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Excellent performance last night and fully worth the win.  Defence looking alot more solid, which has been helped by going back to basics with the same midfield as last year and getting Robertson in for Kerkez. 

Wirtz playing off the left last night allowed to get him in the team without disrupting the balance of the midfield.  His better performances have been in Europe so Slot may bring Gakpo in on Sunday. 

Szobozlai has really stepped it on this year, which may have something to do with the signing of Wirtz as at the start of the season I would have thought he would been the player to make way. 

Fair play to Lough, didn't see it coming and could have been a lot larger than final margin was.

The O'Kane error kept Trillick in touching distance in first half. Cathal Donaghy was immense for them and came up with big scores and crucial times.

Was surprised at how loose the Trillick defence was, particularly in 1st half.

What age is Cathal Donaghy would he be worth a extended run for Tyrone in league this year? Five points from midfield in County final some going. 

I hadn't realised Newbridge had already played and defeated Dunloy. Fair play to them.

Madden have the resources to give Ulster a rattle but it's always a big ask for a team in uncharted/bonus territory. Same for Loughmacrory. Kilcoo dispatched of a serious Carryduff outfit, they and Scotstown stand out for me

They would need to a: not go on a bender for 2 weeks and b: be braver, the amount of times Grimley was telling them all to slow down and the amount of running attacks only to stop abruptly and kick back to the 45, their saving grace yesterday was Cullyhanna were brutal.

Their attacks seemed very organised to me when there was a slow build up. They loaded up their bigger men inside and kept their good ball carriers the like of Smyth, McMullan and shooters like Conor Grimley outside the arc then came at pace.  Given the conditions it probably wasn't a day to be kicking the ball off the boot quickly to the inside men.

Kilcoo will destroy them.

Considering Kilcoo face no opposition coming through Down they will be well rested. Do they even celebrate winning the county title? A farce

They should have been beat in semi final and won the quarter final by two points so think that's a bit unfair.  Carryduff would have thought they had a right chance in final too given how comprehensive their semi final was. 

Hoping for a good game on Sunday, think Madden's greater hunger will drive them on. Gives showers for the day hopefully doesn't distract too much, not sure anyone on Cullyhanna capable of marking McMullan against Clann Eireann his marker looked out on his feet before the end of the first half trying to keep up.  Nugent will have someone to mark him at this game instead of batter and mouth to him.

Was thinking could we see McQuillan and McMullan on each other? 2 brilliant footballers to watch. Best of luck to both teams and hopefully it's a good game, some great lads on both sides that I'd be delighted to see get their medals.

It wouldn't be a road I would go down if was in the Cullyhanna camp, they will need McQuillan's athleticism and x factor going the other way for me if they are to win the game. 

I didn't see the game in Cullyhanna earlier in the championship, but from what I heard it was one Madden left behind them and they didn't have McMullan playing that day.  Pearse Casey will be a big loss from a leadership point of view from that game from a Cullyhanna perspective. 

Cullyhanna through their AI run will have more experience of the big occasion and a few lads that played in 2013/2016 finals.  I always find that Madden seem to suit the underdog tag a bit better in the past would love to see them win, great to see a new name on cup either way. 

[Dundee-Celtic.]

£19 to watch Clonoe-Eglish in an Intermediate final.
Same day: £14 for day pass SKY... Spurs-Aston Villa.. Liverpool-Man Utd.. Dundee-Celtic.
If you're from Clonoe or Eglish you'd be at the final...
It must be aimed at our diaspora in US, Australia, Britain etc.
As much as I love GAA.. I'll not be paying that. Outrageous..

You be badly stuck on a Sunday to watch that!

Middletown and Clonmore have to do it all again. Poor enough match for the neutral with both teams defences on top. Middletown were slow to get their rhythm going but I reckon they'll be a bit sharper in the replay and part of me thinks Clonmore have missed the boat.

The intermediate final was a bit more entertaining, have to feel really sorry for St Paul's, perennial bridesmaids. Well done to Sarsfields though, some stalwarts in that team that were well well deserving of a medal. Most other small clubs would wither away into obscurity but Sarsfields over the past 10/15 years or so have shown great resilience to continue challenging for or at senior level.

Heard middletown have a young player dara 'dazzler' mullan set to make his championship debut on saturdqay for the final. Watched the half time show during the last game, and he astonished me. Very high quality at half time, dont see any reason why he shouldnt be making an appearance for the county at 20sor senior level even. Is miles clear of stefan campbell who just retired from county duties, could deffo fill that gap

Oh no not an import off the Tyrone club thread. 

Made the mistake of watching the NI v Ger game on BBC.  There's one eyed commentary and then there's Stephen Craigan and Uncle Thomas Kane
[/quote
Craigan was absolutely awful on co comms so blatantly biased with Kane feeding into the narrative at times.

[How he was ever considered to be on the team of officials beggars belief. Concocted a match report after a minor c'ship game earlier in the yr full of lies to get them suspended & was caught out lying as one of them was mic'd up & recorded him. They wer cleared but no action against Conroy.]

Never seen a more arrogant cocky asshole in my life than Martin Conroy, a complete disgrace

Martins work for the weekend was already done. Shafted Cookstown yday with a 2 up breach near the end that never was (one of three he made against them + a black card)

How he was ever considered to be on the team of officials beggars belief. Concocted a match report after a minor c'ship game earlier in the yr full of lies  to get them suspended & was caught out lying as one of them was mic'd up & recorded him. They wer cleared but no action against Conroy.

To even think he cud act with impartiality yday is insane.

That's one of the most ridiculous conspiracy theories I've heard. If that was the case surely he shouldn't be allowed to referee? More than happy to be proven wrong.

