Ulster Senior Football Final 17th July - Derry v Donegal

[playerfit]

We'll never know if Derry would have won that game had the penalty not been given but for anyone to argue that Donegal won emphatically anyway, they just don't understand football.  Once Donegal get a lead on you, they are impossible to play against.  Once they got the four point lead up, they withdrew even more men behind the ball.  Derry hadn't been gung ho up until about 45 minutes in and they had contained the Donegal forward line rightly.  0-05 apiece at half time was maybe even harsh on Derry, who were the better side in the final 20 minutes of the half.  The goal gave them a lead and as time went on, Derry had to throw more and more men forward.  Donegal's counter attacks were excellent and they kicked a few brilliant scores but they were benefited hugely by the space that was created in the Derry defence by them needing to go forward and try to get back in the game.  Donegal would not have won by six points if they hadn't been given that penalty, they might not have won at all because they hadn't looked like scoring a goal either.

+1

[J70]

We'll never know if Derry would have won that game had the penalty not been given but for anyone to argue that Donegal won emphatically anyway, they just don't understand football.  Once Donegal get a lead on you, they are impossible to play against.  Once they got the four point lead up, they withdrew even more men behind the ball.  Derry hadn't been gung ho up until about 45 minutes in and they had contained the Donegal forward line rightly.  0-05 apiece at half time was maybe even harsh on Derry, who were the better side in the final 20 minutes of the half.  The goal gave them a lead and as time went on, Derry had to throw more and more men forward.  Donegal's counter attacks were excellent and they kicked a few brilliant scores but they were benefited hugely by the space that was created in the Derry defence by them needing to go forward and try to get back in the game.  Donegal would not have won by six points if they hadn't been given that penalty, they might not have won at all because they hadn't looked like scoring a goal either.

Fair points, but I haven't seen anyone argue otherwise. I do think this Donegal team would have made a far better fist of it had they conceded the goal when Derry did, just like they did when five points down against Tyrone. And let's not forget Derry pulled Donegal back in the first half when three down.

[sheamy]

It was not a pen whatever way you take it. Full stop. Anyway, the fcking ball was wide by the time Murphy was near Devlin.

We can be subjective watching a slow mo replay and argue this and that. What is beyond question is that there is no way in the world that Laois clown saw it from 60 yards away. That's what Brennan is very rightly annoyed about. I wonder if Deegan has met him yet 

[J70]

You Derry lads who are still crying about the Donegal penalty should cop on. It was the correct decision. You were unlucky with the one you weren't given, and IF it had been scored, you MIGHT have got back into the game, although given the ineptness of your attacking play to that point I wouldn't have bet on it. Overall though, Donegal were well deserving winners.

although most likely biased, as a qualified referee I most def wouldnt have given it. Prob wouldnt have given the Derry one either. Also speaking to many other refs, and reading listening to many pundits/ex players in the media - more than half of them wouldnt have given it.

On the radio driving home from clones, Ross car would have given both, but Sean o'Domhnaill and MJ tierney criticised the ref for giving it.

Either way it doesnt matter now.Deegan gave it and the game is over.

On what basis would you not have given either? The Derry one, if it was shoulder to shoulder, fair enough, but it looked high. The Donegal one was a clear trip by the Derry keeper when he dove in for the ball and missed. Don't see where the room for the doubt is, honestly!

is this the 'there was contact' craic that many were on about earlier on in the thread ?
that applies to soccer only.
These kinds of challenges happen all the time in contesting for posession (mainly kickouts) at midfield - rarely are there frees given for that.
as a ref , I woldnt have given (the donegal one) , a a player I wouldnt have expected ta free for this when I was playing. Former and current players on the radio immediately afterwards also though the same !
obv we (and many more) will continue to disagree on this !

We're not talking about mere 'contact' though. But anyway, we'll agree to disagree. I'm convinced Deegan was right. And that I'd feel occasionally aggrieved if I was being refereed by yourself!

[George Foreman]

We'll never know if Derry would have won that game had the penalty not been given but for anyone to argue that Donegal won emphatically anyway, they just don't understand football.  Once Donegal get a lead on you, they are impossible to play against.  Once they got the four point lead up, they withdrew even more men behind the ball.  Derry hadn't been gung ho up until about 45 minutes in and they had contained the Donegal forward line rightly.  0-05 apiece at half time was maybe even harsh on Derry, who were the better side in the final 20 minutes of the half.  The goal gave them a lead and as time went on, Derry had to throw more and more men forward.  Donegal's counter attacks were excellent and they kicked a few brilliant scores but they were benefited hugely by the space that was created in the Derry defence by them needing to go forward and try to get back in the game.  Donegal would not have won by six points if they hadn't been given that penalty, they might not have won at all because they hadn't looked like scoring a goal either.

