Dublin v Tyrone. 11/02/17. Croke Park, Dublin.

[orangeman]

For me a lot of Dublin players found out tonight when it was put upto them. Michaek darragh(seriously poty)+Kilkenny, brilliant when the thing is going well, but very average when it's put upto them. If only other teams carried the Tyrone self belief

Never knew a league game in February carried as much weight. Dublin might not win the AI this year since they will find it difficult to keep going to the well and maintain hunger levels. It is why Gavin gave them the entire O'Byrne cup off whilst Tyrone were going hell for leather in January to win 6 in a row. Dublin need to focus on being fresh for July/August and it really would have helped if Tyrone had beaten them last night to rid themselves of the burden of this long unbeaten run. They would have still ended up in the top 4 at the end of the league regardless.

Tyrone have struggled mentally against the top teams in recent years and have an inability to close out and win tight games in Croke Park. Although it was only a league match, they had a golden chance to beat a top side last night and blew it. I suspect Harte will have been happy with what he seen overall though since I think they are well positioned to make the last 4 at least this season, even if I think they lack the class up front to actually win it.

The problem isn't up front for tyrone. They have excellent forwards if they were let play there. The big problem is the defenders are crap which means they need another 7 or 8 players back to help them out. If peter canavan had been asked to continually run back inside his own 45 and then sprint forward to get on the end of moves he would look average also. A lot of tyrone supporters are getting fed up with this negative style also. Only 6,000 for a home game last week which was the lowest attendance in division 1 and only 28k there last night which was a far cry from the support they had a few years ago.

Dead right. Dublin fans obviously pissed off as well. Dublin were at home last night and didn't turn up in great numbers to watch their hurlers and footballers in Croke Park.

[From the Bunker]

For me a lot of Dublin players found out tonight when it was put upto them. Michaek darragh(seriously poty)+Kilkenny, brilliant when the thing is going well, but very average when it's put upto them. If only other teams carried the Tyrone self belief

Never knew a league game in February carried as much weight. Dublin might not win the AI this year since they will find it difficult to keep going to the well and maintain hunger levels. It is why Gavin gave them the entire O'Byrne cup off whilst Tyrone were going hell for leather in January to win 6 in a row. Dublin need to focus on being fresh for July/August and it really would have helped if Tyrone had beaten them last night to rid themselves of the burden of this long unbeaten run. They would have still ended up in the top 4 at the end of the league regardless.

Tyrone have struggled mentally against the top teams in recent years and have an inability to close out and win tight games in Croke Park. Although it was only a league match, they had a golden chance to beat a top side last night and blew it. I suspect Harte will have been happy with what he seen overall though since I think they are well positioned to make the last 4 at least this season, even if I think they lack the class up front to actually win it.

The problem isn't up front for tyrone. They have excellent forwards if they were let play there. The big problem is the defenders are crap which means they need another 7 or 8 players back to help them out. If peter canavan had been asked to continually run back inside his own 45 and then sprint forward to get on the end of moves he would look average also. A lot of tyrone supporters are getting fed up with this negative style also. Only 6,000 for a home game last week which was the lowest attendance in division 1 and only 28k there last night which was a far cry from the support they had a few years ago.

Dead right. Dublin fans obviously pissed off as well. Dublin were at home last night and didn't turn up in great numbers to watch their hurlers and footballers in Croke Park.

Not forgetting the AI Hurling Champions Tipperary's Fans either.

[omagh_gael]

Thought Sean Cavanagh did very well when he came on, used the ball very well and caused a few problems in FF line when he went in there. Rory Brennan also played well and I have a feeling he'll be our long term CHB. If we can get him going there I'd like to see this team come summer time...

