AI Football Final 2010: An Corcaigh vs An Dún

[Orangemac]

Was in the Canal Court in Newry on Sunday. Seems to be a sense of quiet optimism round Down for Sunday ( aside from adverts for Sunday night's celebratory disco).

I know my nerves were gone back in 2002 the week before the final but you have to hand it to the Down boys, they are not lacking in confidence. If the players go into the game with this frame of mind and make a good start they have a great chance.

Cork made a great start last year and blew up but they will need to make another good start and learn from their mistakes.

[Jinxy]

If Cork win, will they get any All-Stars? 
Because right now, I'm struggling to think of a single Cork player that deserves one.

   If Cork wins on Sunday, it will get many All- Stars  - the winning team always does.
   
   If Cork loses, it will get very few as Cork's  performances to date have not impressed many neutral viewers.

   Michael Clifford in today's Daily Mail picked his All Star team for this year based on performances to date and didn't include a sinlge Cork player on his team. His team compised four Down players, three from both Dublin and Kildare, two from Tyrone and one from each of  Kerry, Louth and Sligo. This type of journalism suits Cork very well in the lead up to next Sunday, by the way.

  I agree with a previous poster that Kelly, Kerrigan and Shields a are the most likely Cork players to win awards but next Sunday will determine a lot. Another possibility is Paudie Kissane as he has won two 'man of the match' awards so far this year.

If anyone thinks Graham Canty isn't in line for an allstar they are deluding themselves

An Allstar for what?

[Croí na hÉireann]

If Cork win, will they get any All-Stars? 
Because right now, I'm struggling to think of a single Cork player that deserves one.

   If Cork wins on Sunday, it will get many All- Stars  - the winning team always does.
   
   If Cork loses, it will get very few as Cork's  performances to date have not impressed many neutral viewers.

   Michael Clifford in today's Daily Mail picked his All Star team for this year based on performances to date and didn't include a sinlge Cork player on his team. His team compised four Down players, three from both Dublin and Kildare, two from Tyrone and one from each of  Kerry, Louth and Sligo. This type of journalism suits Cork very well in the lead up to next Sunday, by the way.

  I agree with a previous poster that Kelly, Kerrigan and Shields a are the most likely Cork players to win awards but next Sunday will determine a lot. Another possibility is Paudie Kissane as he has won two 'man of the match' awards so far this year.

I don't think it does, Cork have shown over the years that they are mentally brittle. The media last year (with the ex Kerry players as the ringleaders) repeatedly reported that the Kerry team weren't good enough to win the AI. Tell a Kerryman that he's not good enough and he'll prove you wrong, tell this Cork team and they'll start believing you. I think they will struggle to get up to their semi-final performance (which wasn't that great) and whether it was enough will depend on what Down team turns up. I know a few Cork lads and they are not at all confident, Cork will find it next to impossible to turn it around IMO.

[Hardy]

Cork were a good team last year. Why is everybody assuming that they're still as good, given that they haven't produced anything remarkable since last year's semi-final? Form doesn't necessarily last for 12 months and I don't see any basis for suggestions that we only have to wait for Cork to turn it on. It could happen and maybe they are as good as they were, but I'd suggest there's no evidence for it and that's not the way to bet.

Anyone who's seen them this year couldn't be impressed. Anyone who hadn't seen them until this year and wasn't influenced by the knowledge that they WERE a good team would be entitled to consider Down as strong favourites on this year's form.

[Croí na hÉireann]

I think they still are a good team Hardy as their league campaign shows (I know it was only the league but they were still head and shoulders above everyone else). Injuries to key players have really disrupted their season, case in point being Miskella at wing back, they have really missed his driving runs this year. However I agree that their form is nowhere near last years and they will find it impossible to turn it on for the final.

Win or lose on Sunday they'll be there or thereabouts again next season, a good team with more excellent prospects on the way. They may need a change of manager to get them over the line though, really disappointed with Counihan this year.

[mountainboii]

Cork were a good team last year. Why is everybody assuming that they're still as good, given that they haven't produced anything remarkable since last year's semi-final? Form doesn't necessarily last for 12 months and I don't see any basis for suggestions that we only have to wait for Cork to turn it on. It could happen and maybe they are as good as they were, but I'd suggest there's no evidence for it and that's not the way to bet.

Anyone who's seen them this year couldn't be impressed. Anyone who hadn't seen them until this year and wasn't influenced by the knowledge that they WERE a good team would be entitled to consider Down as strong favourites on this year's form.

I'm not sure about that.

In the provincial championships: Cork were pipped after a replay and extra time. Down were fairly comprehensively thrown aside in Ulster.

In the qualifiers: Cork hammered Cavan and Wexford but struggled with Limerick. Down hammered Sligo but struggled with Longford and Offaly.

In the quarters: Both pulled away from their opponents fairly easily in the end.

