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Tyrone v Armagh is a third round game which is apparently already fixed for Omagh, so if there is going to be a fourth round double bill at Croke Park it would probably have to be Down v Cork and Kildare v the losers of Derry/Donegal. If Limerick and Wexford were happy to go somewhere like Portlaoise, it could happen. However, the decision is not likely until Monday.l

Apologies, I stand corrected, I forgot this was a 3rd round game! Surely though at Monday Lunch time the correct decision will be to take a re run of last years All Ireland Final to Croke Park!

Quick thought!! Double header at Croke Park with Tyrone v Armagh?? Probably a long shot but would certainly draw a big crowd!

Heard today that if Down win they'll play Cork in Croke Park in a double header with the winners of Meath/ Kildare v Ulster Final Losers.

Hope this is true, cus I feel on a big field we will take Cork apart.

Glen seemed to be going very well, whos takin them this year?

Jesus we got out of jail in Ennis today with thanks to my clubmate Conor Laverty who was awsome. It was heart stopping stuff in the last twenty minutes where Clare fought back and where unlucky not to snatch it at the death, only for Lavertys last gasp goal line clearance.
Down started brilliantly taking a 5 point lead, but couldnt sustain our early dominance going in one up at the interval. A similar pattern emerged in the second half when we dominated the early exchanges, but with our midfield non existent again we where always going to find it hard to rack up a big scoreline.
Last season our management got it right most of the time but are getting it wrong too often this term to date. We are continually being outplayed at midfield and changes for the better need to be made. King gave his all last year but is seriously struggling at present and needs dropped, Colgan has to be included here, even though unbelievableably he was left off the 26 today. The possibility of moving our best midfielder Dan Gordan to this problem area now has to be seriously considered.
Brendan McVeigh was poor today, kick outs straight out the middle while he was very suspect under the high ball, causing the Clare goal and not claiming the hail mary at the last which nearly resulted in a winning goal for the banner men.
I thought we defended rightly for long periods today, Gordan was solid, Brannigan marked diligently while Rooney put in a good shift. Benny McArdle was quiet but scored a wonderful right footed point midway throught the second half much to the delight of the large travelling support.
Clarke worked hard in the first half, ploughing a lone furrow in a position he is not accustomed too, although tired as the game wore on.
Liam Doyle played well on his return to the Down team, with good covering and brilliant use of posession. Caolan Mooney gave an impressive debut scoring a wonderful point and working tirelessly while McComiskey had a brilliant second half finishing with 4 points. Benny done rightly even though he still seems to be struggling with injury while Poland performed well with the exception of his shooting which was not up to scratch.
Laverty was outstanding throughout and was on fire in the first half scoring 1-3 from play. A player often criticised unfairly, today he saved us from an embarrassing exit.
Lets hope for a home draw tomorrow and that we get our midfield changed for out next outing. The return of Murtagh, Hughes, Garvey, Rafferty, Gerard McCartan and Maginn would also be greatly welcomed, Just a pity Ambrose wasnt closer to full fitness as his loss is becoming incalcuable.

Delighted for Conor Laverty, another who comes in for some uncalled for abuse at games and on here!! Colgan was not in the panel because he s injured no??

According Down website Dan McCartan is injured as well.  Danny Hughes supposed to be def out, likely to be a number of changes to that team named.

Kingdom bt Clonduff by 4, yellas struggling badly!!!!

Is Jody Gormley training clonduff?

[Small half forward line but not much choice unless he brings Doyle or Mooney into it]

Given the injuries that is in the forward line at the minute i would find it very strange if we were to further weaken it by taken marty out to midfield considering fitzpatrick, king, colgen and murphy are all options. 

If Doyle is to start Id be happier to see him in the forward line than the defence due to issues regarding his pace.

Considering the injuries I would go for the following

McVeigh
D McCartan
Gordon
Brannigan
McKernan
Colgen
Rooney
King
Murphy
McGinn ( If fit )
Poland
McCumisky
Lavery
Coulter ( If fit )
Clarke

Dont no if there are any options left for corner back other than brannigan??  Cant see him starting murphy either but it would be a good game to bring him in.

Small half forward line but not much choice unless he brings Doyle or Mooney into it

Bringing a 17 year old into the half forward line would hardly make any difference to size, even for his age he s not regarded as being "Big"

Personally I think Kallum King has got off light recently for his performances, its quite evident he is not fit and not playing well either. If Goldenyears is right and Marty plays in MF, I would be happy with that. CLare is the game to try these things as it should be a comfortable 10-12 point victory.

Colgan is an option in there too, not sure about Anton Mc Ardle, dont think the lad is ready for Senior football but then again is Mooney?? Who knows.. In James we trust.. Lets hope this kick starts our run this summer!!

With that injury list, could last seasons extended run and the over reliance on the same players in the national league be catching up with us now?? Outside our STRONGEST 15... I d be concerned!!

Armagh would seem to have more potential candidates out there than any other county. There are Armagh men in high level football jobs all over the country yet Armagh are managed by a Down man. Some of these would include,
Kieran McGeeney (Kildare) Aiden O'Rourke (Kildare), Grimley (Meath), Justin McNulty (Laois), McEntee (Cross) Cathal O'Rourke and Ger Reid (Queen's), Enda McNulty (Leinster Rugby), Paul McGrane (Ballyhegan) - (Are there more?), not to mention the many Armagh lads doing good jobs in lower profile positions in clubs.

First of all its ridiculous to blame POR for the defeat, wobbler is right, the players are just not there anymore. Armagh lost men, great leaders and it will take a while before some of the current squad develop into that, bit similiar to ourselves...

