matches. Re John Boyle i thought he was quite good of what we could see. Barry Mc Goldrick was pulling all the strings for St Mary's and had scored 4 points in opening 35mins and wasnt until Boyle picked him up did he somewhat nulify his threat. Also cant see much else he had done wrong, he was measured and composed when in possession, dont remember too many passes he gave away or fluffed, he made himself available at every opportunity, stuck to task of marking his man and also got forward to score 2 pts, one of which was a 50 (which we havent had anyone to consistently convert for a few seasons now) so id say he did reasonable enough for someone who is a poor man's Kevin Mc Guigan.

Hugh Davey was game and looked very eager, again tackled and battled quite well whilst he did make a few errors i think he can only improve, is strong, athletic and can play ball.
Kevin Mc Kernan was decent enough considering he was playing out of position, Danny Hughes did rightly to finish with 5pts? but then again Danny loves this competition.

[Leo]

I though he did well in the second half and set up some scores , no one for Down stood out in the first half . But if your going to write him off based on one game at the start of January fair play to you , I am going to give him and the rest of the new lads a fair whack .
Personal abuse of players is not confined to their private lives it seems .

We'll agree to differ on how Boyle played but my assessment of him in the game is probably coloured by watching him at club and colleges levels over the last couple of seasons and his match performance did not surprise or impress me.

There was no personal abuse antwhere in my post> I do not resort to that type of thing that seems to have crept in from the soccer world where it is rife. Legitimate criticsm of playing performances is surley what the board is about and is all I am interested in.

[T O Hare]

yesterdays first half was poor and if st marys took their shooting boots along we would have been miles behind.. both their midfielders and Mc Goldrick had great first halves but they seemed to blow up after the break... Davey looked lost at the start but he came into it and he will improve greatly... Louis Sloan looks good but he needs to get leaner.. Boyle improved in the second half, he is not a defender.. McKernan should be tried again in full-back, he played there a few times for the abbey when they won the hogan, he is a good reader of the game... Big Cathal is great in the air, we should have tried in more in the first half and  Mickey Magee looks good enough, strong and awkward and can shoot!!! Next Sunday will be a great test !

[guevara]

leo i dont see how you can say john boyle was poor and hugh davey was.john marked (10) in the first half and kept him scoreless,hugh marked (6) got the run around and 4points scored off him.in the second half they switched john boyle was at the centre of everything that was good about down and once more kept his man scoreless while poppin up with two himself.have to say hugh equiped himself alot better in the second half gettin that bit tighter and only letting his man score 1 point. on your point about john going across the pitch,yes he done it alot but he picked his passes and never gave the ball away unlike others,he must have set up 8 or 9 scores yesterday on his first game for down in two years i think thats pretty good considering regulars like kearney and sexton done little to influence the game?