Ulster U21 Football Championship

[bennydorano]

Noticed the Armagh v Derry game absent from the listed games on Aertel for this weekend, I take it it has been postponed?  Good news if this is the case giving Armagh the chance to get the Cross boys in for the following weekend.

Monaghan v Fermanagh goes ahead this weekend.

[orcharddugout]

The Ulster Council will a decision on Tuesday regarding the Armagh v Derry game. It was supposed to be played this Saturday, but with Armagh seniors playing Laois the same night it is thought the game will be played the following Wednesday night in Casement. Anyway, it was a great result for Armagh but I wouldn't look too far ahead. They beat the favourites last year (Down) and got caught out by Derry (with 17 seconds to go) and the same could happen again.
Ah well, I will look far ahead. The last time Armagh beat Tyrone in the U21 Championship was in 2004 and Ciaran McKeever lifted the All-Ireland.
I'll shut up now.

[Armagh Exile]

Anyone know who was the Ulster Council offical who stopped the Armagh substitutes from having a kick-about at half-time in Saturday's game at Lurgan?
He allegidly told them to stop and that if they were any good then they would have been on the team.  Such arrogance from this chap which I'm told was Mr Greenan.

[football07]

I cannot see why Armagh cant play Derry this saturday as fixed. Antrim had two games last saturday and they didnt look an postponement. Seems unfair that the game cant go ahead as planned.

[Maximus Marillius]

Armagh exile, de ye not known that Greenan is just as hateful a hoor as ye will meet.

And football07 the reason why Antrim were caught like this last saturday is because ther county board hasn t really got football at heart.

[armaghniac]

The club final also reduces Armagh's panel this weekend, so it is an unusual situation (even if the Cross players mightn't make as much difference as some people think).

[Armamike]

Having the U21 and senior matches on the same day would be farcical. With most counties the two panels are closely linked in terms of playing resources and management.  There's also the other matter of supporters getting to see both matches.  It would hurt both Derry and Armagh.

[Uladh]

Saturday was one of the most comprehensive displays i've seen from any armagh team in years. although football at this level generally lacks the intensity and time pressure of senior football, its can sometimes be a more enjoyable spectacle as a result.

Armagh dominated posession around the middle third from start to finish and tyrone just hadn't got anyone to compete, first of all in the air, and more importantly on the ground for ball. Armagh strung 4 across the centre and they all impressed. vernon, courtney, lavery and particularly o'neill swallowed up ball and as the rugby fraternity might say its difficult to lose a game off that sort of platform.

That said, the ability to turn posession into scores was not what it should have been. early on armagh were guilty of snatching shots from crazy positions when the were better options available. it took two sublime scores, one off each foot, from the frustrating o'rourke to settle armagh and allow the football to flow. as the championship goes on, armagh's ability to get scores may be a worry.

Defensively, armagh were very sound. donaghy & finnegan excelled in the corners and Ferris & dyas were competent and tidy. Toner was excellent until the last ten minutes when he allowed cavanagh to win quite a bit of ball on the square when he wasn't fouling him and that could have been costly. McClelland was the only blip really. he was very hesitant and nervous looking. all of tyrone's breakaway scores came from half forwards or midfielders taking him on and dancing around him. thankfully the midfield dominance didn't expose him any more or there could have been trouble.

Tyrone were very disappointing. they carried no threat up front whatsoever. they had no physique anywhere on the pitch and were bullied from start to finish. cavanagh and mulgrew were swallowed up trying to compete for kickouts with armagh's giants and as a consequence never saw any ball. cavanagh was notably more dangerous when he was moved onto the square and tyrone then had something to build towards. before that it was ring a ring a rosy handpassing the whole way up the pitch.

thankfully the tyrone management left the wee corner forward who came on in the second half on the bench so long. he was very dangerous and if one of his three half chances had found the net, they could have stolen a replay. Mulgrew was sent off with ten minutes to go and he was a lucky boy that he'd already received a yellow previously. he kicked out at an armagh man who checked his run off the ball and the ref ould have had to give him a straight red had he not got the get out clause of the second yellow.

The only worry for armagh will be their inability to turn their dominance into scores and i think that might continue as there is no "marquee forward" to score heavily. knowing nothing about derry, if they can gain any sort of parity around the middle, they can cause armagh trouble with lynch up front. armagh offered toner no help, even with an extra man, when cavanagh was causing problems at full forward on saturday and mark lynch in a one on one at this level could be troublesome.

[realredhandfan]

Uladh I didnt see the Mulgrew incident and at the time I thought that he was harshly dealt with but there you go. I agree with your summation and questions will be asked in Tyrone football about that management too, three years in a row they have ignored Tyrones best up and coming forward.  I suppose at the end of the day Armagh played a more adult type of football - a game not a million miles off their senior game, and Tyrone played like an overgrown youth team.  The warning signs were there after our game against Donegal - I thought we wers shite yet everyone was looking at the huge final score.  I admire that armagh team a lot and hope they win the all Ireland as they played a hard honest style of football and not as individuals, as disappointed as i am. They need to score more.  Tyrone could have smashed and grabbed at the end but it really would have been daylight robbery.     

[Uladh]

who is that wee corner forward that came on?

[realredhandfan]

Niall Mc Ginn

[Armamike]

The lack of scoring power is a problem that won't be solved easily and Tony Kernan's absence won't help.  What has happened to Ronan Clarke's younger brother - he was the main forward on the minor team that won the Ulster title in 05 and should be starting to come good at this level.  That minor side of 05, though a good side, were not prolific in the scoring stakes either.

[orcharddugout]

If Armagh play Derry after this weekend they will have Johnny Hanratty and David McKenna into the fold. Up front Armagh need a free-taker. Kevin O'Rourke and Neill McSherry are lads that will average 1-2 or 0-4 each a game, Ciaran Conlon should chip in and Stefan Forker has the ability to cause any back lines problems. The missed scoring oppertunities are a worry but these forwards are all natural scorers and as long as they keep creating chances Armagh will be tough to beat.

[pintsofguinness]

Kevin O'Rourke and Neill McSherry are lads that will average 1-2 or 0-4 each a game, Ciaran Conlon should chip in

Ciaran Conlon could easily average the same though is he being played at half forward?  I don't know much about the other lads but I know Conlon has no trouble scoring!

[holylandsniper]

Was in corner forward