MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 3042

1634432 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.

Entertainment is not the word id use, a close game with the odd scuffle which kept the viewer interested . Very poor shooting and players waiting to be tackled so they could hit the ground and get a free. One or two good moves from either side in the match which broke through the defence of the opposition were to be applauded , but that's about it .

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 10/08/2014 18:54:38    1634467

The sound of chatter all around croker for the second half of yesterday's Dublin Monaghan game said it all. Lifeless, no atmosphere, no point. No ones fault, just shows how far ahead Dublin now are.

fire_in_belly (Donegal) - Posts: 59 - 10/08/2014 18:55:04    1634469

AthCliath
County: Dublin
Posts: 3298

1634467
Very poor shooting and players waiting to be tackled so they could hit the ground and get a free. One or two good moves from either side in the match which broke through the defence of the opposition were to be applauded , but that's about it

I very much doubt this. If you wait to get hit against armagh you might as well have an ambulance waiting for you outside the stadium

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 10/08/2014 19:00:38    1634477

1634477
AthCliath
County: Dublin
Posts: 3298

1634467
Very poor shooting and players waiting to be tackled so they could hit the ground and get a free. One or two good moves from either side in the match which broke through the defence of the opposition were to be applauded , but that's about it

athcliath,
You do yourself no credit at all with posts like that.

I grant you the quality wasn't top notch but for drama, theatre & edge of the seat excitement it was miles ahead of the borefest that followed.

I'm not blaming Dublin for the fact that the second game was low on entertainment but many more games like it will empty Croke Park faster than you can say Garth Brooks

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/08/2014 19:11:54    1634497

Donegalman
County: All
Posts: 1476

1634477 AthCliath
County: Dublin
Posts: 3298

1634467
Very poor shooting and players waiting to be tackled so they could hit the ground and get a free. One or two good moves from either side in the match which broke through the defence of the opposition were to be applauded , but that's about it

I very much doubt this. If you wait to get hit against armagh you might as well have an ambulance waiting for you outside the stadium

Ah I know , nobody as tough as the Ulster lads. Us weaklings in Leinster have no idea what the physicality is like ;)

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 10/08/2014 19:13:51    1634501

Muckross,

Donegal v Armagh was a battle ill grant you and both teams gave everything. they can not be faulted for that, Armagh upped their game and nearly caught Donegal off guard ,who I thought played poorly but werent punished,i don't think Armagh believed enough to win the game when it was there to be won. It was also good to see Grimley and McGuiness embracing at final whistle .
But as much as it annoys you that Donegal get bad press from people,(which I find can be unfair also) It can be equally annoying to be keep getting told that these games are enthralling and theres nothing like it in other games and if your opinion differs then your being anti this and that.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 10/08/2014 19:30:58    1634519

Michael Murphy threw the ball several times yesterday. Did anybody else see this? Definite no underhand striking action like there's supposed to be. Why have these rules and ignore them? A few years ago good fist passes were being called as throws. Now it's gone full circle and we're at the other extreme.

Former_Poster (Meath) - Posts: 394 - 10/08/2014 21:32:25    1634647

AthCliath
County: Dublin
Posts: 3303

1634519
Muckross,

Donegal v Armagh was a battle ill grant you and both teams gave everything. they can not be faulted for that, Armagh upped their game and nearly caught Donegal off guard ,who I thought played poorly but werent punished,i don't think Armagh believed enough to win the game when it was there to be won. It was also good to see Grimley and McGuiness embracing at final whistle .
But as much as it annoys you that Donegal get bad press from people,(which I find can be unfair also) It can be equally annoying to be keep getting told that these games are enthralling and theres nothing like it in other games and if your opinion differs then your being anti this and that.

Fair enough point athcliath,

I suppose I got so caught up in the tension of the first game & the possibility of losing that it gave the game a sheen that would not be there for the neutral supporter. The same applies when Dubs naturally love watching their team rack up big scores while the neutral would like a contest.

The life of a supporter eh?

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 11/08/2014 09:10:20    1634707

Delighted with the result even if the performance wasn't all that it could be. It reminded me a lot of the Kerry match from 2012. Even Armagh's goal was a carbon copy of Donaghy's. Donegal probably should have closed the game out a bit earlier and were nearly caught out. They showed great composure and their experience shone through to get them over the line.

