Ulster Semifinal- Derry v Tyrone 21/6/09 Casement Park

[SidelineKick]

I know most people will hold their cards close to their chest in these sorts of matches but as a Tyrone fan I am going to be honest and say what I think..... I think Tyrone will win this match easy by 5+ points.  Even if Derry had a full squad available Tyrone would be too strong but they are far from full strength. Tyrone are as injury free as they have been in years and are in a determined mood. Derry have a few great players one of which is suspended but their squad strength is no where near Tyrone's and in the modern game it takes 18 - 20 players to win not just a couple of 'stars'.

It would be a massive shock to me if Tyrone do not win this game convincingly.

Have to agree with this.  it will start out like any championship game does and will be tight, maybe even to half time with tyrone up by a couple.  A defining moment like a sending off for Derry or  Tyrone goal will get Tyrone on their way to a 5/6 point win.  Not very comfortable but with a bit left in the tank if they need it. Thats my honest opinion on how it will go.

I wasn't far off in my assessment! Disappointed but not surprised.  The things that bothered me about yesterday:

1) Derry's lack of a plan B (AGAIN), for God's sake everyone on this board knew what Harte was going to do how did Cassidy not plan for it?
2) The changes that Cassidy made and how slow he was to make them, no disrespect to Eoin brown as its not his fault but how he managed to stay on for 70+ mins is beyond me.
3) A crowd of Dungannon w**kers in front of us that I don't think even knew there was a game on. Singing, cursing as loud as they could and slapping each other round the head was the height of their day, why does every county have dicks like this? They'd be better off on a bar stool watching it.
4) That wee Monobrow b**tard.  In Paddy Bradley's face even when the game was well and truely over, he's a hateful wee ****.
5) Cavanagh's dive and lying holding his head, it's a mans game, he should be ashamed of himself.

Now I have that off my chest, I think Tyrone will be extremely hard to beat this year, they could have upped it again yesterday and weren't even going full pelt.  Worrying for Derry. Although we have a few players to come back we really seen yesterday how far off the top team(s) they are.  Cassidy has a bit of explaining to do.  No one was expecting a Derry win but I think we all felt we may come close.  The changes he made were puzzling and the fact that once Gormley dropped back (from day one) Cassidy was stumped makes me quite cross.  I thought he was more shrewd than that.  Derry are the most frustrating and disappointing team to follow in Ireland.  I'm thinking about following the cricket from now on.

You predicted a comfortable win for Tyrone - but then say that you all felt that you would come close ??.

What should Cassidy have done when Gormley went back ?.

I said I thought we may get close. Read my prediction, I said a 5 point victory roughly but thought we'd put up more of a fight. I'll be careful to state exactly what I mean from now on 

As for what Cassidy should have done when Gormley dropped back, I'm not the Derry manager.  Cassidy is in there because he is capable of managing an inter county team. I am not.  Surely you cant accept that you're beat if a man drops in front of the Bradleys.  It was clear as day that this would happen.

They should have been involving the other forwards i.e. Seamus Bradley and using Paddy as a decoy at times.  Only my opinion but as I said I wouldn't consider myself capable of managing a county team.

[EC Unique]

I know most people will hold their cards close to their chest in these sorts of matches but as a Tyrone fan I am going to be honest and say what I think..... I think Tyrone will win this match easy by 5+ points.  Even if Derry had a full squad available Tyrone would be too strong but they are far from full strength. Tyrone are as injury free as they have been in years and are in a determined mood. Derry have a few great players one of which is suspended but their squad strength is no where near Tyrone's and in the modern game it takes 18 - 20 players to win not just a couple of 'stars'.

It would be a massive shock to me if Tyrone do not win this game convincingly.

I said Tyrone would win easy and they did. Some other Tyrone supporters on here should have more faith in their team

[orangeman]

I know most people will hold their cards close to their chest in these sorts of matches but as a Tyrone fan I am going to be honest and say what I think..... I think Tyrone will win this match easy by 5+ points.  Even if Derry had a full squad available Tyrone would be too strong but they are far from full strength. Tyrone are as injury free as they have been in years and are in a determined mood. Derry have a few great players one of which is suspended but their squad strength is no where near Tyrone's and in the modern game it takes 18 - 20 players to win not just a couple of 'stars'.

It would be a massive shock to me if Tyrone do not win this game convincingly.

I said Tyrone would win easy and they did. Some other Tyrone supporters on here should have more faith in their team

Good call. I was one of the doubters. Fair play to ye.

[ziggysego]

I don't know why the Derry ones are so against Cassidy here. There was a lot of key Derry men missing from the panel yesterday, that had a big impact on the game. Take that many players out of any team and they'll struggle. Only have to look at Tyrone in 2006.

Derry are a team in transition and Cassidy has only been at the helm for 6 months. He needs a bit of time to get his system engrain in the Derry team, even if it is "Tyrone-Lite" as O'Rourke and Brolly said yesterday. Remember, it took Harte along time to make his mark on the Tyrone Minor team before he got the break-through in 1998. Give the man time and Derry will be a force to reckon with in a couple of years.

