Donegal v Dublin semi final 28-8-11

[Mike Sheehy]

Its possible that he was called for the first push into the Donegal players face rather than the second which was into the shoulder.

Either way, neither of the contacts to face or shoulder could in any way, shape or form be considered a strike and the fact that the Donegal player instigated the pushing and shoving in the first place made it worse. Granted Connelly did do a bit of shoving with another Donegal player immediately prior to that so looking at the sequence as a whole he deserves a kick up the hole for being such a hot head at that critical time.

Still, a red card was totally over the top.

Good man Mike 

you are welcome, but I am a bit torn on this issue tbh.
I hope Connelly does not miss the final...but having said that the CCCC had better be careful how they justify it because we will be all over them. Nothing against Connelly but we still have a bone to pick with that shower.

[haveaharp]

Im amazed to hear fok compare Tyrone and Armaghs past style to donegals today. Donegal had no will to attack even with the extra man. The only comparion i can think of is Norway v italy 1994 world cup, italy a man off if i remember right and baresi not able to hop and what did Norway do, exactly what Donegal did.

[Onlooker]

Why did Des Cahill ask the panel why Donegal lost.  We all know why they lost.  It was because they could only score 6 points in 70 minutes football.  That must have been the worst scoring return since teams were playing 21 or 17 a side.

[haveaharp]

Why did Des Cahill ask the panel why Donegal lost.  We all know why they lost.  It was because they could only score 6 points in 70 minutes football.  That must have been the worst scoring return since teams were playing 21 or 17 a side.

I remember seeing Roscommon defeat Armagh in a league game on a bog around 1980 in the depths of winter. It finished 0-6 to 0-5 if i recall. At least they had an excuse.

[Kerry Mike]

Dubs will win with a bit to spare more football in them.

Hate to say I told ye so but..

[regal]

Donegal got exactly what they deserved today. Their lady luck deserted them. They didn't deserve to beat Kildare and had a fair degree of fortune getting out of ulster. Lacey is a class footballer and was a loss but Donegal have too many boys who simply cant perform in the big games... mcfadden, hegarty, cassidy, gallagher etc - guys who dont count when the hits are coming thick and fast.

Dublin should be delighted to reach a final playing like that. I hope and expect them to beat kerry.

Today's game was a shocking advertisement for football. You cant blame people for deciding either - not going or not watching.

[heffo]

Firstly delighted Dublin won but it's only fair to point out it was quite a cynical foul on Karl Lacey that was in fact game changing....

It may well have been Dinny but McGee stood on B Brogans ankle after the first free (approx 52 secs) after the ball was gone and it's like a balloon now and Rory O'Carroll got a kick in the face in the first five minutes, so if the ref is going to allow that sort of crap then you go with the flow.

How he let Donegal continually front up to Dublin players after every free (see Connolly's sending off) is beyond me especially with lads here saying he was kind to us.

I can handle Donegal putting 14 men behind the ball, but the continual diving and feigning injury was a disgrace, among many other examples Durkan getting up twice after a free out to block a shot on goal then hitting the deck for three minutes.

Don't have much more to say now. That was painful and anyone who found it fascinating needs their head read.

[cokers]

Mancini has finally seen the light and realised that SCORING is what wins games. Will McGuinness follow suit? Lets see but I think not

[Zulu]

We do but I for one don't want to see lads get sent off for that type of thing. A bit of common sense wouldn't go astray.

The problem is that common sense isn't common and relies too much on emotion - if you apply such logic to refereeing games it breeds a lack of consistency in how fouls and cards are awarded.

Consistency is an impossibility IMO and therefofre I think common sense is far more important. Refs should judge each situation on its merits and react accordingly.

[ross4life]

Why did Des Cahill ask the panel why Donegal lost.  We all know why they lost.  It was because they could only score 6 points in 70 minutes football.  That must have been the worst scoring return since teams were playing 21 or 17 a side.

Kerry had poor scoring returns in 01,03 semi finals.

[cadence]

beg to differ about donegal being bad for the game. donegal have lit up this year's championship by coming from absolutely nowhere to upset the pecking order. in fact, they are showing the way forward for counties in the doldrums and are forcing other teams to play a certain way. it becomes a different type of game is all. and there is room for them to develop into something of a more complicated proposition next year.

i for one would hate to see us go backwards and lose that ferocious energy in defence. i wouldn't mind one bit if we became fitter and learned from our other failings today. it wasn't negativity that beat us, it was a lack of experience to close the game out when we had it in our grasp and we were that little bit too leggy in the end.

dublin's fitness was impressive today and i felt the exchange between both coaches at the end of the match when they shook hands spoke volumes for the respect they had for the show they put on. if i wanted to watch a game where there is no defence only attack i'd watch darts or something. that middle 3rd of the pitch was a gaelic football war zone. it was beautiful!

Sorry but Donegal haven't lit up the championship and I hope that nobody takes inspiration from the way you play. I can understand Donegal folk enjoying the whole experience but surely you can also understand that neutrals don't want to see football turn into a game where 6 or 7 points can win inter county games played in perfect conditions?

I thought it was pretty common knowledge around GAA circles that if a player makes an attempted strike at the head, wherever they connect or not, you run the risk of being sent off. Obviously not.

We do but I for one don't want to see lads get sent off for that type of thing. A bit of common sense wouldn't go astray.

well 9 pts would have won it for us, but take your point. i just think it's the type of game people are struggling to find the beauty in. all great sports allow space for dichotomy and duality and a good variety of human characteristics, like learned skill and innate grace and ability, and displaying bone chilling endeavour and exersion in launching an assault on what appears to be an insurmountable summit. truly great sport offers us lessons surely as it's a pretty good example of life. we have to admit that we don't have total control over everything, much and all as we'd like to. great sport is also about showing us how to cope when our world falls apart. how to become something else, painful inch by painful inch. more than anything sport is about believing in going off on a tangent to see what's there, because that's the only hope you have at some point. i'm very proud of this donegal team. it was an absolute pleasure watching them throw away the instructions and find their own way.     

[Hardy]

That was painful and anyone who found it fascinating needs their head read.

Anyone who didn't find it fascinating has no concept of the essence of sport.

[Hardy]

I couldn't agree more.

[cadence]

beg to differ about donegal being bad for the game. donegal have lit up this year's championship by coming from absolutely nowhere to upset the pecking order. in fact, they are showing the way forward for counties in the doldrums and are forcing other teams to play a certain way. it becomes a different type of game is all. and there is room for them to develop into something of a more complicated proposition next year.

i for one would hate to see us go backwards and lose that ferocious energy in defence. i wouldn't mind one bit if we became fitter and learned from our other failings today. it wasn't negativity that beat us, it was a lack of experience to close the game out when we had it in our grasp and we were that little bit too leggy in the end.

dublin's fitness was impressive today and i felt the exchange between both coaches at the end of the match when they shook hands spoke volumes for the respect they had for the show they put on. if i wanted to watch a game where there is no defence only attack i'd watch darts or something. that middle 3rd of the pitch was a gaelic football war zone. it was beautiful!

Whats impressive about donegal. You have 4-5 brilliant players and you make them look like drains. I'd retire from coaching if I ever sent a team like that.

I'd prefer to lose by 20 points to kerry trying to play  then play like that.

where you see drains i see deep wells of humanity.

[GalwayBayBoy]

That was painful and anyone who found it fascinating needs their head read.

Anyone who didn't find it fascinating has no concept of the essence of sport.

Fascinating it may have been but so is a fight outside a chipper. I wouldn't want to watch one of those every other weekend of the year either.