Donegal v Dublin semi final 28-8-11

[thejuice]

BOth teams should hang their heads for diving and acting. Sending off was ridiculous.

Donegal's system of playing took them all the way to the semi-final and teams will have taken notice. I think we will see more of it. Fair play to DUblin I thought they had lost it after half time they seemed to have lost the head especially MD McCauly. Thought he'd be called ashore.

Whatever about DOnegals style it was a tough game, a few nice big hits and some which shouldn't have been penalised. I enjoyed the game somewhat though I was surprised when I got into the pub that the score was 4-2.

Dublin seemed to be set up to play into DOnegals hands, that long ball into an isolated Brogan wasn't going to yield much.

Should be an interesting final.

[Sam2011]

I have never seen a game like it. Rugby League. 2 lines of teams on the halfway line.

Donegal threw if away they should have won it.

Ref was awful--Dublin had to win. He gave the Dubs so many handy frees --a few of which were straight after stupid Donegal backs had dropped clean, unopposed catches.

McFadden couldve went in closer and slid the ball to the net early 2nd half. At the end he dropped a simple ball hopping into his chest that looked like it would've been a score to put one in it.

Murphy isnt as good as he's made out.

I said at the end--"Dublin's winnin, i bet there's only 2 minutes injury time to ensure Dublin win" This after the game stopped for the sending off, countless player going down, Cluxton taking a minute each time to get up and hit 3 frees in the 2nd half--countless subs. There should have been AT LEAST FIVE MINUTES INJURY TIME --thats a farce

Barry Cahill should've been sent off--when the Dubs are under pressure they shit themselves and lose their heads. Maurice Deegan stepped up for them and pulled them out of a hole

Donegal are awful to watch but intriging at the same time. Surprised Brick didnt come on. McFadden was their main and only forward but did nothing in last half hour.

Think Kerry will wipe Dublin off the park.

Still and all--

Gold, I agree with everything you said.
I think it's the worst GAA game i've ever seen.
Maurice Deegan was a disgrace of a ref. He won the game for the Dubs.
I know Donegal were super defensive but getting only two points from play says it all really.
Dublin can't score from distance whereas Kerry can.
Kerry team and mangement will be happy out now. It's there AI to loose.

[Fuzzman]

Feel sorry for anyone abroad who paid $20 or more to get into a pub to watch that today at maybe 7am or whenever.

Still, when yer away from home its exciting to be thinking, if only I was back home at the game.

I'd love to hear how the real honest Donegal fans think of their team and their system. Do they back them to the hilt and prefer that to the last 19 years in the wilderness.
I think maybe next year they'll balance it out a bit more but the sad thing for me is that I think this is the way football is moving

During that game today it reminded me at times of Ireland playing the Aussies in international rules in that players didn't want to get the ball in their hands in case they'd be chewed up by a three man tackle. Sad indeed.

[borderfox]

Brutal game of football. Thank god Dublin won if Donegal had of won that and reached the final playing that type of game then it would of been a dark day for Gaelic football. Every mediocre club team in the country would of started trying to play that type of game. . Today was a victory for football lovers everywhere.

[Zulu]

I disagree with those who think Kerry will win the final easily. I thought Dublin would break Donegal down more but Donegal were even more defensive than they had been in previous games. Every team would have found Donegal dificult to break down such was their set up.

If football is going to go down the Donegal route then rule changes will need to be made, today's game was nail bitting and fascinating but we can't leave the game turn into this type of sport in the longterm.

[Blowitupref]

It was Tyrone in 03 that started this blanket defence stuff remember the semi final will they held Kerry to 6 scores & from what i seen today Dublin also displayed plenty of blanket defence cute fouling, as they say it takes two to tango so why are Donegal getting all the criticism for a poor game?

[Throw ball]

People can say what they want about the referee but from the start Donegal did everything to disrupt the game from holding the ball from the freetaker, not getting back for frees to be taken, diving, mouthing feigning injury etc. In similar circumstances if I had a been referee they would have got very little. I know people will say all successful teams do it but Donegal took it to another level. Their type of football was dire and Dublin's style was not much better today - they are better than that. People will say that Armagh and Tyrone developed this style but I know at their best Armagh wanted to score 14 or 15 times during a game to win it. Donegal just seem to want to defend. This will need to change if they are to win an All Ireland.
As an Ulster man I started the game supporting Donegal. Half way through I didn't care who won and thought about watching the soccer. However, after the antics that got Connolly sent off I wanted Dublin to win. Sadly this Donegal team is a long way short of the team I supported from the Cusack stand in the All Ireland Final of 1992.

