Well pleased we won but we were poor at times Very poor shooting at times , this I think is one of our biggest problems. Nothing wrong with the defence alough our kickouts cost us the goal and I think one point. Armagh played really well and took some good scores but I think they want to have a look at themselves over these tangles they are getting involved in There is no need for it , it might put some other teams off by intimidating them but Donegal have been around too long for that
Still enjoyed the build up all the crowd down around Drumcondra road, plenty of banter and am looking forward to 31/08/14 which song would you all prefare to hear after the game ::: Come on you boys in Blue or We'llbuild our own Las Vegas in the hills of Donegal ::: the latter I hope.

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 10/08/2014 10:58:05    1634145

We got through which was the important thing
And we controlled the game from 25th to 60th minute but didnt do enough to close it out.

On the other hand Armagh could look back with some regret. Indiscipline after the whistle cost them 3 points. 2 difficult frees became tap- overs, and their own free became a hop ball.
On four occasions in the first half they kicked across the Donegal posts from tbe 21 yard line ( the exact spot where McBrearty converted 2 in the second half)
As regards the ref I would say Armagh should have had 1 red and 2 black cards on the other hand 2 of the frees Murphy won were soft.
But he had a better game than Duffy who on one occasion gave Alan Brogan a Free because the ground was wet.

Donegal on that performance are 10 points and more short of Dublin.
Some bizarre shot selection - Mcfadden on one occasion going for goal from 30 yards. Kick outs were very poor on occasions including the one that led to the goal.
We won 2 kickouts in the first 25 minutes from circa 15.
McBrearty got some good scores but cost us a point when checking his run in a 60/40 ball. McFadden was never in the game and even missed a very easy free.
Thought Armagh got through the 45 fairly easily 4/5 times in first half- Also when we carried the ball (e.g Mchugh) there was less runners and options than at our best.

Positives the full back line was very solid in particular the McGees - murphy and Gallagher good in patches. McNiallias was good but id prefer kavanagh at 9 and McNiallis in the half forward line.
But looks a huge stretch to close all the shortcomings in 3 weeks .

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 10/08/2014 11:04:00    1634150

Donegalman I watched the game yesterday in a pub here surrounded by rugby league fans and I can tell you that they found the push on the doctor amusing. What they found much less amusing was the frequent diving and the incredibly cheap shot of pushing an opponent over the advertising hoardings - a small sample but these were the findings here. There were a lot of incidents in that game that were embarrassing for the sport.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 10/08/2014 11:20:21    1634163

fire_in_belly
County: Donegal
Posts: 191634019
Great win for Donegal. Enjoyed croker. Was there with my wife from Monaghan, hard lines to them. Donegal didn't perform too well. Still we won, and are in the semi, job done. Few of the usual Dublin region louts that I never seem to meet from any other county bragging us as we walked home to our drumcondra apartment. A shower Indeed.

Plenty of louts about today from all participating counties. You must never open your eyes if you only meet ones from Dublin. Cop onto yourself.

#####

Well capable of opening my eyes MesAmi. In the heat of battle during the 70 theres plenty of roaring and shouting and conflicts of opinion. I understand that. It's smug behaviour of fans afterward that I hate, and in my experience going to many matches the dubs are the worst, maybe because there are more of ye. Some dubs seem to be so smug and self righteous at the moment because their team are in such great form and play a great brand of football. Obviously that makes them better people and we should all be ashamed of ourselves for following our county?? "We hammered ye no problem" to my wife and her family, and to us, it'll be "a 15 point victory at least in the semi, despite your shite style of football". And that after us giving these people a broad smile and congratulating them. I apologise to you for generalising but we were very annoyed, so im sorry. On the threads of this site there just seems to be so much mud slinging and general s##t. A disagreememt here and there is healthy but the style of footbal argument taken the spotlight for too long. And now the insults and attitudes are spilling out onto the terraces, streets, pubs etc.. Anyway god help us for this semi final.

fire_in_belly (Donegal) - Posts: 59 - 10/08/2014 11:43:58    1634180

Donegalman, any idea what the team doctor was doing on the pitch? It's not his job to break up rows. As for Leo McCloone, he wouldn't be a man to give out a sly dig! That said, there is no doubt that the return of McGeeney has led to a much more combative style with the emphasis on disrupting the opposition through intimidation. It has made Armagh more competitive but is likely to be counter productive in the long run.

MB1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 360 - 10/08/2014 11:55:25    1634186

SomaCounty: UKPosts: 5421634163

Donegalman I watched the game yesterday in a pub here surrounded by rugby league fans and I can tell you that they found the push on the doctor amusing. What they found much less amusing was the frequent diving and the incredibly cheap shot of pushing an opponent over the advertising hoardings - a small sample but these were the findings here. There were a lot of incidents in that game that were embarrassing for the sport.

