Down Club Hurling & Football

[SHEEDY]

"last few times we have stuffed them" alba. did they not beat us in the mckenna cup this year and last years league final?

[DownFanatic]

Wed May 18th (7 30)
ACFL Div 4
Dromara 1 06  St Pauls 1 13


Fri May 20th (7 30)
ACFL Div 1
Longstone 0 12 Mayobridge 1 09
Saval 3 12 An Riocht 1 10
Bryansford 0 09 Kilcoo 2 07
Ballyholland 2 09 Clonduff 2 10
Rostrevor 2 12  Burren 1 10

ACFL Div 2
Clann na Banna 2 12 Ballymartin 1 10
Annaclone 1 05 Downpatrick1 10
Loughinisland 1 11 Warrenpoint 1 09
Drumgath 0 09 Castlewellan 2 13

ACFL Div 3
Atticall 2 07 Glasdrumman 2 08
Mitchels 0 11 Darragh Cross 1 15
Dundrum 1 09 Tullylish 1 17
Ardglass 1 06 Kilclief 2 18

ACFL Div 4
Bright 2 08 Teconnaught 1 08
Drumaness 1 18 St Micheals 2 04
Aghaderg 0 18  Ballykinlar 1 09
Bredagh 6 21  Aughlisnafinn 1 05

[NP 76]

Ballyholland 2- 09 Clonduff 2- 10 Ballyholland played none until the last 15 mins and should of drew this game with a free at the end . Arthur Mc Conville ran the show for Clonduff at midfield and was helped well by Henry Brown . Jason Browns free taking was impressive scored a great free from the rhs of the field off the ground and one which no word of a lie was near the half way line of the ground also with ease

[alba2]

"last few times we have stuffed them" alba. did they not beat us in the mckenna cup this year and last years league final?

Mc Kenna cup - are you serious.. they beat us by point caus we took marty off with 15 mins left and it let them back into it... couple of changes from the team now to last years league final - we are much much stronger than that time last year.. Yeah they won it - they had experience of croke park in their ranks and we had none - but as year progressed we got used to our second home.. but last two league games - we have owned them.. and will again next weekend..

[NedFlanders]

Saval 3-13 Kingdom 1-10
Kingdom well beat, the more starred games there is the more the kingdom will struggle

Alba2, you sound like a child!

[Joe Umbrella (hey)]

But what if Armagh turn round and beat us, then the all singing all dancing Down team ye just named wont look so good.
You're either a complete WUM or extremely dellusional.
Also have a bit of respect for your opponents, dont have to like em or anything but a bit of respect wouldnt go amiss. Jamie Clarke is a quality player and he isnt the only one on that Armagh squad.

What if - what if - blah blah blah... they wont beat us caus they cant beat us... Last few times we have played them we have stuffed them - even tho the score board has said one or two points - it has been a stuffing. Respect - oh i will give them respect alright.  The same respect they gave us in 99 when they obliterated us in an ulster final, the same respect they gave us in |Casement park at the start of the milleniumm the same respect they gave us when they won their only sam maguire and thought the world started in 2002 and everything we had done before didnt exist.  Dont talk s*** to me about respect for them - WHEN we beat them - i will respectfully open the back door and watch them sail through it... Yes Jamie is a good player and id didnt say otherwise - but i did say who would ya drop for him in the down lineup.  He is a finisher and doesnt work - every man and his dog knows that...  Who are all these other quality players in the squad??

Thank God for the Champions league final, as the Athletic Grounds should be void of arseholes like Alba2.

Armagh have one of the best defences in Ireland, a midfield that on its day can compete with anyone, any number of half forwrds with bags of potential that will click one day and in Clarke and McDonnell a deadly inside duo. Throw in an underdogs tag and the fact that they spent most of last summer enviously looking on at our run to the AI final, they will be up for this one and are my dark horse for this summer.

Armagh will fancy themselves in their own back yard lets hope Down are ready.

[ardtole]

This is the first time that this down team goes into a championship game carrying the favourite tag, how they react to this situation is unknown. I am not as confident as most down supporters about the game next week, I believe we are good enough to win but Armagh are not the mugs a lot of people seem to think they are. We seem to have a few players carrying niggling injuries or just coming back from injury which is not ideal, im looking forward to this game and am predicting Down by the skin of their teeth.

[supersub]

Rostrevor 2-12 Burren 1-10

Good win for the reds although obviously Burren were without their county contingent. Turned a bit nasty towards the end with two being sent off one from each team, in truth a few more should have walked but the referee would have had his work cut out to identify specific culprits in the brawl at the end of the game. It was a pity the game ended the way it did as it hadn't been a dirty match up until the closing few minutes. 

