Down Club Hurling & Football

[Johnnysboys]

Fantastic. Just unbelievable.. Kilcoo players looked completely at home out there. Competitive panel now for the next three weeks of training with lots of lads chomping at the bit to get playing in the final.

[Cuan12]

Congrats to team, seen a win coming but not by that margin, however when you combine pace , good handling, unselfishness and cynical finishing you can run up a score like that. I know people will say Laois were poor and they were to be fair but you can only beat what's put in front of you.
So it's back down the Dublin Road in three weeks, hope all players stay sound, was at the 1991 final and I hope we get same result.

[snoopdog]

Brilliant performance. There could've had a few more goals too. Great to be back on croke pk. Meath will be tougher opposition. What way will the tickets work. This could potentially.be paired with an all Ireland semi final of Dublin v Kerry.

[Betsy Gray]

Great performance against what turned out to be a poor Laois team. I expected them to be better.

On another note, I would like the Down County Board to lodge a complaint with the GAA about the treatment of supporters in croke park today. Everyone crammed into the lower hogan. At best a very unpleasant experience. At worst a dangerous experience. It was very clear they did not have sufficient sections of the stadium open to cope with the crowd. Going into the ground was also a shambles.

[snoopdog]

They wanted to keep everyone in sane area for atmosphere, but surely they could still have done that by issuing seat numbers. The queue for ladies toilets and the foid/shops were big.

[Nanderson]

What a performance. Croke park pitch suits these players down to the ground. Will hopefully be a great final. Unfortunately will be in Benamaldena for the final so hoping and praying one of the Irish bars can get RTE so that we can watch the game

[PAULD123]

We have a few players that have been our better players in the team for the last five to six years that didn't play yesterday mostly due to injury. Just wondering what people think, Would Caolan Mooney, Niall McParland, Jerome Johnston, Barry O'Hagan improve that team (I've missed a couple haven't I)?

I'm thinking particularly of Mooney. He has probably been our best player for about five years but in a team that could never make the best use of his talents and a team that frankly never really looked enthused to be playing. Laverty has really made this team look like they want to be there and that they believe in the plan. Could we finally get the best value out of Mooney's abilities in this team?

Or do you think we should move forward with the players we have now that have got us this far and not be looking backwards to players pushing into their 30s?

[downtothecore]

I think these players could offer something next year but it depends on these players themselves I.e how much work they do, how fit they are and how much do they really want it. They definitely can offer something if they stick these boxes.

[dingle82]

Great performance from Down, albeit this is the worst Laois team I've ever seen. The players mentioned above were stand out players in a very weak Down team not sure if they would anything this current crop. Its clear the  manager is building a new team around the 3 stand out players from Burren. Meath were very poor again so its Down's to lose. Great competition BTW...

[urbangael]

Great result and you can only beat what's in front of you but Laois were dreadful!  Can't really see any of the players you mentioned getting into the current team with the exception of O'Hagan.  I would have concerns about the lack of physicality though.  However the sheer pace and movement of the smaller guys will trouble any team.  Shout out to Conor Lav and a few of the players (Danny Magill, Daniel Guinness & Ryan McEvoy) who remained along the line well after the final whistle and were happy to sign jerseys and get photos with the kids.  That's what it is all about and yesterday was a great opportunity to do that in a sparsely populated stadium.  The kids were on cloud 9 on the way home.   

[Blackandblue2]

I think a bonus to this year's panel has been the versatility of players and the strength of the panel. Players all playing a part in the panel and boys sticking around all year even with minimal playing time. Mooney, Mc Parland, O Hagan, and Donnelly are good to have within the panel for experience. Some games will suit/need players of different sorts. If that panel could stay together and add a few of the 20 stars, we could challenge for something in the next couple of years.

[thewobbler]

We have a few players that have been our better players in the team for the last five to six years that didn't play yesterday mostly due to injury. Just wondering what people think, Would Caolan Mooney, Niall McParland, Jerome Johnston, Barry O'Hagan improve that team (I've missed a couple haven't I)?

I'm thinking particularly of Mooney. He has probably been our best player for about five years but in a team that could never make the best use of his talents and a team that frankly never really looked enthused to be playing. Laverty has really made this team look like they want to be there and that they believe in the plan. Could we finally get the best value out of Mooney's abilities in this team?

Or do you think we should move forward with the players we have now that have got us this far and not be looking backwards to players pushing into their 30s?

Mooney was Down's best player in five minute bursts here and there.

As illuminating and electrifying as those bursts were, he was nowhere close to being Down's best player in any year he played for the county.

[PAULD123]

Mooney was Down's best player in five minute bursts here and there.

As illuminating and electrifying as those bursts were, he was nowhere close to being Down's best player in any year he played for the county.

Well, that's a fair comment about Mooney. He was always like that, even as far back as St Colman's. There was a lot of time you wouldn't even know he was on the pitch, then suddenly he'd score a goal and a few points in five minutes. But that could be the winning of the game.

Now I get what you are saying, but his five minute performances were often something that no one else could do. As you say he was the best player for five minute bursts but at least when those bursts came along they were the best minutes anyone on the team played.

So could Laverty perhaps get work rate out of him and increase those bursts? Even perhaps an impact sub?

If it's just workrate that's the problem and not talent then it would be pity to through the baby out with the bathwater, no?

[Targetman]

He'd be a good man to organise a session when the Grand National comes around! Time to move on

[Lotto]

Jimmy still winning matches