Down Club Hurling & Football

[Dubh driocht]

Scor results- some missing so please complete
Ceili Dancing-
Solo singing - Kerrie Kennedy ( Glenn)
Instrumental music-
Recitation-Gareth Mc Greevy ( Saul)
Ballad group- Saul
Novelty Act- Rostrevor
Set Dancing- Clonduff
Question Time- Bredagh

[guevara]

On the issue of the 45's Ambrose if playing is more accomplished at them than Marty Clarke. Cathal Murdock hits them for Burren but seems to only score ones from a central position. If Ambrose isnt available then surely on a blusterly night a short pass to retain posession is better than a "Hail Mary" ??
Lets not get carried away. We won by 1 point. Yes we had goal chances but Armagh had theirs too. Add to that the fact McDonnell seemed to have an off night after kicking 1 superb point. He was a lt quicker than Gordon & this match up come The Championship could be very dangerous. On the plus side Danny Hughes, Ronan Murtagh & Kevin McKernan all had great nights.

[Leo]

On the issue of the 45's Ambrose if playing is more accomplished at them than Marty Clarke. Cathal Murdock hits them for Burren but seems to only score ones from a central position. If Ambrose isnt available then surely on a blusterly night a short pass to retain posession is better than a "Hail Mary" ??
Lets not get carried away. We won by 1 point. Yes we had goal chances but Armagh had theirs too. Add to that the fact McDonnell seemed to have an off night after kicking 1 superb point. He was a lt quicker than Gordon & this match up come The Championship could be very dangerous. On the plus side Danny Hughes, Ronan Murtagh & Kevin McKernan all had great nights.

In the modern game EVERY 45 should be a score. It is a practised art but nobody seems to be practising. In rugby they slot penalties over from this distance with practically every kick. Why? Practice. Put the ball on the ground, size up the angle... kick... score.

[guevara]

To be fair Leo it isnt as simple as that. You will get plenty of guys can slot them over 9/10 when they are straight in front of the goals but its the added distance & kicking style that would prove difficult once the angle to goal is increased.
Thats my point on Cathal Murdock hitting them for Burren.....great in front of goals because most keepers will kick in a straight fashion. But with the angled ones he seems less succesful.
Very few fellas can consistantly strike a ball well off the ground. Bryan Sheehan is an excellent free taker off the ground as as the great Maurice Fitz. But these days most fellas prefer out of their hands as they would struggle for distance from the ground.

[lfdown2]

Good posts yesterday and this morning - Saw the game on the Internet and watched it one additional time - Good win for Down - Thought it worthwhile pointing out that we hit the upright 4 times that denied us points and hit the post once and denied us a goal - On the law of averages, 50% of them should have resulted in scores, which would have given a very different complexion to the score and would have more accurately reflected Down's periods of dominance (Armagh hit the post once and it registered a score)

Where on the internet did you see the game?

[ballela-angel]

Where on the internet did you see the game?
Saw it as a pay-per-view for $19.99 on http://setanta-i.com/ - Saw the Mayo game the same way

[PAULD123]

To be fair to Leo we don't score 45's even when they ARE right in front of the posts. And we can't be relying on only Ambrose to do it. I saw Coalan Mooney from near the left touchline bang a 45 over for St Colman's and the ball cleared the bar half way up the posts, it could have travelled another 10 yards. So if a 17 year old laddie can do it why can't 2 or 3 of our county players do it. Cork beat us on this. Goulding crashed over three consecutive 45's, we missed 2. That's the margins that win titles.

[supersub]

To be fair Clarke is usually accurate with 45s, in his minor days he popped them over for fun, I mind in a match for an rioct in rostrevor in the playoffs near last kick of them game, 45 out, from the sideline, off the ground, slotted it straight over. He can still do this, just not the past few games!

On the point about rugby players kicking - firsty they kick off a tee for penalties, if Gaelic players kicked off tees there would be as accurate distance/positioning as in rugby. Also rugby balls are a different shape which is more 'ground' kicking friendly.

[maldini]

Scor results- some missing so please complete
Ceili Dancing-
Solo singing - Kerrie Kennedy ( Glenn)
Instrumental music- Darragh Cross
Recitation-Gareth Mc Greevy ( Saul)
Ballad group- Saul
Novelty Act- Rostrevor
Set Dancing- Clonduff
Question Time- Bredagh

[thewobbler]

Suggesting that every 45 should result in a score is bit far fetched. Even allowing for the fact that a 45 can end up being a 65 if taken from towards the sidelines, the sheer variance in quality of pitches and footholds, the varying weight of the ball, and the old Irish weather problem make it more of a lottery than some presume.

I'd guess that any of Rogers, M Clarke, Coulter, Gordon or McKernan are surefire Down starters who would have the technique to pop over a 45 regularly if conditions were right. But of them, maybe only Clarke has the natural ball-striking ability to counteract unusual conditions. So I'd let him rattle away at them til Kingdom come.

Your man Daniel Goulding gave an amazingly rare exhibition of place-kicking in the AI final - one that will always be the exception rather than the norm. Then, comparing anyone to Bryan Sheehan is just daft. He is one of the most gifted ball-strikers you will ever see. Even a player as freakishly co-ordinated as Benny Coulter could spend years practicing 45s every single day and he would still be poorer at them than Sheehan, who simply has an amazing natural advantage. Yes, natural.   

It's even more pointless bringing in the rugby comparison. A 45 is pretty much the same length of kick as one from rugby's 10m line, and those are missed regularly by international kickers; players who are meant to be the best kickers in their country, nevermind county. And never understimate the advantage a tee gives, as it effectively rules out the need to concentrate on gaining height.

[BarryBreensBandage]

Any word on Liam Doyle? - was great to see him come on against Galway.
And Mickey Walsh - any sign of him returning?

[downjim]

Down has never had any really quality 45 takers over the years.. I remember Benny scoring one in Croke park but he does not hit them for his club or county!! Maybe its too far to walk
On another note I cannot wait for the new season!!! Is it true that our noisy neighbours have invited the county champions down to open their field I hope we don't spoil their Party!!!

[guevara]

Your right Wobbler Sheehan is an exception to the rule. There is a youtube clip of him thumping them over in a Club game from ridiculous distances.
What a lot of people dont realise is that its a lot further out than appears to the eye. Yes you can have the likes of a goalkeeper who will normally have a longer kick but will struggle with accuracy.
In my opinion Ambrose is better at them than Clarke. But most of the times you see a guy bang them over with plenty to spare will be a calm day on a good surface that allows the kicker to get a good striking action on the ball. Compare that to a windy day on a muddied field with poor sod & you are changing the variables altogether.What must be noted also is that Croke Park would be in my view a much more enclosed ground with less of these variables than say Pairc Esler or Clones??

[whitegoodman]

For years under orourke and carr ambrose couldnt hit a barn door with his 45's.  I remember him hitting one beauty in croke park last year but other than that i cant recall any that have went over, i may be mistaken though

Martys free taking and 45's have gone off the boil slightly but i wouldnt get overly worried as when the harder ground comes round it will make it that bit easier for him.  I would still take him every time over ambrose when it comes to hitting a 45.  Somebody else said that Gordon or Coulter could potentially hit them.  In their 10 odd years of senior football i cant recall either attempting a 45.  It is a specialist skill but doesnt mean special players such as coulter are fit to take them.

[Pangurban]

Sean O Neills brother Kevin was the best kickers of 45s ever, rarely missed