As for the comment above... The simple reason bar the last name mention there why they wouldnt be considered for the Armagh job...

£

Thats why ;-)  they all love the above

I would concede the money bit, but as for the rest you obviously know SFA about Armagh football and the players available.

Well apples to be fair, I probably wouldnt know as much as you obviously  but Im wise enough to realise there are no players with the same mental toughness and drive as mc nulty, bellew, mc geeney, mc grane to name a few... When you look at their replacements their poor men versions... Think its time for Armagh folk to swallow the reality pill and welcome back to being ordinary again dont start trying to blame POR... He was great when you s beat down, a tactical genius according to some clowns on here.

Armagh would seem to have more potential candidates out there than any other county. There are Armagh men in high level football jobs all over the country yet Armagh are managed by a Down man. Some of these would include,
Kieran McGeeney (Kildare) Aiden O'Rourke (Kildare), Grimley (Meath), Justin McNulty (Laois), McEntee (Cross) Cathal O'Rourke and Ger Reid (Queen's), Enda McNulty (Leinster Rugby), Paul McGrane (Ballyhegan) - (Are there more?), not to mention the many Armagh lads doing good jobs in lower profile positions in clubs.

First of all its ridiculous to blame POR for the defeat, wobbler is right, the players are just not there anymore. Armagh lost men, great leaders and it will take a while before some of the current squad develop into that, bit similiar to ourselves...

As for the comment above... The simple reason bar the last name mention there why they wouldnt be considered for the Armagh job...

£

Thats why ;-)  they all love the above

I believe the county management requested clubs moved their games from friday to thursday if county players were involved... Has any club actually acted on this request that anyone knows off??

[Easy on folks]

I listened to an RTE radio 1 interview with John Clarke just now, He spoke very well and got his point across perfect as to his reasons for quitting Co Down. The Armagh match being one reason and citing criticism from message boards like this one as another. He mentioned how easy it is to criticise someone from behind a computer and he's right. It is indeed an amauter sport and one of the few perks is for your family to read your name in newspaper or a message board like this one but not in the muddy manner he and others have had to endure. Easy on folks.

Or grow a set of swingers John!!  He quit intercounty football because of what a few boyo's in here said...If thats his reason, then see ya later!  I cant recall too many blaming John Clarke for the counties failings, this year or in any previous years.  Perhaps he hasn't transferred his sizzling club form to the county set-up as well as most would have liked, but he was far from awful any time I've seen him!

mmmmmmmmmmm im sure you have played a lot too !!! 

Away to Clare, should be an easy win.. Get us back on track!!

Has this thread got the right title?? 

[Ps Caolan played the second half for Rostrevor last night for those who were talking about him not having played senior football!]

Great result for Kilcoo - who were the star men MDG?

As a team Kilcoo where superb. All six defenders excelled while James McClean gave a great display of high fielding in midfield ably assisted by Felim McGreevy. In attack Anthony Devlin won his battle with Dan McCartan, Laverty caused mayhem while the half forward line of Paul Devlin, Darragh Ohanlon and Barry Kane worked like trojans and scored 1-10 out of the 2-13 between them.

Sounds like a fluid performance. Maybe we weren't so bad against you after all! However...I think one of your forwards won't be best pleased he is the only one not mentioned in your praise

Ps Caolan played the second half for Rostrevor last night for those who were talking about him not having played senior football!

[When Leo suggests that John came in after Greg Blaney at no 11, he may be thinking of Shane Mulholland]

John Clarke has been an outstanding player for Down over the last decade, and would have filled at least ten different positions in championship football. When Leo suggests that John came in after Greg Blaney at no 11, he may be thinking of Shane Mulholland. Greg retired in 1997 and John made his debut in 2001 at corner back. He had a couple of seasons at centre half, and I can remember him at full back against Meath in the qualifiers. We could have done worse than make him an extra defender at least temporarily when the Armagh forwards were pulling us apart at the Athletic Grounds last month, rather than hauling him off when he had only received a single pass. He was excellent for most of last season as a target man for Marty and made the space which McComiskey, Benny and others were able to exploit. It is possible that his pace is no longer quite there, .or his county from his minor days up to the present.

Point taken MR, and it may have been a bit of wishful thinking on my part. The Mulholland period was brief and, in my opinion, hyped beyond ability, but as much as John may have been the classic "utility player" - I hate that phrase - in his early days he looked to me like a centre half forwarxd who could win bad ball and use it constructively - hence the comparison. In later years he surprised me with his ability as a target player up front and I admire him greatly. Sadly we are still waiting for the new Blaney.

While I might be biased Leo I have to disagree with you on the "hyped beyond ability" comment. Shane was playing on a Down team at the end of the 90s early noughties that was creaking with age and not a lot else coming through.....he was as a good a player as we had in Down at that time. Unfortunatley his colleagues were either great players with miles on the clock or youngsters trying to prove themselves. He didnt get many favours from Wee Pete or PO'R either in fairness. Myself and a mate met Brian McEniff in Bundoran one Sunday morning a few years ago on our way for the cure. We had a great chat with him and when he heard where we came from he sang Mulholland's praises. He had just managed the 2000 Ulster team to win the Railway Cup and Shane was centre half forward on that team. McEniff told us he was as good a centre half forward as he had ever managed......I've a feeling he knows a small bit more than me or you about footballers Leo.

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+1 5sams.. Mulholland was a class act, some seriously deluded opinions on this board these days