It happened. Dog on the street knows this 1. Made a complete show of himself down in Clonoe & then told lies in his report not knowing the had recorded all

Is there any reason why he a referee in both Tyrone and Armagh?

Simple facts are Burns kicked a manager out of the gaa for alleged incidents (even though he may be guilty) but burns allows a player who is being taken to court for actual sexual assult to still play for his club.


Horrendous look for Burns, Armagh and the Gaa.

Not sure what else Armagh could have done in circumstances. Burns over stepped the mark in relation to RG and has left himself wide open to criticism.

Absolutely innocent until proven guilty.

Now, why's he off the county panel?

The alleged incident was involving a partner of a player on panel and was going bring unnecessary noise within camp I would guess.

[We all seen what the general public opinion was after the RG allegations came out.]

What was Gallagher found guilty of? Or charged with? Now, maybe Burns did write to Cullyhanna like he did with Naas, but surely we'd have heard something by now. He felt it inappropriate to have Gallagher anywhere near the game, despite there being no prosecution. In Nugent's case, he's been charged with some pretty heinous stuff and is awaiting trial, but not a peep from Burns about his fellow Armagh man less than five minutes up the road?

To be crystal clear, I think Derry 100% did the right thing. There was no way he could have continued in his position.

Jarlath  left himself wide open with the Gallagher thing. Now every misdemeanour (or alleged misdemeanour) from a player/coach  , people will ask, why not go after X or  Y, like you did with Gallagher ? (As we see now   with Nugent )

 We  all seen what the  general public opinion was   after the RG allegations came out. I think Jarlath  was more interested in "to be seen to be doing the right thing"    rather than  abiding   by any GAA rules or the law

Well this was my original question, and why I was surprised to see that he's lining out. Given public opinion so quickly swung against Gallagher, I asked was nobody in Armagh so much as raising an eyebrow about Nugent. Armagh18, despite his previous position on Gallagher, adamantly maintains that nope, it's not an issue in the county at all. Is that really true?

What was Gallagher found guilty of? Or charged with? Now, maybe Burns did write to Cullyhanna like he did with Naas, but surely we'd have heard something by now. He felt it inappropriate to have Gallagher anywhere near the game, despite there being no prosecution. In Nugent's case, he's been charged with some pretty heinous stuff and is awaiting trial, but not a peep from Burns about his fellow Armagh man less than five minutes up the road?

To be crystal clear, I think Derry 100% did the right thing. There was no way he could have continued in his position.

Jarlath  left himself wide open with the Gallagher thing. Now every misdemeanour (or alleged misdemeanour) from a player/coach  , people will ask, why not go after X or  Y, like you did with Gallagher ? (As we see now   with Nugent )

 We  all seen what the  general public opinion was   after the RG allegations came out. I think Jarlath  was more interested in "to be seen to be doing the right thing"    rather than  abiding   by any GAA rules or the law

Well this was my original question, and why I was surprised to see that he's lining out. Given public opinion so quickly swung against Gallagher, I asked was nobody in Armagh so much as raising an eyebrow about Nugent. Armagh18, despite his previous position on Gallagher, adamantly maintains that nope, it's not an issue in the county at all. Is that really true?

He was removed from the Armagh panel with immediate effect after the allegations. Cullyhanna as a club have decided to stick by their member on the basis of innocent to proven guilty which they are entitled to do.

So just to clarify then, CE won't be winning Ulster, no?

Not unless the ladies do. Fair shock losing to Madden but McCambridge a huge loss.

If Cross beat Cullyhanna I fancy them to have enough for Madden, Cross/Cullyhanna game tough to call.

Dan McCarthy was an understated loss also their best forward during the league.

Cullyhanna would need improve immeasurably to beat Cross tonight. From their intermediate win have lost Casey and a few older players a year older. They didn't seem like a team that believed they could beat cross last year when they where there for the taking.

I'm nearly sure I heard ones from another club saying the league cup is plain useless and winning is worth diddely squat!

 

The League Cup may be the fourth most important competition for the Liverpool's, Man City's, Chelsea's and Arsenal's of the world but with no realistic chance of winning the league and no European football it is one of two competitions that Man United should have been trying to go deep in. 

[You're right - those wins shouldn't count /s]

Senne Lammens had a very promising debut at the weekend. Stopped the shots and commanded the box.
If the keeper issue is now sorted, the club need to go all out and sign Adam Wharton to bottom out on the central midfield problem.
Once that's done, Utd are as good as any of the title chasing teams.

Amazing what a win at home to a newly promoted team can do. 

The three wins they have got in the league two at home to newly promoted teams and one playing a team with 10 men for basically the full game 2-0 up when the ref evened things up. 

You're right - those wins shouldn't count /s

Like I tell our young lads, don't get too high over a win, don't get too low over a loss. With Manchester United it is the opposite of that - for our own supporters and opposition fans/media etc.

Hated, adored, never ignored.

Top half should be the target for United this year, maybe nick a place in Europe.

Didn't say that they shouldn't count but to claim they are an Adam Wharton away from being able to compete with the top sides is a nonsense. 

So far this year they've beaten teams at the bottom of the league, lost to teams at the top and are currently mid table. And improving their midfield, widely recognised to be lacking, won't take them closer to competing with the top sides? Doesn't sound all that nonsensical to me.

"Utd are as good as any of the title chasing teams."

Better players than Adam Wharton have failed miserably at United. You are talking about a hypothetical situation anyway he doesn't play for United and may never do. 

They are miles off City, Liverpool and Arsenal and that's without having to compete on the European front. (Also out of the League Cup to mighty Grimsby Town a competition they should have been targeting to go deep in)