Ard Mhacha v An Dún - Cluiche Ceannais Rionn 2 - Pairc an Chrócaigh 25/4/10

[Travis T O Justice]

I'm going to be in the lake district for the game - anyone know of any pubs likely to be show it. Probably a fwiggin long shot though!

the Lake District is a big place saan, what part...i know a few around Egremont

A place called Grizebeck - looks like something out of the dark ages so I ain't holdin' out much hope leek. It's about 3-4 miles outside of Broughton in Furness.

[yellowcard]

Yip.

McKeever is the business.  One of the top half backs in the country.

Clarke has proved nothing yet, except for being on the starting 15 on the Down county team.

I agree, McKeever will relish the thought of putting Clarke in his box and has rarely been found wanting in the past when it comes to man marking duties. All this talk about Clarke giving McKeever a 'footballing lesson' is nonsense. He didn't even complete a full half during which he kicked a good point but contributed not much else of note.

This game should be a tight affair but I expect Armagh to turn the tables providing Ronan Clarke is fit this time round. 

[Ceart agus Cóir]

Why was Clarke taken off in the 1st place? What does he have to prove-he is a class act! thats not even up for debate!

Lastly, trying not to be biased here but look back on the first 15 minutes of that match in the marshes when down blitzed armagh...everything went thru Marty Clarke! CHF is a playmakers position-people are expectin him to rack up scores like a full forward! and i thought since the mc entees have retired even armagh fans could admit in Marty Clarke Down have one of the best (if not the best) young centre half forward in the country!

I disagree that mckeever will relish this battle as a footballing contest. its been well documented why clarke went off in newry-but marty clarke won that hands down! and i think clarke will be fired up for croker!

Armagh will be a different prospect this time round! Not buyin in to the win in letterkenny, but with ronan clarke and charlie vernon back they'l be a handful! expect armagh's defence to prove a point and not be blown away! Think this will be a tight game, down have a fightin spirit this year and it think therel be no more than a point or two either way in this game!

[mackers]

I've seen enough of Marty Clarke to know that he is going to be a class act. But his contribution to the game in Newry has been exaggerated by Down posters . Unfortunately his injury deprived us of the chance of seeing more of him........on the flip side however Down posters assume that McKeever is not fit to handle Clarke and rather than waste another ten pages on this thread with McKeever bashing let's wait to see how things pan out in Croker. As Throw Ball says, Clarke at this point is no better than Stephen O'Neill was in 05 and McKeever did a fine job on him.

[illdecide]

I don't usually get into these sort of "my player is better than your player" but Marty Clarke has a lot to prove b4 anyone can start talking him up, yes he has potential and I've no doubt that he'll turn out to be a star for Down over the next 10 years but FFS wait until he has achieved this potential with Down b4 blowing him up to be the next superstar. He's a fare bit to go before he makes the Linden/Coulter/McCarten/Carr mould

[DuffleKing]

I've seen enough of Marty Clarke to know that he is going to be a class act. But his contribution to the game in Newry has been exaggerated by Down posters . Unfortunately his injury deprived us of the chance of seeing more of him........on the flip side however Down posters assume that McKeever is not fit to handle Clarke and rather than waste another ten pages on this thread with McKeever bashing let's wait to see how things pan out in Croker. As Throw Ball says, Clarke at this point is no better than Stephen O'Neill was in 05 and McKeever did a fine job on him.

He's nowhere near oneill05 yet. All he is is potential at this stage. Even though i'm an armagh man i hope he fully fulfiills that potential but there's a lot of ifs there yet

[shyted]

maybe mckeever will revert to 05 form and get clarke onthe ground drag him around f0r a bit pull the jersey off him then when clarke gets to his feet he;ll get a stright red CANAVANESQUE.           The best way ive ever seen to get a player who u know is goin to destroy u lined.

[mackers]

maybe mckeever will revert to 05 form and get clarke onthe ground drag him around f0r a bit pull the jersey off him then when clarke gets to his feet he;ll get a stright red CANAVANESQUE.           The best way ive ever seen to get a player who u know is goin to destroy u lined.

Wha? 

[Orior]

The best way ive ever seen to get a player who u know is goin to destroy u lined.

I'm no language expert but I think I can translate the above.

I have been watching Gaelic for many years and I've witnessed many intriguing battles. The most interesting contests are where the two combatants know each other very well. Indeed, when one player knows that his oponent is superior, he must use all his ingenuity to outfox him, and in some circumstances this can lead to the opponent being sent off.

[haveaharp]

maybe mckeever will revert to 05 form and get clarke onthe ground drag him around f0r a bit pull the jersey off him then when clarke gets to his feet he;ll get a stright red CANAVANESQUE.           The best way ive ever seen to get a player who u know is goin to destroy u lined.

Wha? 

Perhaps shoving a ref square in the chest twice was enough to get him lined. Peters gone, O'Neill always worried Armagh more anyway.

[Banana Man]

Quote from: shyted on April 15, 2010, 04:47:54 PM
The best way ive ever seen to get a player who u know is goin to destroy u lined.


