Messages

Hard luck to our men yesterday and congratulations to Errigal. Was a proper tight Ulster club game. Our lads put in a serious shift and were defensively sound, keeping the Canavan's relatively quiet. Errigal a good side and can't imagine their forwards being as well marked going forward. A few folk have already mentioned about the refereeing and missing black cards and the blatant square ball but there's not much point complaining about it now. The red card left us with a lot of work to do and we nearly pulled it off but can only admire our men for the effort they put in. We were a bit flat at times and didn't take some scores in vital moments but here that's football for ya.

Our men done the whole village proud and have given us great days out. They will take a well deserved break and we will see what next year holds for us.

I must add, we were sitting close to a big Errigal contingent, very good supporters and they gave their men some support. This Magpie hopes you can go on and win the whole lot.

#UTM

Is that figure correct of €8,065 per club in Down? Seen that figure doing the rounds but thought it's a bit lower than what was to be expected?

Anyone any idea if that's correct and if so how? Would mean there'd be just under 124 clubs in the county???

Yes fair play to Paul, hope he has a good final.

Hard luck to our men today. Wasn't meant to be for us, we didn't play to our usual high standards and made a couple of uncharacteristic errors and mistakes that we'd normally not do or get away with....but will take absolutely nothing away from Scotstown. They were up for it and totally deserving of their win. They are a quality side and although mentioned before by another poster, we were definitely not looking past them as we knew what we were up against. Fair play to them and I'd personally like to see them go on and win it but never know in this competition.

Also congratulations to our neighbours in Liatroim on a good win today, great to see.

[to bend the rules in their favour or to mislead with regards to winning frees.]

Fair to have an observation, mine would be that clubs do not present these management teams with players who have been invested in correctly or at least in the way that kilcoo have done. Through their juvenile playing careers they need to be moulded into athletes not just footballers and be tactically aware and of course coachable. Kilcoo isnt full of great footballers. They are the same as anyone else, some elite, some good and some average but whats different is their athletic ability, and their mentality and of course their ability to pay attention to detail even when it is to bend the rules in their favour or to mislead with regards to winning frees.

Now now...serious rule bending to win by 9 points on Sunday to be fair to us

Down football is falling down with coaches who can quickly spot and replicate the more negative sides of Kilcoo's game: how to form a blockade between your 21 and 25. How to endlessly recycle with patience. How to assign man markers who literally do nothing but man mark. How to wind up and leave sky digs on opponents. How to intimidate referees. How to appeal and jostle every county board decision. How to build a cloak of omertà around the team. Etc.

But despite all of their expensive support teams and specialists, and despite all of their infatuation with stupid statistics, and with even stupider GPS data, and despite all of their hours watching, dissecting then foisting the sheer boredom of club football videos upon everyone...... not one manager in the county seems to be able to get a handle on let alone replicate what makes Kilcoo so bloody good.

None of them have found a way to control momentum against Kilcoo; actually none of them have even found a way to negate Kilcoo's control of momentum. None of them seem to be able to stop Kane kicking the ball into an unmarked man in the right half back channel, even though this has been his bailout kick out for years. So nobody ever scores twice in a row against them. When teams do force Kilcoo into a mistake, it's almost a given that they'll then retreat and hug the life out of the ball for a couple of mins just to get a breather; the exact opposite of how Kilcoo behave in this situation, where they'll pile forward at multiple angles. When you have the ball and Kilcoo get you where they want you - endlessly recycling on the Kilcoo 45 - it never seems to dawn on anyone that this might be the correct time to load the square and make Kilcoo retreat to match up the numbers, and not just form a line with them across the 45, waiting for the inevitable dispossession.


I'm not saying that Kilcoo aren't better anyhow. They probably are. But by f**k wouldn't it be nice if one team in Down didn't just fall into their traps? Just once?

Management in Down club football is bluffery of the highest order. Absolute bluffery.

We are good like 🏁

Special mention to our 2 senior team medics after their quick actions assisted Philip Walsh who took unwell after the final on Sunday.

Much come out of the meeting?

As an outside observer, I am reading a lot of unsubstantiated stuff on here. To be fair to the Referee, Kilcoo and other parties surely the Down County Board need to lay it out warts and all. Kilcoo are only one club, the other clubs in the county could force the issue at CB level or facing that an EGM. Strange that your Kilcoo supporter has made no comment on the situation other than to advise all of his celebrations.

I am always fair in my approach to matters and have addressed previous situations head on and discussed them on this forum, check my previous posts.

However, you hit the nail on the head, a lot of unsubstantiated info is doing the rounds here and online.

You've seen the fallout from the statement the County Board released. If I address it or make comment, it'll be like petrol to a flame. Safer saying nothing.

Head not too fresh today after Monday club. Not be much work today in the office.

Forgot to mention previously but congratulations to our neighbours Liatroim on winning the intermediate final over the weekend.

Always like to see the Fontenoys doing well.

What a team performance from our men today. Professional all across the pitch and could have had a number of winners of man of the match.

Laverty pulling the strings is something to behold.

Up The Mighty Magpies 🏁

#UTM

Good luck to our men today in the final.

#UTM

Ex Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh has joined the Down senior set up as part of Conor Laverty's management team.
Very good appointment, brings lot of experience.

Can only be a positive for the whole set up. As you said a lot of experience which should hopefully help bring us on another level.

Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

Now now 🤣

Ex Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh has joined the Down senior set up as part of Conor Laverty's management team.
Very good appointment, brings lot of experience.

Can only be a positive for the whole set up. As you said a lot of experience which should hopefully help bring us on another level.