Ulster Colleges

[thebigfullforward]

Replay Friday the 13th I see

[bennydorano]

McGeary some player. Heard he's moving to Armagh though is he?

Mentioned that in commentary but no specifics. What's that about? He moving clubs or what?

Heard it a while back that he was supposed to be moving but heard nothing about it for a few months so thought it wasn't true. Presume he still plays with the Moy. Depending on where he lives he could well be from Armagh anyway

His dad played for Collegeland - just outside Moy- and Armagh. His mum is from Armagh City. Tyrone have enough good young footballers

Actually cut from Tyrone panel from what I heard, Armagh more than willing benefactors.

Get your dough on Tyrone for U20 AI if they can cut a lad like that

[thebigfullforward]

McGeary some player. Heard he's moving to Armagh though is he?

Mentioned that in commentary but no specifics. What's that about? He moving clubs or what?

Heard it a while back that he was supposed to be moving but heard nothing about it for a few months so thought it wasn't true. Presume he still plays with the Moy. Depending on where he lives he could well be from Armagh anyway

His dad played for Collegeland - just outside Moy- and Armagh. His mum is from Armagh City. Tyrone have enough good young footballers

Actually cut from Tyrone panel from what I heard, Armagh more than willing benefactors.

Get your dough on Tyrone for U20 AI if they can cut a lad like that

Was going to say with the forwards in that Tyrone U20 team I don't think it's that outrageous for him not to be starting last year. Should have been in the panel last year and definitely good enough to start this year though

[barelegs]

Thought McNally gave Abbey a couple of very soft frees at the start of the second half to get them back into the game. One brought up for not handing the ball back when no Abbey player even tried to get the ball was a bit mystifying.

It'll be interesting to see how the teams adapt on Friday. Abbey were able to alter their kick outs at half time and secure them in the second half, where Dungannon had serious joy in the first half. Dungannon weren't able to secure any kickouts across the game. Even the frees they got under the posts were just humped as far up the field as the keeper could manage.

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Thought McNally gave Abbey a couple of very soft frees at the start of the second half to get them back into the game. One brought up for not handing the ball back when no Abbey player even tried to get the ball was a bit mystifying.

It'll be interesting to see how the teams adapt on Friday. Abbey were able to alter their kick outs at half time and secure them in the second half, where Dungannon had serious joy in the first half. Dungannon weren't able to secure any kickouts across the game. Even the frees they got under the posts were just humped as far up the field as the keeper could manage.

Technically a correct decision but showed everything that is wrong with the rule and its implementation. Academy player threw the ball back, possibly because he was too far away from anyone to hand it back. As you say, nobody claimed for the advancement, but mcnally was within his rights to bring it forward.

There was a similar incident in the first half when an academy player slammed the ball straight into an abbey player's midriff, the abbey boy reacted and the ref threw it up.

[tbrick18]

Dungannon played like a team who thought they had the game won at half time.
They were destroyed in play all throughout the game, only for the purple patch by their forwards in that 15 minute spell in the game it was like men against boys.
Dungannon could barely string an attack all second half.  In saying that I thought McNally definitely went hard on Dungannon in the opening 15 minutes of the 2nd half.  Any sort of contact was a free to the Abbey, and it wasn't the same the other way.

My thoughts exactly. It looked like he was trying to get Abbey back into it to make a game of it.
Dungannon very lucky to still be in it tonight though - completely outplayed in that 2nd half.

[AustinPowers]

Aye Oisin was originally Abbey. Has a young lad there at the minute too I think.

Momentum is a wonderful thing. Hopefully more of the same on Friday night.

Is right. Oisin 5 years at the Abbey. Youngster in year 10 there.

—-

I'm not sure if the ref had much say in the change of momentum. Between the 5 -and 15 minute marks in the second half, Abbey made a handful of big tackles and Dungannon missed a couple of very kickable scores. Combine that with with Abbey's midfield dominance and it was a mental minefield for the Tyrone lads.

Abbey might rue not going for the jugular after they equalised. Dungannon were gasping for air at the time.

Some game of football though. MacRory football one of the biggest benefactors of the new rules. An 8 point lead two years ago would have trudged to the finish line.

Brilliant.

From what I recall, Abbey only got one 2 point free  from when  they were 8 begins , so not sure how you  can say that the new rules had a big bearing on  the comeback 

[thewobbler]

The two pointer has perhaps had the least effect of any of the new rules in preventing teams from closing out games.

The main reasons for this shift are a) the opposition can no longer put a 15 man wall inside the D, b) the opposition's ability to play keep ball in their own half is seriously limited without being able to use their keeper as a spare receiver, and most of all c) possession-based restarts are infinitely more risky due to the expanse of the big D - hence when the team chasing down a lead kicks a wide, it's no longer the end of the world; there's a 50:50 chance they'll now have the ball back within 30 seconds.

[Targetman]

I was at the game and thoroughly enjoyed it but from an Abbey point of view I genuinely think they'll be disappointed they didn't win it even though they were 9 down at h-t, a couple of great goal chances spurned and the referee blowing up when in an attacking position at the end, can't defend like they did in the first half again though!!

[tyroneStatto]

Really hard to know what way the replay will go. Academy won't have as bad a second half again surely and will they give up the same amount of goal chances and even if they do will Abbey me more clinical unlike today? But will the Abbey have as bad a 10-30 minute period in 1st half which nearly cost them? Usually the replay favours the original favourites but not even sure who that was?

[tbrick18]

Abbey would have been favourites I think - and after that 2nd half where the academy will feel like the draw was a loss, the momentum is all with the Abbey I'd say.
that 2nd half will knock the confidence big time for the academy players.

[ONeill]

Big job for Gourley to get their mindset right for the replay. They looked shellshocked at what happened in the second half.

McEntee is some pup. He was fairly gassed from 50 mins on but kept driving them on.

[ClubScene13]

Big job for Gourley to get their mindset right for the replay. They looked shellshocked at what happened in the second half.

McEntee is some pup. He was fairly gassed from 50 mins on but kept driving them on.

100%, from the mental side of it Abbey in the driving seat now. Bound to be a bounce in the step heading to training, where as the Academy will be on a downer altogether. Thought Abbey deserved it over the 60 minutes, they conceded 0-9 in a 7 minute spell where the academy couldn't miss, I actually thought they were the better team for spells of the first half and couldn't put it on the scoreboard, and then a total domination from half time onwards. Best MacRory final in the last 15 years for my money

[Sportacus]

Momentum is an amazing thing.  Once it starts going against you it's a nightmare. Dungannon were incredible for 20 minutes, and then started to slow it down going into the break, which I think they'll regret. They had Abbey completely flummoxed, but just slowed it up a bit and gave them a sniff.

[ONeill]

That's exactly it. I think it was Niblock in the commentary at the time saying the Academy had earned the right to slow it down, or something like that. I remember thinking it was a bit premature.