Ulster Final 2008 - Armagh vs Fermanagh

[ExiledGael]

McCabe to bow out after decider

Glentoran insist that the Ulster SFC final will be the last GAA game of the summer for Fermanagh ace Shane McCabe.
The IFA Premiership side have allowed McCabe to play against Armagh on 20 July despite the game being sandwiched between two Uefa Cup fixtures.
But the Belcoo clubman, who has been been training with the Erne side and the Glens, will be watching from the stands after the Clones showdown.
Glentoran's opening Uefa Cup tie is just three days before the decider.
The east Belfast club take on SK Liepajas Metalurgs of Latvia at the Oval.
McCabe starred as a substitute in the Ulster SFC victories over Monaghan and Derry.
"The Ulster Championship final will be his last match of the season," Glentoran manager Alan McDonald told the Irish News.
"We've had a chat with Shane and his commitment to Glentoran is 100 per cent."
The midfielder scored two goals for Glentoran in the 7-0 friendly win over the PSNI on Saturday.
McCabe has established himself as an important midfield player for the Glens after moving from Dungannon Swifts in January and has made 17 appearances for the Irish League side.

[Goats Do Shave]

He msut be on decent money!

[Abble]

wonder what big malachy thought about this when he read it ?

[T Fearon]

£200 to £300 per week according to the Irish News. With the minimal income taken at the turnstiles there must be some Irish League Club directors with very deep pockets.

You can't really blame Glentoran for this and in any event, next Sunday will be Fermanagh's penultimate match of the Championship season anyway

[his holiness nb]

Pity he wont feature after this one, but Glentoran pay his wages so its entirely understandable.

[Over the Bar]

Any Armagh posters concerned that the team might have got it 'too handy' through to the quarters and might be unprepared for the quarters?  No disrespect to Cavan, Down or Fermanagh btw.

[Slapdash]

[ExiledGael]

£200 to £300 per week according to the Irish News. With the minimal income taken at the turnstiles there must be some Irish League Club directors with very deep pockets.

You can't really blame Glentoran for this and in any event, next Sunday will be Fermanagh's penultimate match of the Championship season anyway

Right enough the provincial champions don't get a second chance so it could well be with a tough quarter-final draw

[haranguerer]

Any Armagh posters concerned that the team might have got it 'too handy' through to the quarters and might be unprepared for the quarters?  No disrespect to Cavan, Down or Fermanagh btw.

The Quarters? Sure even then, whos gonna be there to challenge?  

Tyrone are done. Down are as good as they have been for the past few years, i.e not very. Everyone thought this year signalled a revival, but that was only because noone realised just how bad Tyrone now are. Derry will beat Monaghan, but sure Fermanagh beat them ffs! Kerry need to revamp their style to cope with the loss of Galvin and so are vulnerable. Cork are closer to being as bad as their first half display, than they are to being as good as their second. Galway arent as good as previously thought. Mayo are exactly as good as previously thought.

The only problem there seems to be is that Armagh will be mocked for winning such a handy AI title. I can hear the crys now as they embarrass everyone

'...Have a heart Ronan!'
'...Now Stevie, no need for the showboating'

But sure, you can only beat whats put it front of you  

[Real1995]

As far as i can remember he refereed the Antrim v Cavan match this year as well...he got a lot of praise after that, none more so than an article i can remember Joe Kernan writing at the time....but yeah as far as i know its his first BIG GAME!!

[FermGael]

Watched the Derry game again and it really was some team performance.  7 points down and we still manged to turn it around.  It really does highlight how far this Fermanagh team has come in the last 5 years.
I feel that the 04 game will have little or no effect come the 20th.  Although both teams still have the same backbone, the team management's have changed.  We played each other in the opening Ulster Championship game in 05 I think and again in an Ulster semifinal in 06 and armagh beat us on both occasions(Albeit after a draw in 05).
O'Rourke is definitely a huge plus in fermanagh's favour but i have been impressed with McDonnell.  Very ruthless in the way he dropped A Kernan before the Down game and he seems to have reinvigorated the whole Armagh set up.   
The biggest question posing both teams is the system that they play.  Armagh and Fermanagh like to bring a WHF and play him as a sweeper.  Fermanagh have done it with Lyttle and Armagh  with O'Rourke.  The problem for both teams is that both Armagh and Fermanagh have WHB's who are more than capable of being a scoring threat. I certainly would not like to see A Kernan playing in or around or full forward line but then again I would love to see T McElroy or D Kelly playing in a more attacking position.
The second question from a Fermanagh point of view is who plays at full back.  I feel that Goan will pick up one of McDonnell or Clarke.  Owens will not be fit to start.  I can not see Frog at full back because he is not a man marker.  I have been one of the fells's biggest critic's but he had some game against Derry.  It would be a huge call if he did not retain his starting place which would see him back at CHB.  This could mean McCluskey back in the corner picking up McDonnell.  McDonnell has always struggled against Clucker and I think that it would be a big ask for D Reilly or H Brady to come in for the cold to mark someone of McDonnell's quality.  But Fermanagh's CHB line has been the key to our success and Clucker, Kelly and McElroy seems to have great understanding.  They have won the lions share of break ball and rarely give the  ball away.  So then I could see P Sherry picking up McDonnell with Frog in the other corner marking the Armagh corner forward who will come out and play as a WHF.  That means Frog plays at CHB and Clucker is left with the free role.  Then again Lyons played the majority of the national league and would have been playing against Monaghan and Derry but for breaking his jaw in a club game.  He did well in the League and he might get the nod.
Midfield is a sector where Fermanagh could hold the edge.  McGrath and Womble have been a revelation this campaign.  They both can score and have great engine's on them.  McGrane has not been at his best this year but he still is a class act.  If we can get on top here, we have a huge chance of winning the match.
Up front i expect no changes.  McBarron should start at full forward and him and Francie will suit each other down to the ground.  They will
'bate lumps out of each other' as we say here in Fermanagh.
McCabe will probably be used as an impact sub.  The one player who will be lucky to retain his place up front is J Sherry.  He has been quiet this year and is capable of a hell of alot more.  T Brewster, S Doherty  and M Keenan could all be played at CHF but Sherry i think will be given another chance.  A Very talented footballer who hopefully will have saved his best performance for the big day.
Keenan, Maguire, McElroy and Lyttle  will all start.  They all have to do the usual and put the press on Armagh from corner forward back.  They all possess speed which is a very potent weapon.  They will run at the Armagh blanket all day long and will ask questions of the Armagh defence.  Hopefully we can move the ball at pace and get in positions to punish Armagh. 
Against Derry Fermanagh were very economical in front of goal(Except the last 10 minutes).  They will have to do the same against Armagh.
We have to get a good start and cannot give Armagh a 7 point lead after 15 minutes.  we have improved every game we have played this year.  For the first time in a long time we have a bench which contains quality.  if someone is not performing, well there is quality there to bring on, Cadden, Lyons, Brewster, Keenan's, Ward, Doherty, etc. 
O'Rourke is a very shrewd operator. Press night out of the way along with a fan's meeting the players night last week.  Means 2 weeks on concentrating on nothing but the match and leaving the hype to the fan's.  He will have surprise or 2 for the Armagh game.  One things for sure every Fermanagh player will know their role come Sunday week and it will be well drilled into them.  This is the best drilled Fermanagh team ever.  An Awful lot of time, money and effort has been invested in this squad.  We can beat Armagh.  We have beat Monaghan and Derry.  Armagh have more quality up front but i see no reason why we cannot beat them.  fermanagh by 2

