Ulster Final 2008 - Armagh vs Fermanagh

[Travis T O Justice]

hey! Now you're gettin it!

[wanderer]

Watched the Derry game again and it really was some team performance.  7 points down and we still manged to turn it around.  It really does highlight how far this Fermanagh team has come in the last 5 years.
I feel that the 04 game will have little or no effect come the 20th.  Although both teams still have the same backbone, the team management's have changed.  We played each other in the opening Ulster Championship game in 05 I think and again in an Ulster semifinal in 06 and armagh beat us on both occasions(Albeit after a draw in 05).
O'Rourke is definitely a huge plus in fermanagh's favour but i have been impressed with McDonnell.  Very ruthless in the way he dropped A Kernan before the Down game and he seems to have reinvigorated the whole Armagh set up.   
The biggest question posing both teams is the system that they play.  Armagh and Fermanagh like to bring a WHF and play him as a sweeper.  Fermanagh have done it with Lyttle and Armagh  with O'Rourke.  The problem for both teams is that both Armagh and Fermanagh have WHB's who are more than capable of being a scoring threat. I certainly would not like to see A Kernan playing in or around or full forward line but then again I would love to see T McElroy or D Kelly playing in a more attacking position.
The second question from a Fermanagh point of view is who plays at full back.  I feel that Goan will pick up one of McDonnell or Clarke.  Owens will not be fit to start.  I can not see Frog at full back because he is not a man marker.  I have been one of the fells's biggest critic's but he had some game against Derry.  It would be a huge call if he did not retain his starting place which would see him back at CHB.  This could mean McCluskey back in the corner picking up McDonnell.  McDonnell has always struggled against Clucker and I think that it would be a big ask for D Reilly or H Brady to come in for the cold to mark someone of McDonnell's quality.  But Fermanagh's CHB line has been the key to our success and Clucker, Kelly and McElroy seems to have great understanding.  They have won the lions share of break ball and rarely give the  ball away.  So then I could see P Sherry picking up McDonnell with Frog in the other corner marking the Armagh corner forward who will come out and play as a WHF.  That means Frog plays at CHB and Clucker is left with the free role.  Then again Lyons played the majority of the national league and would have been playing against Monaghan and Derry but for breaking his jaw in a club game.  He did well in the League and he might get the nod.
Midfield is a sector where Fermanagh could hold the edge.  McGrath and Womble have been a revelation this campaign.  They both can score and have great engine's on them.  McGrane has not been at his best this year but he still is a class act.  If we can get on top here, we have a huge chance of winning the match.
Up front i expect no changes.  McBarron should start at full forward and him and Francie will suit each other down to the ground.  They will
'bate lumps out of each other' as we say here in Fermanagh.
McCabe will probably be used as an impact sub.  The one player who will be lucky to retain his place up front is J Sherry.  He has been quiet this year and is capable of a hell of alot more.  T Brewster, S Doherty  and M Keenan could all be played at CHF but Sherry i think will be given another chance.  A Very talented footballer who hopefully will have saved his best performance for the big day.
Keenan, Maguire, McElroy and Lyttle  will all start.  They all have to do the usual and put the press on Armagh from corner forward back.  They all possess speed which is a very potent weapon.  They will run at the Armagh blanket all day long and will ask questions of the Armagh defence.  Hopefully we can move the ball at pace and get in positions to punish Armagh. 
Against Derry Fermanagh were very economical in front of goal(Except the last 10 minutes).  They will have to do the same against Armagh.
We have to get a good start and cannot give Armagh a 7 point lead after 15 minutes.  we have improved every game we have played this year.  For the first time in a long time we have a bench which contains quality.  if someone is not performing, well there is quality there to bring on, Cadden, Lyons, Brewster, Keenan's, Ward, Doherty, etc. 
O'Rourke is a very shrewd operator. Press night out of the way along with a fan's meeting the players night last week.  Means 2 weeks on concentrating on nothing but the match and leaving the hype to the fan's.  He will have surprise or 2 for the Armagh game.  One things for sure every Fermanagh player will know their role come Sunday week and it will be well drilled into them.  This is the best drilled Fermanagh team ever.  An Awful lot of time, money and effort has been invested in this squad.  We can beat Armagh.  We have beat Monaghan and Derry.  Armagh have more quality up front but i see no reason why we cannot beat them.  fermanagh by 2

Great post Fermgael, couldn't agree with you more. I think it'll be fascinating to see what way the teams line out. MOR will be trying to surprise Armagh somehow, whether he does something tactically or selection wise i don't know.
I personally would be against Clucker dropping back, he, kelly & mcelroy have arguably been our best line this year. I think that he could do what he normally does with McDonnell and I think its pretty obvious that he doesn't like being marked by him, but it would weaken a positive in our team

[Maximus Marillius]

Just after reading the Irish News and the brendan Crossans The Boot Room. Mark my words when I tell you the O'Rourke put him up to it.

