NFL Divsion 2 2017

[OgraAnDun]

If Down beat Cork they are safe.
Head to head only counts when 2 teams have the same points.

If Fermanagh win, Clare win and Down win then Cork, Femrnaagh and Down have 6 points and Fermanagh will be relegated on scoring difference.

Yeah you're correct, apologies. Doesn't really matter anyway as can't see Down winning.

[skeog]

What has gone wrong with Fermanagh used to be quite good defensively.

[Dinny Breen]

It was a division 3 level performance from Kildare today but they still managed to scrape a win. I'd expect as strong a team as possible will be named for the Galway game as there is a lot of improvement needed before the summer.
It is hard to know whether Ben McCormack will be risked but he looked sharp when he came on. Dan Flynn missed the game today with a hamstring injury so he definitely will be out and he is a massive loss as creates space well, tackles well and frightens the life out of defenders when he does get a run at them.

Clare have an excellent running game and were very fit today. They deserved a draw at least. Paudie Hughes was Paudie Hughes and took away from the spectacle with his attempt at implementing non contact rules.

Fair summary. Hughes ruined the game for everyone.

[DuffleKing]

It was a division 3 level performance from Kildare today but they still managed to scrape a win. I'd expect as strong a team as possible will be named for the Galway game as there is a lot of improvement needed before the summer.
It is hard to know whether Ben McCormack will be risked but he looked sharp when he came on. Dan Flynn missed the game today with a hamstring injury so he definitely will be out and he is a massive loss as creates space well, tackles well and frightens the life out of defenders when he does get a run at them.

Clare have an excellent running game and were very fit today. They deserved a draw at least. Paudie Hughes was Paudie Hughes and took away from the spectacle with his attempt at implementing non contact rules.

Fair summary. Hughes ruined the game for everyone.

Probably got top marks in his assessment though. Shows what the vouchers know about football...

[FermGael]

We have lost quite a few players this year.

Marty O Briens absence is really being felt in the backine.
Marty was our best man marker but had to retire due to injury. Tiernan Daly has also been a loss and he is only just returning from injury.
We have had a very good midfield pairing for the past 3 years but one of them ( O'Callaghan) has gone to Australia and we are missing his physical and defensive presence.
Up front Ruairi Corrigan has been missing since the start of the year due to injury and Tomas Corrigan was also missing today as well due to an injury picked up against Clare.

One of the things we have been over the last few years has been very good defensively.
Every time I have watched Fermanagh this year we seem to be wide open. 
We are taking the ball into the tackle and losing it. Our running game just can't seem to get going ( apart from the Clare game ) and up front the boys just are not getting the service.

I would be very worried about the Derry game because they seem to be able to score quite heavily.

[thejuice]

I thought Fermanagh would give us a tough game given what was at stake for them and following their win over Clare I thought they were on an upward curve. However today they had nothing to offer and completely wilted once we got in front. We racked up a big score but it isn't worth reading much into it.

The big shame of it was losing Alan Forde to a ligament injury. Gone for the year I'm told.

This team are improving but it feels like we weren't ready to go up. The poor starts against Kildare and Cork and the abysmal display against Down have cost us promotion. If we do sneak into number 2 spot so be it but I don't think it's a major problem if we don't. It would be good to go up following a dominant performance in all games if we can manage that.

There are still quite a few positions where we need to improve if we're to be a permanent fixture in division 1.

[Mrs mills]

Power, pace, presence and panache. The four Ps to describe the Cork team today. Some of the Rebels had two of those, some had three. Kerrigan had all four. Despite his playing for the opposition, he was a treat to watch.

[An Fhairche Abu]

Good result in Newry for Galway, deservedly beat Down and now need to finish the job off against Kildare next Sunday for promotion.
The result against Meath, where we should have at least got a draw, sticks in the craw a bit looking at the table this evening and how the head to head might decide it, but it's in our own hands which is all you can ask for.

This was the best Shane Walsh has played in a Galway jersey for a long time, at the centre of everything good today, burned past Down players several times in dangerous areas and hit a couple of outstanding points.

Sice was immense in the second half after Galway went down to 14.
On that sending off, there could be no complaints about the red card, it put Galway in a very tight spot, especially given that Down scored their goal very soon afterwards. Even if there is provocation it's no excuse, you just won't get away with it.

The Galway response in the second half to going a man down with most of that half left to play was the most pleasing aspect of today's game.
Some good controlled defending for the most part, putting Down players into unfavourable shooting positions although I did think that some of shot selections by the Down team when there was still only 3 in it during the second half wasn't great.