[sheamy]

Truly awful game of football. Feigning injuries, cynical fouling, managers and selectors encroaching onto the pitch trying to get men put off, starting rows then lying down to get a man put off, lying on the ball to break game up - we got it all.

Donegal were so conditioned to hand passing, any time they tried to kick the ball they made a balls of it. As I mentioned on Friday, would Jim evolve the system before being forced to? Now they are forced to. Had they shown just a tiny bit of attacking courage in the second half they'd be in an All-Ireland final.

Fair play to the dubs and they will take massive mental strength from that. Kerry will have noted how limited the Dubs were when the defensive screen went up, and how easily they panicked. I'd expect them to go similar although not as extreme in the final. It's there for the Dubs now and I actually fancy them to win it.

Pains me to say it as an Ulster man but I am glad the dubs won that. Just brutal awful football and if that catches on, god help us all. It's rugby with a round ball. When Man Utd score more than Donegal in an all-ireland semi, there's something badly wrong.

[AZOffaly]

Anyone who in any way bases their analysis of the final, and Dublin's chances in the final, on that game needs their head examined. Dublin are going to be wondering are they even playing the same sport in the final, such was the Donegal set up.

Dublin did what Kildare did in the 1/4, they simply played their own defenders deep when Donegal retreated, so Donegal's counters were as doomed as Dublin's attacks for the most part. As someone said, it looke like rugby league at times with lines of lads facing each other half way out and trying to break through the line.

Dublin's long ball tactic may have had some chance if they had a target man, but that was just kicking the ball away without someone who could win those balls. It would have been interesting to see if Kerry could have handled Donegal better than they did Tyrone when Gormley played as a sweeper in front of the full back on Donaghy and Walsh.

The final should be a lot more open, but I'll just repeat, don't make Kerry favourites on the basis of that.

[Throw ball]

It was Tyrone in 03 that started this blanket defence stuff remember the semi final will they held Kerry to 6 scores & from what i seen today Dublin also displayed plenty of blanket defence cute fouling, as they say it takes two to tango so why are Donegal getting all the criticism for a poor game?

Simple. They have been doing it all year while Dublin did try to attack a bit.

The blanket defence may have been coined in 2003 but that Tyrone team developed into quite a football team. I doubt this Donegal team will.

[Pangurban]

As always i was supporting the team from my own province, but before the end i was desperate for a Dublin win. Jim Mc Guiness and Donegal have nothing to offer Gaelic football, apart from negativity and cynicism. Connellys red card should be overturned on appeal

[mylestheslasher]

Well done Dublin. Many have tried to beat that horrible system and failed but fair play to the dubs, they managed it.

First time in my life I was up for the non ulster team. I could not bring myself to cheer for a team that plays like that. Thank God they won't be able to destroy the AI final too.

[sheamy]

As always i was supporting the team from my own province, but before the end i was desperate for a Dublin win. Jim Mc Guiness and Donegal have nothing to offer Gaelic football, apart from negativity and cynicism. Connellys red card should be overturned on appeal

Agreed. Connolly did nothing to merit that. He was the one who was attacked. It was a push to the face as much as anything and an awful shame if that puts the lad out of an AI final.

[Blowitupref]

It was Tyrone in 03 that started this blanket defence stuff remember the semi final will they held Kerry to 6 scores & from what i seen today Dublin also displayed plenty of blanket defence cute fouling, as they say it takes two to tango so why are Donegal getting all the criticism for a poor game?

Simple. They have been doing it all year while Dublin did try to attack a bit.

The blanket defence may have been coined in 2003 but that Tyrone team developed into quite a football team. I doubt this Donegal team will.

Well Donegal don't have the forwards that tyrone had back then.

[borderfox]

It was Tyrone in 03 that started this blanket defence stuff remember the semi final will they held Kerry to 6 scores & from what i seen today Dublin also displayed plenty of blanket defence cute fouling, as they say it takes two to tango so why are Donegal getting all the criticism for a poor game?

Donegal have played that type of suffocating ultra defensive game all year. Dublin have at least tried to play decent football throughout the championship.