[rrhf]

Well any nervous wee Fermanagh heads out there.

[Sideshow Bob]

Watched Armagh train last night and I must say I was impressed. Their training games are as competitive as most games you will see outside of Ulster, with some very hard hitting. Cant believe how slow Bellew is, but he has great positional awareness. Ther whole set up seems very professional and a cut abouve anything I have seen before. No nonsense, no messing, there was hardly a word spoke by any of the squad for the whole 2 hours. One of the O`Rourkes didnt train with the squad, I think it was the one that got sent off in their last game, he done a bit of work on his own and Clarke got a lot of work done on his back. McDonnell was awesome. Taking scores off both feet and making his diagonal runs, but I have a feeling that Fermangh could pull of a major surprise here. It wont be a pretty game. Fermanagh by 2. Spillane to tell everyone how bad football is up North.

[ardasell]

Absolutely NO CRAIC about this game at all on here  I would have expected a bit of banter from the Fermanagh heads - some sweaty hands or squeaky bum stories  on their first shot at Ulster in thirty seven million years or whatever it is.
There are a few flags flying round the hills of south Armagh, but to be honest they are looking a bit ragged, having been put up to annoy the auld enemy before the Down game, rather than to celebrate the upcoming final
I remember very clearly the feelings on the run-up to Armagh's first Ulster in years, and the unswerving belief that we were going to be bate, again, and that there was no point in getting excited.
Years on, is this the overarching feeling in Fermanagh camp, or could you just not be arsed posting?

[ONeill]

Yes, quite clearly the back door is the place to be this weekend.

[heganboy]

never met a back door I didnt like...

[Tyrone Dreamer]

21 pages for Tyrone Louth compared to just 8 for this. You'd think at least Fermanagh fans would be keen to talk about this game. To be fair the real championship games take place on Saturday, good old knockout football is back. Forget the ulster final, win or lose there'll be no tears - the qualifiers and the prospect of no championship matches for 10 months is the place to be.

[wanderer]

Well folks being from Fermanagh but not living there, its hard to tell exactly what the mood is. But from any friends/families/players I have been chatting to, it could be viewed as quietly confident. Without sounding arrogant, we expect to leave Clones with our record finally shattered. The nerves are a wee bit there, as always. Being from Fermanagh you hope for the best and expect the worst, but hope reigns supreme.
Armagh are a formidable team, but I am glad we are playing a team that if we win, the sensible heads can't say we didn't deserve it or that the best team didn't win. If it goes Armagh's way I will be gutted, but they have some record in Ulster, so its nothing to be ashamed off. I think Armagh being run away favourites suits us to the ground, and the lads I've been chatting to say that they are delighted that the media stuff is finished and the big days nearly here

Can someone send us a link to the Bootroom thing that from Brendan Crossan? I would like to get a read off it. cheers

[Bulwinkle]

21 pages for Tyrone Louth compared to just 8 for this. You'd think at least Fermanagh fans would be keen to talk about this game. To be fair the real championship games take place on Saturday, good old knockout football is back. Forget the ulster final, win or lose there'll be no tears - the qualifiers and the prospect of no championship matches for 10 months is the place to be.

Every aspect of your post os correct.  Everything you have said on these boards are correct.  You are brilliant.

[corn02]

He actually makes good points in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.

[bennydorano]

Pedant and all that I am -  If I remember rightly that is a renamed thread that was originally 9 pages long asTyrone v whoever they meet in the qualifiers.  Point is valid thou.

I am very confident about Sunday, which is probably bad news for Armagh.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

I obviously wasnt being too serious, I think everyone knows which match they'd rather be involved in this weekend. Although the fact that a loss in the qualifiers can leave you without a game for 10 months does leave the games very interesting. I'd say there will be a lot of excitment among Fermanagh fans this week and this game will mean everything to them. Armagh may struggle to match the hunger of the Fermanagh players who will see this as a once in a life time opportunity, for Armagh its just another game. The freshness brought to the Armagh squad by McDonnell and the younger players like Kernan/Toner/Donaghy should help drive them on though. I think it will be close but Armagh could shade it.

[rionach 4]

Fermanagh beat a Monaghan team that was tipped for greatness this year and certainly one of the favourites for the Anglo -Celt and then went on to defeat National league winners Derry who had already beaten Donegal in Ballybofey and who were the bookies fav for the title  while Armagh beat a very poor Cavan team and a down team that that got carried away with its victory over a shadow Tyrone team and Armagh are the favourites in the final.......... Something doesnt add up here !!!!!!