DERRY V FERMANAGH Healy Park Sat 21st June Throw in: 6pm

[glenullinabu]

Doherty is a huge loss for this one.

after the galway debacle i have a bad feeling about this one
fermanagh could sneak ulster if they get past derry

gaa i dont think they could beat armagh but i hope im wrong

[haranguerer]

not that  i think this affected the game in any way but here goes...did anyone notice the fermanagh man who scored maybe their last or second last point 'double bouncing' the ball as two derry man had been previously blown up for earlier on. This rule really annoys me when a player slightly loses control of the ball and then has to readjust, i don't see it as a double bounce but if the referee is going to blow it then he has to blow it all day long...seen bradley have a we slap at our maxie in the first half, only the mans made of sterner stuff he could have been rollin around like he was shot...or from tyrone

I'm loathe to say I thought the ref wasnt too bad; in general you're better saying he was crap so that when the other side say it too they cancel each other out, and neutrals reading dont get the impression that he favoured your team (i possibly think too much). But, I thought the ref wasnt too bad (havent seen it on tv yet though). Of course I screamed at him every time he gave a free to Derry, but thats what I paid in for. The penalty wasnt a big surprise, looked as though the boy was bending down and mcgrath was to the front of him (my memory could be dodgy tho, I was locked last night). Seen the 'double bounce' you refer to, at the time thought was lucky to get away with it, but to balance, he was also strict on the pick-up. and very late on a derry man lifted it clean off the ground with 1 hand. Also, i think it was after the throw up near the end, fermanagh got the ball and were surrounded by derry men - usually theres a few half fouls and the ref will give a free out, he didnt on this occasion. I thought it was brave enough of him, and the right decision (even tho Derry got a pt from it)

[jodyb]

not that  i think this affected the game in any way but here goes...did anyone notice the fermanagh man who scored maybe their last or second last point 'double bouncing' the ball as two derry man had been previously blown up for earlier on. This rule really annoys me when a player slightly loses control of the ball and then has to readjust, i don't see it as a double bounce but if the referee is going to blow it then he has to blow it all day long...seen bradley have a we slap at our maxie in the first half, only the mans made of sterner stuff he could have been rollin around like he was shot...or from tyrone

Absolutely right screenmachine. It's not a foul. Unless the ball is taken back into the hand, you're allowed to bounce it as often as it takes to get under control. That incensed me yesterday, as it broke down a couple of derry attacks. When the fcukin ref doesn't know the rules what do ye do

[haranguerer]

I posted about this on the Fermanagh v Monaghan thread. Marty McGrath (I think) got blown for it in that game. I always thought the rule was that it only counted as a double bounce if it was under control, i.e essentially if you catch it again in between, but a few on that thread said they heard refs were under instructions to clamp down on it. Of all the things to clamp down on, like!

[tbrick18]

Firstly let me say well done Fermanagh, completely deserved the victory hard as it is for us to accept.
From a Derry point of view I alway knew we would struggle in this game, though I did think we would still win if we played to our full capability which unfortunately we didnt.
We were missing Doc, Lochart and Hinphy...all 3 vital IMO for this Derry defence. McCloy, McGuckian and McEldowney were awful start to finish. Apart from Nial the half back line was poor, particularly O'Kane. Diver and Conway hardly touched a ball and never tracked back. As for our half forwards....Paul Murphy might not have had a great game but he was the only one to win any break ball for us, then he was taken off for a midfielder. Muldoon was advised not to continue after his injury early in the first half by the medical team but Crozier put him back in and he was not fit...apparantly he couldnt see out of his injured eye. Thought Lynch tried really hard but had no support when he needed it. Paddy B did what he could with the limited supply he got, Gilligan was very poor and although Eoin scored 1-1 he is the laziest player I have ever seen. I saw him at least twice stand around the 40 watching lynch surge up the sideline getting tackled by 3 ferm players and when he lost the ball Eoin just stood shaking his head rather than trying to help him out in the first place.
We were tactically non-existant and I actually think Crozier could not see the tactics fermanagh were playing. I'm not surprised PB was shouting at the line.
I do think had we been in any way tactically aware of what was going on we could still have beaten fermanagh...but the indecision on the line filtered through to the players who didnt know where they were supposed to go or what they were supposed to do against the tactics everyone knew fermanagh would use. This is very disheartening for a player and it's no surprise a lot of the Derry players looked lost. I think the lions share of blame from a Derry point of view lies with the manager.

