Ulster Senior Football Club Championship 2011

[Throw ball]

Congratulations to Rangers again - phenomenal achievement.

People have posted here before about how bad Armagh football is. Cross have now won the last 5 Ulster Championships they have entered so the Ulster football must be bad too going by that way of thinking.

I was going to ask if we could have the usual remarks about the weakness of Armagh Club football!!

You can make any argument you want when discussing the relative merits of club sides from different counties - so with that in mind, in Rangers last two Ulster Title successes, the closest game they have had was within Armagh, and from two different teams!!

Would I also be right in thinking that the only Ulster team to have beaten Cross in the Championship in the last 6 years is also from Armagh - we wouldn't mention their name though Rufus.

[Throw ball]

Must say the match was a great disappointment. I expected Cross to get a run  for their money but instead they won pulling up even though for about the first ten minutes in the second half the referee gave Burren a steady flow of soft frees. I have not seen them ( or Oisin in particular) miss as many chances since the Ogs beat them a couple of years ago and yet I never thought they were ever under any meaningful pressure. Cross actually lost their way for a while after the sending off which I do not think had any bearing on the game. No matter who made the decision I thought it was the correct one.

For Cross I thought Morgan was excellent and Stephen Kernan had another top game. Aaron Cunningham continues to improve and Jamie Clarke is quite superb. Despite getting continuously fouled I do not remember Clarke getting a free. But he always seems to get the ball and get a shot or pass away. What Armagh would give for a Stevie 4 or 5 years younger to play along with him. I would also say how noticable it was that Cross were a poorer team when Mcnamee went off - a very under rated player.

As for Burren aside from their keeper and free taker most of the rest could have stayed at home. If this is the best Down have no wonder they are trying to steal Armagh players.

With Cross players as well as Stevie out until March it looks like relegation this year for Armagh - unless some new players step up to the mark. Roll on january!

[guevara]

Congrats to Cross.....A phenomenal achievement in terms of Ulster Finals.
As a neutral I thought the sending off call was correct. McArdle was annoyed to some robust tackling and threw a punch as the ball was played up the field. Burren may feel hard done by but McArdle was stupid and badly let his team down.

Its hard to call how close the game wouldve been if hadve stayed 15 on 15. Many would say none as Cross started brilliantly but as mentioned theyve done that in nearly every game this year and were nearly caught out by a 14 man Ballinderry side.
Burren were not at full strength and players like Rooney and Conor Toner wouldve offered more options as would Eoin McCartan.

Cross have the experience and cuteness to win at all costs. They are a cynical team in terms of their gamesmanship and borderline tackling. Burren simply hadnt come up against a team like that this year. Their ability to stop third man runners off the ball, niggling, robust tackling and tactical fouling without it seeming blatantly obvious. But they are a fabulous team who's work ethic is second to none. They are the benchmark for all Club teams to strive towards.

[Applesisapples]

Gregory Walsh got some stick for the manner in which he reffed the Junior final, I thought he had a good game he tried to let it flow. In the senior final Martin Higgins was too whistle happy and having sent off McArdle blew soft frees for Burren whilst letting similar tackling go at the other end. Cross were much better than 7 points. Aaron Cunningham was my MOTM outstnding throughout, selfless in his work rate. Jamie Clarke is to GAA what Messi is to soccer he has the ability to be better than Peter Canavan. I didn't see the sending off but the Burren supporters around he seemed to think it was correct, and elbow to the face. The Junior game was exciting and Cremartin can only blame themselves for losing, the goalie gift them an equaliser at the death but the player chose to pass rather than take responsibility. Fair play to the Ulster Council, I have enjoyed all the double headers and at a tenner great value.

[screenexile]

Gregory Walsh got some stick for the manner in which he reffed the Junior final, I thought he had a good game he tried to let it flow. In the senior final Martin Higgins was too whistle happy and having sent off McArdle blew soft frees for Burren whilst letting similar tackling go at the other end. Cross were much better than 7 points. Aaron Cunningham was my MOTM outstnding throughout, selfless in his work rate. Jamie Clarke is to GAA what Messi is to soccer he has the ability to be better than Peter Canavan. I didn't see the sending off but the Burren supporters around he seemed to think it was correct, and elbow to the face. The Junior game was exciting and Cremartin can only blame themselves for losing, the goalie gift them an equaliser at the death but the player chose to pass rather than take responsibility. Fair play to the Ulster Council, I have enjoyed all the double headers and at a tenner great value.

Not a fan of Gregory Walsh at all . . . he let's far too much go to the extent it gets dangerous! He has no control of a game whatsoever and his communication is awful.

I hold him personally responsible for my cruciate injury earlier on in the year suffered as a result of a late hit and have told him so!!! He shouldn't be getting important games like that.

