Down Club Hurling & Football

[Lecale2]

Biilly Joe Padden came on as a sub for Armagh. What's that all about?

[dodgy umpire]

Biilly Joe Padden came on as a sub for Armagh. What's that all about?

He looked about a stone too heavy. Was great to see Liam Doyle get a run out again and I thought Devlin showed well throughout

[superblues]

thought carr was down best player by far duffin had a steady game maginn i thought was good he never gaves the ball away clarke was afraid to shoot in the first 20 Min's he was taking Scoreable frees short was hard to watch but thats what makes him so good he does not let it get to him and was very good after that and him going off is probably why we lost

[redandblackareback]

Ladies and gentlemen dont fret.. its the middle of january.. lot of work to do and it will be done! Come the end of May I have no doubt we ll win comfortably, there is more tactical know how in wee james left boot than there is in o rourke and his whole managerial outfit... Plus him celebrating on the line at the end when Armagh got the winning score was completely embarrassing and def over the top, he ll have some cheek to ever call himself a Down man again. 

[whitegoodman]

u r a clown

POR has done more for down football than u could ever dream of doing.  Because he celebrated a winning score he cant call himself a down man again?!?  Perhaps he is a man under pressure this year, perhaps he thinks a good positive start to the year is essential for how the rest of the year is going to go.  It was apparant that Armagh were looking at this game in a more serious light than down, hence his celebration at the end.  He has a job to do with Armagh, let him get on with it and anything he does with them shouldnt detract from what he did for down.

[superblues]

+1 well said

[wavesofTORRES]

Thought young Devlin had a decent game has the ability for sure and will be a good addition when he develops physically. Some positives for Down but none in defense. What was the idea with McPolin at corner back? That wont work, as for Lavery I think its time to go back to the drawing board and plan without him. Re Billy Joe if he get rid of the mullet he should lose at least half a stone.

[whitegoodman]

Thought young Devlin had a decent game has the ability for sure and will be a good addition when he develops physically. Some positives for Down but none in defense. What was the idea with McPolin at corner back? That wont work, as for Lavery I think its time to go back to the drawing board and plan without him. Re Billy Joe if he get rid of the mullet he should lose at least half a stone.

lol noticed the mullet on billy joe myself, i wonder does he have insurance for that!!!

[Mid Down Gael]

Thought young Devlin had a decent game has the ability for sure and will be a good addition when he develops physically. Some positives for Down but none in defense. What was the idea with McPolin at corner back? That wont work, as for Lavery I think its time to go back to the drawing board and plan without him. Re Billy Joe if he get rid of the mullet he should lose at least half a stone.

Laverty made many great contributions in last years league campaign so to judge him on a wet night when he only was given 10 minutes game time and to say plan without him is a very cheap remark and assessment. Paul McPolin is not a corner back and was severly tested by the experianced Brian Mallon. He is a tenacious player but very small for a defender at this level, he has always played at half forward for Clonduff. I think the younger lads should be training with the under 21s until after their campaign and be allowed time to develop and this would also assist the under 21 management in preparation for their championship in Mid March. Then maybe bring in the best of these lads and let them work with the seniors.

[redandblackareback]

u r a clown see last line
POR has done more for down football than u could ever dream of doing.  Because he celebrated a winning score he cant call himself a down man again?!?  Perhaps he is a man under pressure this year, perhaps he thinks a good positive start to the year is essential for how the rest of the year is going to go.  It was apparant that Armagh were looking at this game in a more serious light than down, hence his celebration at the end.  He has a job to do with Armagh, let him get on with it and anything he does with them shouldnt detract from what he did for down.

Your almost certainly right that he has done more than I ever will but as a loyal supporter I am fully entitled to my opinion as much as you are. Maybe por should remember what Down done for him and the profile it give him to strike up a successful business in the county... There is respect and dignity you have when certain situations arise in the game, his celebration in last years national league final was again over the top.. maybe he should look at the way our current manager conducts himself,with respect and dignity and it was in great evidence after we beat kerry and kildare none of this fist pumping and jumping in the air which o rourke showed plenty of on the last two occassions we have met.. Unfortunately no I dont work in a circus or at childrens parties whitegoodman 

[mournerambler]

u r a clown see last line
POR has done more for down football than u could ever dream of doing.  Because he celebrated a winning score he cant call himself a down man again?!?  Perhaps he is a man under pressure this year, perhaps he thinks a good positive start to the year is essential for how the rest of the year is going to go.  It was apparant that Armagh were looking at this game in a more serious light than down, hence his celebration at the end.  He has a job to do with Armagh, let him get on with it and anything he does with them shouldnt detract from what he did for down.

