An Dún v Muineachán

[Mourne Rover]

Cloc Mor, swear away to your heart's content about the game in general, if it keeps you happy, but don't use swear words about individuals. It's an ugly way of expressing yourself and lacks any kind of imagination. Anyway, there is little point in using four-letter words about the defence when the crucial first Monaghan goal today was the fault of a forward who lost concentration and possession when in a great position.

If No1 knows a reserve club side which is full of better players than Aidan Carr, it must be some outfit. Like many sons following a famous father, who also happens to be his county manager, he obviously lacks confidence from time to time. He is automatically in the spotlight when we lose, and he only started his first championship match a month ago, but it is hard to believe that some people cannot see the potential which is there. He repeatedly won the ball under pressure today and picked out forwards with diagonal balls into space. His free-taking was also first class, although he needs to score more from play. It's really a question of whether barracking him or encouraging him is the way to go.

Caitlin, I think it is the other Down fowards who suffer from Bennyitis rather than me. He still seems to be the target of every pass even when he is double marked. Benny did not play particularly well today, but the flick to McComiskey indicated the start of a  partnership which could take us a long way.

I agree with everyone who has said that we were not good enough overall, but, apart from what turned out to be a blip in 2003, we have been in a steady decline since we lost the 96 Ulster final.  Rebuilding a team has got to start somewhere, and it was always going to be a two or three year project. Paddy got four years and sadly it did not happen. Ross and DJ can be judged in 2009.

[Cloc Mor]

Mourne Rover, two things.

1. I didn't swear in any of my posts.  Show me where I did.

2.  Dont tell me what I can and can't do.  Who do you think you are, Mr Know it all.

[Mourne Rover]

CM, you said our defenders were s**t, which is generally understood to be a swear word, and which, in this country, is spelt with an 'e'.
I can't tell you what to say, but I can ask you to show a little imagination. After that, it's up to you.

[balladmaker]

So what's the betting on the backdoor draw throwing up Down v Armagh on July 7th?!  Stranger things have happened.

Having attended today's game as a neutral, the bottom line is that there were two poor defences on the field, Monaghan won because the Down defence was worse than the Monaghan defence.  With Ross Carr not making any changes in the defence, it doesn't auger well for the backdoor!

[TORGAEL]

Very disappointed today. Its hard to believe that you could lose a championship game after scoring 1-15, but we just weren't good enough. Our defence isn't good enough to compete at this level. I can only assume that Ross didnt make any changes in this department as he felt the players on the bench wouldn't be any better. As i said..................really really disappointed.

[lecale3]

The full back line and full forward line were poor, but we still scored 1-15.
Monaghan were supposed to be vunerable under the high ball, yet we didn't really hit any decent one's in. Packie might have benefitted from a couple - he took his goal well/showed determination, but is very limited and looks uncomfortable on the ball.
Benny would be good in a decent f/f line but the defender always knows what he's gonna do when he gets it - put the head down and bore in on goal - a couple of points and a bit of variety would be good.
Danny Hughes did well when moved out.
The two Monaghan corner forwards roasted us - surely there are better/quicker corner backs somewhere in the County? McGuigan is a good player on the ball - but he's not a corner back.
All in all Ross and DJ are a big improvement over POR, the substitutions in the forwards are always good and positive, but the defence needs big work done.
McComiskey needs to start in the qualifier, and probably Walsh and Kearney, who's done well in the last 2 games.
6/10

[goldenyears]

v disappointing result yesterday; i commented with around ten to go, that down looked to have the game won playing poorly and maybe thats not a bad thing ie they can win and improve for the next day....what a kiss of death that was!

it really worries me that the entire country knows individually we aint good enough at the back, but we still wont play extra defenders in there....we have to stop being so naive. the game has changed! its negative, its about not conceding! we cant give up that many scores and expect to win a championship game.....the irony of all of this is that we have great scoring forwards.....take a player or even two out of that forward line, play them across half back and one in front of full backs, and we would still be ok up front. why wont we do this?? it worked against cavan but that was only cos cavan withdrew a player....not our choice!!

defenders were poor; cole was lost, mcguigan is not a corner back, rooney was terrible (first goal caused when he let freeman win a ball over his head, flicked onto hanratty), game passed by murtagh completely, same with grant, and j clarke! (dont know whats wrong here, but his confidence looks shattered)

murphy was excellent first half, seemed to fade second half, gordon is a highlight reel, some great catches (a superb score!) but i wonder if he has the balls for it.....last ten mins when we needed him he wasnt around.....thats a regular theme for me with him.

game passed sexton & mcgovern by completely; carr foraged and probed well, free kicks were excellent, but missed an absolutely critical one, prob easiest one he had all day!

danny was poor, downey isnt good enough (why isnt the lad burns getting a run out? he looked decent in lge games) and benny i fear looks now like a one-trick pony. when is he gonna score 5 or 6 points from play? why didnt we move him out field for a spell then back in again etc etc...he was marked v well i agree....

all in all, disappointing...i am concerned that tactically we dont seem to react to who we play against, nor to help our defence out. not sure where it leaves us really; a good draw in qualifiers might being their confidence on.....handy win then another handy win, then maybe meath or mayo in croker! thats the ticket for me.....

re: club football is terrible right now, and thats our problem, the standard isnt good enough and its reflected in our county team. why do we have so many second/third div players in our team....surely the team/squad should be made up primarily of div1 players? i think so anyways..

last comment: paul finlay looked a class act! pure quality, and looked to have so much time on the ball, always a good sign. freeman and hanratty were excellent; movement and score taking top notch. was very impressed with number 3 and number 6.....any names for me monaghan folk??

