Ulster Senior Football Final 17th July - Derry v Donegal

[HiMucker]

Can Derry kick long range points? That's one way of drawing packed defences out to play.

Hopefully we will have big performances from Muldoon, J Kielt, Mark Lynch and Skinner (if he is moved out the field a bit to run at the mob).  These lads can all score from big distances.

[lynchbhoy]

I tipped Donegal for the ulster final.
Still hard to see them being beaten. Defenses win championships in most sports.
The blanket defense can be beaten , but you need a team used to playing against it. Derry are not - well not yet at least.
Looking at the teams in the NFL encounter says a lot. Donegal knew and played their championship team from a long way back, Derry were still experimenting going into the Fermanagh game and dont have the same choesion or continuity that a championship winning side needs. We are a few games lacking yet in order to bring us up to this level.
Derry can kick long range points. Derry need to win midfield and kick long range points, plus keep their discipline to win this match. Those are all possible but aspects that Derry have came up short on this past decade.
Brennan will have a tactical plan to counter McGuinness's tactics - these may cancel each other out. Derry being able to carry out these tactics is another question and par tof the equation that Derry need to do right if we are to win.
I think we can win, but Donegal are massive favourites for this and are ahead in terms of their team development right now. Will be a very interesting game.
donegal by 25 points !

[RMDrive]

Lots of tactics from the Derry boys here  Talk us up why don't you!

This Donegal team scraped a Div 2 title, beat 2 poor teams in Antrim and Cavan and were gifted a place in the final by a Tyrone team who displayed an uncharacteristic inability to put us away when they could have. Our best player has been unable to get into games, our midfield win's very little ball and our mass defence is liable to be torn apart by a team that have the ability and confidence to kick long range points. While Derry have been getting plaudits for their attacking form (rightly so) they will be confident that they can stifle our FF line by deploying a sweeper and probably forcing Murphy out the field.

Derrys to lose.

[lynchbhoy]

Lots of tactics from the Derry boys here  Talk us up why don't you!

This Donegal team scraped a Div 2 title, beat 2 poor teams in Antrim and Cavan and were gifted a place in the final by a Tyrone team who displayed an uncharacteristic inability to put us away when they could have. Our best player has been unable to get into games, our midfield win's very little ball and our mass defence is liable to be torn apart by a team that have the ability and confidence to kick long range points. While Derry have been getting plaudits for their attacking form (rightly so) they will be confident that they can stifle our FF line by deploying a sweeper and probably forcing Murphy out the field.

Derrys to lose.

ahhh, the oul cute donegal boy hoorism surfaces !!!

having played for donegal in philadelphia, I know yer craic and dont buy that one wee bit !!

you beat three teams and have had a steady side since the mckenna cup.
you have beaten the reigning ulster champs.
yer side is backboned by last years beaten u21 ulster champs.

ya dont listen to jamsie o'donnell for a few years without developing a 'bullsith radar' !!


Is mark crossan stll playing with your club? A nice guy.

[donegal lad]

I think murphy will have a big say in the final was talking to him straight after the game against Tyrone and he wasn't happy with his own performance

[screenexile]

Was thinking about this game and it reminded me of a game we had a few years ago against Fermanagh . . . a very similar situation actually and I remember outlining my theories on how to beat the blanket and I don't think it has changed too much . . . what do ye reckon??

Three ways to combat this Max and I would use all three at various stages to try and get us through this game.

1. We have Gilligan, Lynch, Murphy Kielt, Skinner and Muldoon who are all capable of getting long range points. We play a mix of 2 on the HF line with them taking turns at drifting in and out of that area (although I would keep Lynch there full time)

2. We play a running game using men like Diver, Lynch and Conway  Sean Leo/Gerard O'Kane to break through tackles in the danger area and draw frees or else take the ball right up to Bradley so he can drop off and take his own score.

3. Early ball into Muldoon on top of the square and get the 2 lads to play off him. The main problem we had with this tactic in the past is lads just lumping ball into him without any thought behind it. The best ball to be played has to be floated in from a diagonal aiming for the 21 yard line in the middle of the pitch. Muldoon attacking a hanging ball is basically unstoppable as long as the referee gives him protection.

The reason I think we are so good this year is that we have all these attacking options available to us in any game, as well as the Bradley option for teams with aweak defence... my only worry is that we are not tactically aware enough to try and change our tactics when things aren't working. I hope I'm proved wrong this Sunday!

Anyway that day we didn't use ANY of those tactics and did not impose our play on Fermanagh or do anything to counter their style. The personnel are slightly different in defence but I still reckon we have a great chance against Donegal as their midfield is very suspect. . . We also have the fact that Brennan has the tactical nous along the line that we have previously been missing gives us a great chance!!

[J70]

Midfield would definitely be the area where I'd be very worried... we struggled majorly there for a lot of the Tyrone game, with them cleaning up all the breaks.

All the more reason Donegal might be extremely defensive in this game and rely on the likes of Hegarty and McHugh to lead the fast breaks when we (in theory) win the ball back from the overcrowded Derry men.

Anyone know what Christy Toye's status is at this stage? We could do with an in-form Toye in the midfield/half-forward area, running at Derry and taking scores.

[ck]

I tipped Tyrone to win easily last Sunday so what do I know but I think Donegal will beat Derry. Derry beat a nothing Fermanagh team followed by an Armagh team who were naive in the extreme in allowing the Derry forwards play as they wish. I agree with previous comments. Dradley and Lynch etc will be crowded out (look at Stephen O'Neill last week) and if Derry cannot play an open game I can't see them making any headway.

Brennan is old school and will try to play a more offensive game and has some marquee players, McGuinness is the most negative manager in the country and has some very average players who play the negative tactics to the extreme and with precision. Donegal to wear Derry down, frustrate and suck the life out of them and then kick on late in the game.

[The Stallion]

Derry to win comfortably.

I took a lot of criticism for predicting a comfortable victory over Armagh but was proved correct, and I see another easy win in the final.

Derry to score goals, dominate midfield and win by at least 5 or 6 points.

I'd advise all the Donegal supporters to stick a whack of money on Derry just to soften the blow of defeat.

[ck]

Derry to win comfortably.

I took a lot of criticism for predicting a comfortable victory over Armagh but was proved correct, and I see another easy win in the final.

Derry to score goals, dominate midfield and win by at least 5 or 6 points.

I'd advise all the Donegal supporters to stick a whack of money on Derry just to soften the blow of defeat.

Such tripe!
On what basis do you believe Derry will score goals? No team has scored goals against Donegal yet!
If Derry do win it'll not be comfortable cos they will have 13 players to get past to score!

[donegal lad]

Paddy mcbearty score 3.04 for his club  tonight in the senior championship all from play this should give him some added confidence ahead of the final

[drici]

Leo Mc Loone busted again.

[donegal lad]

drici were u at the game today heard it was a disgrace what happened

[drici]

drici were u at the game today heard it was a disgrace what happened

Was at Armagh v Antrim.
The word is out though.

[J70]

drici were u at the game today heard it was a disgrace what happened

Was at Armagh v Antrim.
The word is out though.

What's this all about?

Did McLoone do his ankle again? Or did he get a box from someone?