An Dún v Muineachán - 19/03/11 - Páirc Esler

GrandMasterFlash · March 15, 2011, 10:43:04 AM

Tough assignment for both teams. Down coming off the back of a drubbing and Monaghan coming off the back of giving Dublin 2 points.. I'd imagine a frenetic fast paced game lies in store. Glad it's on Sat night too as that always adds a bit of atmosphere.

What's the injury status in Down at the moment? Monaghan will be without Darren Hughes who'll be a big miss in defence for us. My reckoning is Corey will start at full back, McAdam will drop back to wing half back and Eoin Lennon will start in midfield.

What's the story with Colm Greenan from Clontibret, is he a long term out or nearing ready?

Bingo · March 15, 2011, 11:20:05 AM

Quote from: GrandMasterFlash on March 15, 2011, 10:43:04 AM
Tough assignment for both teams. Down coming off the back of a drubbing and Monaghan coming off the back of giving Dublin 2 points.. I'd imagine a frenetic fast paced game lies in store. Glad it's on Sat night too as that always adds a bit of atmosphere.

What's the injury status in Down at the moment? Monaghan will be without Darren Hughes who'll be a big miss in defence for us. My reckoning is Corey will start at full back, McAdam will drop back to wing half back and Eoin Lennon will start in midfield.

What's the story with Colm Greenan from Clontibret, is he a long term out or nearing ready?

Had heard he had opting out due to work commitments.

Hughes a big miss, as is Doogan. Corey at full-back, Morgan at wing back and Lennon to start?

GrandMasterFlash · March 16, 2011, 08:44:31 AM

Quote from: Bingo on March 15, 2011, 11:20:05 AM
Hughes a big miss, as is Doogan. Corey at full-back, Morgan at wing back and Lennon to start?

The jury's still out on Morgan IMHO Bingo.. I've seen him for both university and county and he highlights the step difference between both. Excellent for UUJ but a bit lost for Monaghan. And I mean that in the best possible way.. I would go with:

M Keogh;
K Duffy, Vincent Corey, C Walsh;
Neil McAdam, D Mone, David Hughes;
D Clerkin, E Lennon;
M Downey, P Finlay, J Turley;
C McGuinness, C McManus, T Freeman.

Galligan could be in place for McAdam in the HB line pushing McAdam to HF pushing Finlay to FF line with Tommy starting from the bench.. I think Galligan deserves more game time as he's a good prospect. But Tommy needs game time too as he hasn't been great starting from the bench, albeit he hasn't been given time..

Banana Man · March 16, 2011, 08:48:16 AM

bit like a 4 pointer this one, monaghan have been unlucky not to have closed out a couple of their games and down still need another point or two to stay up in all probability. Thing that worries me as a down man is monaghans size, if they stop down playing football we could be in trouble

PAULD123 · March 16, 2011, 04:36:42 PM

After a heavy shower tonight it should be dry and relatively mild till the game. This could be the first match this year that we have had decent conditions to play in. I have been saying all along that such conditions would help us a lot given the way we play football with fast light players. The muck helps more physical sides. So if the conditions are good all I can say is that I hope I'm right.

Main Street · March 16, 2011, 08:00:04 PM

We wouldn't know what good football is like when played by fast light players and with such a pedigree.
Our anti- football plodders are going to have a job just to keep the score respectable.

borderfox · March 16, 2011, 09:10:38 PM

Quote from: Main Street on March 16, 2011, 08:00:04 PM
We wouldn't know what good football is like when played by fast light players and with such a pedigree.
Our anti- football plodders are going to have a job just to keep the score respectable.

I lold

Maguire01 · March 16, 2011, 10:15:24 PM

Looking forward to this - we haven't had too many floodlit matches.

We're getting a few of the more established players back in, but to be honest, some of the new players have been doing a great job and will hold their places, especially McGuinness, Downey and Turley. I though Lennon was a bit off the pace last week and it will take a game or two for him to get up to full match fitness. Neil McAdam is doing a pretty good job in midfield - some superb catches over the first few games - he's been a bit of a revelation
having been on the fringes for a few years.