I dont want this to take away from the Fermanagh team...they played with more hunger and organisation than the Derry team. Their manager knew exactly what he was doing and the players all knew what they were supposed to be doing. I hope they go on to win Ulster now and will support them regardless of who they are up against. I do worry about their scroing power though...having totally dominated Derry for 70% of the game they only won by 2 and Derry missed some very easy frees and the penalty so on another day Fermanagh could still have been beaten. I think if they can improve a bit up front no-one would fancy their chances against them.

As for the referee...total joke. He wasnt even consistently bad. 2-3 times he blew frees against Derry for the double bounce...then let a fermanagh player do exactly the same thing and score from it (just one biased example I know, but it's the stand out balls up I remember). Totally awful...couldnt see the penalty from our seat but what I will say is Niall McCusker is not a player to lie down easily...and if the keeper was off the line when the penalty was taken it should have been re-taken. Also thought Derry should have had a penalty near the end for a foot block but wasnt given.

Ok rant over....good luck fermanagh. I fear it's season over for us yet again.

[wanderer]

Delighted, only word for it.

First time today my eyes can focus on the screen, but I wasn't surprised by the patronising sh&%e I heard & read before and after the game!

I have just read Bogball's post and I must have been watching a different game! Fermanagh have been relatively naive for years by trying to play the game and getting punished for it, by 'hard tackling'. Now when they have a few lads that are no small men, they are dirty and negative tactics, it really is sour grapes. Fermanagh were no worse than Derry yesterday (in my opinion Fermanagh were cleaner) and to say any different is rubbish. Can anyone enlighten me as to how Maguire had to leave the field with blood when the ball was at the other end of the field?? What happened him?

Anyway, here goes with the negative before the positive:

The referee was shockingly bad. I watched it on TV (i'm ashamed to say, although in a different country) and he was terrible. Muldoon hit McGrath with a carbon copy of the penalty challenge minutes earlier, and he waved play on. The penalty was a joke, no-one was even sure what he was giving and the only injustice was the 45 going over the bar.

Peter Sherry was extremely unfortunately to be sent off. Two fouls that weren't bad, were punished by (in my opinion) an incompetent official. Does he miss the final? If he does, Fermanagh should have an appeal in before the offices open in the morning. He was roasted by Bradley time and again yesterday, but I still maintain he is a natural  half back and looks a bit lost in the corner at times

Analyists/Experts/Posters : Please, please, please stop being so patronising! This wee Fermanagh thing has been annoying me for years and the fact that it is still trotted out is silly (trying to keep the language clean). We were a Division 1 that got shafted in the new format. Have been highly competitive when you take out the teams that have won AI's in the last 5 years and yet still we get this patronising crap. Someone posted that they can't see us having a chance against Armagh, why???
Surely beating the two favourites for Ulster this year would buy us respect but instead everyone spouts on about Derry. As someone said earlier, all of the fellas on the panel were confident they would win, as were a large number of fans. Even when Derry had there purple patch we were by no means being steamrollered.
The funiest bit was at half time one of the commentators informed us that Derry would pull away because they could throw it over from 40 yds which Fermanagh couldn't do, my blood was boiling! They couldn't do it in the first half with the wind but it was only a matter of time before they pulled away apparently.
And they constantly called players by the wrong name, at one point they called Keenan, McElroy! Now Ryan was pratically glow in the dark yesterday with the good weather in Tempo recently  but they still couldn't spot him!

Anyway rant over, but for all you people from bigger counties you have to be in the situation

Well done to everyone yesterday. O'Rourke has kicked on from were Mulgrew left off, and has (i'm repeating someone here) made the players believe. There was no panic after Derry took an early lead and again at the end when the pressure was on, they held firm.
Our lads wanted it more and got the reward for the effort. Little, Maguire, Kelly, McElroy interchanged and covered an unreal amount of ground. Every single player showed there worth and the subs had the desired impact at the right times.
Not many counties can leave a 2 times allstar on the bench  . Delighted the Owens got the goal and he deserved a bit of fortune at the right time.

