Down Club Hurling & Football

[off the laces]

Gents,
i know it was a few pages back about the annual convention and how they are going to change the league structures, but i had thought it was for 2010,although in last weeks matt's chat (Down Recorder) he mentioned the ccc are looking at the fixtures for this year and that alot off teams will not be happy with placings surely this cannot be the case!!!!!!
has he just had a senior moment?

[The Corporal]

What is all the craic about John Clarke? Has he left the panel or had a falling out with the management? Can someone shed light or what the rumor is?

[Bitta-Banter]

Think Clarkes services wer 'no longer required'.Joke!!

[Joxer]

Who has Ross found that is supposedly better than John Clarke?

Think he is a quality player who would possibly get on any squad in the country

[No1]

Condolences to Marty's family, a gentleman, fantastic footballer and manager.  Shocking news.

[BRIDGE LAD]

To the GAEL!

Are you related to Mick Walsh, I'm a bridge man and dont think for a minute that he should be on the Down Panel! Just not good enough any more!

47   GAA Discussion / Local GAA Discussion / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football  on: April 10, 2008, 09:56:01 PM 
Quote from: Andym2008 on April 09, 2008, 02:01:20 PM
I dont no how people can say that Mayobridge are the best team in down, there team revolves around one man, Benny Coulter. Now dont get me wrong Benny is a world class full-foward but as a very proud An Riócht man i could name 4 or 5 players that would walk on that Mayobridge team (Brendan Mcveigh, Deaglan O'Rielly, Christopher Killen, Paddy Cole and Jhon Clarke).It really angers me when i hear people say that "Mayobridge are the best team in down and always will be.". I really think that you should watch out for An Riócht from this season onwards you will all be looking at us in a different light!Andrew Magorrian
Andym2008, are you being serious?? The only player that would walk on the bridge team is John Clarke. Declan OReilly? Yea good one, are you related by any chance. Are you forgetting ya's were in the second division just two years ago. As big tom says from 99 we have been dominant and will continue to be. 5 lads on u 21 squad, 3 on county minors, looking good for our future. Benny is only 25 coming 26, a good ten years in him yet. Mickey Walsh should be on county team, Sexton is, Cathal Magee in and around also, Pluggy turned offer down so bridge aint bad.  I think the bridge are actually getting stronger, the squad of minors coming through is unreal at the moment also. So watch this space. I predict a first round exit for yourselves!!             

bridgelad - you've changed your tune!! there's only three people in the county who think that....dj ross and now you


burren - Barton

Think your wrong there Gaa head, i've seen Michael Play in every game last year and he was no where near the player he was, I've no doubt he is still a great asset to our club but just dont think he'd be up to playing for our county! Also have seen Ross and Mickey Doyle at quite a few of our matches last year obviously checking him out.                                                       How many games have you seen him play?
And i'm not the only bridge person to think the same, so Ross, Dj and I are not alone!
 

[dundrumite]

Gents,
i know it was a few pages back about the annual convention and how they are going to change the league structures, but i had thought it was for 2010,although in last weeks matt's chat (Down Recorder) he mentioned the ccc are looking at the fixtures for this year and that alot off teams will not be happy with placings surely this cannot be the case!!!!!!
has he just had a senior moment?

Wouldn't be like him  .

Marty Ross indeed a gentleman. Sad news

[amallon]

Some of the comments about Ronan Murtagh on the last few pages are very harsh to say the least and unfair to a lad who had busted a gut for Down since he was a minor. I hope he gets a chance later in the year to proof some of the doubters wrong.

I'd disagree with BridgeLad on Michael Walsh's involvement.  He has been blighted with injuries and if he got a clean run at it he would be an addition to the Down team.

[DownFanatic]

Bad news about Marty Ross. If my mind serves me right he managed Ardglass to 3 JFC titles.

By the way Bitta Banter, what do you make of the appointment of Eamon Burns to the Darragh Cross job?

[goldenyears]

The following players are requested to attend a Down U21 football trial tonight in Burren at 7.30 pm.