Midfield was on top in general during the match, good number of marks were caught and there were far more errors by the Down keepers for their restarts.
Lavelle had a key save to keep three in it and his kickouts have improved as the league has gone on.

There are still some bad decisions being made in front of the posts occasionally (McHugh had an easy chance to fist over a point in the first half but got bottled up for a Down free out, FOC with a similar play shortly after) but the pattern of play today from Galway was more consistent throughout the full match than some of the previous outings.
There were a number of moves that Galway put together which would give encouragement, one in particular which started with Sice making a catch inside the Galway 21 and ended up over the Down bar 30 seconds later for a point is exactly what you would love to see more of and more consistently from Galway.

He got the start today but I think Armstrong's race is run at this level, had a couple of glorious passes in fairness to him but the pace and burst you need to make room for a shot are long gone from the locker. Not going to be a game changer off the bench realistically either in my opinion.
That said with Daly, Cummins and Comer to come into what started today I think that there is the guts of a good, competitive forward line with very decent options off the bench there for Galway.
McHugh is a conundrum in that he is lethal off the frees but doesn't offer near what Cummins or Comer will do from play in the FF line. Can you carry a free taker these days? I'm not so sure. He nailed one huge free and a 45 right when Galway needed to get scores in the 2nd half though and as I've said here before, his free taking technique and execution is really top notch.

Branigan's workrate alone will keep him in the starting 15.

There's enough options in midfield to make it a decent strength for Galway but it is not one that is at the level of the top Div 1 teams either.

The biggest question is can Galway keep it tight enough at the back next week and for the rest of the year? Obviously it's all about systems, defending from the front etc. but the level of options there isn't what it is elsewhere on the pitch it has to be said.
Interesting that Farragher started at CHB today, might bring a bit more structure to the defence than Bradshaw, who is great going forward but perhaps too much so to the detriment of the overall defence. No matter who is in the FB line if they are left exposed like the Derry match last week they will be taken to the cleaners.

Looking at Roscommon against the Dubs last night, it might be a case of careful what you wish for but it's time for Galway to have a stab at D1 and see where it takes them, based on what I've seen so far in D2 this year there's nothing else for this set of Galway players to take from it, I'm looking forward to Salthill next weekend, hope the result is one that will ensure Galway will have a cut at the big boys next spring.

[Syferus]

I never liked D1 anyways.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Win and beat Galway for the first time since 1985 when Larry hit them for 1-5 or lose and keep the Royal family in the second division for another year? 

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

I'd much rather the win over Galway. Clare's running game could cause Meath a lot of trouble too so I wouldn't be assuming Meath will beat them.
Kildare will need to improve a lot to beat Galway though.

[seafoid]

Win and beat Galway for the first time since 1985 when Larry hit them for 1-5 or lose and keep the Royal family in the second division for another year? 

It's a big decision in a town called malice
What would Sean Brady do?.

I suppose for Kildare the focus has to be putting in good performances in Leinster.

[Dinny Breen]

Clare were the best side I have seen us play this year, we pushed high and they managed this well, they themselves tended to play 12/13 behind the ball and when they turned us moved the ball at pace and had really good accuracy in front of the posts. Next week is a dilemma for O'Neill, our 1-12 picks itself whereas our inside line was missing all 3 probable 1st choice starters with only McCormack back for next week. My logic would be go for it, 2 competitive games in a row against Galway is worth 8 weeks training, they are a top 8 side and a really good benchmark for us. Our only changes will be those carrying knocks. Anyway I sooner see Meath in Division 1 next year those 2 points could come in handy for us and with 3 teams from Leinster in the Division people might finally realise where the problem lies.

[Hound]

Paper says Kevin Feely, despite missing the last quarter through a black card, scored 5 points from play from midfield (as well as two frees). That true? Sounds very impressive.

[Dinny Breen]

Paper says Kevin Feely, despite missing the last quarter through a black card, scored 5 points from play from midfield (as well as two frees). That true? Sounds very impressive.

Na all 7 were from frees.

He has scored 17 points in the league 12 frees and 5 from play and has also won about 20 marks in midfield.

Himself and Moolick (2-4 all from play) are turning into a fine midfield partnership, hopefully Sean Hurley makes a full recovery and we will see really intense competition for midfield,  Rory Feely, Kevin's brother might commit as well, currently on the books of St Pat's. Still a very young side but with some of the players coming through Kildare might be competitive again. Nice to enjoy rather than endure again.