[Man Marker]

The guy you should be blaming is the player who hit you late. The ref never touched you. You Screen boys are soft any how 

[screenexile]

The guy you should be blaming is the player who hit you late. The ref never touched you. You Screen boys are soft any how 

Well there were a number of late hits in the game that the ref let go. 5 minutes before I got done one of our lads was hit late again and he let it go. I told Walsh he needed to sort it out before someone got seriously hurt and I was told to shut up.

I was going full tilt and hand passed the ball away only to be cleaned from the side while my foot was planted. It was shoulder to shoulder and the guy meant to hit me hard and late but he didn't go out to injure me.

The ref let the game go on and didn't even book the guy as I was crumpled in agony. Had the ref sorted the bad tackles earlier with bookings and having words with the offenders then it would have stopped and I wouldn't have missed another year! He tried to tell me after that it was unavoidable yet admitted that I had told him 5 minutes previous that someone was going to get hurt!!!!!

[Applesisapples]

The guy you should be blaming is the player who hit you late. The ref never touched you. You Screen boys are soft any how 

Well there were a number of late hits in the game that the ref let go. 5 minutes before I got done one of our lads was hit late again and he let it go. I told Walsh he needed to sort it out before someone got seriously hurt and I was told to shut up.

I was going full tilt and hand passed the ball away only to be cleaned from the side while my foot was planted. It was shoulder to shoulder and the guy meant to hit me hard and late but he didn't go out to injure me.

The ref let the game go on and didn't even book the guy as I was crumpled in agony. Had the ref sorted the bad tackles earlier with bookings and having words with the offenders then it would have stopped and I wouldn't have missed another year! He tried to tell me after that it was unavoidable yet admitted that I had told him 5 minutes previous that someone was going to get hurt!!!!!

I wasn't at your match. But in my opinion he had a good game yesterday.

[BerfArmagh]

Poor enough decider yesterday in front of a big crowd. I did'nt see the sending off incident, but thought the ref probably ruined any chance of a good game by his decision. Cross started really well, clarke & S Kernan were superb... Cross must have kicked 15+ wides, very wasteful... they'll take some stopping again, Bar 15 mins at start of second half Burren offered v little, cross backs had the measure of them

[Applesisapples]

Poor enough decider yesterday in front of a big crowd. I did'nt see the sending off incident, but thought the ref probably ruined any chance of a good game by his decision. Cross started really well, clarke & S Kernan were superb... Cross must have kicked 15+ wides, very wasteful... they'll take some stopping again, Bar 15 mins at start of second half Burren offered v little, cross backs had the measure of them

The ref didn't ruin the game, that rests with the player sent off.

[regal]

Fair play to Cross. Truely exceptional record of continued championship success. If only Armagh could get a bit of their winning mentality, tactical discipline and self belief.

It's hard to believe Paul Kernan isn't a regular in the armagh team. Cross players likely to be in the armagh team next year perhaps...

keeper - hearty
corner back - pmckeown
wing half back - akernan
wing half back - jmorgan
half forward - cunningham
full forward line - clarke

[rogueryhill]

There was a lot of talk on this thread and elsewhere about Cross playing on the edge and being masters of the dark arts, etc., etc. but their red-card record wouldn't be the worst to be fair. Are they just super cute and disciplined? What is the craic about Burren? For a team that considered themselves genuine contenders, they seem to have had more than their fair share sent off this year? Is it just naivety, bad luck and/or misplaced aggression on their part?

[yellowcard]

Cross to win easily. This is possibly the best club team EVER. Cross by 5+

Jaysus man catch yourself on will ye

I don't like crowing but the prediction was right!! Club football in Down must be poor enough cos Burren were even worse than I thought. Cross could and should have won that game by 12 points.

[thewobbler]

Rogueryhill, Burren looked a bit shellshocked yesterday from the off. I'd say they were nervous enough, but the speed and precision of Cross really unsettled them. Perhaps coming through the easier side of the draw did them no favours, perhaps inexperience told. Burren are a much better team than they showed yesterday - but like most clubs in Ireland, they'd need the performance of their lives to beat Cross.

[brokencrossbar1]

Rogueryhill, Burren looked a bit shellshocked yesterday from the off. I'd say they were nervous enough, but the speed and precision of Cross really unsettled them. Perhaps coming through the easier side of the draw did them no favours, perhaps inexperience told. Burren are a much better team than they showed yesterday - but like most clubs in Ireland, they'd need the performance of their lives to beat Cross.

Having seen Burren a few times in Down Wobbler, and seeing the quality at first hand of Down football I think their qiality is somewhat overstated. Given time and space around the middle section they can do damage, get among them and its a different story. They are the best in Down but they are well off the level of previous Burren teams I played against and the Mayobrisge team of the mid 90's. They are young though so they could develop into a strong team yet.