[Travis T O Justice]

In relation to your initial statment about how far Fermanagh have come in the last 5 years...I think you need to keep a little bit of a prespective on it. They have been the best 'sucker punch team' in the last 5 years, yes, no doubt about it. They beat Armagh, complacent to the 'enth degree' after their winning the first ever Ulster Final to be staged in Croke park and hammering a Donegal side. They beat a Derry team, again complacent to the 'enth degree' after beating the reigning All Ireland Champions in the league and running into a 7 point lead!!

Armagh will give Fermanagh all the respect they deserve and when I say that what I mean is Armagh will go out to bury Fermanagh from the word go - wether they do or not remains to be seen - but what I'm getting at is the Fermanagh element of surprise is gone - we have played Fermangh 3 times including 2004 so they aren't a team we don't know and we know what their bite feels like.

And like the other 31 Counties in Ireland I would have been screaming for Fermangh to win Ulster..if it weren't for being from Armagh.

[FermGael]

In relation to your initial statment about how far Fermanagh have come in the last 5 years...I think you need to keep a little bit of a prespective on it. They have been the best 'sucker punch team' in the last 5 years, yes, no doubt about it. They beat Armagh, complacent to the 'enth degree' after their winning the first ever Ulster Final to be staged in Croke park and hammering a Donegal side. They beat a Derry team, again complacent to the 'enth degree' after beating the reigning All Ireland Champions in the league and running into a 7 point lead!!

Armagh will give Fermanagh all the respect they deserve and when I say that what I mean is Armagh will go out to bury Fermanagh from the word go - wether they do or not remains to be seen - but what I'm getting at is the Fermanagh element of surprise is gone - we have played Fermangh 3 times including 2004 so they aren't a team we don't know and we know what their bite feels like.

And like the other 31 Counties in Ireland I would have been screaming for Fermangh to win Ulster..if it weren't for being from Armagh.

Ahh now Travis.  A 'sucker punch' team over the past 5 years.  You have hit the nail on the head.  The secret is out.  We are rumbled. 

[Travis T O Justice]

No secret at all Ferm, Armagh expected to steam roll you in 2004, the eye was taken off the ball - KABLAMOO - Armagh out! Same as Derry, League Champions, Victors of the mighty Green and Gold all Ireland Champions - SPLATOOO - Derry out! Fermanagh play a wonderful style of football, fast, pacy and clean - it was pleasure watching you against Derry (let me just take my tonuge out of you pants before I go on) - but we've met enough times since 2004 not to go into this thinking 'Fermangh - easy Anglo Celt lads wonder who we'll draw in the All Ireland series'..so what I'm saying is the sucker punch or element of surprise is gone-ski beat.

But for the record, if you do win, which is a reality I'll be just as happy for you (after the fact) as any Erne man because by Christ you will have deserved and Erne'd it! (see what I did there)

[FermGael]

No secret at all Ferm, Armagh expected to steam roll you in 2004, the eye was taken off the ball - KABLAMOO - Armagh out! Same as Derry, League Champions, Victors of the mighty Green and Gold all Ireland Champions - SPLATOOO - Derry out! Fermanagh play a wonderful style of football, fast, pacy and clean - it was pleasure watching you against Derry (let me just take my tonuge out of you pants before I go on) - but we've met enough times since 2004 not to go into this thinking 'Fermangh - easy Anglo Celt lads wonder who we'll draw in the All Ireland series'..so what I'm saying is the sucker punch or element of surprise is gone-ski beat.

But for the record, if you do win, which is a reality I'll be just as happy for you (after the fact) as any Erne man because by Christ you will have deserved and Erne'd it! (see what I did there)

It's a good job that Fermanagh have only caught 2 big teams on the hop in the last 5 years, Derry and Armagh .  Every one else we have beat must have been those lesser counties e.g Donegal, Cork, Meath, Monaghan, Wexford, Mayo(in 03).