Down Club Hurling & Football

[PAULD123]

This is getting crazy. So many pundits backing Down to win. All these pundits wrote us off last week. Our team was so bad they would get wiped out by Donegal. But suddenly they all think we're so good that we'll beat the 2024 All-Ireland champions. IT'S THE SAME TEAM, the same players that they thought were poor quality just 6 days ago.

Armagh deserve to be strong favourites going into this game. We played above ourselves last week and to beat Armagh we will have to play above ourselves again this week.

Of course we can do it because we did it last week. The ability is there. But I definitely don't make us favourites for the game.

[snoopdog]

I havent seen any pundit tipping Down. All are going for Armagh that i have seen or heard.

[Midfielder]

I havent seen any pundit tipping Down. All are going for Armagh that i have seen or heard.

I guess the pundits were right!

[downtothecore]

What a week of emotions. The high of the win over Donegal to the very low of today's match and into tailteann cup. That manner of that defeat is alarming. We were miles off it and it's hard now to see these lads regroup for the tailteann cup...

[befair]

Thought we looked the better team until their first goal; don't know who fumbled the ball in midfield to let them break through, but after that our heads dropped. Last week's result now looks like an aberration; the Tailteann Cup is our level

[knowbetter]

Tough day at the office.

Started strong but looked tired after 20 minutes and cant blame them after 2 weeks on the trot.

Armagh learned from the Donegal game and completely avoided Ordhan in midfield. Its been posted somewhere that Blaine Hughes had a near 100% success rate with the kick outs in the first half.

We missed the goal chance which was very unlucky, just one of those things and then they got a point from that, a goal quickly after and then not long after the 2nd goal.

In total, a 10 point swing in the space of 8 minutes ended the game.

It also didn't help that all the Armagh subs where chomping at the bit to get on and prove themselves as starters on their squad which added to the final score line.

[Dayman]

We're not as good as last weekend, we're (hopefully) not as bad as today would suggest. Priority now has to be staying in Division 2 next year. Hard to see us getting up for the Tailteann now.

[PAULD123]

We're not as good as last weekend, we're (hopefully) not as bad as today would suggest. Priority now has to be staying in Division 2 next year. Hard to see us getting up for the Tailteann now.

The reason to get up for the Tailteann is very simple. We need that cup in our pockets because relegation is a realistic prospect. We absolutely need the guarantee from the Tailteann.

[Dayman]

The reason to get up for the Tailteann is very simple. We need that cup in our pockets because relegation is a realistic prospect. We absolutely need the guarantee from the Tailteann.

You're right, and on the face of it we should be favourites. I just fear after last week and then today it would be hard for the lads to get up for another Tailteann Cup run. Still think even now the main priority is staying up next year.

[ranch]

As an Armagh man, it was just one of those days where everything went right. As nice as it is to get such a comprehensive win over your biggest rivals, I don't think anybody truly believes that Down gave a fair reflection of themselves. I recall Armagh getting a humbling from Tyrone in the 2017 AI QF and it's a pretty empty feeling that eradicates the positivity from the weeks beforehand.

I'd still fancy Down strongly for the Tailteann - they need to make sure it's their last foray into it however for the foreseeable future, otherwise any signs of apparent progress over the past couple of years will be questioned, and rightly so.
Down can take comfort in the journey Armagh have gone on over the past 12 years however. A division 3 title in 2015, relegation in 2016 and another division 3 in 2018. No significant win in Ulster for many years during that era, including defeats to Down in 2017 and Fermanagh in 2018 - albeit a few good performances in the qualifiers and a tough  loss to Mayo in 2019 showed there was potential for progress. Down appear to be a similar journey at the moment and probably need to be patient over the next few years while Laverty continues to build his squad.

[APM]

As an Armagh man, it was just one of those days where everything went right. As nice as it is to get such a comprehensive win over your biggest rivals, I don't think anybody truly believes that Down gave a fair reflection of themselves. I recall Armagh getting a humbling from Tyrone in the 2017 AI QF and it's a pretty empty feeling that eradicates the positivity from the weeks beforehand.

I'd still fancy Down strongly for the Tailteann - they need to make sure it's their last foray into it however for the foreseeable future, otherwise any signs of apparent progress over the past couple of years will be questioned, and rightly so.
Down can take comfort in the journey Armagh have gone on over the past 12 years however. A division 3 title in 2015, relegation in 2016 and another division 3 in 2018. No significant win in Ulster for many years during that era, including defeats to Down in 2017 and Fermanagh in 2018 - albeit a few good performances in the qualifiers and a tough  loss to Mayo in 2019 showed there was potential for progress. Down appear to be a similar journey at the moment and probably need to be patient over the next few years while Laverty continues to build his squad.