I just hope Tyrone will still be there to take the wheels off the cart

[Doogie Browser]

Very pedestrian feel to yesterdays game, atmosphere was flat for the most part as everyone realised quite early on that it was so one sided.  Tyrone have got to an Ulster final without extending themselves which can be dangerous but there is little chance of MH allowing them to lose focus.
Derry I am afraid were terrible, they talked all week about how they wanted to play football but as they have all recognised on here we got little of that from them.  
Derry focused so much on keeping SoN and Cavanagh quiet that Penrose got so much space and to be fair he had one of his best games for Tyrone.

[omagh_gael]

just watching game again, barry mc guigan definately deserved a straight red, clearly stepped into dooher and head butted him, far from a clash of heads RTE cameras show this clearly

[orangeman]

just watching game again, barry mc guigan definately deserved a straight red, clearly stepped into dooher and head butted him, far from a clash of heads RTE cameras show this clearly

Clearly he stepped into him alright but not so sure about the headbutt given that he injured himself. Is Dooher that hard ??

[Archie Mitchell]

just watching game again, barry mc guigan definately deserved a straight red, clearly stepped into dooher and head butted him, far from a clash of heads RTE cameras show this clearly

The BBC camera's didn't seem to pick it up. Haven't seen the RTE footage yet but do they not share the same camera footage?

[tyroneStatto]

good win for tyrone despite a number of key men not performing.

hub was outstanding though and i dont think i've ever seen him motor as fast when he has scoring his second point.

i thought sean cavanagh was very poor and it seemed only his reputation kept him from being subbed. however, we dont need everybody peaking now until august so cant really complain too much at the same time.

derry are very hard to watch and along with fermanagh i sincerely hope i dont have the misfortune to see either team again this year. why cant they just go out and express themselves?

[Doogie Browser]

Justin McMahon looks great at FB, dealt with everything that came his way.

[JMohan]

I don't know why the Derry ones are so against Cassidy here. There was a lot of key Derry men missing from the panel yesterday, that had a big impact on the game. Take that many players out of any team and they'll struggle. Only have to look at Tyrone in 2006.

Derry are a team in transition and Cassidy has only been at the helm for 6 months. He needs a bit of time to get his system engrain in the Derry team, even if it is "Tyrone-Lite" as O'Rourke and Brolly said yesterday. Remember, it took Harte along time to make his mark on the Tyrone Minor team before he got the break-through in 1998. Give the man time and Derry will be a force to reckon with in a couple of years.

I just hope Tyrone will still be there to take the wheels off the cart

I wouldn't be one to call for his head, but he does need to do something.

I think people are looking for signs of improvement from Derry and many will point to last year and say that so far he has yet to improve on Croziers record.

Injuries are down mostly to luck but also training - and look at the number of injuries Derry have - Should the amount or quality of training be looked at?

I heard Jarlath say that he thought Derry weren't fit enough - but not sure I agree with that. Either way Cassidy has some influence on it.
Suspensions are also to blame - but once again you set your stall out and an over physical approach won't help keeping men on the field.

Maybe he's coming good but I think there's a big step up from Clonoe to Derry and maybe he needs to reassess what he's doing.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

What about the 100 years before that, did you do any betting from the heart back then? I suppose betting, just like football in Tyrone was born in 2003

Do you always have to be so negative?! 

I'm positive Derry will win - go on and bet on them, It'll ease the pain when ye lose.

If anyone sees a houseless Cavan man wandering the laneways and byways, open up your hearts (and your door), he's a man badly in need of solace 

Feck Tír Eoghain anyway, had €20 on them to win by between 4 and 6 points, that'll teach me to be so negative 

[JMohan]

i thought sean cavanagh was very poor and it seemed only his reputation kept him from being subbed. however, we dont need everybody peaking now until august so cant really complain too much at the same time.

I wouldn't be so hard.

One positive was that he did stop Gerard O'Kane from having any positive influence on the game which would have been very important - he was MOTM against Monaghan in my book.

[ziggysego]

Feck Tír Eoghain anyway, had €20 on them to win by between 4 and 6 points, that'll teach me to be so negative 

Fear, were you working at Casement yesterday? I popped inside the Press Box for a few moments and there was a Strabane fella working in it. He kept looking at me saying he knows who I am and has been me a Tyrone club games. You was it?

[omagh_gael]

just watching game again, barry mc guigan definately deserved a straight red, clearly stepped into dooher and head butted him, far from a clash of heads RTE cameras show this clearly

Clearly he stepped into him alright but not so sure about the headbutt given that he injured himself. Is Dooher that hard ??

Not sure if he is that hard but they certainly are made of hard stuff up round the 'brack! I'm not convinced about mc guigans "injury" I think it was more an 'oh fcuk I'm caught out, we banged heads'' injury, just think there was an intent behind it. Ah well the vet soldiered on! On another note, what are the likely sideline times for SONs thumb and Joeys rib injury, I'd imagine joe will struggle to make the final?