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New pitch and floodlights but nothing else has changed. Still the same huge potholes and lack of lighting on the lane up to the ground which prob needs sorted for future nightime games.

A great venue although slightly disappointing crowd last night. Factor it was on tv didn't help. Tyrone not going well obviously had an impact also.
As regards the lane you refer to, that belongs privately to a neighbouring farmer - Clarkes don't own it and can't do anything about it as far as I am aware. If you come from the town side to the ground, there is ample parking and always well stewarded in fairness.
There were a few big club championship games there recently and everything ran perfectly regards access, parking etc 

In no other top county would a player that has featured in every game just decide to walk off the panel in mid February. Meanwhile Armagh, Tyrone, Donegal all have massive panels and everyone seems happy. I thought he looked very good for a man that had never played county and was looking forward to seeing him on the harder ground.

Believe me, not every player on every county panel is happy - far from it.

In addition, there are plenty in those 3 counties you refer to who won't commit therefore are not on the county panels.

The commitment required nowadays is enormous - practically full time.

Yeah, stand only half full. Weather not too bad.

You are generous. Stand only 1/3 full. Was on opposite side freezing. Bad atmosphere, bad venue, bad opponents - sums up today.

There will be a bigger crowd at most league games in round 1 of the ACL when it kicks off in May time. Honestly much better supported at club level

I assume Mcgeary is leaving his club as well and going to Armagh? Poor form.

McGeary is basically vindicating that Dook decision is correct? He is not good enough....

If he felt he was hard done by then stick around, prove Dook wrong and show that over the next few years in U20 or senior set up.......

In my opinion, he has took the easy option and switched allegiance

Dook's judgement good enough for me. Plenty of good forwards in the panel - Ruairi McCullagh, Shay McDermott, Tiernan Loughran, Turluc Muldoon, Karol Wawrinkievic, Darragh Donaghy, Conal Sheehy, Darragh Devlin

Derry ought to be the team to beat this year at u20. Seriously impressive back to back minor team to contend with

Still we should give it a good rattle.

The dook doesn't pay attention to reputation or past form. He goes on what he sees here and now. A ruthless man

Both Leo Hughes & Liam Lawn were on last years panel and if stories are correct, dropped for this year.

Dook record speaks for itself, all trophies won with a variety of back room teams but the same man leading the show - fair play to him

There are now 16 colleges in sigerson now as opposed to 8 when it was a weekend competition

But surely they could play through the first couple of rounds as they do now, get it down to the last 8 and play it on the first free NFL weekend (this year that would be this weekend)

For 50% of the players, it will only be one game anyway but imagine the football all played at one venue/college/town over the 3 days....personally I think they need to start and reconsider that type weekend again. Then get the PR - social media - profile all properly managed and get the competition the prestige it deserves.

The way the format/calendar is at the moment it is only diluting the competition especially when players are under pressure from all sides....let them play sigerson as first priority.

The format of the draw is actually a very good one - think the All Ireland series this year is the exact same idea.

First off great win at the death. Some balls from Flynn to go for that score , up until last year the lack of confidence would have made no one want to take it. That been said for me the score of the game was Kinsella looking up seeing keeper out and lobbing him for the goal. Some nordie on sg saying it was fortuitous (bs) he went for it, if that had been Clifford or con they'd be praising it for weeks.
Anyway we nearly left it behind us , some shocking wides . Cavan in fairness  gave it everything, and the ref in fairness tried his best for them too. But it wasn't to be. I've a funny feeling they will stay up. On the other games Derry winning wasn't a real shock think Tyrone are in a bit of disarray between the old established players and blending in the new lads, a hard act to juggle in such a competitive division.
Our bogey team is next up, the dreaded Louth on Valentine's Day. Terrible record against them over last couple of years, that been said a small bit of revenge will I believe happen.
Looking further ahead while not getting carried away I think promotion is definitely on, Kildare are going very well and the players seem to be playing for their management which they weren't previously (bit like ourselves) and we could have a double Leinster promotion, cork as always are a enigma , but I just think we can beat them. But everything said it's division 2 anything can and could happen.
Hon the royal

Ref tried his best? Ah now, he was fairly level and let the game go.

