Donegal V Tyrone Ulster Final 17th July

[omagh_gael]

Mighty win but a shite match. We didn't bring anything near our A game but still pulled through in the end. I know our play was pretty putrid but there can be no excuse for Donegal's approach in the second half. It was beyond belief that a team would choose to play so negatively and laterally move the ball across and back up the pitch ad nauseam, it was as if they were 5 points up with ten to play. At least when we got the ball we tried to move it into the danger area and finally had the balls to go for it in the last ten. If we had our shooting boots on at all we would have hammered them.

Won't even bother with the ref, we won so suck it up and move on.

If I was thinking fully rationally and you had have told me before the game that one team would hold a slender/semi comfortable lead for most of the game and the other team would reel them in and pinch it with a last quarter burst I would have had to say that the winning team would be Donegal. However, my heart (and prematch post!) Said Tyrone would win by three with fresh legs doing the business. So glad to get that monkey off our backs. Roll on Croker!!

[An Watcher]

Some experts on here saying tyrone should have come out and attacked.  Talk about football suicide.  When a team like kerry adopts a defensive approach against donegal in an all Ireland final then you know it's the only way. Hopefully donegal and their system won't have long left otherwise some rules have to be brought in as that was absolutely brutal to watch.

[SkillfulBill]

Game was never going to be a classic given the way Donegal play. I think Donegals style of football makes for a poor game the feature which surprised me most was that Donegal seemed to find it difficult to turnover Tyrone when the red hands attacked and if it were not for some very poor shot selection from Tyrone i think we could have been out the gate alot earlier than we were. But the cream always rises to the top cavanaghs 2 points and Pete Harte's monster at the end were worth the wait.

I said before the game that is this Donegal teams swan song. RIP.

By the way i must congratulate thon tube T Ferron on his insightfull footballing punditry you make take yourself off into a dark corner and hibernate untill well after September because the Red hands are on the way back to Croker

Tir Eoghain Abu

[longballin]

Three things I got from today: Rory Gallagher hasn't a clue, Gaelic football has become a horrible spectator sport and Sean Cavanagh is one of the greats of Ulster football... some career.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Nonsense. That is the donnelly incident you are describing. The murphy one was not like that at all. All the commentators said it too.

Well Tommy Carr said so, so that must be the final word!

McCann released the ball and ran into Murphy's chest with his shoulder immediately after. Tell us, please, where was Murphy supposed to go?

Donnelly had more time to get out of his way than Murphy did, if we are going to quibble over fractions of seconds.

Just because the Donnelly one was harsh or unjust doesn't mean that Murphy deserved one.

Within the context of the match tho he had to be consistent and he wasnt

First Donegal foul of the match  was one, and there was another in the 2nd by Thompson

Lets not forget Tyrone had a penalty too that wasnt given

And the push in the back on Ciaran Gillespie that may have been in the penalty area that wasn't punished?

Both penalty shouts were 50/50. To be fair to Coldrick he was letting those kind of tackles go from both sides in the second half.

[BennyHarp]

Just talking with a Meath lad there (not jinxy ), who was equally bemused with Coldrick's black cards -- he didn't have a good game, which is nothing new with that particular individual.

Good win, if not a great spectacle, though it takes two to play that game.

Anyway, onwards we march

The real problem is that today epitomises the problems of football today. If it was only Tyrone and Donegal who played this way you could pass it off but it is most teams. The referees cannot be blamed for that.

Have a look at all of Tyrones other games this year. Pigeon holing them with all other defensive teams is very lazy. It was meeting fire with fire today. A battle bourne from familiarity and a bit of respect for what each had to offer. It was all about the win and expect Tyrone to resume the deep attacking system they've been bringing to the table all year when they hit Croker!

[J70]

Just talking with a Meath lad there (not jinxy ), who was equally bemused with Coldrick's black cards -- he didn't have a good game, which is nothing new with that particular individual.

Good win, if not a great spectacle, though it takes two to play that game.

Anyway, onwards we march

The real problem is that today epitomises the problems of football today. If it was only Tyrone and Donegal who played this way you could pass it off but it is most teams. The referees cannot be blamed for that.

In the last three Donegal games, we got a glimpse of the old days in the few seconds after the thrown-ins.

First day v Monaghan, Donegal win the throw in, its worked up to Rory Kavanagh and he slots it over before the Monaghan blanket is in place.

More explicit, however - start of the second half, Monaghan win the throw in, its bombed in on top of Conor McManus and Paddy McGrath, McManus wins it, slips out from under McGrath and sends over a spectacular point.

Second match - Murphy wins the throw in for the second half, bulldozes his way through to the 40, sends a diagonal ball in on front of McBrearty who is double-marked, McBrearty wins it heading left away from goal and slots it over. Exact same move at the start of the second half today.

Otherwise, neither McBrearty nor McManus hardly got another sniff of getting a ball they could move onto and have a pop.

Even if we'd won today, I would not be celebrating too much. That was utter shite.

[StephenC]

Well done tyrone. Deserved winners. Some magnificent scores to win it.

Disappointing day for us obviously, particularly the contrast between our first and second half performances.

[Jinxy]

Massive score from Sean Cavanagh when the fat was in the fire.
What a player.

[The Stallion]

Remember people were up in arms at my accurate assertion that Murphy is nowhere near being the best player in Ireland?

He has been poor for quite a while now, little more than a set-piece taker these days.

Apologies accepted from all concerned.

[screenexile]

Massive score from Sean Cavanagh when the fat was in the fire.
What a player.

Totally agree... He'll be mentioned alongside the games greats in years to come and he is definitely Tyronie's best ever players.

"Sean Cavanagh was one of the best players ever, but . . . "

[longballin]

Massive score from Sean Cavanagh when the fat was in the fire.
What a player.

Totally agree... He'll be mentioned alongside the games greats in years to come and he is definitely Tyronie's best ever players.

"Sean Cavanagh was one of the best players ever, but . . . "

... there was this bitter begrudger from Derry tried to demean him

[time ticking away]

Just talking with a Meath lad there (not jinxy ), who was equally bemused with Coldrick's black cards -- he didn't have a good game, which is nothing new with that particular individual.

Good win, if not a great spectacle, though it takes two to play that game.

Anyway, onwards we march

The real problem is that today epitomises the problems of football today. If it was only Tyrone and Donegal who played this way you could pass it off but it is most teams. The referees cannot be blamed for that.

Have a look at all of Tyrones other games this year. Pigeon holing them with all other defensive teams is very lazy. It was meeting fire with fire today. A battle bourne from familiarity and a bit of respect for what each had to offer. It was all about the win and expect Tyrone to resume the deep attacking system they've been bringing to the table all year when they hit Croker!

Wise up !!
Tyrone can only counter attack at pace if teams are stupid enough to push up when in possession and then more stupid enough to carry the ball into the tackle. Tyrone are very good at what they do. But how it looks totally depends on how smart/stupid the opposition are

[imtommygunn]

Remember people were up in arms at my accurate assertion that Murphy is nowhere near being the best player in Ireland?

He has been poor for quite a while now, little more than a set-piece taker these days.

Apologies accepted from all concerned.

All hail stallion who pretty much thinks everyone is rubbish and so can sometimes be right

[The Stallion]

Thanks for the praise, but I'm just a regular guy who gets things wrong too.

Peace and love

Theodore Stallion