Your almost certainly right that he has done more than I ever will but as a loyal supporter I am fully entitled to my opinion as much as you are. Maybe por should remember what Down done for him and the profile it give him to strike up a successful business in the county... There is respect and dignity you have when certain situations arise in the game, his celebration in last years national league final was again over the top.. maybe he should look at the way our current manager conducts himself,with respect and dignity and it was in great evidence after we beat kerry and kildare none of this fist pumping and jumping in the air which o rourke showed plenty of on the last two occassions we have met.. Unfortunately no I dont work in a circus or at childrens parties whitegoodman 

Catch yourself on you idiot, that is the most ridiculous comment I have read for a long long time.

[wavesofTORRES]

Come off it MDG how is that a cheap shot at Lavery. I believe he is one of the most outstanding forwards in the county at club level and would love to have him at our club but I feel he has been consistently under power at county level due mainly to his natural physique. I dont think he has the body that is going to respond to endless nights in the gym, and at county level it makes a difference. Put it like this if you wer to ask me who would I like to see with the ball in hand 30 metres from goal one on one with his defender at croke park i'd say Lavery all day because he has the pace to take any defender. Alas when you get to Croker that is not a position a forward often finds himself in. I did say I liked his clubmate Devlin you can see he is a class act and has the build that will fill out to an extent that will carry him in County games.
If it comes to a choice (which i'm not saying it will be or should be) between the two i'd take Devlin it is nothing personal against Lavery or Kilcoo ( i have many relations there) but if wee James takes both I hope i'm proved wrong.

[alba2]

redandblackareback is on slabbering again - somethings just never change.. then has the nerve to say its a discussion board and has the right to thier opinion - which is what everyone has... Maybe if you check back to the Down v Kerry game you will c at the end that wee James does indeed strike a pose when the final whistle went which suggested an air of cockyness taking his hat off and opening his arms as if he were a premiership goal scorer.. is that not a celebration? I think it is.  Why wouldnt Por celebrate at the end of a national league final when the team he is in charge of wins - anyone would - you weren slabbering in 03 when he was bounding along the line during the Ulster final.. Are you just ripping that Armagh beat us again and played better football for much of the game and were missing the services of their Crossmaglen players, Stevie Mc Donnell, Ronan Clarke, Andy Mallon Ciaran Mc Keever etc.  I was very frustrated last night that when Marty went off we seemed to be very one dimensional - get the ball to Benny (high, low or whatever way possible) which is what we used to do without success. Now while the genius scored 2 - 01 himself and looked real trim and lean and showeds glimpses of serious pace - he cant do it all on his own anymore. At least Clarke offers a different dimension to  the team. Lets hope that is the only time Armagh get to celebrate this yr against our boys - but im not so sure.

[John Martin]

Does anyone know the date which the leagues will start on this year?

It is usually around Easter but that is a couple of weeks later than usual this year.

[Dubh driocht]

Just in from a bloody cold Casement. Draw about fair for this friendly ( although no-one told James Colgan and Tomas Mc Cann).Aontroim were garbage in the first half and Baker Bradley must have been sleeping as Conor Lavery won 7 balls in a row.We should have been 15 points up at half-time it was that easy and clearly went to sleep in the second half. You hear rumours in the crowd of a serious heart-attack affecting a relative of squad member(s) but whatever reason we didn't turn up for the first 30 minutes of the second half (apart from an outrageous piece of chasing a lost cause by the wee man from Kilcoo who always gives 100%) and could easily have lost it bar a bit of magic from Benny and Marty. Kevin Mc Kernan is now officially barred from shooting at the Andytown Road posts .Colgan , who was one of the few defenders playing well, will miss the Mayo game but hard to get too excited about this competition.