Railway Cup 2007

[ludermor]

is that Pat Shortt?

[Redhandfan]

I couldn't believe Ger Loughnane coming out with that statement about people in the north not understanding hurling the way they do in the south.....I wonder does he deliberately try to be controversial when coming out with statements like that or does it just come naturally to him?  The referee was poor alright and the goal should have stood....but that was no excuse to come out and say what he did.  I suspect hurling guys like Sambo, who has already been angered by some of Loughnane's utterings in the past, will be up in arms about this.

As for the footie, I thought it made for decent enough viewing.  The switches made by McEniff and McRory duing the course of the game are what won it for Ulster.  Conor Gormley's move to full back in the first half and Sean Cavanagh's switch to centrefield for the start of the second had a huge bearing on the game, as did the introduction of McDonnell and Coulter to the attack during that second period.  All four were outstanding.  The Monaghan contingent also showed up very well, although the same cannot be said for the the Derry trio of McCloy, Muldoon and Bradley who struggled to make an impact.

The 10,000 plus attendance at the games was respectable enough and there could still be a future for the series if the GAA was to find a more suitable date and market it even better next year.  Bigger crowds would certainly generate a much greater atmosphere and ensure even more competitive tussles than what we seen tonight.  I would like to see them persevere with this.

[jodyb]

As for the footie, I thought it made for decent enough viewing.  The switches made by McEniff and McRory duing the course of the game are what won it for Ulster.  Conor Gormley's move to full back in the first half and Sean Cavanagh's switch to centrefield for the start of the second had a huge bearing on the game, as did the introduction of McDonnell and Coulter to the attack during that second period.  All four were outstanding.  The Monaghan contingent also showed up very well, although the same cannot be said for the the Derry trio of McCloy, Muldoon and Bradley who struggled to make an impact.
The 10,000 plus attendance at the games was respectable enough and there could still be a future for the series if the GAA was to find a more suitable date and market it even better next year.  Bigger crowds would certainly generate a much greater atmosphere and ensure even more competitive tussles than what we seen tonight.  I would like to see them persevere with this.

Gotta disagree with you there redhandfan. I'm just back from it and while PB and Mc Cloy certainly didn't cover themselves in glory, Muldoon did a mountain of work!! Patrolling from one end of the pitch to the other for the full 70 plus minutes, showed good vision in his distribution, turned over the munster men a couple of times and helped set up a couple of the scores even though he didn't score himself.

Very impressed with the Monaghan contingent and i thought that Gormley did a solid job on Donaghy after Mc cloy had been caught out repeatedly. Big Sean really came into it in the second half as well and scored a hell of a point to make it secure.

Dull enough first half, but I thought the second was very entertaining.

[Redhandfan]

I was very surprised to see Benny Coulter make an appearance in today's game given that the Mayobridge manager said just last week that he had aggravated his injury in the Down County Final replay and would probably play no part in the Ulster club match against Dromore next weekend!!!  And, on a similar theme, is it possible that Paddy Bradley may have been saving himself a bit for Glenullin's opening game in the Ulster Club Championship?  Might that explain his out-of-sorts performance today?

As for captain Conor Gormley, I took a bit of stick on this Board just a couple of years ago for describing him as one of the "truly great centre half backs".  There were some back then who thought I was showing my usual Tyrone bias and said I was getting a bit carried away by Gormley's so-called greatness.  Well, I refused to go back on my word back then and make no apologies now for declaring that he is the top defender in the country at this time.  Today's Inter-Pro Final only served to reaffirm how wrong the All-Star selectors were in omitting him from this year's selection.

[orangeman]

Couldn't agree with you more Redhandfan - Gormley was never bettered all year - he did a fantastic job on Donaghy after all star Mc Cloy got cleaned out ( and I rate Mc Cloy highly by the way ) - If the All star team were picked a week later, Gormley would be a shoo in - but there you go that shows how contreversial and meaningless they are !

[Bogball XV]

I was very surprised to see Benny Coulter make an appearance in today's game given that the Mayobridge manager said just last week that he had aggravated his injury in the Down County Final replay and would probably play no part in the Ulster club match against Dromore next weekend!!!  And, on a similar theme, is it possible that Paddy Bradley may have been saving himself a bit for Glenullin's opening game in the Ulster Club Championship?  Might that explain his out-of-sorts performance today?

Or maybe it's that poor Paddy has been doing a wee bit of celebrating after Glenullin's first win in 22 years, I hear it was very late in the week before they stopped, and that's not to say they didn't start again yesterday!!

[orangeman]

The tactical switches by Mc Eniff were brilliant.

[johnpower]

Good match, Some good performances , Gormley showed himself to be a top defender and unlucky to miss out on the all star probalby lost out  due to the fact that Tyrone performed below their usual high standards this year .Monaghan contingent played well but for me the real difference was Mcdonnell who kicked some great scores . Good to see Quirke and Spillane back at it . Star had a good outing .
As Brian McEniff said it is a competition for the players . Best crowd in 30 years

[orangeman]

Biggest crowd in a lot of years but it could have been promoted better - Croke Park is a great venue and should be used again next year.

[u bent op uw]

Got news of the match here in England from RTE who reported 'scarcely 1000 present at the start of the match', now that's a big void in Croker

[u bent op uw]

Ulster joined Leinster at the top of the roll of honour with a committed display of football seeing them to a 1-12 to 1-08 win over Munster in tonight's M Donnelly Interprovincial football decider.

Although Munster hit their opponents for 1-03 during a three-minute spell in the second quarter, and also held the interval lead, a brilliant second half performance ensured that Ulster, jointly managed by Brian McEniff and Art McRory emerged as winners under the Croke Park floodlights.