Morgan/O'Neill
Hampsey
McNamee
McCarron
McCann
Brennan
Harte
C Cavanagh
McClure
Matty Donnelly
Sludden
Meyler
Bradley
Sean Cavanagh
McCurry/RoN/L Brennan

Although he'd a poor night in front of the sticks Bradley needs a good run for rest of National league. That red (according to anything I saw on TV was ridiculous and hopefully can be overturned) could scupper his chance for solid game time in the league. The last corner forward is a real pain at the minute, nobody can lay claim to that Jersey and yet again McCurry went AWOL last night.

Is DD Mulgrew an option in there or is he more of a roving forward? He must be doing in well in training to get a run out last night.

[T Fearon]

Still a crap crowd last night when you consider Dublin weren't All Ireland Champions at the time of the 2007 full house

[Itchy]

Disappointed not to win that match. Dublin were there for the taking.

As has been mentioned ad nauseum, Tyrone lack that marquee forward to put games like this to bed. From the half forward line back we are a match for anyone but we just don't have that 1 killer point taker. Had we converted even 20% of our wides from the first half.....   

McQuillan was awful. Didn't let play go and did  all he could to keep Dublin in the game. The sending off was dubious and the final equalising free was just plain wrong. McMahon (or was it Fitzsimmons ?) spilled the ball untouched. Each of the last frees Dublin got was cheaper than the one before.

Don't know what people expect Tyrone to do a man down and playing against against a gale force wind..  go all out attack,  man to man?

Will be a team no one likes to play but in the continued absence of a forward line and free taker......no Sam in 2017

Ref also didn't black card the 2nd Tyrone player which was blatant, you forgot to mention that!

[trileacman]

Thought Sean Cavanagh did very well when he came on, used the ball very well and caused a few problems in FF line when he went in there. Rory Brennan also played well and I have a feeling he'll be our long term CHB. If we can get him going there I'd like to see this team come summer time...

Morgan/O'Neill
Hampsey
McNamee
McCarron
McCann
Brennan
Harte
C Cavanagh
McClure
Matty Donnelly
Sludden
Meyler
Bradley
Sean Cavanagh
McCurry/RoN/L Brennan

Although he'd a poor night in front of the sticks Bradley needs a good run for rest of National league. That red (according to anything I saw on TV was ridiculous and hopefully can be overturned) could scupper his chance for solid game time in the league. The last corner forward is a real pain at the minute, nobody can lay claim to that Jersey and yet again McCurry went AWOL last night.

Is DD Mulgrew an option in there or is he more of a roving forward? He must be doing in well in training to get a run out last night.

Very impressed by hampsey, he's a quality back. With the next generation of defenders coming through we should push for a bit more of an attacking gameplan. Leenie is actually right, forwards aren't the problem, ours are no worse than any team in the country bar possibly Dublin and we don't support a forward enough to make them a marquee scorer like jod or Mc manus. I'm not saying they'd be as good as them but we currently don't give Ron, Mc curry or skeet a fair crack at it for the last 3-4 years.

Leenie is actually bang on correct, we adopted this defensive plan after we lost the defensive triumphate of Rickey, gormley and Jordan. We lost our quality man-markers and to close attacks out we played a blanket because Mc Crory Mc Carron and co just aren't good enough, they're actually  foul machines if left one on one. Now with Breenan, hampsey, munroe, Mc namee we should cut away the driftwood and favour a more one on one approach to give the forwards a chance. Play justy as the sweeper and push sluddy, Harte and Matty into the scoring zone.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Thought Sean Cavanagh did very well when he came on, used the ball very well and caused a few problems in FF line when he went in there. Rory Brennan also played well and I have a feeling he'll be our long term CHB. If we can get him going there I'd like to see this team come summer time...

Morgan/O'Neill
Hampsey
McNamee
McCarron
McCann
Brennan
Harte
C Cavanagh
McClure
Matty Donnelly
Sludden
Meyler
Bradley
Sean Cavanagh
McCurry/RoN/L Brennan

Although he'd a poor night in front of the sticks Bradley needs a good run for rest of National league. That red (according to anything I saw on TV was ridiculous and hopefully can be overturned) could scupper his chance for solid game time in the league. The last corner forward is a real pain at the minute, nobody can lay claim to that Jersey and yet again McCurry went AWOL last night.

