Derry V Galway MFC

[screenexile]

Yeah jodyb you're not exactly covering yourself in glory. The hop ball incident I feel was justified by the referee!

Overall the referee had a very poor game and Derry were definitely having to work harder for their frees than Galway did... whether it was bias for the losing team or the 'Southern' team I don't know but the ref was definitely not kind to us.

Having said this we did not deserve to win the game. As O'Rourke clearly pointed out, Gaelic football is a very fair game and 9 times out of 10 the better team will win. As was the case yesterday. After a blistering start of playing pinpoint passes into our forward line we got sloppy with our delivery. We got clean roasted in both Midfield and our FB and HF lines (except for young Bell at CB who I thought had a stormer) which contributed to our downfall as well. We still had chances to win the game though from frees we missed in the first half, the hop ball decision and the missed goal chance.

Unfortunate for this group of lads to lose an All Ireland final they have done so well all year and have been a shining light for Derry football this year. I'm sure we'll see much more of these lads in the years to come and good luck to them all and thanks for giving it everything.

[orangeman]

I was gutted for Derry and Niall Conway and everybody involved with the team - unreal - it was such a shame - they definitely deserved something out of the game.

[tbrick18]

Disappointing as it is, Galway deserved their win yesterday.
No team can make as many mistakes as Derry did and expect to win a game. Some very sloppy passing, even from frees being played direct to a Galway player. I think Derry thought that the work was done at half time but no-one told Galway that and fair play to them for sticking at it and getting the result - an excellent goal, though I feel it was no better than the McGeehan goal.

Derry can count themselves unlucky with the goal chance that came off the post but luck had nothing to do with the result. Missed frees, and sloppy play were the reason coupled with the ability of the Galway side.

I do think the referee had a poor game, I saw at one point in the first half they showed the number of frees conceded by each team...Derry 13 Galway 6. Now there was no way Derry were making twice as many fouls as Galway. I dont know what the final statistic was on frees conceded but I think the trend continued throughout the game. However, this is no excuse for losing a game and shouldnt be put forward as one, I just feel that the standard of refereeing was very poor.

One call the referee did get right was to penalise the young slaughtneil player for goading his galway counterpart when awarded a 14 yard free. This type of behaviour has no place on a football pitch and it's about time referees took the stand to stamp this out. Dublin - need I say more. Anyway that decision cost Derry a point and Galway went up the field and scored. Just reward.

Anyway, disappointing for the players but I'm sure we havent seen thte end of them
Congrats to Galway, thoruoughly deserved winners.

[loughshore lad]

Its very hard to work out from the TV so could any of the posters who were at the game confirm if Derry went back to their defensive strategy to try and close the game ot in the last 10-15mins? They brought on the lad Heavron from Magherafelt for a wing half forward in this period and am wondering where he played - he was the spare defender in the Ulster final between Tyrone and Derry earlier in the year.

[whiskeysteve]

I would agree that the goading was deservedly penalised - but it grates when you know for a fact that the ref wouldnt have the stones to apply that to a dublin player.

Gutting way to lose a game - Galway won everything in the middle of the park for most of the game and yet we still could have won it.

[jodyb]

Yeah jodyb you're not exactly covering yourself in glory. The hop ball incident I feel was justified by the referee!

Christ Jodyb, so much for being gracious in defeat!!
The words "sore loser" definitely come to mind here. Take your beating.
We rode our luck a bit granted but overall we won the game fairly and squarely and based on our second half performance - which included the disallowing of a valid point which would cancel out the fact that Derry would have got a point from the free that was thrown up - I believe that we deserved the win.
Derry were the better side in the first half without doubt but we were by far the better team in the second half. Just because you hit the front late on in a game having trailed for the most part doesn't mean you don't deserve to win a game.

I honestly didn't think watching the game that the ref gave poor decisions for one team over the other.
From our point of view, you'd have to say Damien Reddington won the game for us. That was some goal to win an AI final.
I had been less than convinced about him having watched him in the Connacht games gainst Sligo and Roscommon where I felt he did very little but Croke Park really seemed to suit him and he used his pace to great effect as he was always well out in front of his man and kicked 2 fine points also.

Well done to all involved.

Look lads, I've already conceded that I'm a sore loser, so that's not even in question.

I watched the tape to the wee hours last night(regretting it today), and my opinion hasn't changed.

As for the 'goading' incident, whilst I dont condone it, young Conroy did his own bit of goading after he scored the free in the first couple of minutes. Not sure if it was to young Mc Kaigue, but that's who was marking him at that stage, so when he was swingin out of Mc Kaigue at the other end, I'm sure Mc Kaigue felt in some way justified in Goading him back (foolish though it proved to be)
To add to that, When the ball was hopped, Conroy lifted it clean off the ground before Galway went up to get their score.

In the first half, Derry got 6 frees, 2 of them in the scoring zone. Galway got 13, 6 of them in the scoring zone and two of those extremely soft. Young Ryan couldn't believe he had gotten the free!! Griffen took Kielt straight into the chest, no free. Declan Mullan gets fouled just inside the galway 40 and galway get the free out.

In the second half, the free count looks a bit more even, Galway getting 10, to Derry's 8. Scoring Zone for Galway 3 scoring zone for Derry 0 (unless you count the hop ball)


Heron gets fouled twice in succession, no free
O' Boyle gets taken round the neck, no free.
Kelly has both hands round Lee Moores neck and Galway get the free for 'Overcarrying'
Walsh charges head down into Declan Mullan, minutes after being booked for taking Mullan out of it. As clear charging that your ever gonna see...... and the free goes to Galway
Forrester Gets pushed in the back and the ball goes over the line. No free, line ball to Galway
Forrester gets taken out of it later no free. Galway come away and kick a valid point that was disallowed (shuda been a free out in the first place)

The only similar cases I saw the other way was when Young Greaney deserved a free but didn't get it (Mc Williams would have been off if he had) and Declan Bell was lucky not to be punished for a wild tackle (dont remember who on).

