Down Club Hurling & Football

[ardtole]

I'd imagine the 1st 15 for the first league game will be more telling on who Laverty really fancies.
I'd be suprised if there wasn't substantial changes for the next 2 McKenna cup games and rightly so.

[5times5times]

Some difference in the Down starting 15 vs both Armagh & Tyrone!

1 Niall Morgan
2 Nathan McCarron
3 Cormac Munroe
4 Padraig Hampsey
5 Cormac Quinn
6 Peter Harte
7 Niall Devlin
8 Brian Kennedy
9 Richie Donnelly
10 Dalaigh Jones
11 Conor Meyler
12 Ryan Jones
13 Cathal McShane
14 Matthew Donnelly
15 Conor Cush

1 Ethan Rafferty
2 Paddy Burns
3 Aidan Forker
4 Ross Finn
5 Conor O'Neill
6 Barry McCambridge
7 Jarly Og Burns
8 Niall Grimley
9 Bug Sheridan
10 Eoin Woods
11 Aidan Nugent
12 Tiarnan Kelly
13 Conor Turbitt
14 Andy Murnin
15 Shane McPartland

[DuffGael]

Changes in Down team ahead of tonight's Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup        17 Ryan Magill replaces 2 Tomás McInerney                  18 Ross Carr replaces 13 Éamonn Brown                       21 Barry O Hagan replaces 14 Pat Havern

[befair]

Comfortable winners; good performance, but should have won by far more. Obs only a trial game for Monaghan, but a win is a win. No obvious new players, but the jersey numbers made them hard to pick out

[supersub]

Some difference in the Down starting 15 vs both Armagh & Tyrone!

1 Niall Morgan
2 Nathan McCarron
3 Cormac Munroe
4 Padraig Hampsey
5 Cormac Quinn
6 Peter Harte
7 Niall Devlin
8 Brian Kennedy
9 Richie Donnelly
10 Dalaigh Jones
11 Conor Meyler
12 Ryan Jones
13 Cathal McShane
14 Matthew Donnelly
15 Conor Cush

1 Ethan Rafferty
2 Paddy Burns
3 Aidan Forker
4 Ross Finn
5 Conor O'Neill
6 Barry McCambridge
7 Jarly Og Burns
8 Niall Grimley
9 Bug Sheridan
10 Eoin Woods
11 Aidan Nugent
12 Tiarnan Kelly
13 Conor Turbitt
14 Andy Murnin
15 Shane McPartland

That's 2021 All Ireland winning Tyrone right?

Strange comparison.

[Mourne Rover]

A fine start for Laverty, although we probably should have won more comfortably. O'Hare was impressive in goals, with Francis also showing well. Donnelly made a decent return after three years and McAleenan always used the ball well. Our stars were Murdoch and Gilmore and there was a clear sense that we are going in the right direction.

[Smurfy123]

Great start.
O Hare brilliant in goals. Where has he been? Donnach made things tick. Murdock and Annett look like our best partnership in years. Both young and full of running. What club is Brannigan from?

[Sheedy]

Good start in a match that got a bit disjointed in second half with so many subs coming on on both teams. Probably should've won by more but definitely encouraging performances especially from O'Hare in goals, Murdock and Gilmore.

[downtothecore]

Good start for the boys. It's too early to get carried away but there was definitely a lot of positives. We look like we have a system. Monaghan did not create a goal chance so we are hard to break down and our forwards are creating opportunities.

[Sheedy]

On a different note is it just me or are the numbers on the back of the Down jerseys really hard to make out?

[Johnnysboys]

Smurfy or Johnnysboys. Why are al the players left the Point, you were so close last year.

Quite a few injuries that need cleared up. Adam Lynch ACL, Gary Mac - shoulder surgery, Paddy Murdock - shoulder surgery, Eoghan Byrne - MCL then Cormac is moving to Dublin club St Jude's, no word on Davidson yet if he playing another year and a few younger lads going to states in summer - puts a massive whole in the group.. Close but no cigar as they say.

Good performance tonight - all players showed well - positivity about the camp seems evident. Must be a panel of 50 odd in the huddle at the end. Players will get their chance I'm sure over next couple of games before any cut made for league.

[Truth hurts]

A really positive performance last night, we wer strong in defence, dominated midfield and should have scored a whole lot more. Donegal will be another good test but to make a McKenna semi final would be unreal.

[urbangael]

Making a McKenna cup semi final would hardly be unreal!!  Imagine we win a championship game Truth you'll need medical attention!!

[ardtole]

I think Donegal at home for us is a great draw. There will be relatively low expectation on us to win.

From the outside looking in, the Carr appointment for Donegal has been underwhelming, there are reports of poor attendance at training. A poor league campaign for them and a good one for us could leave both of us in div 2 next year.

It's no more than a hunch, but as soon as I saw the draw I thought it was a good draw for us.

[redandblackareback]

Good win and good to get the monkey off the back of not having won last year but don't fall for that old chestnut of "oh look at what we have inherited, poor us." This is a group who have been training and playing games long before any county in Ireland, Down have the current all Ireland club champions, and the standard of club footballer is very very high, unfortunately last year we were 2 months behind. I expect nothing less than a straight forward promotion out of a very poor division three. Also remember, it's the most expensive management team we have assembled in a long time, 120k wouldn't cover it so with that comes expectations and fair dues the team looked fit but they should be having been training 5 nights a week since the start of October.
Kilcoo players only returned on Monday night past so it was surprising to see Docherty and McEvoy play when others have been training hard since October but it will be hard to hide the Kilcoo loyalty as we heard him say on the Niblock podcast back in February, they are number one always for him. Wing back Rooney and goalkeeper Kane the only other two involved presently, no sign of any Brannigans, no Ward, no Anthony Morgan and really surprised the Johnston's arent back.