Darren Hughes being out is a massive blow, as is Doogan. Good to have Corey back, hopefully to mind the #3 spot. I think Tommy Freeman needs to get at least a full half on Saturday - giving him 10/15 minutes at the end just isn't enough to let him make his mark on the game.

Watched the Down / Cork game - they definitely weren't 11 points worse than Cork and I expect Saturday to be a tough match.

Whilst it's not quite 'must win' for us, it's pretty close. I think it's between ourselves and Mayo to drop and i'd rather not be needing points against Kerry if we want to keep our destiny in our own hands.

GrandMasterFlash · March 18, 2011, 09:10:44 AM

Ayh, Down will be well up for this one.. They've Dublin and Kerry away in their last two games so the home game points will be forefront in their minds..

Our run in is more favourable with Mayo and Kerry in fortress Inniskeen... Neither of them will be handy, don't get me wrong, but home games are definitely advantageous to the less powerful sides in the group...

Maguire01 · March 18, 2011, 04:10:30 PM

Any recommendations for a pub close-by to watch the rugby before the match?

amallon · March 18, 2011, 04:42:25 PM

McCoys pub is on the way to the ground and would be handy but I'm sure 5Sams will be on in a minute trying to get you to spend a few quid in Ballyholland club.

John o connor · March 18, 2011, 06:05:27 PM

Saturdays game will decide which division we play in next year IMO . Things have been quiet all week so hopefully James is preparing them to give it everything hopefully get the win and then we can start looking toward the athletic grounds and the championship . With no pressure he can afford to t**ker a bit in the last 2 games too . It's been a great week for a lot of our under age players so a win for the seniors will keep the moral in the county at a high .

Mourne Rover · March 18, 2011, 09:04:23 PM

Down would be very unlucky to be relegated after taking five points from our first three games, but a defeat against Monaghan tomorrow, after the set-back in Cork, would make it a real possiibility. The bookies will say that we are likely to lose our last two games, away to arguably the best sides in the country in Dublin and Kerry, and we would then find ourselves on a final total of five points along with at least one other team. Our scoring difference took such a battering in Cork that it would probably push us into division two.

A drawn against Monaghan would effectively keep us up, but we could not manage that the last time they came to Newry in the 07 USC. We were two points up with barely five minutes left, and the other two points we added in the dying seconds should have wrapped it up. Unfortunately, they hit us for 1-3 in the same period, so we owe them one.

Some people have been calling for big Dan to go back to midfield, but they may have forgotten how poorly he played there over the last couple of seasons. It was only when he switched to full back that his confidence returned and our defence started to look more secure. McManus will give him a good test tomorrow, as Monaghan will concentrate on early low balls down the middle.

Our matches against Monaghan are usually tight, and they will be well aware that they finish their programme with a home game against Mayo, so a draw is certainly not out of the question.

whitegoodman · March 18, 2011, 09:56:49 PM

A few changes on down team, Benny McCardle for howard, garvey for brannigan and mccumisky for laverty.

Good to see mccardle back, laverty must be thinking he is a bit unlucky, coulter mustnt be right yet.

Agree with MR on gordon, thankfully james is sticking with him there. Would i be right in saying that it the tallest full back line in quite a while.

Mourne Rover · March 18, 2011, 10:04:44 PM

According to the Down Twitter site, our team is Alder,GMcCartan,Gordon,B McArdle,Garvey,McKernan,Rooney,Fitzpatrick,King,Hughes,Poland,Maginn,McComiskey,Murtagh,Clarke.

Murdoch is a little unlucky to miss out, as there was not much he could have done about the three goals in Cork, but Alder has a decent kick-out and deserves a run. While Howard did struggle the last day, he was up against one of the best forwards in the country in Goulding and did well in our previous league games. McArdle will not let anyone down in his place, and Garvey for Brannigan was a certainty. Laverty may wonder what he has to do to stay in, but McComiskey is still a class act. Hopefully, Benny is on the bench.