Glassdrumman: A McCartan, C Harrison; Shamrocks: S Trainor, C Connell, M Digney,

C Coffey, C Heaney; Mayobridge: D Fegan, G Walsh, S Grant, R Brady; Burren: C McGovern, C Murdock, S Murdock, R McGovern, E Toner, G McCartan; Ballyholland: A Haughey, J Murphy, T Havern, N Mulvaney; Bosco: C Murtagh, C Duggan; Rostrevor: A Donnan, C McConville, B O'Hare, R Reynolds, C Magee, C Murney; Clonduff: C O'Hagan, B Branagan; Attical: A Sloan; Longstone: C Poland, C Doran, G Trainor; Warrenpoint: R Boyle, R Mallon, R Cowan, G McMahon

[goldenyears]

ROSS Carr has warned of trouble ahead with the GAA's new disciplinary playing rules, despite the Mournemen encountering few problems in their Dr McKenna Cup opener last weekend.

Down pair Stephen Kearney and John Boyle were sent off in the latter stages of their 15-point win over St Mary's for yellow card offences.

And while Carr paid tribute to the performance of referee Martin McErlane, the Clonduff clubman remains unconvinced about the experimental playing rules being a success in both football and hurling for this year's McKenna Cup and National League campaigns.

"What determines a black card and what determines a yellow?" asked Carr.

"I know you have it in black and white, but how do you interpret that when fellas are going at 15 or 20 miles an hour in game situations?

"The pull of a jersey is interpreted by some as a black card or a pull of the jersey or a trip is a yellow card by others. I'd be dead against them."

After Sunday's comfortable win, Carr extended the debate on the perceived over-use of the hand pass in football which, he believes, creates more infringements and therefore raises the potential for more yellow card offences.

"There was a fabulous newspaper article recently where it looked at the 1988 All-Ireland final as it was regarded as a dirty game," explained Carr.

"It was viewed by two present-day referees, Pat McEneaney and Cormac Reilly, and in today's new rules, they would have issued just two more yellow cards."

He added: "In the entire game in the 1988 final, there were 73 hand-passes; in the 2008 All-Ireland final there were 205.

"Hand passing is leading to black cards and yellow cards because of the close proximity and, unless we introduce some rule that you can't make three consecutive hand passes or that you have to kick it after two, I see difficulties.

"I don't know, but hand passing is leading to the majority of scrums and infringements in games."

Sunday's first round of McKenna Cup games yielded a modest 13 yellow cards. The new rules are designed to stop highly-disruptive fouling in games and to purge serial foulers.

While managers are allowed to make six substitutions, forced or unforced, they may be more economical in their personnel changes given the real prospect of being down players in games.

"We got a couple of scores by kicking the ball long [against St Mary's] and we gave the ball away in the last 10 minutes by constant hand passing," said Carr.

"It's not rocket science."

The GAA's Head of Games Pat Daly, who attended Saturday night's tie between Cavan and Queen's, speculated that the high scorelines were perhaps related to the introduction of the new rules.

However, there was a greater scoring average during last year's opening McKenna Cup fixtures. A combined total of 156 [goals and points] was recorded in six opening games last January, while 115 [goals and points total] was scored in five games last Sunday with the new rules in place.

[goldenyears]

A STUBBORN winter's sun shone over the low hills of the east and cast long, languid shadows on the frost-bitten turf of Pairc Esler yesterday afternoon.

It is January again, and time for a bit of football. The ice-cool blue skies managed to seduce around 3,000 hearty souls out of their warm living rooms to see who the early runners and riders are for Down in 2009.

It was, however, Sigerson Cup hopefuls St Mary's who made the early running – fashioning a one-point interval lead  before the Mournemen got going in the second period to win their Dr McKenna Cup opener by a convincing 15 points.

There was a bundle of positives for St Mary's boss Paddy Tally at half-time, but by the end of the game, all but one or two of them had disappeared just like the afternoon sun.

It was Down bosses Ross Carr and DJ Kane who displayed an after-match glow, especially in light of the star-studded list of absentees that was as long as some of the pitch's shadows. There was no Dan Gordon, Liam Doyle, Paul McComiskey or Ambrose Rogers.

