Armagh v Cork NFL Division 1 round 1 Sunday 05-02-12

[under the bar]

Some very negative vibs from the Armagh supporters on here.  Yes yas are missing a few but so are Cork. Being at home is a big benefit and you would like to think Armagh will go out and give it a go.

Just as with Healy Park for Tyrone I don't ever recall the Athletic Grounds exactly being a fortress for Armagh!

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Some very negative vibs from the Armagh supporters on here.  Yes yas are missing a few but so are Cork. Being at home is a big benefit and you would like to think Armagh will go out and give it a go.

Just as with Healy Park for Tyrone I don't ever recall the Athletic Grounds exactly being a fortress for Armagh!

Your recollection is the difficulty here then.

[whitegoodman]

Did both ur league victories last year not come at home?

Did u not beat ur nearest and dearest in the championship at home back in May?

All be it Monaghan, Galway and Down may not be at the same level as Cork but its not is if its a graveyard for Armagh.

Travelling 3 or 4 hours down tonight or in the morning is a disadvantage for any amateur side.  Playing at home has to been seen as an advantage, it wont be enough imo but it I dont see it being the hiding that everyone on here thinks it will be.

[Armaghgeddon]

Did both ur league victories last year not come at home?

Did u not beat ur nearest and dearest in the championship at home back in May?

All be it Monaghan, Galway and Down may not be at the same level as Cork but its not is if its a graveyard for Armagh.

Travelling 3 or 4 hours down tonight or in the morning is a disadvantage for any amateur side.  Playing at home has to been seen as an advantage, it wont be enough imo but it I dont see it being the hiding that everyone on here thinks it will be.

Home advantage is an advantage but it dosent improve a team that much. Armagh will be lucky not to receive a hammering.

[Etienne Lantier]

A point in an entire half of play. Lumping the ball in like it was the bloody 50s. Good players playing like they've never seen a ball before. This is beyond pathetic. Doyle making a balls of things isn't helping either. Cork are bloody terrible too. If we could play with a smidgeon of conviction we'd be tearing them apart.

[Etienne Lantier]

How is Anto Duffy still on the pitch?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Good second half for Armagh (the spare man notwithstanding), after an abysmal first, and exciting finish. Good result.

[whitegoodman]

The armagh team must have been looking at this thread before the match as they looked like a team already beat in the first half.  It took the tactical and motivational genius POR to sort it out at half time

In all seriousness some of the subs did make a decent impact and it was a fighting performance in the 2nd half.  Would anticipate thats the end of the kingham experiment!!!!

[Agent Orange]

The O'Rourke/Grimley partnership is working well. Paddy manages the team for the first half and Paul for the second half.

[whitegoodman]

 

[Armaghgeddon]

That was a result that most Armagh fans did not expect. I for one accepted defeat at the end of the first half. But then Armagh powered there way back. Some say it was due to the referee giving Armagh soft frees, I wont comment because I did not see the match. But Armagh forwards are small and that would have been evident especially against a huge team such as Cork.

From an Armagh perspective, the next year was looking very bad but the players showed their worth in the second half. Along with the bad refereeing, Armagh gifted Cork with a goal. Armagh are only going to get better but expectations are low. We still have a number of key players to return such as the Cross players and Stevie to return. It was the opening game and I think we got Cork at the best possibly time.

[armagho9]

How is Anto Duffy still on the pitch?

im glad he was left on.  thought anto, forker, the bigger of the two raffertys (Caolan?) and McVerry all had very good second halfs.  A bit more composure by McVerry could have won us the game.  Duffy and Rafferty showed great pace when running with the ball.  Very pleased with the performance.  Though Vernon was very good (apart from when trying to pass, loses a serious amount of attacking opportunities with wayward hand passing)

[ardchieftain]

Like most i wasn't expecting to pick up any points from this game but was hoping to see a battling display. Up until the row, well into the 1st half, it wasn't looking good at all though. That 2nd half display was like watching the Armagh of old, fighting for every ball, tackling like demons and playing with obvious pride in the jersey. The Grimley factor? Without a doubt in my opinion.

Out of the new lads, McVerry, Anto Duffy,, Campbell, Forker, McKenna and C. Rafferty look like they could make it at this level. A serious amount of positives to take out of this display today. The future is not as bleak as many claim.

Mal Mackin was immense when moved out the field. McKeever, Donaghy and Andy Mallon enhanced their reputations too. If we continue to put in gutsy displays like this we will stay up.

ARD MHACHA ABU

[brokencrossbar1]

The result was important but I think people need a bit of perspective.  In the first 35 minutes Armagh got 1 score.  they didn't score from play until, what 15 minutes into the second half.  SOme of the frees for scores at the start of the second half were dubious to say the least and Cork struggled badly once Kerrigan was sent off (wrongly in my book).  McVerry, Anto Duffy, young McKenna and Rafferty did their chances a world of good.  Andy Mallon was excellent.  Mackin did well in running at the defence but still has very poor decision making skills and gives away a lot of ball when he has to think about it, Vernon the same.  The difference in the second half seemed to be that Armagh took the game to the Cork lads and they reaped rewards as a result.  In the first half there were too many times that they sat back and allowed Cork to play football.  I don't know if it was tactical or a small bit of lack of belief but hopefully players and management learn a lesson from it. 

BTW, McKeever lucky to stay on for the elbow to the face which was more of a red card than Kerrigan and Donaghy lucky he didn't pick up a secodn yellow for persistent pulling.

[BennyCake]

Great comeback. Forker, B Mallon did well when brought on. McKeever, brilliant. Vernon, very good too. Someone order a taxi for Kingham though. Thon boy's a dose!

That Cork team are no big shakes. Canty and Pearse O'Neill were nowhere to be seen. This point could be priceless come April.