I didn't see the stats but I would think our chances to conversation ratio would have been better than the Monaghan game?

Anyways as I've said before Well Done and thanks to all the Fermanagh contingent. I can't wait to another game where we don't have a chance 

[Maguire01]

Surely beating the two favourites for Ulster this year would buy us respect but instead everyone spouts on about Derry.

Two of the favourites. As far as i recall, Tyrone were the favourites at the start of the Championship.  And to be fair, there's no lack of respect for Fermanagh, here or anywhere else.

[Bogball XV]

wanderer did you switch off before the end?  fermanagh men were hanging off derry men right, left and centre for the last ten minutes.  Eoin Bradley was dragged down at every opportunity.  
I know the grapes ares sour, but i don't care, the gaa have to stop that sort of cynicism, sin binning is probably the best option.  Did you feel the additional time in any way reflected the stoppages (many the referee's own doing via the yellow cards).  
As for your chances next day, well who knows, i think it'll be armagh, and you have form there, but once bitten etc.  Finally, delighted for owens, and hope he can play a full part in the final.

[haranguerer]

Bogball, were you at the game? If so then you must have seen fermanagh players frequently being bodychecked off the ball to stop the runs, in particular both wing backs - it seemed like a tactic.
Much more cynical than a tired team who are a man down tackling badly. At least Derry got frees for those infringements.
If you are serious about stopping cynicism, thats where you start.

[Maguire01]

When we're talking about cynicism, there were some frees given where the attacking player was clearly the one holding onto the defender. E Bradley got a few handy enough frees.

[the green man]

Well done Fermanagh. Although there is no point beating Derry in the semi and not winning the final. I hope youse do go on and win it and get that (0) from the end of your name. I'm a fermanagh man for the rest of the Ulster championship

[ExiledGael]

Eoin Bradley would have been the first man in the sin bin. Too lazy to tackle and just pulled on the shirts constantly to stop attacks. Maybe those new shirts are helping. Enough about that nonsense though.
Fermanagh were the far better team. Knew from the first minute McEldowney went to Eamon Maguire he would torture him and you'd have to question whoever made that decision, McGuckin was eventually put onto him and did better. We were just hungrier everywhere, and after watching PB running out to the half fouling Ciaran McElroy (for which he should have seen yellow) and then mouthing at his own bench knew Derry had a very questionable attitude and no leaders to turn to.
For the most part Fermanagh were great all over the field, maybe McBarron the only man not playing his best.
On a day like that midfielders were going to have to get through the dirty work and forget about the high fielding and surging runs, none of the four made a clean catch all night. But thought Marty McGrath was superb. 'Maurice  without the tan' hit him a heavy shoulder, he clattered fairly into 'Big Niall who uses a wheelbarrow with a flat tyre' and near the end hit a really inspirational point when charging into a fifty fifty with his eyes on the ball, taking the hit but still firing the loose ball over the bar. True leadership and a brute of a man. Truly believe we have the best midfield in Ulster now, maybe even further afield.
Little and Maguire outstanding, and Damien Kelly and Tommy McElroy have really flourished under O'Rourke. McCabe excellent again in possession, hope the's available for the final with the Glens involved in Europe around then, but he'll do everything in his power to be there like everyone else in the county.
Delighted for Owens, nobody deserves it more, you just couldn't write that.
Enough of this plucky stuff and patronising, we were far better than Derry last night, and far better than Monaghan last time out. Quite simply we now have a number of excellent players, other really talented men and all with a superb work ethic and managed by the right man.
Thank God Malachy took the job. Very confident he'll get them back down to the job at hand Tuesday night and the players on TV and last night were constantly churning out the 'we've done nothing yet' line. That's the difference this year - attitude, professionalism and belief.
Roll on Clones

[ONeill]

Fermanagh, God bless them.

[the green man]

Isnt it great that Tyrone people take such a great interset in Fermanagh and Derrys fortunes. Always seem to bombard Derry games' threads. They really are true gaels

[ONeill]

Why, thank you. All-round good gaels.