Down Club Hurling & Football

[downtothecore]

Kilcoo certainly lifted their game up a few levels.

[Get Over]

Kilcoo put on a serious show yesterday! It was a brilliant display from them, but you have to be disappointed with Loughinisland. Once the Magpies grabbed that first goal, Loughinisland's heads completely dropped and they never recovered.

Regardless of tonights result, the Down SFC semi-finals are shaping up to be absolute crackers. For the final spot, I expect Clonduffs firepower to be the difference against a rising Mayobridge team.

[Akinfenwa]

Despite the criticism that the championships have gotten, we've ended up with four potentially incredible semi finals across SFC and IFC.

At this stage, it wouldn't surprise me to see any of the four win in each competition.

Who do you fancy?

[ulstergael]

I would agree with wobbler in calling for a return to league positions deciding championship placings, relegation playoffs are brutal and league positions are probably a truer reflection of how championships should be made up rather than the one up / one down system currently in place.

Most people's top 4 sides have made it to the semi's in both SFC & IFC and should be 4 good games. For the SFC, I would predict a Kilcoo v Clonduff final. IFC - would fancy a Rostrevor v Annaclone final. The fitness of Finn McElroy is one to keep an eye on - Longstone will need him playing to come through that one.

[maldini]

Hopefully the semis are great games as the quarter finals were all over after 15 minutes

[downtothecore]

Semi finals of both senior and intermediate should be good games.

Clonduff and Carryduff haven't been beaten yet so this one is hard to call. Clonduff to edge it.

Kilcoo v Burren. I cant see Burren offering anything different than the normally do in this fixture so kilcoo will win it.

An riocht and Rostrevor for the intermediate final

[ApresMatch]

Managerial merry-go-round started yet?

[DanTheMan12]

Took myself down to newry on Monday evening hoping for a close encounter .. although the yellows did blow their neighbours out of the water, it was very obviously Connor Curran has a soft spot there .. all 50/50s going the Clonduff men's way .. I'm sure they are disappointed Connor won't be overseeing them next Friday night , ah well, maybe get Connor in the final     Still fancy burren for the lot.

[Get Over]

Took myself down to newry on Monday evening hoping for a close encounter .. although the yellows did blow their neighbours out of the water, it was very obviously Connor Curran has a soft spot there .. all 50/50s going the Clonduff men's way .. I'm sure they are disappointed Connor won't be overseeing them next Friday night , ah well, maybe get Connor in the final     Still fancy burren for the lot.

Burren for the lot? They've the ultimate test next Sunday. keeper, Backs and midfield has been impressive but it's getting the scores when it matters most. They lacked that fire power up front against a good clonduff side. I think they're a few years off challenging.

Kilcoo and Clonduff final for me

[DanTheMan12]

Took myself down to newry on Monday evening hoping for a close encounter .. although the yellows did blow their neighbours out of the water, it was very obviously Connor Curran has a soft spot there .. all 50/50s going the Clonduff men's way .. I'm sure they are disappointed Connor won't be overseeing them next Friday night , ah well, maybe get Connor in the final     Still fancy burren for the lot.

Burren for the lot? They've the ultimate test next Sunday. keeper, Backs and midfield has been impressive but it's getting the scores when it matters most. They lacked that fire power up front against a good clonduff side. I think they're a few years off challenging.

Kilcoo and Clonduff final for me

best team on paper. However implementing a system to beat Kilcoo is another thing.. not to mention the mentality barriers after all the heartache from the magpies over the years. 

[johnnycool]

The hurling resumed yesterday without much fanfare.

We'd our neighbours in yesterday, one they really should have fancied after our previous outing where we misfired so badly on all fronts and confidence low.

It was a tight enough game, we got an early goal and looked to be kicking on, but stupid frees got Ballycran back into the game, along with a well taken Ballycran goal, meant we went into the break with a 1 point lead.

The game remained pretty flat until the sending off for two yellows and deservedly so.

We were down to 14 and somehow that stirred our lads who finally decided to play a bit of hurling and pulled away with  the 6 or 7 point lead they held right to the end. Ballycran didn't use the one man advantage well at all.

The only real thing on the line was who was getting the home venue in the semi-final, which I think we need the bigger pitch to work in. Ballycran still playing a 49yo must be soul destroying for the younger lads on their panel. He still created the goal though.

The last round this Sunday are all dead rubbers, the semi-finals will be Ports v Liatroim in Portaferry and ourselves v Ballycran in Ballygalget no matter what happens results wise.

We've Carryduff in Portaferry on Sunday who may or may not depending on how friday night goes, still have an interest in the big ball.

Ports play Liatroim in Teconnaught and irrespective of Bredagh possibly beating Ballycran up in Carryduff, Liatroim would go into 4th on the same points due to the head-to-head.

I know there were changes looked at last winter, but maybe this winter there needs to be more jeopardy as too many games have been flat and only so much of that can be put down to Portaferry's dominance.