Is DD Mulgrew an option in there or is he more of a roving forward? He must be doing in well in training to get a run out last night.

Very disappointed in McCurry last night, he really struggled to impact the game.

Thought defensively we were superb last night. McClure had a great showing and looks like he can play a good role. Overall I was very happy with that display and I think only for the sending off we would have won that. The free taking problems raised its head again and we lack that inside man who is clutch, that's something we just have to accept now I think and if we are to be successful we will have to find a way of doing it with these ailments.

The most refreshing thing last night was the way we went about things, no fear, no respect. It was a display with a lot of moxy and it's the kind of belief we lacked against Mayo last year.

If we play like that throughout the summer, we've a great chance.

[RedHandTom]

Would agree with that Bomber. We would be ahead of this time last year. Some brilliant young players from the u21 All Ireland team will come of age this year and with Cavanagh staying on, to me it its shaping up very well.

[tyroneman]

On another note....where is the Kerry v Tyrone match being played?

[omagh_gael]

That was  an exciting moment, Hawkeye.

I see the fireworks are flying in Castlebayney this afternoon, Mainstreet. A thrilling 0-3 to 0-03 draw, word on Twitter is that it's already a modern day classic and there's 35 minutes still to go!

[GJL]

Anywhere online where I can watch the match in full?

[rrhf]

Big problem here is that gutsy performance aside. We have poor freetakers and like against Mayo will struggle to win any game where we have a red card. Absolutely no forward talent except for sparky and sludgeon. Could cavanagh do chb and Marty full forward.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

For me a lot of Dublin players found out tonight when it was put upto them. Michaek darragh(seriously poty)+Kilkenny, brilliant when the thing is going well, but very average when it's put upto them. If only other teams carried the Tyrone self belief

Yeah these lads with 4 All  Irelands to their name ... you know they're not worth talking about when they have an off day in February in the National League . . . Jesus wept!!

Redzone must have stopped watching before Kilkenny's late point.

[redzone]

For me a lot of Dublin players found out tonight when it was put upto them. Michaek darragh(seriously poty)+Kilkenny, brilliant when the thing is going well, but very average when it's put upto them. If only other teams carried the Tyrone self belief

Yeah these lads with 4 All  Irelands to their name ... you know they're not worth talking about when they have an off day in February in the National League . . . Jesus wept!!

Lmao, it took the sad Derry gimp to bait for it.

Redzone must have stopped watching before Kilkenny's late point.

[Whishtup]

All in all Tyrone learnt a lot from this.  Out-battled, outplayed Dublin for 60 minutes.  Tactics by Harte and team were almost spot-on throughout-only execution let us down. Poor shooting and passing from both sides must have been indicative of the weather.  With Matty and Tiernan McCann for the full game this would have been wrapped up.  The inconsistency of the refereeing was frustrating.  2 or 3 Dublin Pull-down's/drag backs before McCann got black carded harshly.
In the second half, a clear foot tap by a Tyrone player on the ground was not punished either.  Cluxton kicked 2 kickouts too short, unpunished but seemed to get punished for on that was OK?!

Tyrone defended excellently and this was not due to swarming or any of that nonsense-the Dubs were often dispossessed by the first defender they met allowing Tyrone to break.  That's good defending.

For the last ten minutes-Tyrone were done physically-a lot of lads limping and blowing hard.

I actually think that had Tyrone been more defensive at times, they would have won this.  In the first half, they kicked way too many long balls/high balls into the FF line with no reward.  Similarly in the second half when they could have held on to the ball, they played 50/50 balls in that gifted Dublin possession and allowed them back into it. 

Gavin's comments seem to indicate that he was rattled.  Trying to divert attention to the opposition to cover up new cracks in the machine?