Down v Armagh - Newry - 20 March 2010

[Apple Crumble]

Any true, serious GAA fan should own a season ticket, in my opinion.

That is on par with Trevor Hill saying money isnt the problem (or something similar)
Complete sh1te

McKeever to eat up young Clarke this weekend.

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

Ignore Tony!

Have you become more reasonable since your 5ive Times days then?

[fairplay]

Ignore Tony!

Have you become more reasonable since your 5ive Times days then?

Pardon?  I don't follow your post

[Dubh driocht]

Any true, serious GAA fan should own a season ticket, in my opinion.

That is on par with Trevor Hill saying money isnt the problem (or something similar)
Complete sh1te

McKeever to eat up young Clarke this weekend.

Can we talk about the game rather than petty squabbles amomg men who should know better ?
Apple Crumble, your question is a fair one as Mc Keever has normally 'marked' ( and I use the term in it's broadest sense) Benny. But POR has a problem.We have JC,MC,BC and PMcC.Who will C Mc Keever target ?I think it will be an intriguing battle and RC will be a huge loss to youse ones.Pat will need to be on top of his whistle . Bring it on !

[fitzroyalty]

Andy Mallon could take Marty...though as mentioned there is the small matter of his brother, Coulter and McComiskey...the latter hasn't been hitting his best form though from what I hear?

[Mourne Rover]

DD there was talk of Pat McEnaney reffing on Saturday night but according to today's fixtures Martin Sludden of Tyrone is actually the man in charge. He booked nine players in the Fermanagh/Louth game last weekend even through it was apparently a low-key affair, so he may be busy enough at the Marshes.

However, big Paddy seems to have kept his cool so far this season while James has been measured as well, so there is no particular reason to expect fireworks.

Armagh have been the more disciplined and focused side in these matches for some time, which is why they have won every league and championship meeting with Down for the last 15 years. Both have shown some decent form so far this season, so it should be a tight one.

[ardmhachaabu]

I was looking forward to this game until now. Sludden as ref?  Great!

[Dubh driocht]

History has told us Big Paddy can only keep his cool for so long. However, I think he will keep it this Saturday, which worries me.Let's face it : Paddy O' Rourke is a Down man to his backbone and it's hard-wired into his DNA to hate Armagh.He has been the model of decorum to date so it shows that,just like Ross,we should always be weary of a lover spurned.Remember Paddy,like Ross, fought like blazes to keep his job with Down.He lined up Mc Elkennon and anyone else he thought could take him the extra mile but the powers that be (TPTB) had decided he was toast . Ross did the same. I think it was wrong and sad that these two great Down-men had to do that and we all need to think about who should be the critical friend to managers whose passion prevents them reading the situation objectively.I don't think Paddy could have done any more with Down but I did think Ross could. Remember, he did all the heavy-lifting to get Marty home and it was a spectacular O.G. to fall out with John .Most people know that these are two young men who epitomise the best of Irish man-hood and I think they (along with Benny, Mc Comiskey, Ambrose and Kevin Mc Kernan) will just about do enough to get us over the line on Saturday night.

[Goats Do Shave]

Andy M will likely take on McComiskey.
Brendy Donaghy to take John Clarke.
Paul Kernan / Finn mo possibly to take on Benny.
Time for Duffy to move out to the wing.

I'd have no worries about the Armagh full back line. The Down full back line on the other hand...

Midfield will be crucial. I don't expect Toner to give Rodgers the freedom he has been accustomed to over the past few weeks. How far is Charlie Vernon away from starting? He could be the difference.

[dodgy umpire]

We have conceeded the least scores of any team across all four divisions so far and it will be a fierce, hard hitting, and probably low scoring contest. I expect McComiskey, Coulter and M Clarke will receive a lot of "attention" from the Armagh defence and so i think  John Clarke and Danny Hughes will do the most damage to Armagh. We should win by about 2 points

Andy M will likely take on McComiskey.
Brendy Donaghy to take John Clarke.
Paul Kernan / Finn mo possibly to take on Benny.
Time for Duffy to move out to the wing.

I'd have no worries about the Armagh full back line. The Down full back line on the other hand...

Midfield will be crucial. I don't expect Toner to give Rodgers the freedom he has been accustomed to over the past few weeks. How far is Charlie Vernon away from starting? He could be the difference.

Ambrose has been on great form and with this confidence he should put on a powerful display. He will be on the full back line closing down the Armagh forwards when the game is tight and could surge forward to take a score himself when we need it most

[Goats Do Shave]

I think the current Armagh defence are being somewhat tarnished. McKeever would be the only defender who has a history of cynicism.
Ambrose is a super footballer, I'm glad he recovered from that terrible injury.

I'd agree there'll be 1 or 2 points in it. Hard to say which way it will go

[HalfFitHalfBack]

We have conceeded the least scores of any team across all four divisions so far

Apparently Down haven't even conceded the least in div 2:

Division Two
Top Scorers.................Armagh (2-57: 4 games)
Lowest Scorers............Westmeath (5-33: 4 games); Tipperary (3-39: 4 games)
Most conceded.............Westmeath (4-68: 4 games)
Least conceded.............Armagh (2-33: 4 games)

The least conceded in all divisions goes to Limerick:
Least conceded............Limerick (2-32: 4 games)

Although I got this from the HS site, so can't be sure of its veracity:
http://www.hoganstand.com/Armagh/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=125550

[Throw ball]

Co not think I have ever heard of Andy Mallon, Donaghy or Duffy ever accused of cynicism, even in club football. Much of this talk is based on media hype from a number of years ago. We really do not have many players who could fit the typecast of old. New manager, new team. Just hope for a good game with a  good refereeing performance. What neither team need is suspended players.

[Apple Crumble]

Co not think I have ever heard of Andy Mallon, Donaghy or Duffy ever accused of cynicism, even in club football. Much of this talk is based on media hype from a number of years ago. We really do not have many players who could fit the typecast of old. New manager, new team. Just hope for a good game with a  good refereeing performance. What neither team need is suspended players.

Whats' Down's Martin Clarke general play like?  i.e. if he wasn't hitting the frees, would he be a definet starter?

[dundrumite]

Co not think I have ever heard of Andy Mallon, Donaghy or Duffy ever accused of cynicism, even in club football. Much of this talk is based on media hype from a number of years ago. We really do not have many players who could fit the typecast of old. New manager, new team. Just hope for a good game with a  good refereeing performance. What neither team need is suspended players.

Whats' Down's Martin Clarke general play like?  i.e. if he wasn't hitting the frees, would he be a definet starter?

A cert.