In the semis: Both pipped their opponents afters close games.

Perhaps Down have beaten better quality opposition, but I don't see a great chasm in form. I think Cork's underperfromance has been exaggerated by many this year.

[marym]

Win or lose on Sunday they'll be there or thereabouts again next season, a good team with more excellent prospects on the way. They may need a change of manager to get them over the line though, really disappointed with Counihan this year.

*********************************************************************************
Conor buried his brother last week. Conor's parents still alive so a young man by all accounts. Not easy by any means to try and focus in on looking after a team with all this going on.

[Rois]

Conor buried his brother last week. Conor's parents still alive so a young man by all accounts. Not easy by any means to try and focus in on looking after a team with all this going on.

I hadn't heard that.  Sincere condolences to Conor, whether Cork win on Sunday or not, it will pale into insignificance for him.  I know which I would rather have.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Conor buried his brother last week. Conor's parents still alive so a young man by all accounts. Not easy by any means to try and focus in on looking after a team with all this going on.

I hadn't heard that.  Sincere condolences to Conor, whether Cork win on Sunday or not, it will pale into insignificance for him.  I know which I would rather have.

Didn't know that either, would explain why Conor hasn't looked as assured as last year, shocking news, may he rest in peace

[jas376]

I'm not sure about that.

In the provincial championships: Cork were pipped after a replay and extra time. Down were fairly comprehensively thrown aside in Ulster.

In the qualifiers: Cork hammered Cavan and Wexford but struggled with Limerick. Down hammered Sligo but struggled with Longford and Offaly.

In the quarters: Both pulled away from their opponents fairly easily in the end.

In the semis: Both pipped their opponents afters close games.

Perhaps Down have beaten better quality opposition, but I don't see a great chasm in form. I think Cork's underperfromance has been exaggerated by many this year.

    Very well put together AFS and probably goes to show that there really is little enough to choose between the two teams .

   A lot has been made of form and past performances here but I don't think that ultimately they matter an awful lot . To use the well worn cliche 'it all  comes down to what happens on the day'

Cork has been criticised a lot for the quality of its perfomances this year but peole forget that it competed in many deceptively difficult games and came through them all pretty well.. The two games v Kerry and the games v Wexford in Wexford (in the rain), v Lmerick in Limerick and v Dublin in Dublin were all diffficult, dogged fixtures partially because more and more teams are now using the 'blanket defence' strategy which in my opinion is in danger of ruining football as a spectacle.

  Sport is all about winning - the quality of the performance and the winning margin matter less to the competing teams.
I know that Cork will be happy with a poor performance and a one point margin on Sunday as long as it gets over the line at the end and that's how it's been all season.

[Class of 99]

3 days left in work and I have to say it is absolute torture. Ever waken second thinking and praying Ambrose will be lifting Sam come Sunday, not collecting ticket till Friday which is also adding to the anxiety. Is anyone else feeling the pressure I'm sure Im not alone!!!

[Lazer]

3 days left in work and I have to say it is absolute torture. Ever waken second thinking and praying Ambrose will be lifting Sam come Sunday, not collecting ticket till Friday which is also adding to the anxiety. Is anyone else feeling the pressure I'm sure Im not alone!!!

Yep - i'm feeling it too - imagine how much the team must be feelingm if we're feeling like this about it!

At lease you have a ticket to collect on Friday - i'm still looking

[Dubh driocht]

I think a myth has grown up about Down's performance in Tullamore. With no disrespect to the Offaly men ( particularly AZ who is balanced and fair) I don't think Down were ever going to lose that game.Three points to consider First of all there was the balls up with the bus going to Mullingar. Second , one of the few bad calls made all year by management in not spotting that the Offaly corner forward and 5 foot nothing John Reynolds took big Dan to the wing for their goal in the first minute . Third, the only bad substitution (apart from bringing on Aidan Brannigan V Kildare) the management made all year was to take off our best player on the night- John Clarke- and put us under needless pressure for the last 10 minutes.
Another myth is that Down were up against a depressed Sligo team.Sligo were well up for it and outnumbered the Down support by about 4 or 5 to 1. The performance that night was close to perfect and many of us realised then that this year was special. So , while Cork are clearly a more experienced and physical team, the whole is less than the sum of the parts; since Kingspan Breffni Down are much greater than the sum of the individual players.Give me a good team over a collection of good players any day.

[Minus15]

Agree with a lot of that but surely that is a little harsh on Brannigan. Despite a one or two nervous looking moments I thought he did a decent job trekking Doyle

[Mid Down Gael]

Agree with a lot of that but surely that is a little harsh on Brannigan. Despite a one or two nervous looking moments I thought he did a decent job trekking Doyle

I agree. It was horses for courses and Choc was best suited to mark Doyle as Garvey was struggling.