##
Do the rugby crowd have a higher world view or something?? There are plenty of dark arts in rugby as far as I'm concerned. No idea why so many people view rugby as having so much more integrity.

fire_in_belly (Donegal) - Posts: 59 - 10/08/2014 13:03:30    1634234

I wouldn't harp on yesterdays incidents - Armagh went to rough up a few players - Donegal won the game and have no one Suspended or injured. ( result all round)
The last thing Donegal management will do is say this player or that player were impacted / reacted or got phased by the actions - only serves as reference material for Dublin.
Move on and worry about the next game - cant do anything about yesterday and id much prefer mcQuillan to Duffy v Dublin

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 10/08/2014 13:21:42    1634253

Not at all fire, the response was to a poster wondering what people who don't usually watch the game would have made of the doctor getting pushed. I only mentioned their sport to highlight that this viewing was the first time many of them saw the sport. Of course all sports have their issues, but there are things creeping into gaelic football that we could really do without - the respect players have for each other seems to be diminishing which is a shame.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 10/08/2014 13:21:51    1634254

Still gutted we lost lost this. But it has been a great year with 4 wins. Plenty to build on for next year. The Elder statemens like McKeever, Mallon and Kernan still have another year or two in them. And with young players such as Clarke, Campbell, Murray, Morgan, Findon and the two Raffertys, we have plenty of reason to be optimistic n the future. Congrats to Donegal and hope you beat Dublin.

JP91 (Armagh) - Posts: 316 - 10/08/2014 13:23:08    1634256

fire_in_belly
County: Donegal
Posts: 22

1634234
SomaCounty: UKPosts: 5421634163

Donegalman I watched the game yesterday in a pub here surrounded by rugby league fans and I can tell you that they found the push on the doctor amusing. What they found much less amusing was the frequent diving and the incredibly cheap shot of pushing an opponent over the advertising hoardings - a small sample but these were the findings here. There were a lot of incidents in that game that were embarrassing for the sport.


Your point of view is all over the place. A middle aged man who is not conditioned is flattened by a man in the prime of his life. Hilarious. An Armagh player is pushed over an advertising hoarding at the end of the game and it is disgraceful. What sort of IQ are we dealing with here?

One thing that donegal footballers do not do, even in less successful times, was to go out and target your opponents best men, to deliberately either put them out of the game or draw them into a confrontation. Armagh wernt on the pitch 10 minutes and they were at it. Its worth mentioning all of this in light of the criticism many of the armagh supporters are giving yesterdays ref. He should have black carded players for armagh but let them stay in the game.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 10/08/2014 15:03:07    1634313

SomaCounty: UKPosts: 5421634163

Donegalman I watched the game yesterday in a pub here surrounded by rugby league fans and I can tell you that they found the push on the doctor amusing. What they found much less amusing was the frequent diving and the incredibly cheap shot of pushing an opponent over the advertising hoardings - a small sample but these were the findings here. There were a lot of incidents in that game that were embarrassing for the sport.

Soma I don't believe a word of it.

You are telling me that they found the pushing of the doctor "amusing" but that these hard rugby league types were put out by someone being pushed over a hoarding?

Pull the other one!!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/08/2014 15:14:53    1634319

The Donegal doctor was very busy yesterday, for such fine big lads Donegal hit the deck far too easily. Not surprised the doctor went flying he was on the pitch so much Armagh probably confused him with a player.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4953 - 10/08/2014 15:58:30    1634340

I tried to post a response to Donegalman and admin would not let it through. Did not feel it was too controversial. Maybe Hogan Stand are retaliating to Armagh's media ban by banning Armagh comment.

Armaghball (Armagh) - Posts: 96 - 10/08/2014 16:39:14    1634359

Donegalman, Muck, the lads I am speaking about compared the push on the doctor to Di Canio's push on the referee in a soccer game all them years ago - it shouldn't happen but you cant help but laugh when it does. However they thought pushing a young lad twice, who had no interest in confrontation, so he fell back over hoardings was just a cheap, cowardly act. To be fair, they didn't think much of the Armagh man who punched a Donegal man on the back of the head while he was lying on the ground either, or the dramatic dives after very little contact. As for Donegal never targeting opposition players, Id say Diarmuid Connolly would have a different view after the game in 2011.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 10/08/2014 17:09:10    1634369

Soma, no word from the rugger types at all on the Armagh man with a grip round Lacey's neck from behind?.

Listen, it was a tough hard game with fives time more entertainment than the Dublin Monaghan game gave us. Nobody took a step back & nobody was hurt. It was a football match in the traditional style & still people complain.

I am sick listening to fellas rabbiting on here about the lack of physicality in the modern game & then moan & whinge when things get a bit edgy.

Truth is begrudgery is alive & well & HS is a showcase for it.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/08/2014 17:20:27    1634374

Me too Armaghball. Hoganstand called the scenes disgraceful - what did they say about the recent biting incidents??

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 10/08/2014 17:26:16    1634382

I didnt get to see this game yesterday, but from the sounds of it, to watch it would be nothing other than a waste of 70mins of my life I wouldn't get back?.......Is this true?

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 10/08/2014 17:51:41    1634408

Muck pushing a young lad, who had no interest at all in getting involved with his man, over hoardings when he is off-balance is not 'tough football' or bringing physicality back into the game, it is just a cheap shot. I expect he is less likely to try it with Eoghan O'Gara the next day.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 10/08/2014 17:58:36    1634414

It all depends on what your life is worth snuff.

I saw both games & there was ten times more entertainment in the first game than in the second.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/08/2014 18:26:18    1634432

First game was great snuff. Absorbing stuff.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 10/08/2014 18:44:23    1634451