Fair points, but I haven't seen anyone argue otherwise. I do think this Donegal team would have made a far better fist of it had they conceded the goal when Derry did, just like they did when five points down against Tyrone. And let's not forget Derry pulled Donegal back in the first half when three down.

Donegal might have made a better fist of it because Derry wouldn't have gone into super-defensive mode.  I know Derry were three down in the first half but going so defensive when you're three up and there are still 55 minutes to play is suicide.  Going ultra defensive when you're four up with 25 minutes to go, knowing that Derry will need a goal, is how you win, provided you just keep the thing ticking over with an odd point.  Forgot to say that it was never a penalty.  Not in a million years.

[DennistheMenace]

A) If that was a penalty it is a sorry state our game is in

B) Why did he not consult his linesmen before making the decision

C) No chance the ref saw it from were he was, he might as well have been in Creightons he was that far away.

[skeog]

dry your eyes what about a certain tyrone ref robbing donegal a few years ago when he disallowed a donegal score for a square infrigement so what goes around goes around

[EC Unique]

Time you Derry wans buit a bridge.

[playerfit]

dry your eyes what about a certain tyrone ref robbing donegal a few years ago when he disallowed a donegal score for a square infrigement so what goes around goes around

Eh? How is what a TYRONE ref did relevant to a game between DERRY and DONEGAL

[tbrick18]

dry your eyes what about a certain tyrone ref robbing donegal a few years ago when he disallowed a donegal score for a square infrigement so what goes around goes around

Eh? How is what a TYRONE ref did relevant to a game between DERRY and DONEGAL

Think he's talking about a disallowed goal in the 1998 final.....though what that has to do with this game is beyond me. Though I wonder in 13 years time will we still be bringing up the penalty incidents in this final....it must have stung . Sure Brolly blew a few kisses to ease the pain that day

There's no doubt in my mind that the penalty awarded to Donegal was wrong. If the level of "foul" committed here was worthy of a penalty then Donegal could have had about 4 men on the line with the dragging down of Derry players in our own half had yellows been issued when they should have been for persistent fouling. Consistency is a word often used to describe a referee's performance....and Deegan was indeed consistent. Consistently bad start to finish. The two big calls in the game he got wrong......and I believe had he got them right we'd have been looking at a very different 2nd half. That doesnt even bring into account his lenience shall we say towards some of the tackling.
Man for man, the players derry had on the pitch on Sunday were just as good as those for Donegal. The difference was that Donegal play a style of game that is very difficult to play against, the elements suited Donegal better than us and the referee got the big calls wrong. Had he got them right, I still wouldn't go as far as saying we'd have won, but he definitely contributed to the outcome of the game more than a referee should have.

People talk about bad losers....I'm not sore about losing as I think we have done a lot better this year already than anyone expected us too. I haven't yet seen any Derry poster complain about the result, only about the performance of the referee with particular emphasis on the two penalty calls.

Donegal deserve their victory and I wish them well and I think they could go far, though there are some bad winners on here.

[J70]

"Some bad winners"

There's obviously  a difference of opinion on the Donegal penalty, but I haven't seen anyone boasting or gloating.

[skeog]

what i mean is derry won as a result of a dodgy ref decision in 1998 and donegal repeated the dose on derry in 2011 to even the score

[tbrick18]

what i mean is derry won as a result of a dodgy ref decision in 1998 and donegal repeated the dose on derry in 2011 to even the score

Well I wouldnt be too sure of it being a bad decision...there's a clip of it on the bbc site at the minute and it still looks like a square ball to me. In saying that though, IMO Derry were the better side that day just didnt take their scores and actually should have went on to win the all-ireland only for a panic attack against Galway.
This time around Donegal were marginally the better side due to the style of football they play and they did seem hungrier on the day and after 19 years I couldn't begrudge them the title, but that doesnt change the fact that the penalty decisions were wrong and you've all but confirmed that you also believe them to be wrong.

[glens abu]

"Some bad winners"

There's obviously  a difference of opinion on the Donegal penalty, but I haven't seen anyone boasting or gloating.

Your right it was a penalty as thats the way the ref seen it,there are crying Derry wans on this board who will make everyy excuse under the sun rather than admit it was a poor team performance,Brennan will get a few games grace and then they will turn on him next.Just you enjoy a fine victory and a well deserved Ulster title.Good luck in your quest for Sam.

[sheamy]

"Some bad winners"

There's obviously  a difference of opinion on the Donegal penalty, but I haven't seen anyone boasting or gloating.

Your right it was a penalty as thats the way the ref seen it,there are crying Derry wans on this board who will make everyy excuse under the sun rather than admit it was a poor team performance,Brennan will get a few games grace and then they will turn on him next.Just you enjoy a fine victory and a well deserved Ulster title.Good luck in your quest for Sam.

Just make sure Baker Bradley gets his money this month. And a big bonus too. A fine job done all round