USFC Round 1: Derry vs. Antrim

[Glensman]

One of Antrim's tactics worked.
Making them where possible shoot from long range. The fact that we are otherwise limited, did not have the fitness/ability to get up and down the field when breaking out after winning the ball is outside of the fact that Derry didn't have one goal chance which was a clear weakness previously. When the tactic worked well it saw Antrim go in level at half time. It wasn't pretty but if Antrim had've got a couple of scores here and there in the second half at crucial times and not given away a silly ball for the goal things might have been different.

And you get a grip Slim...in case you didn't notice Muldoon was full forward (largely playing inside the 21 or thereabouts)...and the points he scored were largely where (as a super player) he caught the ball long and stuck it over. The swarm defence doesn't work where there a good long high ball to a player of his calibre. Antrim just don't have someone that could match him. Not the fault of the Antrim players (though McVeigh should have been off him earlier) as he is a class act.

In a Gaelic match you get shots...people get chances ... in defence its about minmising potential for score. Antrim did that well enough first half. They just don't have, at this stage the ability to break out and score themselves.

Antrim's tactics were negative for sure Dubsforsam but they had/have to start somewhere. We don't all have a free running Alan Brogan or someone with the engine of Ciaran Whelan/Shane Ryan.

Saffronsam I never said I was Einstein...Gilligan missing frees had nothing to do with Loughrey. Was there any point in your post?


I am not trying to paint a beautiful picture of what went on on Sunday but trying to draw something from it. We as a county lose, blame people, procrastinate, then the manager is forced out and someone tries something different. Viscious circle.

With Sean Kelly in as a wing back, Kevin McGourty instead of Joe Quinn, Michael Magill as a bigger target man up front...there is hope.

Maybe I am a dreamer but fcuk it if I want to I can and no one can stop me!

Off to collect my toys from outside the pram.

[Glensman]

I agree with you entirely Milltown Row.

Hope it has not come across that I say that we made Derry play badly. I just think that Antrim stiffled them for a bit anyway. Better than getting steamrolled in my book.

[screenexile]

Couldn't argue too much with your ratings SS2 but to say he doesn't convince like Kieran Donaghy in that rule is ludicrous. When fit, Enda Muldoon is better than DOnaghy in that role simply because he can do everything Donaghy does but he'll kick you 4 or 5 points from play as well. As shown on countless occasions like the goal in the AISF against Galway 2001 and in 2005 against Westmeath. Remember that last year was Donaghy's rookie season.

As for the rest I would wholeheartedly agree, although I think that while Gilligan has yet to prove himself at this level, his club form shows he is capable of doing it and I hope that his 2nd half performance will help spur him on to greater things further on in the year.

Judging from those ratings I would say that our FB line has now become our weak link in the team. McCLoy is susceptible to pace, GO'K isn't a corner back and I think it's too soon for McGoldrick to make the step up to this level. I think the sooner we get McGuckin back and move Lockhart in there the better we will be.

In an ideal world I would pick the following Derry team for the next day!

Gillis - Hasn't done anything to suggest he shouldn't start.
McGuckin - Will he be available for the next match? I hope so because we are struggling here. If not I think McEldowney should get a run out here the next day as he couldn't be any worse than McGoldrick.
McCloy - Commanding on the edge of the square but will struggle with pace if McGuckin and Lockhart aren't around.
Lockhart - Has to be in here to do a man to man job on Freeman.
GO'K - The man is a half back... end of.
Patsy Bradley - Has the presence and the strength, distribution may be a problem but I think he's worth a go.
McKeever - Not sure about him yet but he is a good ball carrier and I've heard good things about him.
Doc & Conway - Blossoming into a great partnership... who'd have thought it when these 2 were minors!!!
Lynch - Good long range scorer and hasn't the pace for the inside, also an option for kickouts as well, he has to be played here.
Gilligan - Great distributor and playmaker, usually a reliable long range point taker as well. Let's hope his 2nd half form stays.
Diver - A tower of strength against Antrim although I have to disagree with SS2, that one handed bounce that takes him 6 steps is definitely a foul on the ball. Apart from that he was immense and hopefully does the same against Monaghan.
P Bradley - (Remember this is an 'ideal' team) No question
Muldoon - When fit he's a class act!
E Bradley - Given his recent form for Glenullin he has to be getting a game I just hope that whatever is going on between him and Crozier can get resolved.

I know that there is a strong possibility that McGuckin and the 2 Bradleys will be unavailable but I think that the team I've named above is without question the best we could put out and I hope we can see it in the c'ship this year becasue it is a team that would be very difficult to beat!

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Glensman

Why does the start have to be with a totally negative style of football??

What would be wrong with your forwards actually marking the backs when they have the ball so that they can't give pressure free passes???
Why didn't they man up at midfield also to stop players having 15 yards of space to pick a pass?
Why were defenders just allowed to stroll around all day without having anyone to mark...its marking a forward that should be concentrating a defender not being part of 2 spare men at the back...
How about getting players fit enough to run for 70 mins or if not have plans in place to replace them after 40/50 mins???
How about training defenders to actually defend 1 on 1....surely making them go one on with with either of your corner forwards in training would teach them that???
how about if your full back can't cope in the air then don't let the opposition have all the time in the world to hit accurate high balls?? pressure them...

[The Real SlimShady]

I agree with you entirely Milltown Row.

Hope it has not come across that I say that we made Derry play badly. I just think that Antrim stiffled them for a bit anyway. Better than getting steamrolled in my book.