I'm no language expert but I think I can translate the above.

I have been watching Gaelic for many years and I've witnessed many intriguing battles. The most interesting contests are where the two combatants know each other very well. Indeed, when one player knows that his oponent is superior, he must use all his ingenuity to outfox him, and in some circumstances this can lead to the opponent being sent off.

Absolute cracker Orior!

[armagho9]

maybe mckeever will revert to 05 form and get clarke onthe ground drag him around f0r a bit pull the jersey off him then when clarke gets to his feet he;ll get a stright red CANAVANESQUE.           The best way ive ever seen to get a player who u know is goin to destroy u lined.

Wha? 

Perhaps shoving a ref square in the chest twice was enough to get him lined. Peters gone, O'Neill always worried Armagh more anyway.

i would agree with that, ONeill was always our biggest worry.  Sure Enda always had Canavan in his pocket "feeding him on farts"

[John o connor]

Hopefully Benny will line out against "our ma " looks a lot leaner and hungrier this year and we need as much physical presence through the spine of the side as possible especially against the orange men. Also a pity big dan has left it so late to return ( im sure he has his reasons and owes the county nothing ) would have been great to have given him a run in last couple of national league games , the options around midfield grow all the time with King ,big pete ,and ambi. It is   another alternative which could allow ambi to move into CHF and Marty out to the wing , speaking of which any more news on his " return to down under story " he must be mad to even think about it lol 

Marty Clarke is a CHF end of, he is the ideal playmaker & his distribution is second to none, in simpler terms it's like playing Wayne Rooney as a winger or Brian O'Driscoll as a fly half, it's just madness to suggest we play Marty anywere else other than CHF.

You have picked me up wrong there rambler let me clarify ! Gaelic Football in the modern era (last ten years) weather we like it or not has changed beyond all recognition some games now resemble basketball especially in championship format with much more at stake, how we solve this problem and increasingly sub standard refereeing is for another day.My piont about Marty Clarke moving into half forward was nt strictly to keep him on the touchline , look at the sucess tyrone have tasted over last ten years . Micky Heart picks good footballers but more importantly clever ones who are comfortable playing all over the pitch in different positions.In my opinion a half forward line now is more or less a third back line and with Clarke Rodgers and Hughes being able to alternate between playmaking, running in support of midfielders and covering back we would be much more dynamic . It was just a suggestion for when Dan returns .As we know Marty will start at CHF against Armagh and has some unfinished business with the mc keever (another football lesson )

Did i miss something? When was the first lesson? You can't mean the marshes when he scored 1 point from play before being substituted in the 1st half

Are you blind Clarke ran the show in Newry and Mc Keever could not get near him which is why he reverted to type and started to how should i put this "cut the shit out of him "

[Stevie Nicks]

Hopefully Benny will line out against "our ma " looks a lot leaner and hungrier this year and we need as much physical presence through the spine of the side as possible especially against the orange men. Also a pity big dan has left it so late to return ( im sure he has his reasons and owes the county nothing ) would have been great to have given him a run in last couple of national league games , the options around midfield grow all the time with King ,big pete ,and ambi. It is   another alternative which could allow ambi to move into CHF and Marty out to the wing , speaking of which any more news on his " return to down under story " he must be mad to even think about it lol 

Marty Clarke is a CHF end of, he is the ideal playmaker & his distribution is second to none, in simpler terms it's like playing Wayne Rooney as a winger or Brian O'Driscoll as a fly half, it's just madness to suggest we play Marty anywere else other than CHF.

You have picked me up wrong there rambler let me clarify ! Gaelic Football in the modern era (last ten years) weather we like it or not has changed beyond all recognition some games now resemble basketball especially in championship format with much more at stake, how we solve this problem and increasingly sub standard refereeing is for another day.My piont about Marty Clarke moving into half forward was nt strictly to keep him on the touchline , look at the sucess tyrone have tasted over last ten years . Micky Heart picks good footballers but more importantly clever ones who are comfortable playing all over the pitch in different positions.In my opinion a half forward line now is more or less a third back line and with Clarke Rodgers and Hughes being able to alternate between playmaking, running in support of midfielders and covering back we would be much more dynamic . It was just a suggestion for when Dan returns .As we know Marty will start at CHF against Armagh and has some unfinished business with the mc keever (another football lesson )

Did i miss something? When was the first lesson? You can't mean the marshes when he scored 1 point from play before being substituted in the 1st half

Are you blind Clarke ran the show in Newry and Mc Keever could not get near him which is why he reverted to type and started to how should i put this "cut the shit out of him "

No but thanks for your concern my eyesight is just fine . As said before M Clarke is no doubt a talent but I saw no football lesson from him against McKeever in the marshes. A football lesson is strong talk for what I saw. Oisin scoring 2-7 in an Ulster Final is a lesson, one point from play until subbed on 20mins due to injury is far from a lesson. No doubt the guy has talent but don't blow it out of proportion.

[Brick Tamlin]

Have to agree with my apple-munching counterpart. Some of us Down ones are seriously hyping the guy up on here.