Ahh he gave Cavan some very easy frees same thing happened to a Meath player he waved play on unless it's was blatant.

Ah come on now he didn't, watched it back and he was very even in interpretation to both sides

.
I'll give you one example. Late on in game Cavan player (name escapes me ) put his fist up for an advance mark ref blew whistle so he saw it. Player just passed ball without taking the mark Cavan got a point. By any reading of the rules that was wrong and should have been a throw ball at least

If you go by the correct rules (never mind any other reading) then you are wrong. Player can call advance mark, still play on, then called back if no advantage obtained.

f**k the negativity Shane still kept trying to the last!

Yeah we fell over the line but not winning for a year was always going to contribute to that. In truth we were dominant throughout with all our big players doing well Clucky CG, Paudie, CD, McKinless, Rogers, Ethan and Murray when he got the ball. I couldn't fault any man really.

Darragh Canavan will be waking up in a cold sweat thinking about McKinless the next time they draw us!!

I thought McKinless marked McElholm and Clucky marked Canavan.

Clucky is a quality defender, very few if any come out on top against him

Lucky to only lose by 3

Derry butchered a few goal chances and missed 2/3 45's....Tyrone wasteful too at times but don't remember a clear cut chance whereby we opened Derry up

Endemic of the Malachy era. As was mentioned by a few on here pre game there just doesn't seem to be apparent style of play. It seemed to rely on getting to ball to Canavan or McElhom in the second half to do anything.

There's a lot of talent in the squad and we should be getting far more out of the team right now.

Joey Clarke and Jordan had fantastic debuts. Cassidy showed up well. Donaghy and Conroy really poor.

Morgan had a horror show out there. McKernan and Donaghy were miles off it too.

Strange game. Personally I thought Cassidy had a good game also until another man told me his direct opponent hit 0-9, albeit there was at least 1 two pointer in that plus a free kick but I feel sorry for Cassidy.
Has played 99.9% of his career in the inside line then all of a sudden put in the HBL at county level - very strange.

Only the Donaghmore men will know but I would be shocked to hear if he has ever played in defence for them at any level from U12 upwards, never mind their senior team.

I wonder how the sub defenders feel when a player who doesn't play defence gets a start ahead of them.

In the old rules, you could understand it (possibly) but under the new rules it is all 1v1 and the defender must be able to defend. Any defender has little or no cover most of the time unless the play is slowed up but if the play is sharp and fast (as the rules were designed for) then the defender must be able to defend 1v1.

Cassidy deserves a run in the position in which he is best at - up front. He is a quality forward and deserves the opportunity to show it

In things that'll never happen, it would be nice to see McKernans directness given a go at 11

I can see where you're coming from but players like that are often better coming from a deeper position. I remember Armagh tried it with Aaron Kernan and it never really worked albeit they are slightly different players.

McKernan was our best player by a distance last season. His injury was a disaster for us.

McKernan has been our best player by a distance for the last 2/3 seasons. Arguably should have got an All Star before now

I see a lot of ones talking about "6" contenders for div2 the year.
Who are the 6? I could probably name 10 who'd have there eye on silverware

Pomeroy followed by Moy. Then Gortin, Greencastle, Beragh and Rock.
Derrylaughan will struggle without Carney's scores.

Surely Carney will be back from injury before the start of the league?

Are we all just going to ignore the massive elephant in the room with al this talk of Hampsey returning?

I think the man has alot more on his plate to deal with first.

Lots of rumours circulating around him, once he gets himself sorted he will be back no doubt. Still one of best players and a great leader.