[bingobus]

No.3 Gary McQuaid - prob best player in county but very easily distracted by off the field activities.
No.6 Vinny Corey - another excellent player, strong and super fit. Can easily play anywhere, scored 1-6 from play against us in recent championship game playing as FF.

Can't really comment on game itself as I was out of the country. It was a result that Monaghan badly needed, first win in Championship football in Banty's reign. a Relieved man today.

I can understand why Down posters feel that Carr didn't make the right changes at the right times. We had him as a manger for last two years. Sound fella and has his good qualities without a doubt but always thought his weakness as a manger was to make a positive change, be it a sub or positional change. Slow to react to what was happening on the field. Maybe it will take a few hard lessons before he develops a ruthless streak.

[FarneyMan]

A great win yesterday for us, Newry is a tough spot to go and get a result and it was never going to be easy but fair play to the lads for sticking to the task especially in the last 10 mins when it mattered, Finlay scored some outstanding points to seal the win !
Hard luck to Down also, the game really was a 50-50 match and it could have gone either way.  It was a great game to watch, very open and fluent with very little negativity.  Both defences weren't the best but fair play to the lads for keeping Coulter under control, Dessie Mone (No. 5) and Vinny Corey (No. 6) did a fantastic job on him.  No. 3 was Gary McQuaid, played a great game too, breaking up play and driving up the field to start the attacks.  Derry will be a different proposition for us, more than likely Paddy Bradley will be back in the starting 15 along with Muldoon (who looked impressive yesterday), Monaghan's defence will have to improve greatly to stand any chance........................

[Fear Boirche]

While it's true Down need to look at their defence consider the players Ross and DJ didn't have available to them yesterday:

Dan McCartan - injured
Damien Rafferty - injured
Adrian Scullion - not match fit
Liam Doyle - injured

I'm not saying that all these players would have made a difference, but I think if all four were fully fit, they would walk into the Down defence (with Doyle and CHB obviously). I think many Down fans are divided on Dan McCartan, but I think he is a great man-marker and also has the ability to read the game very well. He could have done a decent job on Freeman or Hanratty yesterday, as could Dee Rafferty.

I don't think, as some posters are saying, that Down need to abandon their traditional attacking style - we never really blessed with that many great defenders anyway. I think it's purely a personnel thing - yesterday, they were not the best six defenders in Down, but they knew, with injuries and that, that their places weren't really under any threat. It doesn't matter what position you play on the field, competition for places is a great motivator.
Now Down have to make a mark on the Qualifiers where they have an abysmal record in recent years. Surely the three games to date will have given Ross and DJ enough to work on.

[amallon]

Fair dues to Monaghan the best team won, hopefully they can go on a give Ulster a good rattle.  I would have them as slight favourites against Derry but only just.  Freeman is some footballer, he was pure class Down were just lucky he kicked a good few wides.

Down weren't disgraced yesterday and there is potential to make a bit of a go of the qualifiers.  That is if they decide to put the effort in, another Sligo could be on the cards if heads are in the right frame of mind.  

Ambrose will be back for the next game, he played very well for the Stone on Friday night against us.

[Feckitt]

Was at the game yesterday behind the canal goal.  Why on earth when down are in possession 30 yards out in front of goal can they not put the ball over the bar!!  No other county in Ireland has this obsession with goals.  Finlays final point was the widest point I have ever seen, but Monaghan deserved to win.  Down had no structure to their game.  McGuigan being sent to mark wee Tommy at the end sealed their fate.

[Mid Mon]

Finlays final point was the widest point I have ever seen,

Until the ball began to curl back in and sail between the posts

[Fíor Gael]

Very dissapointed with the performance yesterday, still very poorly organised with no real game plan or system of play. No hard men on the team to rough players up or give us a physical presence. Too many players hiding all day yesterday. when the going gets tough most of our players are no where to be seen. Why were hanratty, freeman and finlay given the freedom of the park all day yesterday? why were none of them softened up/taken out of it or at very least distracted? I know it's bit cyncical and the purists will be offended but at this level and with a below average defence we need to employ tactics that at the very least verge on the wrong side of the law.
I also thought the referee had a very poor game.

[greygoose]

I have to agree with Fior Gael, we are "light" in defence @ the moment and hopefully by Qualifier time we will have a few more bodies available, but in general the Physicallity of our defenders was poor, the monaghan defenders were getting stuck into our forwards throughout the whole game and in particular they obviously had a game plan to rough up benny.......

But our defenders ? did not see anyone tryin to rough up their star forwards hanratty, freeman and finlay ... I personally believe our players lacked belief.. I watched Monaghan warm up before the game and they were pumped up... In the first 5 mins they were lettin our players that they were not in newry to make up numbers...  Also we were not closing down their forwards quick enough, the time they had on the ball without anyone making a challenge was ridicilous...

But overall I think Ross & DJ would of learned alot more out of yesterdays experience and maybe analyise their own actions to why only forwards were changed, if in other posts people say that we were light in defence, why was Murphy not put back in defence and some of our Midfielders sittin on the side line put on to give Dan Gordan a hand out...