Tír Eoghain vs Áth Cliath '08

[his holiness nb]

Back to the match - questions for the Jackeens - is it true that Sherlock is playing the best football of his career?

Yes

Will Mossey have a say?

No

Who are you hoping will provide the bulk of the scoring from play?

The Brogan brothers

[Puckoon]

That there is O'Neill.


Anyways, watched the 05 replay last night - the dublin boys were gettin carried away with the sledgin dished out by Ricey and Gormley. Hopefully pillar doesnt have their heads right for this game and they get focused on the wrong kind of energy. Forwards getting involved with their direct opponent is a much more dangerous thing for a team than defenders like Ricey and Gormley, for whom that kind of carry on is all part and parcel. Id love to know what Ricey and Mark Vaughan were having a chin wag about when the latter was introduced in the second half.

The present tyrone defence IMO is in much better shape than the team that started and finished the dublin 05 replay. Sweeney got the run around both games, Chris lawn struggled and was replaced. Davy Harte's pace is a big worry, as Im sure it hasnt gotten any better. While he is great going forward - if he's marking a Collie Moran or Bernard Brogan type - he could well get destroyed for pace and leave a big gap in front of ricey.

We lost midfield by a landslide that particular day - Whelan made more catches than he did in the drawn game. Lots of work for MH and the team to get through between now and then.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Puck - we'd take another one of these from that day next weekend

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=knnswedqeik

[phpearse]

There have never been too much between these teams over the past number of years, the big thing from a Tyrone perspective is that they have won all the high profile games. While Dublin took the league meetings in Parnell Park and Omagh, Tyrone won the big game under lights and the championship meetings. However none of this matters little when the two sides meet up next weekend. Form suggests that Dublin should prevail and I do think they have more going for them than they have in previous years. This Tyrone team are not as strong as previous years and I'm not even sure if they are as good as last year. But they could be capable of putting together a couple of good games. Often you find a team that comes off the back of a great perfomance, such as Dublin in the second half of the Leinster final, put in a poor performance. But then again you find equally as many teams put a few great performances back to back.

I don't think the Dublin team are as strong as the second half of the Leinster final would suggest but they do seem to be the form team. In Alan Brogan they have a fine player. Had he not have got injured in the quarter final in 2005, Dublin could have went on to win that game. Restricting his influence will be very important. I also don't he'll be cowed as easily as he was in the game under lights and if Gormley is marking him, then he'll really have his hands full. Conal Keaney is also a good un and Connolly is a useful additional to the Dublin forward lie. Shane Ryan is also playing well but to me he always plays decent for Dublin but doesn't get the same kind of attention or credit as Whelan. I don't think the Dublin back 6 are the strongest left in the Championship but then again I don't think the Tyrone forwards are the best 6 left either. I'm not sure if the Tyrone forwards can exploit any weaknesses in the Dublin back line.

At the start of the year, you would ask the question where will the tyrone scores come from and that question is still relevant. We don't have a reliable left and right footed free taker - McGuigan and McCullagh can be hit or miss. we'll need to score a few goals to beat Dublin, cause we won't score 18 pts any more. 2-18 was scored the second day in 2005, the most Tyrone can hope for the next day is 13-14 pts in total - -can we hold dublin to less than that. I'm not sure.

[ONeill]

What'll intrigue the most is whether Pillar has instilled some kind of juggernaut mentality this year, as in nothing is going to prevent them from taking their eyes off the big prize. I've been talking to a couple of Jackeen friends and their mindset surprised me. There seems to be a high level of resentment towards Tyrone and their style of play against Dublin. I cannot really put a finger on any specific incidents that feeds this. I'd imagine that the defeat in '05 and under lights as well as the two recent bad-tempered league games have contributed to this. I'd go as far to say that the feeling isn't really reciprocated in Tyrone. There's no real negative sentiment towards Dublin, any more than normal. However, I've a feeling that the Dublin players will be of the same approach as their supporters - we need to beat this bunch by any and all means possible. Pillar'd need to be sure they do this playing the football they've displayed up to now. That's the big challenge down there.

From a Tyrone perspective, the meeting with Dublin has burst the county into life for the first time since '05, a county that has been somewhat lethargic since the 2nd All-Ireland, on the pitch and in the stands. It seems to have sparked a real kind of appetite for the campaign and, as with the Dubs, I'd imagine that'll spill over onto the squad. It is set up nicely. There is a very real scenario that when Dublin up the tempo, nothing will be found in the Tyrone legs. This game will either end or add another chapter to the greatest era in our inter-county history.

[Coddler]

ONeill. One specific incident from the 05 replay that did not endear Tyrone to the Dubs. Early on in the game with not much between the teams and Brogan was going well enough. He attempted to kick the ball from out near the sideline and McMenamin foot blocked the attempt injuring Brogan's ankle and forcing his replacment. Dublin's best forward  taken out in one neat move. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think he received a yellow for the dangerous tackle either so happy days all round for the stubbly one.

