Ulster club senior football championship - 2015

[David McKeown]

Enjoyed the game to day. Both teams deserve credit for putting on such a show in arrocious conditions. It was the coldest I remember it in the Athletic Grounds with gusty wind and rain. In normal time Scotstown had a great chance to win but as happens more often than not Cross found a way to succeed. Tactically I felt Scotstown got a lot right to negate Cross but playing Kieran Hughes as full back made no sense. Cross really lost their way after half time when Hanratty went off but I felt Tony Kernan stood up to help them over the line. He and the Scotstown number 11 also had a good contest in the complaining to the referee stakes! Speaking of the referee I felt he had a very average game. For much of ordinary time he seemed to give most 50:50 calls to Scotstown and then he seemed to switch it so that Cross got most of the decisions. The call on O'Callaghan was completely correct though. That he twice this year in championship football that I have seen him sent off after a couple of minutes sub appearance. I felt Kieran Hughes tackle was a black card as he tried to trip his opponent, although a red was also possible. Darren was more annoyed with the referee than Morgan at the end.

I haven't seen it again but the Hughes red card was entirely justified. Happened right infront of me. It appeared He jumped with one knee bent and extended his leg into the Cross player on the way down. Completely correct decision and well refereed by the ref to play the advantage from which Cross scored (I think) and then come back to it.

[lenny]

Enjoyed the game to day. Both teams deserve credit for putting on such a show in arrocious conditions. It was the coldest I remember it in the Athletic Grounds with gusty wind and rain. In normal time Scotstown had a great chance to win but as happens more often than not Cross found a way to succeed. Tactically I felt Scotstown got a lot right to negate Cross but playing Kieran Hughes as full back made no sense. Cross really lost their way after half time when Hanratty went off but I felt Tony Kernan stood up to help them over the line. He and the Scotstown number 11 also had a good contest in the complaining to the referee stakes! Speaking of the referee I felt he had a very average game. For much of ordinary time he seemed to give most 50:50 calls to Scotstown and then he seemed to switch it so that Cross got most of the decisions. The call on O'Callaghan was completely correct though. That he twice this year in championship football that I have seen him sent off after a couple of minutes sub appearance. I felt Kieran Hughes tackle was a black card as he tried to trip his opponent, although a red was also possible. Darren was more annoyed with the referee than Morgan at the end.

I haven't seen it again but the Hughes red card was entirely justified. Happened right infront of me. It appeared He jumped with one knee bent and extended his leg into the Cross player on the way down. Completely correct decision and well refereed by the ref to play the advantage from which Cross scored (I think) and then come back to it.

When you see it again on tv you will see the cross player lay down and made a real meal out of it which got hughes sent off. It was more a black card offence and silly from hughes but not malicious. Great game though between 2 very good teams and good, entertaining football.

[tonto1888]

When do they play in the all Ireland series?

[brokencrossbar1]

When do they play in the all Ireland series?

Saturday 13th February

[Disillusioned]

I believe McGleenan made a bit of a show of himself at the end?  I was too busy cheering, did anyone see anything?

Probably quite mad because he has had to put up with him on many occasions as Cassidy has made himself available for colleges' games on almost every occasion on his way to getting on the county panel by this route. 

[imtommygunn]

The better team won but how Morgan stayed on the field I do not know so I'd imagine he was a bit peeved about that.

[mackers]

Aaron Kernan very composed as usual but shouldn't have been allowed to continue after that knock to the head, was definitely out cold for a good 30 seconds or more.

Surprised more hasn't been made of this.  There was hell to pay in rugby this year over a similar incident.

[Yellow Rose]

Maybe its unfair for me to comment as i was on my travels for a while and just back to my home shores but i watched the deferred coverage of the game yesterday on tv and the ref was completely out of his depth. I remember him years gone by and he always seemed to get the simple calls wrong and how he is still rated to be in charge of games of this importance is beyond me. Only my opinion.

[Orior]

Disgrace to have such a high profile game at this time of the year. Unfair on the players and the fans. Terrible conditions!

Yes.
Most club championship football is winter football.
It's shameful.

The only options are squeeze county championships, or start county championships a few months earlier. Which would you prefer?

Personally, I like it the way it is.

[blewuporstuffed]

Disgrace to have such a high profile game at this time of the year. Unfair on the players and the fans. Terrible conditions!

Yes.
Most club championship football is winter football.
It's shameful.

The only options are squeeze county championships, or start county championships a few months earlier. Which would you prefer?

Personally, I like it the way it is.

getting rid of replays  altogether would go a long way to shortening the season and not having important games being played in November/December

[AZOffaly]

Can someone please explain the logic of a team being able to return to 15 players in extra time after a sending off? 
I know that's the rule. But it's a stupid rule, especially when you see Scotstown playing out the rest of the game with 14

There are two questions,
the  easy one,    explain how a team can return to 15 in ET after having a player sent off in normal time?
and an impossible one,  to explain the logic? because logic is absent.

