AI Football Final 2010: An Corcaigh vs An Dún

[The Worker]

down have a good record in the yellow jerseys as far as i believe

We beat Cork in the All Ireland semi final in 1994 wearing Yella and Cork were wearing white. Check out Aidan Mallon's videos on youtube to see Niall Cahalane trying to catch Mickey Linden

i was on the hill that day.

linden was in his prime.

Imagine if Linden was in his prime now with Benny & Marty in the forward line 

[Orangemac]

This Down team have more pace thoughout the team than Down in 1994 and I think Down are in a perfect position going into this final.

Cork don't seem to handle the pressure well, against Dublin there was a real lack of leadership throughout the team until O'Neill came on.

Cork are strong but their slow side to side handpassing will suit Down who will hit Cork at pace on the break. Dublin nearly beat Cork with 1 forward. Down have 5 forwards capable of scoring a few points each ( John Clarke has been just ok the last few games but he gives Down a focal point in attack).

The fact that this is their 1st final will not phase Down. They are Down and although the hype round Newry etc will be unreal McCartan will keep their feet on the ground. The fact that they have never lost a final will be used as a positive.

Cork have been knocking on the door the last few years and the tag of favouritism will not sit well with them.

Cork playing v Tyrone last year would win but they have yet to hit those heights this year. Down by 2.

Have an Ulster team ever been favourites for an AI ( apart from 2003)?

By the way would Jimmy White being ref make it the team that never lost a final reffed by the man who never won 1? I'll get my coat.

[Mourne Rover]

Dromara Gael is quite right about Down wearing an all black strip against Cork in the NFL but it is going back quite a while - probably around 25 years. My recollection is that the game may have been played in Castlewellan and I have a notion that the great Tommy McGovern might have got a rare score for us late on.

[Banana Man]

is it too late to get a black strip cleared to play with??

[waitingforsam]

IS AMBROSE GOING TO BE FIT FOR FINAL ?

[armaghniac]

Surely it is possible for Down to have a strip with a bit more black in the jersey and Cork one with a bit more white, given that the shorts are also different.

[snoopdog]

Dromara Gael is quite right about Down wearing an all black strip against Cork in the NFL but it is going back quite a while - probably around 25 years. My recollection is that the game may have been played in Castlewellan and I have a notion that the great Tommy McGovern might have got a rare score for us late on.

Did Down minors not wear an all black strip in the 80s for an all ireland semi??
i know they wore yellow in 87 against Cork
on a more worrying note i heard on BBC news that Down were only getting 13,000 tickets.
Lads anyone know a good place around Newry to buy a couple of flags for the house

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Dromara Gael is quite right about Down wearing an all black strip against Cork in the NFL but it is going back quite a while - probably around 25 years. My recollection is that the game may have been played in Castlewellan and I have a notion that the great Tommy McGovern might have got a rare score for us late on.

Did Down minors not wear an all black strip in the 80s for an all ireland semi??
i know they wore yellow in 87 against Cork
on a more worrying note i heard on BBC news that Down were only getting 13,000 tickets.
Lads anyone know a good place around Newry to buy a couple of flags for the house

Around a Pound on Hill St would be your best bet I'd say.

[Mourne Rover]

Snoopdog, in 1987, a Down minor team featuring James McCartan beat Kildare in the AI semi and went on to defeat Cork in the final. Paddy Kielty, who was the reserve keeper in the squad, has been pointing out the coincidence. Our only other minor semi that decade was in 1986, when we lost to Galway, and I'm fairly sure that we wore our normal kit.

[snoopdog]

Snoopdog, in 1987, a Down minor team featuring James McCartan beat Kildare in the AI semi and went on to defeat Cork in the final. Paddy Kielty, who was the reserve keeper in the squad, has been pointing out the coincidence. Our only other minor semi that decade was in 1986, when we lost to Galway, and I'm fairly sure that we wore our normal kit.

yeah 86 im nearly surethey were wearing black that day. Now i was only a pup so i could be wrong.

on the flags is around a pounds flags any good cause the ones in around a pound banbridge are quite poor.

[crossfire]

I hear Jimmy White is geting the final. Oh my God!

Would it not be a break with recent convention to appoint a referee from a province represented by one of the finalists?

ffs..this is getting ridiculuous....third game in a row where an Ulster ref is reffing a Down game...whats going on ?

Are you Jack O,Connor in disguise.

[DuffleKing]

Kinneavy will be reffing. his last game so every cloud and all that...

[supersub]

Best bet for tickets through your club?

[bcarrier]

Good news on the ref mainly because of who it isnt.

I have rewatched the Kildare game a few times now and think Down still look vulnerable under the high ball. Kildare really got at them when launching it in high in last ten. Gordon did well on Donaghy but wasnt as assured on Sunday. Cork has a few options at full forward and will be interesting to see how they line up. I imagine they will try and have the FF and CHF on rotation to get Gordon out from the square and McKernan sucked into a deeper defensive role.   

[mrenergizer]

good choice of ref instead of using Geroid O Conneiva