[Hill16 Blues]

I think a lot of the Tyrone posters here are getting carried away with the phsychology aspects surrounding this game and re Dublin in particular. Dublin this year are the most focused Dublin team I've seen since the team of 1990-1995. The focus is on winning - nothing else. They're standing up for themselves but refusing to get involved even when blatently provoked. I don't believe Tyrone's most noted windup merchants will get a whole lot of joy in diverting this focus. If nothing else the Meath game in Parnell Pk in Feb and its aftermath has finally taught Pillar & co of the need to focus on football only.

As to the relative strength of the two teams this Dublin team is a better balanced, stronger football team this Summer than any other bar Kerry imo. No guarantee we'll beat Tyrone. God knows we've underachieved consistently for decades. Tyrone however still have the remnants of a super team. However don't believe Tyrone will win the AI even if they beat Dublin on Sat week. The defeat earlier to a Down team who embarrassed themselves last weekend poses serious questions re the strength of Tyrone this year. The performances against WM and Mayo have been decent wins but both games could have gone either way.

All to play for but believe if both teams play to form/capability Dublin should win. After last weekend though Kerry still strong favourites to win AI.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

If nothing else the Meath game in Parnell Pk in Feb and its aftermath has finally taught Pillar & co of the need to focus on football only. .

I would be in broad agreement with that, but not particularly reassured (from a Dublin perspective): That whole aspect to the Dublin game (confusing mixing it with will-to-win) should have been well and truly banished after the 'battle' of Omagh in 2006; instead it took Pillar and Co a whole two years later to finally cop on to the reality that discipline was badly lacking, and was actually distracting from the business of winning games. From a Tyrone perspective, I'm not 100% sure that that (mixing it) mentality has been totally eradicated, but the 16th will surely tell.

Other than that, you call it about right I'd say.

[Puckoon]

ONeill. One specific incident from the 05 replay that did not endear Tyrone to the Dubs. Early on in the game with not much between the teams and Brogan was going well enough. He attempted to kick the ball from out near the sideline and McMenamin foot blocked the attempt injuring Brogan's ankle and forcing his replacment. Dublin's best forward  taken out in one neat move. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think he received a yellow for the dangerous tackle either so happy days all round for the stubbly one.

I saw this happen myself Coddler - Im not sure if it was in the wardrobe, or on out in Narnia.


There was zero reference to any fouling action on McMenamins part, and considering the number of replays shown of him that day where he accidentally clipped quinns head in the first half, and the fact that any incident involving him is subject to the highest levels of scrutiny - the commentary team that day mentioned nothing.

So, ill have to call bullshit on that one.

[ONeill]

I think a lot of the Tyrone posters here are getting carried away with the phsychology aspects surrounding this game and re Dublin in particular. Dublin this year are the most focused Dublin team I've seen since the team of 1990-1995. The focus is on winning - nothing else. They're standing up for themselves but refusing to get involved even when blatently provoked. I don't believe Tyrone's most noted windup merchants will get a whole lot of joy in diverting this focus. If nothing else the Meath game in Parnell Pk in Feb and its aftermath has finally taught Pillar & co of the need to focus on football only.

You've just contradicted yourself. You reckon the psychological aspect is being overdone yet proceed to explain how the psychology of this Dublin side means they're a different beast.

The nature of these threads is: a little bull for a few days, reminiscing about days of yore, a bit of baiting, before the sides are named/injuries are declared.

[ONeill]

I think the initial hostilities have died down and a recognition of each other's good points are nigh. Soon, things will take a turn for the worse when someone new weighs in about a match played in Moortown between Dublin and Tyrone that casts ugly aspersions upon one of the other/or gets political....then calls for calm, then we turn on our own when the teams are named, then uniformity rules and us bearded Nordies set sail for the capital.

[tyssam5]

ONeill. One specific incident from the 05 replay that did not endear Tyrone to the Dubs. Early on in the game with not much between the teams and Brogan was going well enough. He attempted to kick the ball from out near the sideline and McMenamin foot blocked the attempt injuring Brogan's ankle and forcing his replacment. Dublin's best forward  taken out in one neat move. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think he received a yellow for the dangerous tackle either so happy days all round for the stubbly one.

I saw this happen myself Coddler - Im not sure if it was in the wardrobe, or on out in Narnia.


There was zero reference to any fouling action on McMenamins part, and considering the number of replays shown of him that day where he accidentally clipped quinns head in the first half, and the fact that any incident involving him is subject to the highest levels of scrutiny - the commentary team that day mentioned nothing.

So, ill have to call bullshit on that one.

I think I do recall a foot block from Ricey in one of the two games, but it was shot on goal not near the sideline and he was nowhere near injuring a player, lucky enough not to get a free or even a penalty given though.

[Puckoon]

Tyssam5 - that was the first game. Was a great block, whatever about it being illegal - the man was determined.

[ONeill]

The drawn game - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHVMca7COv8

[Mike Sheehy]

Looks like the lads over on reservoirdubs think they have upset the Nordies on here...... even our old friend Gnevin gets a look-in 

http://www.reservoirdubs.com/forum/index.php?topic=3322.0