I thought the referee ruined a game between two very committed teams. The football wasn't pretty at times, but I thought Cross deserved the win in the end and they were right to feel annoyed with some of the ref's decisions in the last 10mins. McEntee should have his red card taken away so both teams will be back to full strength for next week - looking forward to the replay!

EnolaGay (Tyrone) - Posts: 653 - 01/12/2008 13:18:14    153767

Thought Enda Muldoon was exceptional yesterday. His striking of the ball with the foot and high fielding was great to see, can"t belive he didn't get the Man of the Match award. Usually I wouldn't get too excited about an Uslter Club football match but with pure fotballers like Mulldoon and the McEntees on display it was a reaaly good advert for ulster football!

horn neck (None) - Posts: 28 - 01/12/2008 14:03:52    153799

Enola Gay, agree with you regarding the suspension. Indeed I would go further and say that any player caught diving sucessfully on video should be suspended same as video evidence applies to players caught throwing a sly dig.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 01/12/2008 15:18:20    153894

hurlingdub I totally agree with you, it is time that this cheating has been clamped down on. Anyone caught cheating should be banned for at least a year and the club severely fined. These tactics as displayed by ballinderry need to be eradicated from our game.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 01/12/2008 15:30:01    153911

A good game of rip-roaring football with a below par performance from the ref.Last ten minutes he gave Ballinderry more than Cross but this was to balance for the most of the first half.McEntee will get back for the replay and rightly so.Ballinderry were lucky enough to get the draw but sometimes it takes that bit of luck to win championships which I hope they do.With the subs at the end it looked as if Cross thought they had won it with 6 or 7 minutes left.Should be a good replay.

northpole (Derry) - Posts: 739 - 01/12/2008 15:34:27    153916

Doesnt matter, they will meet the Kilmacud Crokes boys soon enough and Francie will be too slow for the Dublin man once again and they'll trot off the stage!

Regards,

Snufalufagus.....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 01/12/2008 16:09:49    153970

i could start an easy arguement by sayin that of course ballinderry dive and cheat because after all they are from tyrone!!! but i wont....

anyway ballinderry have always and always will be, be the kings of 'gamesmanship'!! for years they were a great team for sittin in the changing room at half time when others were out on the field freezin. many derry team have been on the receiving end of this. they regard themselves as the best, and in derry terms rightfully so, and due to this they have an severe arrogance that usually prompts teams to react to them.

i havent seen the game yet, will hopefully see it soon. my guessin would be that ballinderry were cheeky and prompted cross to react. i am more than open to changin this view after seein the game, but i will never think that cross are a clean team.

I think the two teams have been the ulster kingpins for a few years and this comes with an element of doin anything to win. ballinderrys is winding up opponents, cross is hitting them hard. the reply will be no different. neither team will change their approach over a few articles sayin they dived or were dirty

Baker the glen (None) - Posts: 371 - 01/12/2008 16:40:15    154004

Conaill Mairtin is also the principal of a Gaeltacht course in Loch an Iuir.
Very exciting game from what I saw and John Mc Entee shouldn't have been sent off. In my opinion, whoever wins this will probably win the All Ireland.

Saffron (Antrim) - Posts: 216 - 01/12/2008 16:45:21    154015

Snuff, I've a feeling Francie's involvement in the club championship will be over after the replay anyway so that problem might not arise!

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 01/12/2008 16:55:53    154030

cant really blame the referee yesterday. the players did him no favours, being overly physical and yet goin down like a sack of spuds when takin the smallest of hits. You're either a tough player or not. if your goin round hittin hard, and nothin wrong with that, then youve got to be man enough to take a hit like a man too. Francie is the perfect example. He can give a hit and he takes a hit, no complaints, no rolling around the floor like an eejit. some of the players should be ashamed of themselves.

evangelist (Longford) - Posts: 245 - 01/12/2008 16:57:53    154036

The Ballinderry "goal" yesterday was clearly a square ball. It suited the G.A.A. to have a draw though and get another big gate. The umpires were looking straight at it but as per usual they did not see it !!! I felt that Cross were robbed !!!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 01/12/2008 18:52:18    154152