For f**k sake man, cant you read that? better than getting steamrolled, thats embarrassing. and if you look at the match again you can see that for the last 20 mins it was a training game for Derry, therefore it was a quare oul steamrolling- regardless if there was 6 or 60 points in it!

what club are you from? and please, whatever you do- don't coach any young lads at your club if you're going to promote this blanket defence shite. Play the game the way it should be played and the way in which its most enjoyable for both those watching and playing. I know for as long as i'll be involved in any form of coaching, this type of shite wont be on the agenda!

You seem to think Antrim can be sort of proud of their performance- maybe the players can, but not the management for sending them out to play like that. If we'd gone man for man in the proper shape of a team and lost by 6 we could say, well, we gave it a good go. But we didn't, we played negatively and were deservedly thumped.

[BallyhaiseMan]

bringing back 2 forwards into the backline infront of the full Forward line is madness.

Both Cavan (in the replay) and Monaghan dropped ONE player in front of Benny Coulter against Down and it was effective.

Id question how much training was done in implementing this tactic.

One Particular ball which came into Muldoon in the first half,where despite there being 3/4 Antrim players around he had a relatively easy scoring chance which he took.

The Two extra players were totally out of position and didnt seem to know where they were supposed to be covering.

Thats nothing but bad coaching in my opinion.

I believe Slim to be correct in that if Antrim had to have went out man for man against Derry instead of using these ridiculous tactics,then they would have been alot closer to Derry in the end than 6 points.

[Glensman]

I'll quit when I am well...behind.

I just try to look for positives (maybe even in negatives). Its hard going into a long summer of football without looking forward to your county in action. Which pretty much counts for every summer.

I think there is merit in some of the things that Antrim did on Sunday (and I know for a fact that there wasn't much time put into the system...it was adopted relatively recently). And there are certainly very big failings.

For my whole life I have argued against friends that it should be county first. I am starting to waiver.


PS I definitely think Muldoon is as good if not better than Donaghy.

[Oak Leafer]

For anyone to actually compare Enda Muldoon to Kieran Donaghy, to me is ridiculous!! Granted Donaghy is a good fielder of the ball, Muldoon oozes footballing abiliity. To me anyone who has a football brain could clearly see this.

[saffron sam2]

Couldn't argue too much with your ratings SS2 but to say he doesn't convince like Kieran Donaghy in that rule is ludicrous. When fit, Enda Muldoon is better than DOnaghy in that role simply because he can do everything Donaghy does but he'll kick you 4 or 5 points from play as well. As shown on countless occasions like the goal in the AISF against Galway 2001 and in 2005 against Westmeath. Remember that last year was Donaghy's rookie season.

PS I definitely think Muldoon is as good if not better than Donaghy.

For anyone to actually compare Enda Muldoon to Kieran Donaghy, to me is ridiculous!! Granted Donaghy is a good fielder of the ball, Muldoon oozes footballing abiliity. To me anyone who has a football brain could clearly see this.

I speak as someone who has watched Muldoon since minor (I was at the All-Ireland final in '95) and as someone whose great-grandmother was born in Keenaught, so there is no anti-Derry bias here.  Muldoon has over the years produced some superb match-winning performances and there is no doubt that he is a great fielder and an exceptionally accurate kicker of the ball.  However I feel Sunday proved my point. Whilst he had a field day against a player who had never played that position before, the number of times he has failed to produce against real full backs (Lawn, Bellew, Paddy Campbell, Tony Convery etc.) is quite high. No-one should doubt his natural ability, but there is more to being a great footballer. For example he doesn't have the strength to break tackles or the pace to break free from a challenge.

As always, this board will be full of different opinions.  If I had to pick between the two to play forward for Antrim I would go with Kieran Donaghy.  If I was a Derry man faced with the same choice I would still pick Donaghy.

Might start a poll.

Diver - A tower of strength against Antrim although I have to disagree with SS2, that one handed bounce that takes him 6 steps is definitely a foul on the ball. Apart from that he was immense and hopefully does the same against Monaghan.

I thought the decisions were harsh, rather than wrong.

[Maximus Marillius]

number of times he has failed to produce against real full backs (Lawn, Bellew, Paddy Campbell, Tony Convery etc.) is quite high.

SS2.... Tony Convery....what an absolute joke...talk about lack of power and pace...well Covery has them all

[saffron sam2]

number of times he has failed to produce against real full backs (Lawn, Bellew, Paddy Campbell, Tony Convery etc.) is quite high.

SS2.... Tony Convery....what an absolute joke...talk about lack of power and pace...well Covery has them all

Yet comfortably held Muldoon the last time he marked him.

[johnjoe]

Max, I have seen Tony Convery man mark Muldoon on three occasions, and more than broke level each time.  I accept big Enda is the real deal, and Ive seen more than my share of his scoring ability, but I`d say Enda would have enormous respect for Tony Convery. ( a first cousin of big joe diver)

Couldnt let you away with ridiculing the ability of one of footballs gentlemen! Highly respected by all in the game.

[Stranworst]

Irish News today P Cunningham says he's not stateside???

[Maximus Marillius]

JJ ...what I'm saying is to put him in the same bracket as Lawn, Bellew is the real joke

[loughshore lad]

JJ ...what I'm saying is to put him in the same bracket as Lawn, Bellew is the real joke

Have to agree there. Convery is a decent player but no where near the calibre of the men he has been compared to.