There was scarcely 1,000 people present for the start of the final but this did not stop Ulster from making a positive start - they held a 0-03 to 0-01 at the end of the opening quarter, thanks to good scores from Monaghan trio Thomas Freeman, Paul Finlay and Eoin Lennon, with Kerry's Mike Frank Russell chipping in for the lone score for Munster at that stage.

Munster were unlucky not to be level with their northerners as they created the first goal chance of the contest in the 11th-minute. A long ball in to full-forward Kieran Donaghy saw the Kerryman despatch an excellent fisted pass to John Miskella but the efforts of Derry defender Ciaran McKeever ensured that Miskella was kept at bay.

The Sean Geaney-managed Munster team came back strongly and scored 1-03 in a three-minute spell as they burst into a 1-04 to 0-03 lead, 23 minutes into the tie.

Points from Russell and Tomas O'Se kickstarted the Munster comeback, which really got going with an impressive 22nd-minute goal from Donaghy.

Like Munster's earlier goal miss, their major came from a well-worked movement which began with a long ball in from Seamus Scanlon. The delivery was cleanly caught by Donaghy who sent a blistering shot to the back of the net.

Munster had a chance for a second goal from the resulting kick-out with Donaghy making another clean catch before dispatching the ball to the onrushing Russell, however the Kerry star's kick was well saved by Ulster goalkeeper James Reilly. The ball went out for a '45' which Cork's Donnacha O'Connor subsequently converted.

This ended the Munster onslaught as Ulster responded well and cut the gap to a point at the interval thanks to some industrious play. A fisted pass from Paul Finlay to fellow Monaghan man Thomas Freeman, who gathered pace as he headed towards the goals, resulted in an Ulster goal as Freeman rocketed his shot to the roof of the net, leaving just a point between the sides.

Munster's 1-05 to 1-04 interval advantage was a far from secure one and Ulster quickly regained the lead on the resumption.

Armagh's Steven McDonnell was one of Ulster's heroes during the second half as the 39th-minute substitute scored two points with his first two touches to hand Ulster held a two-point lead nine minutes after the restart, with Monaghan's Dick Clerkin also adding a point to the Ulster tally.

While Ulster remained a composed outfit throughout the second half, Munster were in panic mode and although half-time substitute Fintan Goold cut the gap to a point, the inaccuracy of his fellow forwards, who chalked up five wides during the second half, left Munster trailing.

Not even Donaghy could find a much-needed goal for the eventual losers, as his 57th-minute effort crept wide of the target.

Ulster were more clinical in their use of possession and it was this, along with some excellent displays in both defence and attack, which ensured they pulled away and captured a 28th Interprovincial title.

Scorers -
Ulster: T Freeman 1-01, P Finlay, S McDonnell 0-03 each, S Cavanagh 0-02, D Clerkin, E Lennon, B Coulter 0-01 each
Munster: D O'Connor 0-03 (0-02f, 1 '45'), K Donaghy 1-00, MF Russell 0-02 (0-01f), P O'Neill, T O'Se, F Goold 0-01 each

ULSTER: J Reilly; B Owens, K McCloy, K Lacey; C McKeever, C Gormley, K Cassidy; E Lennon, D Gordon; D Clerkin, S Cavanagh, P Finlay; T Freeman, Paddy Bradley, E Muldoon.

Subs used: B Monaghan for McCloy (half-time), S McDonnell for Bradley (39 mins), D Mone for Lacey (48), B Coulter for Gordon (51), S Goan for McKeever (64).

MUNSTER:  A Quirke; T O'Gorman, T O'Sullivan, K O'Connor; T O'Se, M Shields, G Spillane; D O'Se, S Scanlon; E Brosnan, P O'Neill, J Miskella; MF Russell, K Donaghy, D O'Connor.

Subs used: G Canty for O'Gorman (31 mins), F Goold for D O'Se (half-time), D O'Sullivan for Miskella (53).

Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

[orangeman]

Any word of what happened Dara O'Se ? He was taken off at half time ? Why was Marc not playing ?

[Jinxy]

If they did as McEniff said and put it on in in Croker on Paddys day it would draw a serious crowd. It would effectively be a one day festival of gaelic games on the biggest day for tourism in Dublin. Get Bord Failte to help with promotion and actively market it to tourists as a uniquely Irish occasion. I would have the railway cup finals in football and hurling on first then the club finals. Have Irish music, dancing whatever during the intervals (get Brush Sheils to MC it! ). You would get upwards of 60,000 at least I reckon. Let kids in for nothing and you could fill the place. It would be a savage occasion. Something has to be done because it is not fair on the players but equally importantly Martin Donnelly, to have these games in GAA HQ with less than 10,000 in attendance.

[gaagaa]

is it possible that Paddy Bradley may have been saving himself a bit for Glenullin's opening game in the Ulster Club Championship?  Might that explain his out-of-sorts performance today?

As for captain Conor Gormley ... he is the top defender in the country at this time.  Today's Inter-Pro Final only served to reaffirm how wrong the All-Star selectors were in omitting him from this year's selection.

PB was shite in both county final appearances and yes, conor gormley is twict the player of all star full back / left half back - but sure we know that last week too

[jodyb]

What are you saying gaa gaa? Do you mean that Mc Cloy wasn't deserving of his allstar? That's rubbish! he had a fantastic season with Derry, rock solid (possible exception against monaghan). Just because he had a bad game last night means nothing. He performed when it mattered. He didn't get MOM against the dubs for nothing!

Not saying Gormley didn't deserve an allstar, but not Mc Cloys!!