FERMANAGH V DOWN Preliminary Round USFC

[FermGael]

Lets cut the hype and bullshit lads. Down will win this easily, and in saying that i am not disrespecting Fermanagh, who in their current form and with their list of injuries, will do well to keep the score respectable. I dont underestimate the ability of the current Down team and management to c**k things up, but to lose this one would be difficult even for them

Ill warrant i have been to more games than you this year Trevor, and i am telling it like it is , The current Fermanagh team have good players, but injuries ,poor results, and loss of key men like Barry Owens has sapped their confidence. Forget the league, Down are a championship team , and our current squad though weak in some vital areas, have too much for Fermanagh or even Cavan to cope with. Should the unthinkable happen and Fermanagh win, i will be the first to congragulate them, but it would be a major shock, and only someone who does not know football would think differently

Those 2 quotes are hilarious.  Cannot take you seriously after that.

We are underdogs again, at home and we have the aristocrats of Ulster football visiting on Sunday.
Should we even turn up??

[FermGael]

Damien Kelly has been struggling with injury lately and hasn't trained according to O'Rourke in the IN today. Hopefully he makes it but those teams look close enough to what I'd expect. Really hope Blobby stays in at 14 all game. He could be the target man we've been looking for and he can really take a score himself. He's been called out to midfield to fight fires throughout the league but he could really test a poor Down full-back line.
Big day for Micky Jones at corner-back too. Can't see Tommy that far forward Fermgael.
Surprised it's all ticket? Will be travelling home on the day, presume the tickets will be on sale at the ground on the day too?
Not gonna sell out in a hundred years.

Very surprised its all ticket Exiled.
It will never sell out.  With it being on TV and bad weather forecast, will be lucky if there is 15000 there.
I would say its safe to assume that tickets for behind the goals will be on sale on the day.
Covered stand NO.  Not to sure about the uncovered seating on the sideline though. 
Will find out

Carson will have a huge role to play.  Hopefully he is kept in at full forward.
The Down full back line can be exposed.  McBarron had a field day against them last year in the League

[meatsy86]

Benny coulter writes a column every week in the Newry Democrat. In this weeks column benny said the following, "My injury has cleared up, and myself and the panel cannot wait until sunday, this is a massive game for us and it is imperative that we win" Does this mean Benny will play?

[DownFanatic]

Benny coulter writes a column every week in the Newry Democrat. In this weeks column benny said the following, "My injury has cleared up, and myself and the panel cannot wait until sunday, this is a massive game for us and it is imperative that we win" Does this mean Benny will play?

Benny will start. The whole will he/wont he saga is just a sideshow.

[sammymaguire]

with a fairly miserable day forecast and the game being on the box, d'ya think will there be many spare tickets floating around in Enniskillen on Sunday?

should be a VERY tight encounter, the 7/1 on the draw could be a good bet imo as both teams will be fighting tooth and nail to get through as Cavan and Donegal will hold no fear for either of them (sorry for dismissing Antrim but they won't be Donegal in a month of Sundays)

[Mourne Rover]

FermGael is right not to take Pangurban too seriously, especially after his explanation for his change of heart over Down's prospects. Pangurban is now claiming that Down have improved since the Tipperary game, and says that when he made his predicition of an early exit for Down he did not realise how much Fermanagh and Cavan had deteriorated. Given that none of the teams in question have played a competitive match since then, Pangurban must be a regular attender at training sessions.

The evidence is that Pangurban is having a pop at the Down management, which he is entitled to do, and also trying to wind up the Fermanagh fans along the way, which is also his right.

Down supporters will probably be more concerned about our team selection. Ross and DJ took a while to work out their strongest line-up last summer, and it was alarming that Murney and Fegan started in Omagh, when they were not yet ready for the big stage, while Murphy and Ambrose were left on the bench. Having had six championship games in 2008, we should be stronger this time round, but only the managers know how fit some of our key figures are for Sunday.

If Benny, Ambrose and McKernan are there or thereabouts, we will be in a decent position. Without those three, anything could happen.

[wobbller]

 Well said. Pangurban must be in school this morning.

[DownFanatic]

Paddy McEvoy in the Mourne Observer thinks Down will line out as follows:

Brendan McVeigh

Ciaran McGovern
Conor Garvey
Luke Howard

Aidan Carr
Peter Turley
Declan Rooney

Dan Gordon
Peter Fitzpatrick

Ronan Sexton
Conor Maginn
Jamie O'Reilly

Ronan Murtagh
Benny Coulter
Paul McComiskey

[meatsy86]

Thats not a bad side paddy has lined out there although i'd have hughes in the half forward line ahead of jamie o'reilly!!!

[Trevor Hill]

Daniel Hughes will be a definite starter, I wouldnt start with Murtagh though.

[Mourne Rover]

Based on all the selections from Ross this year, Hughes and almost certainly Kearney as well will start. Most Down supporters would see Murphy and Cole as automatic choices, but the evidence is that Ross does not necessarily agree. He could pick them both, or he might go with McGovern and Rooney instead.

The big uncertainty is our half forward line. You could make a case for at least eight players there, in terms of form, fitness or experience. I think we would be taking a huge risk by going without a left-footed free taker, but there is no guarentee that Magee is ready for the job.

I think we also need to appreciate the pressure Ross is under. He is a third-season manager, so he knows this is judgment time. If Fermanagh win on Sunday, we will face a break of almost seven weeks before the qualifiers. There is an obvious danger that we could lose confidence and momentum, leading to a first round exit there as well. Key figures on the county board want Pete McGrath back anyway, so there is a lot at stake in Enniskillen.

[Trevor Hill]

Pete McGrath is not the answer to the current problems with the senior panel. But lets not forget that there is a game to be played on Sunday and we should all be there to support the team and hopefully we`ll come away with a victory.

[D4S]

Anyone lookin to stop if in good time on Sunday, McKennas Bar on the Main Street in Augher does excellent Guinness! I'm livin up around there myself + will be heading back after the match! 

[Caid]

Anyone lookin to stop if in good time on Sunday, McKennas Bar on the Main Street in Augher does excellent Guinness! I'm livin up around there myself + will be heading back after the match!

Living up there? You must be at the owner with a blatent plug like that!

[D4S]

Jesus Caid what an accusation   It's the owners daughter actually

I drink there all the time, I'm a Down man living in Tyrone (not too many of us), just lookin to see a few local faces after the match, nothin wrong with that!