[alba2]

Thank God for the Champions league final, as the Athletic Grounds should be void of arseholes like Alba2.

Armagh have one of the best defences in Ireland, a midfield that on its day can compete with anyone, any number of half forwrds with bags of potential that will click one day and in Clarke and McDonnell a deadly inside duo. Throw in an underdogs tag and the fact that they spent most of last summer enviously looking on at our run to the AI final, they will be up for this one and are my dark horse for this summer.

Armagh will fancy themselves in their own back yard lets hope Down are ready.
[/quote]

Best defences in Ireland - Mc Keever aside - and he is a dirty p***k - who else have they. Andy Mallon is done, Donaghy is good on his day - but cant cope with coulter, Moriarty is clean useless and wouldnt make the kelkenny football team, Duffy is too small and doesnt mark his man, Dyas is not the player he showed at minor - Aaron Kernan is decent going forward - but again he aint a defender - its been said for years now by pundits and the stats are there to back it up...
Their Midfield can be decent i will give ya that - where are these half forwards you are talkinga bout - Mal Mackin is anothere kilkenny case, Billy Joe Padden is finished otherwise Mayo would have moved mountains to keep him, Grugan shoowed glimpses in the mc kenna cup but has disapeared into the mist since then, tony Kernan isa  runner not a footballer, he cnt cope with the physical stuff and hides in to many games, Vernon is a big girls blouse - hate physicality for the size of him and dont score enough, Michael O Rourke is too small, Watters cant cope on the big day.  In the paper the other day they said armagh played David Mc Kenna at full forward in a recent challenge game - how desperate are they.  Or is this just so he can hide because like jamie he dont work.  Jamie is class at finishing and so is stevie - but wont work for the team.

Underdogs - its about time they were caus they are wayyyy off the mark.  How you can tip them to have a big summer is beyond me. 

[NP 76]

alba  cant understand your analysist of both teams at all making us out to be world beaters and making it sound that Armagh are the same sort of standard as Kilkenny really baffles me . you make it sound like none of our players have any faults . I have attended every game and know that there is plenty of faults and hope that James and co have been working on them over this last few weeks

[13aside]

I OF COURSE DOWN CAN WIN BUT THERE ARE FRAGILITITES AND RAFFERTY NOT PLAYING WOULD BE A DISADVANTAGE IN DE3FENCE,BUT TO PLAY LAVERTY FROM KILCOO IN THE FORWARD LINE FROM THE START WOULDNT BE BENEFICAL AT CHAMPONSHIP PACE-MORE TO COME

[ardtole]

Ardglass were well beat by a strong and experienced Kilclief team last night. However we had nine players u21 starting and it will take them a while to find their feet at this level. We have a few lads to come back into the team and avoiding relegation would be our priority at this stage of the year.
Rosie Sloan was outstanding last night probably one of the best preformances iv seen in div 3 for a few years. He controlled the game from start to finish, picked the right option all the time and some of his passing was top drawer.

[stiff breeze]

Ardglass were well beat by a strong and experienced Kilclief team last night. However we had nine players u21 starting and it will take them a while to find their feet at this level. We have a few lads to come back into the team and avoiding relegation would be our priority at this stage of the year.
Rosie Sloan was outstanding last night probably one of the best preformances iv seen in div 3 for a few years. He controlled the game from start to finish, picked the right option all the time and some of his passing was top drawer.

good player. Is he still playing in midfield?

[ardtole]

He played midfield last night alrite, I thought he mostly played chf but I could be wrong I only see Kilclief play occassionally.

[pauly2]

Have to say i agree with Alba2 on his selection of our county team and what he says about the armagh players.  I have total respect for armagh and what they have done in football terms over the last ten years - but this currect crop of players simply are not good enough.  If we are being realistic - how many armagh players would get into the Cork team at the minute?? Probably Stevie Mc Donnald and maybe Jamie Clarke - if he bulked up a bit. Whereas from down - Dan Gordon could slot in anywhere for them, Kevin Mc Kernan would replace canty the player who stole his all star last year,  King would play in midfield as a defensive foil for Walsh, Marty, Benny, Danny Hughes would all feature in their forward line.. Armagh - like many other teams were on top for a long period - but their time has come to an end and the calibre of player in their panel now is poor.  From watching their national league performances esp in newry for the second year They have no desire, hunger or trust in each other the way the armagh of old had.  I honestly believe we will win and win easily on saturday evenin.  AN DUN ABU