What are these rumours? He was training with Tyrone pre game at the weekend

Well then, there is no issue, move on.

Apparently 9 of the panel are ineligible to play tomorrow evening.

Wouldn't have happened in mickeys day

According to the Irish News our opponents Monaghan have 11 men who are at various colleges still involved in sigerson not playing tomorrow

Management 2026

Senior / Division 1

Ardboe - TOMMY MCGUIGAN, BIG JOHN & FABIAN MULDOON
Carrickmore - Gerry Donnelly & Ciaran McAleer
Coalisland - Damian O'Hagan, Peter Donnelly & Peter Herron
Clonoe - KEVIN MADDEN, JASON BURNS, MATTY BRADY
Donaghmore - Fergal Logan & Paddy Bradley
Eglish - Colm Bradley & Aiden McElroy
Dromore - Eoin McCusker, Paddy Montague, Brian McIvor & Paul McFlynn.
Dungannon - JAMES SLATER + GER CAVLAN
Edendork - Brian McGuckin
Errigal Ciaran - Enda McGinley
Galbally - Ruairi Lavery
Killyclogher - Dominic Corrigan
Loughmacrory - Mark McCullagh & Ryan Keenan
Moortown - MICHAEL HASSON
Omagh - Justin McMahon & Dean O'Neill
Trillick - Peter McGinnity & Richard Thornton

Intermediate / Division 2

Aghaloo - Minty O'Hagan
Aghyaran -
Beragh - Chris Kelly
Cookstown - Jason Quinn & Barry Hughes
Clogher -
Derrylaughan -
Drumquin - Des Tracey
Greencastle - Ronan McAlinden & Peter McKeever
Gortin - Kevin McCullagh, Nigel McCarron & Diarmuid McNulty
Kildress - Sean Murtagh & Phillip McKenna.
Killeeshil -
Moy -
Naomh Eoghan - Eamon Kavanagh & Macartan McKenna
Owen Roes - Barry Tracey
Pomeroy -
Rock - PAUL CONEY & Adrian Nugent

Junior / Division 3

Augher - Tommy Bloomer
Derrytresk - Kyle Coney
Drumragh - Shane Cleary
Eskra - Kevin Gallagher
Fintona - Conor O'Donnell & Cathal McCarron
Glenelly - Conleth Donnelly
Stewartstown -
Strabane -

Brackaville -
Brocagh -
Castlederg -
Clann na nGael -
Donaghmore III -
Errigal Ciaran III -
Killyman - Chris McCann & Daire Toman
Omagh III -
Tattyreagh - Stevie Ferguson and Declan Armstrong
Urney -

I had assumed the whole idea around the extra 2 starred games was to allow the league to start earlier and if the 20's went well then we play the starred games and start at the end of April - early May period.

We cannot be holding up the ACL due to U20's again....we don't even hold up the league for senior county albeit it is the starred game process we use.

Imagine the scenario whereby Tyrone Senior and U20 lose early in April - what do we do then? Wait until the designated start date in late May.

Club teams will have planned around the mid/late May start date and it would be unfair to suddenly say we are starting mid/end April if both county teams lose.

If the seniors get beat by Armagh on April 12, then they have a 5/6 week wait until their next game.....but still no club football. Crazy situation

Surely we use the starred games to compensate for both senior and u20 teams and start the ACL in mid-late April and continue with up to 7 starred games with a staggered schedule rather than week on week.

Be completely ridiculous to ask clubs to play without their Seniors and U20s. Be crippling for some clubs - Loughmacrory for example be down about 8 players.
You want to be playing football in the best months of the year - May, June, July, August and September - that is what we have. Can't understand the push to get playing in April.

Fair point on teams like the Lough etc who would be missing a lot of players. I accept that is not feasible then to play starred games without 20's.

However, imagine the scenario whereby the U20's don't progress far and the seniors lose to Armagh - do we then waste 4/5/6 weeks with no football because the start date is end of May?