Down Club Hurling & Football

[downtothecore]

Another great crowd and atmosphere in newry today which is great to see. The sam maguire is the competition that Down need to be playing in so it's priority we get back into it asap.

As for the game today we gave a real good showing but just come up short. Galway experience just got them over the line but only just as we kicked a lot of wides at a key time in the seconc half. Lavery will be dissapointed that another close game has been lost. It's the next step for this team to learn how to win these tight games more regularly and hopefully our panel can be strengthened next year with t least the return of liam kerr and sheelin johnston.

Overall this team is progressing in the right direction....

[Sheedy]

Another game in which the team will have loads of regrets, a purple spell for Galway at the end of the first half ultimately left us with too much to do in the second half.

Great effort from players to try and claw back the deficit and only for some really poor wides we could've done, Galway were definitely rattled at one stage.

Odhran Murdock is some footballer and would get on to any team in Ireland. Hopefully we can add to the panel for next year and keep building.

Brilliant to see another big crowd in Newry, these players and management have put the pride back in the jersey again. 

[guevara]

Dow have come a long way under Conor but ultimately a lack of depth and experience cost us today.

Burns made some brilliant saves but his kickouts were really poor, particularly when he tried to go short.

At the back we looked very small and light. I am for playing Ryan McEvoy out the field if he can add something but today he was anonymous and we struggled with quick high ball in defence.

Odhran Murdock is a generational talent and was superb until the legs ran out of gas.

The move to bring Pat Havern out did not work but I still thought he could have done more to get on the ball in dangerous areas.

On the Galway side Maher was a monster and shut Odhran down when he moved onto him. Walsh and Finnerty were exceptional and they summed up the difference in good shot selection.

Very impressed with Cooke who came on and ran tired Down legs all over the pitch.

Great to see Pairc Ésler packed again.

[urbangael]

We started the season in Div 2 and competing for Sam we end it in Div 3 and back to Tailtian. This season has been unsuccessful when you analyse it in the cold light of day. Some huge positives. We've uneathered a quality keeper, Murdock one of the best in the country but realistically we are still miles off it. When we came up against what I'd describe as half decent quality we weren't good enough. Monaghan and Galway will be nowhere near an all Ireland. Lav needs to get to as many Down Championship games as possible amd find 3 or 4 more players. Preferably runners who can add physical presence and defend in some shape or form.

[Mourne Red]

Find 1 defender that sticks like shit to a blanket, 3/4 players to add to the bench and return of Kerr (if he's interested) we'll be in good shape for next year.

Up to him whether he wants to stick around and I didn't like the original appointment but would stick with Laverty for the next 3/4 years. Trust the process (Arsenal fan in me).

Ohh and someone should get Murdocks phone and block any Australian numbers from reaching, phenomenal again.

[snoopdog]

Laverty has the job for as long as he wants it.
Down are competitive. No question about that. Our mistakes and bad shot selections cost us today and last week.
Great to see Newry buzzing again with Down in a big game.
Yes div 3 is a set back but had anyone said at start of year win 3 league games and get to knock out championship it would've been noted as a good year for Down.
Down have come on so much from Fermanagh game. And our competitivness against Donegal and Galway were a diff level. Find a couple of defenders for next year We are defo on the right track. Hopefully no one else decides to take a year out anytime soon. Or cries off for not getting game time. It's a squad game. Look at Armagh.
The anti laverty/Kilcoo brigade in the county will continue to slam the team but conor will hopefully be at the helm for a very longtime yet. Onwards and upwards. We should be walking div 3 next year. 

[Mourne Rover]

At the risk of disappointing Urbangael, we are not demoted to the Tailteann just yet. If we make an Ulster decider next year, we will be back in the All Ireland series with the other seven provincial finalists. Even if we don't, we have a real prospect of qualifying via the NFL. Kildare will be big favourites to win this year's Tailteann and go through to the AI in 2026. The Munster championship is reportedly going to be seeded, meaning a likely Kerry/Cork final, with lower division sides like Clare and Limerick probably eliminated. All that means that the D3 winners can go through ahead of the the bottom two in D2, unless the rules get changed. Galway have been in two of the last three AI finals, and the idea that they are not serious title contenders is as ludicrous as the suggestion that this has been an unsuccessful season for Down. This team has put the pride back in Down football and we are not finished yet.

[downtothecore]

Laverty has the job for as long as he wants it.
Down are competitive. No question about that. Our mistakes and bad shot selections cost us today and last week.
Great to see Newry buzzing again with Down in a big game.
Yes div 3 is a set back but had anyone said at start of year win 3 league games and get to knock out championship it would've been noted as a good year for Down.
Down have come on so much from Fermanagh game. And our competitivness against Donegal and Galway were a diff level. Find a couple of defenders for next year We are defo on the right track. Hopefully no one else decides to take a year out anytime soon. Or cries off for not getting game time. It's a squad game. Look at Armagh.
The anti laverty/Kilcoo brigade in the county will continue to slam the team but conor will hopefully be at the helm for a very longtime yet. Onwards and upwards. We should be walking div 3 next year. 