Extra Time is not a new game but teams are allowed  to start with 15 players each, along with they are allowed to make 3 substitutions. But the player sent off in the first 60minutes can't return to the field. Yellow/black cards issued in normal time, do carry over.

Do they? I was wondering this, and I meant to question it because I think Legion might have a case in the Kerry championship. According to the reports I read, Bryan Sheehan got a yellow card in normal time, and he got a black card in extra time, and was therefore replaced. If he had received a black after a yellow in normal time, he would of course have received a red card and would not have been replaced.

Back in the old days, the rule was as you said, we fell foul of it ourselves in a game v Roscommon one time. They had a lad sent off very late in the 70 minutes, and one of our lads was yellow carded. When Extra time started, they were back to 15, but our lad got another yellow in extra time, and got the line.

If the rule has not changed, I think the ref might have made an arse of the Kerry co. final.

[blewuporstuffed]

Well then the ref would have made an arse of the ulster final too, as I think james morgan needed 3 yellows before he got the line.
Pretty sure aaron kernan got a yellow in both normal time & extra time as well

[Mikhailov]

Was a fascinating game yesterday played in atrocious condition but in good spirit and a high level of skill on show from both teams but the first touch in every Cross player is top notch, no fumbling about with them lads.

Cross IMHO just about shaded it but Scotstown showed that they belong at this level and were more than a match for long periods but I felt they made some errors which didn't help them. Beggan missed at least 6 free attempts - if that was any other player he would have got 3 max before someone else got a chance. He played one 'short' but went actually backwards or side wards whilst the rest all drifted wide of the near post every time. Secondly, both Hughes were very good but Kieran was at fault for first cross goal and I feel they would be much better if they exchanged positions. Darren could drive forward from CHB whilst Kieran is the more natural forward and could flourish at FF at club level. Several times Darren got away from Morgan and got a yard of space but didn't take advantage whereas any top notch inside forward needs half a yard and they are gone. I appreciate they play to suit the team ethic position wise but two very talented players of their ability maybe better suited if they reversed their positions. I actually thought Morgan done well on DH, was a physical battle between them and if anything Cassidy favoured the man in possession all day which suited Darren on numerous occasions where he got a few dodgy calls in his favour. For Scotstown, both Hughes were good, Turley had a great 50 minutes, Donal Morgan was good as was full back Caulfield. In the forwards, McCarthy and Carey looked dangerous but maybe need to bulk up a bit but skill wise are excellent.
But Cross are never beaten and had Hanratty and Rico Kelly stayed on the pitch injury free then they would have own in normal time - Scotstown lorded the middle 3rd when these 2 guys had to go off. Cross had numerous good performances in Murtagh, McKeown, Morgan, young O'Neill and Carragher but AK and TK really stood out when it mattered. Tony Kernan is a superb player who remained cool when the scores were needed but Aaron Kernan is different class - showed great composure, unreal kick passes and just is a class act. The incident in 1st half were he appeared to be out cold didn't look good and I cant understand Joe McQuillan not reacting on time - he was 5 yards away and just stood and stared at the player lying poleaxed and it took Stephen Kernan to run 50+ yards to put AK into recovery position. How bad it was we don't know but if it was bad then we need to look carefully at this - as someone previously stated, In Rugby he would not have been allowed to continue.

Overall, a very good game, great atmosphere in the AG and Cross just about deserved it. Talking to some local Armagh men at the game they seem to think Cross have a load of lads coming though at minor level who will compliment these lads so they don't appear to be going away and time soon.

[imtommygunn]

Cross's kick passing is superb. It is probably better than most county teams.

They didn't do it so much in the second half but in the first half they put together a lot of good moves with it.

I doubt there are many, if any, better kick passers of the ball in the game than Aaron Kernan.

[Applesisapples]

I watched the deferred coverage. I also watched the Clonmel Nemo game. The contrast in quality and styles was immense. The Ulster game had much more kick passing and was a more enjoyable game. Barry Cassidy was woeful. Scotstown got a lot of soft frees and there were a number of clean catches at midfield by Cross players who were tackled in a similar fashion to the Monaghan attackers but the free was given for over carrying. Cross lost there way when Hannratty came off and could have lost it. To come back in the fashion they did was testament to their spirit. Tony Kernan for me was by far the most outstanding player on the park. Morgan did well on Hughes and was unfairly penalised at times when Hughes was being cute, most refs give the benefit unfairly in my view to the forwards in these cases. All in all a good advertisement for Ulster football and hats off to Cross for never giving up.