I believe the old saying "What goes around comes around" and (as I didnt see the game) if the Ballinderry player dived to get an unfair advantage then its just something coming back around to bite Cross. A few years back they played the Derry champions (Slaughtneil at the time) and the dirt and niggling that Cross used that day to gain an advantage was widely regarded as "just Cross being that bit cuter". The first game ended in a draw after the Cross midfield 'done a job' to reduce the Slaughtneil mid-field dominance by getting a Slaughtneil player sent off that day. Francie Bellew spent the day nipping the Slaughtneil full forward who was literally black and blue down his back and sides as a result. In the replay Oisin McConville dived for a penalty, got up winked and laughed at the full back asking him "what do you think of that?". That penalty, incidently, was the deciding score which won Cross the replay by a point that day. So when you try every trick in the book to win a match then you must expect other teams to follow suit. By the way I am in no way saying that this trait should be continued nor am I condoning what the Ballinderry team did - but as I said at the start "What goes around comes around" and maybe Cross are just getting a taste of their own medicine.
Incidently I'm backing Ballinderry to win the replay (with or without McEntee being suspended). From what I heard there is no way they could play as badly the second time around. To play badly and get a draw against Crossmaglen bodes well for the replay I think!

DoireCK (Derry) - Posts: 162 - 01/12/2008 20:22:53    154219

Look lads if the player dived yes maybe been a drama queen. But mc entee still struck him end off you lift your hand, elbow that is called striking and you must go. Yes i agree the ref had a bad game but t kernan should have walked as well for his strike off the ball in the first half. And how would you call that a square ball he was running in and ball hit the post as he was running and caught it . To me i thought the cross of the ball stuff was wrong that is what started it. And further more the cross man with the green bib tried to start on a derry man on the sideline these so called runners should be banned because it causes alot of trouble lately.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 01/12/2008 20:35:12    154224

I think Cross won over a few fans with their honest hard fair game! I nearly got a heart attack at the end. My heart was still thumping by the time I got back to Kearneys for a few. Hopefully we can take the replay. I won't comment on the opposition.
UP CROSS!

Dessie_Cross (Armagh) - Posts: 145 - 01/12/2008 21:04:40    154241

whats new with ulster football polecat turing on his own is there split in the camp

Dublinexile (Dublin) - Posts: 96 - 01/12/2008 22:14:06    154288

Tom1916
County: Armagh
Posts: 213

153663
Ulsterman sounds as if he knows about as much as gregory campbell. i wonder were he was standing at the game to give such a detailed analysis.

Gregory wasn't at the game. He is a real Derry man. Ballinderry is in Tyrone.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 01/12/2008 22:23:27    154306

PATRIQUE Your at it again you always give us tyrone and derry men a hard time. Could you please tell us why.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 01/12/2008 22:35:32    154325

DELLBOYPOLECAT Your at it again. Why do u continue to give us Tyrone men a bad name? I don't know what game you were at, but I certainly did not see McEntee strike Conway. Conway fell to the ground holding his face. Did McEntee connect with Conways face? No. End of. Lift the suspension, and I would agree with hurlingdub that Conway should be punish in hindsight, its a pity the gaa rules wont allow it

EnolaGay (Tyrone) - Posts: 653 - 01/12/2008 23:05:01    154360

Dellboy, I wasn't giving Tyrone or Derry a hard time, I was giving Tom a hard time. He is from Armagh, although he does not support them.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 01/12/2008 23:12:00    154371

Dublinexile good one but no split in the camp . My point is that it has been showing a couple ot times now and he did strike him end off maybe not as hard as the lad fell . And poeple attcking me over it well i do not care am entitled to my opionon ok . And the tyrone man that attcked me there answer another thing what would you do with the lad with the green bib from cross that tried to start a fight on the sideline . Oh let me guess you never seen that other . Time to wake up and smell the coffee you lift your hand ,elbow you must go and the linesman see it as well .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 01/12/2008 23:29:34    154389