Good summary and It's great to see us competitive as we have not been for sometime. The interest in the team is there and it will help the process somewhat of getting the rest of our underage groups competitive.

[PAULD123]

Momentum is so important. Yes we have finished the season back in Division 3 and out of the championship. But look at the support, look at the belief that's come from the players. Playing for down was not a particularly attractive proposition a couple of years ago. Even though we're in Division 3 next year people will want to play for this team. People will work hard to keep their places, people will work hard to get those places off them. Players that weren't interested before will be more interested now.

All of that means an even better team next year. Probably more positivity and probably more likelihood of the above happening again. If this progress can keep going then it ramps up year after year, more belief, more players, more work, more experience, better performances, better results.

McGeeney took nearly a decade to transform largely the same group of players into all Ireland champions. Many of those players were the young Rising Stars just coming out of Minors into the senior squad when he took over.

Yes we came up short against all the really good teams we've played this year. But I hate that dismissive tone. Because without a doubt we have been much better this year against those teams than before. We have got closer, and with momentum we will get closer again.

[AnDúnAbú94]

Feel a mixture of pride and disappointment after today. Thought they played brilliantly, worked so hard but feel we might have left that one behind us.

Anyone still criticising Laverty clearly has issues with him (and Kilcoo) that bear no relation to anything that happens on the pitch. Down have gotten better every year he's been in the job. Even this year, the team has nearly gotten better with every game. Compare how they played today to the first game of the league or even the Fermanagh game, it's a big improvement.

Murdock is a colossus. Went toe to toe with Maher who was nominated for FOTY last year and got the better of him. He's been the best midfielder in the country this year imo, probably won't win an all star but he'll get one soon.

I also see Mooney is retiring. Was our best player for a good few years. A great servant who came back from awful injuries and that rotten assault, thought he made a real difference off the bench today too.

[snoopdog]

Feel a mixture of pride and disappointment after today. Thought they played brilliantly, worked so hard but feel we might have left that one behind us.

Anyone still criticising Laverty clearly has issues with him (and Kilcoo) that bear no relation to anything that happens on the pitch. Down have gotten better every year he's been in the job. Even this year, the team has nearly gotten better with every game. Compare how they played today to the first game of the league or even the Fermanagh game, it's a big improvement.

Murdock is a colossus. Went toe to toe with Maher who was nominated for FOTY last year and got the better of him. He's been the best midfielder in the country this year imo, probably won't win an all star but he'll get one soon.

I also see Mooney is retiring. Was our best player for a good few years. A great servant who came back from awful injuries and that rotten assault, thought he made a real difference off the bench today too.

A fully fit Mooney would've been some asset for Laverty. He came on yesterday and made an impact. A fabulous footballer who through injury we never saw the best of.him in a Down jersey.

[ardtole]

For the 1st 5 league games, the ridiculous 12 v 11 rule was in place, and we had no suitable keeper to take advantage of it. It's no coincidence when the rule was amended we won our final two games.

[PAULD123]

Who could come in to strengthen the squad next year? I'm not opposed to bringing back a limited few previous players It would be good to see a committed Liam Kerr and Shealan Johnstone, and maybe I wouldn't mind seeing Ryan Johnstone back (not maybe for full games but perhaps as a controlling influence to help us close games out).

But I was wondering what do people who see more club games, and know the underage setup, think about who could improve the squad, or push into the match day team from the current squad? The obvious one is Finn Murdock from Rostrevor getting game time. But just wondering who might supplement the current team?

[urbangael]

At the risk of disappointing Urbangael, we are not demoted to the Tailteann just yet. If we make an Ulster decider next year, we will be back in the All Ireland series with the other seven provincial finalists. Even if we don't, we have a real prospect of qualifying via the NFL. Kildare will be big favourites to win this year's Tailteann and go through to the AI in 2026. The Munster championship is reportedly going to be seeded, meaning a likely Kerry/Cork final, with lower division sides like Clare and Limerick probably eliminated. All that means that the D3 winners can go through ahead of the the bottom two in D2, unless the rules get changed. Galway have been in two of the last three AI finals, and the idea that they are not serious title contenders is as ludicrous as the suggestion that this has been an unsuccessful season for Down. This team has put the pride back in Down football and we are not finished yet.

I wouldn't be disappointed in we are back competing for Sam next year. Galway missing their keeper and Comer. Walsh not fully fit and still had huge influence. I just think we come unstuck against top 10 teams... top 5 teams would wipe us out. Great to see the buzz back in Newry but playing the Sligos and wexfords etc would dampen enthusiasm unfortunately. Hopefully the squad sticks together add few new faces and kick on to the next level.

[MK]

For the 1st 5 league games, the ridiculous 12 v 11 rule was in place, and we had no suitable keeper to take advantage of it. It's no coincidence when the rule was amended we won our final two games.

actually more of a coincidence that the final 2 league games were against  already promoted and relegated teams.
Down were relegated due to failing to deal with a physically dominant Meath side in Newry and/or the narrow loss in  Drogheda.