However, in their place, other lesser lights shone brightly during yesterday's decidedly easy first examination of the year for Down.

Bustling full-forward Cathal Magee helped himself to 2-2, while Hugh Davey, Kevin McKernan, John Boyle, Louis Sloan and Joe Ireland left decent impressions on Carr and Kane.

Experienced attacker Danny Hughes was in sparkling form for the Mournemen, notching five points from open play, while John Fegan got his side's other goal.

A new slim-line Benny Coulter stretched his legs in the final 11 minutes for the home side, but by the time of his introduction, the points were already sealed.

Derry player Barry McGoldrick excelled for St Mary's in an unfamiliar roving centre half-back role, while CJ McGourty was the students best option for scores.

And the new disciplinary playing rules didn't cause too much hassle or confusion. Derry referee Martin McErlane acted prudently throughout, showing only two yellow cards late in the game. John Boyle and Stephen Kearney were sidelined for yellow card offences in a game that lacked any real competitive edge.

In the early stages, St Mary's looked sharper and hungrier and, by the 29th minute, the

Belfast-based students led by 0-8 to 0-4, thanks largely to McGoldrick and McGourty's accuracy.

Indeed, Tally's charges should have been further ahead, but for some wayward efforts on goal from Paul Keenan, John Kelly and John Magill.

St Mary's paid the ultimate price for their wastefulness, with Ronan Sexton and Hughes capitalising on some poor defending to reduce the deficit, while Boyle's fine 45 in first half injury-time left Down trailing by just one point at the break (0-8 to 0-7).

Within three minutes of the restart, the home side had established a three-point cushion. Cathal Magee's well-struck penalty after the Mayobridge attacker was hauled down by full-back Sean O'Neill and Hughes's third point of the day saw Down take control.

St Mary's were in the midst of a spectacular collapse, managing just two points  both from CJ McGourty – in a desperately one-sided second half.

St Mary's deep-lying playmaker, Barry McGoldrick, was afforded less space by Boyle in the second period as the Down players

attacked in droves.

In the 47th minute, Cathal Magee smashed home his second three-pointer of the day after catching Davey's angled high ball on the edge of the square.

Seven minutes later, Fegan netted Down's third goal from close range after more loose defending from the St Mary's rearguard.

It was all too easy for Down in the second half as the St Mary's players couldn't wait to hear the final whistle.

MATCH STATS

Down: M McAllister; D Rafferty, K McKernan, H Davey; C Garvey, L Sloan, J Boyle (0-2 45s); J Ireland, J Lynch; J Fegan (1-3, 0-3 frees), R Sexton (0-1), S Kearney; M Magee (0-2, 1 free), C Magee (2-2, 1-0 pen), D Hughes (0-5) Subs: B Coulter for M Magee (59),

P Murphy for J Ireland (60), M Cole (0-1) for D Hughes (60), A A Carr for J Boyle (yellow card, 56), M Magee for S Kearney (yellow card, 69)

St Mary's: B Mullan; M Digney, S O'Neill, R Dolan; B Og Maguire, B McGoldrick

(0-5, 0-3 frees), J Magill; G O'Neill, P Keenan; M McKenna (0-1), J Kelly, S Donaghy; M Murray, M Pollock (0-1 45), CJ McGourty (0-3)

Subs: L McQuade for S Donaghy (h-t),

P Carville for P Keenan (46), N McSherry for M McKenna (58), P McAleer for

M Pollock (63)

Referee: M McErlane (Derry)

[lfdown2]

its promising to see ross feels this way about hand passing, surely when we can rack up big scores the ball should be passed into the forwards first time, this constatnt handpassing slows the game down and allows teams to stream defenders back!

[islandboy]

A Mallon- any truth in rumour the bridge have obtained the services of Brian Mc Ivor?

[sabhallphadraig]

Condolences to Marty's family, a gentleman, fantastic footballer and manager.  Shocking news.

Agree - totally shocking news ... I have many memories of playing against Marty and he took his drive and passion for his club into his management successes. Deepest sympathies to his family and to the Ardglass club.