An Dún v Muineachán

[Whitehair]

Overdabar, if u travelled a long distance say as an away fan, brought the children with you and found the weather was terrible then i doubt you would want or expect them to stand getting soaked for two or three hours!

[Brick Tamlin]

Boys Id say Ross will be starting near enough the same team again.

1) Mc Veigh
2) M Cole
3) D Rooney / Scullion
4) Mc Guigan

5) D Rooney / Clarke
6) B Grant
7) R Murtagh

Murphy if Fit (J Lynch)
9) D Gordon

10) R Sexton
11) A Carr
12) J Mc Govern

13) D Hughes
14) P Downey
15) B Coulter

Be careful of the hype surrounding Mc Comiskey, could well blow him up to be great and him ending up being a disaster, id be impressed by him and hopeful of him growing the longer he is part of a senior setup but at the same time im hearing some over-the-top shit being said about him, people are talkin of him in a canavanesque type way.

Just a thought but can anyone come up with a teenage footballer in Down that has made a series impression in the Ulster or All Ireland series at senior level in the last 40 years or so when so young? Could you count them on one hand? guys that made a mark at the highest level and didnt flatter to decieve on occasion? any thoughts?

Apparently Dan Mc Cartan has 3 cracked ribs from the Cavan game, could be a doubt, also hear that Murphy has some sort of hand injury, any Ballyholland / Burren men know the score here.??

[5 Sams]

Just a thought but can anyone come up with a teenage footballer in Down that has made a series impression in the Ulster or All Ireland series at senior level in the last 40 years or so when so young?

Assuming you mean "serious" impression the last one is probably an 18 year old Colm McAlarney in 1968.

BTW Murph had a problem with his hand alright but I think he'll be fit.

[thewobbler]

Wee James played (and starred) in a National League final at the same age as McComiskey is now.

McCartan has cracked a few ribs. With a number of them carrying injuries, the Down squad is short a few defenders so a few more have been called up for to the training squad including, as far as I know, Scully. Another one is wee Soupy Campbell from the Harps, a player very much in the Dee Rafferty mould.

Injuries apart, I can't see Ross changing the team at all for Monaghan. I'd imagine a positional switch of Grant and Rooney is in the offing though, and depending on the Monaghan full-forward line, McGuigan could be in at 7 and Cole at 4.  Kearney is probably closer than McComiskey to starting, with James McGovern the obvious fall guy. Clarke doesn't deserve to be anywhere near it based on the last two outings.

[Brick Tamlin]

who else were the younsters on the teams of the 60s...just thinkin that todays game is increasingly becoming a young mans game and that the 28-32 aged footballer is all but being wiped out. Wee James was an obvious candidate but di he not make his mark when he was 21-ish?

[bcarrier]

Val Kane. I think he played played minor and senior in croke park on same day .

Greg Blaney . Think he won all irealnd u21 medal when 16.

[GrandMasterFlash]

All the Monaghan lads seemed to have come through the first round of their respective C'ship games unscathed so here's my prediction for Monaghan's starting XV.

1. Shane Duffy

2. Donal Morgan
3. Vinny Corey
4. Colm Flanagan

5. Desie Moen
6. Gary McQuaid
7. JP Moen

8. Eoin Lenon (if fit, otherwise Dick Clerkin)
9. Paul Finlay

10. Damien Freeman
11. Dick Clerkin (if not in MF, otherwise Stephen Gollogly)
12. Stephen Gollogly (if not CHF, otherwise Conor McManus)

13. Ciaran Hanratty
14. Shane Smyth
15. Thomas Freeman 

Subs: Rory Woods, Brendan McKenna, Paul Meegan  Ciaran Hughes, Darren Hughes.

[Stranworst]

He played a good part in the Sigerson, I remember in the semi against Cork and Cork had QUB on the backfoot until McComiskey picked the ball up skint a lpayer then smashed it into the net. After that and Sheehan going off QUB stormed to the win but every time he got the ball you thought something good was gonna happen.

[5 Sams]

Any word yet if this will be an all ticket game??? I don't see why it should when we couldnt fill the Marshes last time out.

[thebandit]

Possible Monaghan team

1. Shane Duffy

2. Donal Morgan
3. Colm Flanagan
4. Gary McQuaid

5. Dessie Mone
6. Vinnie Corey
7. JP Mone/Dermot McArdle

8. Eoin Lennon - Definately fit, played well for Latton v Doohamlet last weekend
9. Dick Clerkin

10. Damien Freeman - probably will start although he isn't playing well
11. Paul Finlay
12. Stephen Gollogly

13. Ciaran Hanratty
14. Shane Smyth
15. Thomas Freeman 


I think he has to start Vinnie at CHB, although I'd love to see him at Full Forward. He scored 1-6 against Blayney last weekend - horse of a man!

The only thing about Vinnie at CHB is that he then more or less has to start Donal Morgan at corner back - when he's good he's good. When he isn't, we'll know after 5 minutes. Dermot McArdle could be an early sub coming in.

Other than that I more or less agree GMF/ED

[Blue Island]

 "Clarke doesn't deserve to be anywhere near it based on the last two outings."

That is a fair comment on his last two outings for Down. I cannot get my head round how ineffectual Clark is for Down. He should be top of the pile in the under achievers category. Any time he plays against us (Loughinisland) he gives us the complete runaround. Played us last week and scored 5 points from play in the first 25 mins, some of them real beauties and he was marked by one of our best players. If anybody knows a good hypnotist he could do Down a lot of favours.

[thewobbler]

Blue Island, despite the fact that nobody on this board seems to agree with me, I'll repeat again that John Clarke is not a defender, and that's the main reason why he underachieves every time for Down.

[Blue Island]

Agree totally. He is not a defender. County should play him wing forward.

[Mid Mon]

Other than that I more or less agree GMF/ED

Full back line of Flanagan Coyle and Mc Quaid.
If JP doesent make it I'd rather play D Freeman at wing back than McArdle, with McElroy been brought into the half forward line.
Rest of the team picks itself.

[Black and white]

Can any of the monaghan posters give me an update on Paul Mc Guigan, the captain from the sem team of a couple of years ago. seen he captained the poly freshers a while back great prospect.  i havent seen him mentioned in a while.