Galway scores from frees 4
Derry scores from frees 0

Final Gripe. Galways last score was a soft a free as you'll see anywhere and it copperfastened their lead.

It's easy to say about Derry's mistakes, and there were plenty, but when a ref is giving you so little, its bound to get to you eventually and eat into your confidence. They're only lads after all.

Anyway, it's all academic at this stage Galway got the result and that's what matters.

Thanks to the Derry lads, I thoroughly enjoyed them this year and hopefully they bounce back and go on to bigger and better things.

Sorry GBB I still think it was a hollow victory.

Call me a whinger, w@nker, sore loser, ungracious etc blah blah blah. I admit it.

[orangeman]

Loughshore - Derry had a sub ready to come on in the 46th minute but went on the defensive - Derry cancelled the planned sub which was a forward - as they had just taken a 3 point lead - Deery should have won the game - no doubt about that - young Mc Geehan hit the post and had that gone in, Derry would have been champs - there's a fine line between winning and losing !

[lynchbhoy]

well done to galway
while I think the ref wasnt great towards derry to say the least (over the course of the game and not the hop ball incident - what is it with Derry and longford refs !)
the blame for losing lies squarely on the Derry teams shoulders. The amount of posession given away and gifted to Galway was criminal. the scoring chances missed, the bad decision making for taking shots when opposing defenders were on top of them , easily blocking these and the shooting from way too far out on a wet sod - just proved the difference.
Galway were more economical and in the last 15 mins owned the midfield area.

Rem this Derry side have been gifting away large leads recently and were never going to be home and dry until the final whistle.

An honest game, whose mistakes were most likely down to big day nerves and a greasy ball.
A good contest between two non puke teams.
Someone has to lose.

[Maximus Marillius]

Derry beat themselves, very similiar to the senior semi final of 2002, Derry had the lead, missed the easy chances in the second half to have won the game and against quality oppositon ye always pay when you dont take the chances to put them away. The ref had nothing to do with it, it was all our own fault for missing the guilt edge chances. I have only seen this team twice this year, against Monaghan and then yesterday. i don't feel that we will get many senior players from that group. I was really disappointed with the left half forward Mullan, as I was told by many that he was real quality, by the evidence I saw yesterday he needs to learn how to pass the ball with his foot instead of going on pointless solo runs. Certainly can cover the ground but needs to become more of a team player. it is evident that he comes from a weak club( not meant to be insulting, because they are putting in a massive effort and need all our support), because he has encouraged from a young age to carry the ball, which happens to many young footballers when they have very few decent players around them to help. i also recognise that you cannot judge a player on one game, so perhaps there is more to his game. I do not understand why derry changed Kielt out of midfield and this was an area where they struggled all day long and never changed, Boyle really struggled and midfield would have allowed Kielt more freedom to express himself. But after all is said and done, they beat themselves.

[Rick O Shea]

Before i even start i don't want anyone to pick me up wrong - mckeague was wrong, but what rule did he break and was the punishment correct??

Agree with most of the sentiments on here - the referee was poor but he didn't lose Derry the game!!

Edit:

This probably covers it:
5.11 To threaten or to use abusive or provocative
language or gestures to an opponent.
Which is actually punishable with a free kick - though i don't know if that applies if the free has aready been given the other way - and i doubt if many referees know either!!

[orangeman]

There is facility within the rules to allow the ref to hop the ball after an infringement like what happened y'day - the problem is that it isn't enforced very often.

[whiskeysteve]

Max as regards mullan his performance in the final would not be indictative as to how he normally plays or played for that minor team. The games he had against Laios and Tyrone would be more like him, scoring a few points from play, winning dirty ball (he was the best tackler in the forwards this year), and making those runs where he'd usually be breaking free. He didn't play to his potential in the final, hes a young lad and wouldnt be the first

As for coming from a weak club, sure our minors play at the same level as yours (we actually beat yous 3-11 to 2-5, this year, minus Declan) so dont give us your patronising guff!

[Maximus Marillius]

whiskeysteve...

from a weak club( not meant to be insulting, because they are putting in a massive effort and need all our support

whats patronising in what i said....ok I got it wrong, ye are a very strong club who always have played senior football with lots of senior championships...is that what ye wanted me to say. FFs ye cant win, try to be courteous to a club and some tool takes its personally.

[whiskeysteve]

whiskeysteve...

from a weak club( not meant to be insulting, because they are putting in a massive effort and need all our support

whats patronising in what i said....ok I got it wrong, ye are a very strong club who always have played senior football with lots of senior championships...is that what ye wanted me to say. FFs ye cant win, try to be courteous to a club and some tool takes its personally.

Pardon me max i didnt take it personally at all - should have put in a smiley face or sumthin

Just saying that because a club is weak at senior does not mean its underage players are playing at a weak standard (with the better players running riot on easy opposition, picking up bad habits that are found out later). Steelstown for example, consigned in their last league game to division4, yet have arguably the best minor set up in the county. Glenullin on the other hand have had very poor results at minor level this year, for such a good senior club, and havent had great minors for a few years now.

The point is, I'd bet that if declan was a Glenullin man, you wouldnt have said he's picking up bad habits from a weak set-up in the first place

[Maximus Marillius]

I would have, ye offen find players who have played in poor teams at underage, are encouraged by their mentors to carry the ball.