As an Armagh man, it was just one of those days where everything went right. As nice as it is to get such a comprehensive win over your biggest rivals, I don't think anybody truly believes that Down gave a fair reflection of themselves. I recall Armagh getting a humbling from Tyrone in the 2017 AI QF and it's a pretty empty feeling that eradicates the positivity from the weeks beforehand.

I'd still fancy Down strongly for the Tailteann - they need to make sure it's their last foray into it however for the foreseeable future, otherwise any signs of apparent progress over the past couple of years will be questioned, and rightly so.
Down can take comfort in the journey Armagh have gone on over the past 12 years however. A division 3 title in 2015, relegation in 2016 and another division 3 in 2018. No significant win in Ulster for many years during that era, including defeats to Down in 2017 and Fermanagh in 2018 - albeit a few good performances in the qualifiers and a tough  loss to Mayo in 2019 showed there was potential for progress. Down appear to be a similar journey at the moment and probably need to be patient over the next few years while Laverty continues to build his squad.

Came in here to say just that! Yesterday's game not a proper reflection of where either team are at.

[ardtole]

The reason to get up for the Tailteann is very simple. We need that cup in our pockets because relegation is a realistic prospect. We absolutely need the guarantee from the Tailteann.

You're right, and on the face of it we should be favourites. I just fear after last week and then today it would be hard for the lads to get up for another Tailteann Cup run. Still think even now the main priority is staying up next year.

Winning the Tailteann Cup would take the pressure of to a degree next year because we would be automatically qualified for Sam Maguire.

Staying up next year is certainly the priority but a major flaw with the nfl is one year we have 4 home games and 3 the following year.

Unfortunately for us, next year we will have 3 home games in a tougher league where every point is vital. Only having 3 home games cost us dearly last year in d2. The away games v Louth and Cavan in particular were narrow 1 point losses and the repercussions are still in effect today.

Even the Roscommon game last year when the 12 v 11 farce was in play, we acquitted ourselves well. Our best performance was beating Monaghan in Clones and we will need similar results to stay up.

The 7 game league im not sure is long enough to give a true reflection of a teams ability. Meath needed a late, last kick of the game  2 pointer v Louth and Cavan this year and it got them promotion, if they had of tailed wide they would have been in the relegation mix on the last day.

I think we were very unfortunate last year to go Down and il be hoping one of our 4 away games is against Wexford, but with Dublin,  Derry, Monaghan, Louth, Tyrone and Cavan making up the rest of d2 I think we can certainly stay up.

We played Monaghan, Louth and Cavan away last year, if we had them as our 3 home games next year it would certainly favour us. Im not sure if that is how it works though.

[snoopdog]

Veey tough result to take. I knew going to Clones yesterday it would be hard. We started well but as said above the wheels came off after the 2 gifts of goals. Armagh were magnificent fairplay to them no one will want to play Armagh. Im sure they will be there or there abouts come mid july.
The management and players will be devastated. A defeat that size is very hard to take. To experience such a high and a low in 7 days.
There is no doubt Laverty is the man for the job,no one that sees Down regularly would disagree with that i dont think.
The issue lies further down at underage. No way do Down produce worse players than the Armaghs Donegals or Tyrones. But what is done at a coaching level needs to be seriously looked at. Bar Lavertys U20 teams we have consistently been dreadful at underage. The minors were hammerred in donegal although they got a reprieve with the weather. The U20s are only good enough for B competitions.
I assume Laverty will go all out for Tailteann but maybe a break for some of the players would do them good and try to develope a few more squad players.

[Mourne Red]

Felt we gave Armagh too much respect on the kickouts, didn't push up and have that blanket of 4 then 3 behind like we did vs Donegal. But bad day at the office move on and get up for the next game.

May or may not be a blessing that our next game is vs Leitrim, Poachers bound to have annoyed enough of them while he was over Ballyholland that they'll have that in the back of their minds to dust themselves off and show what they can actually do in 2 weeks time

[downtothecore]

Veey tough result to take. I knew going to Clones yesterday it would be hard. We started well but as said above the wheels came off after the 2 gifts of goals. Armagh were magnificent fairplay to them no one will want to play Armagh. Im sure they will be there or there abouts come mid july.
The management and players will be devastated. A defeat that size is very hard to take. To experience such a high and a low in 7 days.
There is no doubt Laverty is the man for the job,no one that sees Down regularly would disagree with that i dont think.
The issue lies further down at underage. No way do Down produce worse players than the Armaghs Donegals or Tyrones. But what is done at a coaching level needs to be seriously looked at. Bar Lavertys U20 teams we have consistently been dreadful at underage. The minors were hammerred in donegal although they got a reprieve with the weather. The U20s are only good enough for B competitions.
I assume Laverty will go all out for Tailteann but maybe a break for some of the players would do them good and try to develope a few more squad players.

Agree.. the squad needs developed and become Less dependent on 3 or 4 individuals to play well to win these games. The underage also has to do better. We cant expect the senior team to win at A grade if the grope coming is not competing strongly at A Grade.