I wouldn't be one for getting all outraged and indignant about Armagh's physicality and propensity for starting melees. They've been at it in nearly all of their tight games this year. Forewarned is forearmed and all that. I'm sure McGuinness had the Donegal lads well briefed. The doctor incident was a bit unsavoury alright, but look noone was hurt and it's not like it affected the outcome of the match in any way.

So now on to Dublin. I think we're a good bit off Dublin to be honest. For Donegal to have a realistic chance we'd need McFadden firing on all cylinders. In 2012 he was barely looking at the posts before sticking points over from all sorts of distances and angles. It's hard to see him regaining that sort of confidence in 3 weeks. Also, Karl Lacey hasn't been fully fit in a good while now. While he can still operate at a very high level I just think he's a wee bit off his 2012 fitness. I hope he is wrapped up in cotton wool now until the weekend of the 31st!

Sure we'll see what happens anyway. A speculative €20 on a Donegal double, minor and senior for the All-Ireland returns almost €1000 on PP!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9746 - 11/08/2014 11:53:17    1634826

Former-poster

Noticed that myself - one in particular in the first half as he was falling and threw it with both hands.
Remember the whole disaster a few years back with refs blowing hand passes like mad? Some change now!

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 11/08/2014 13:33:27    1634932

Glad to have got through that one the way we did; the manner of the win was most pleasing particularly when Armagh tested virtually every facet of our game.

Armagh look like they could pose a threat in Ulster next year and perhaps beyond, their Crossmaglen styled kick pass into the forwards didn't work on this occasion but with better accuracy it could be something to watch out for next year. The Armagh supporters beside us were, as expected, very disappointed after but wished us well, nice people they were.

Stayed until the 50 minute in the Dublin -Vs- Monaghan game, this was first time since 2011 I seen Dublin play live. They certainly are a different team to the one I saw in 2011. Fair play to them playing such an expansive game; we have our work cut out to match this.

DL17 (Donegal) - Posts: 86 - 11/08/2014 14:30:55    1634996

Lockjaw. As an Armagh fan I would like to apologise for our team starting the melees between Donegal and Monaghan, Dublin and Meath, Monaghan and Dublin and the one planned between Dublin and Donegal for the end of the month. Also the Cavan and Fermanagh one last year and any other ones I have forgotten about.

Armaghball (Armagh) - Posts: 96 - 11/08/2014 18:33:41    1635209

Armaghball
County: Armagh
Posts: 10

1635209
Lockjaw. As an Armagh fan I would like to apologise for our team starting the melees between Donegal and Monaghan, Dublin and Meath, Monaghan and Dublin and the one planned between Dublin and Donegal for the end of the month. Also the Cavan and Fermanagh one last year and any other ones I have forgotten about.

Apology accepted.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 11/08/2014 18:52:55    1635220

Armaghball why so defensive? Facts are facts. In three of Armagh's games this year which were perceived beforehand of being tight affairs there was a melee - Cavan, Tyrone and Donegal.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9746 - 12/08/2014 10:20:46    1635418

Armaghball why so defensive? Facts are facts. In three of Armagh's games this year which were perceived beforehand of being tight affairs there was a melee - Cavan, Tyrone and Donegal.

To be fair all of our games were perceived as being tight beforehand. We played 7 games, so there was a melee in less then 50% of them.....

In all honesty though, Cavan definitely started the melee, you can't charge head first into a line of another team and expect to get away with it. There was very little in the Tyrone and Donegal games only a bit of pushing. In the Tyrone game it was 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. The pushing against Donegal started when Aaron Findon was dragged to the ground after the ball was cleared by Charlie Vernon.

JP91 (Armagh) - Posts: 316 - 12/08/2014 12:27:00    1635516

Yes JP91, the beauty of YouTube is that you can simply go online and watch the evidence.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 12/08/2014 14:19:17    1635614

Brolly. Good to see someone try to bring a bit of balance to the debate.

Armaghball (Armagh) - Posts: 96 - 12/08/2014 14:32:27    1635635

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlrPZKGiqRU

Armagh vs Cavan - clearly shows instigaters.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 12/08/2014 15:26:06    1635694

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMBMhpsgbNw

Armagh vs Tyrone - at 8 seconds it is really impossible to tell who started but there are 2 tyrone and 1 armagh man on the floor at this stage.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 12/08/2014 15:28:14    1635697

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igi2HTlAKno

Donegal vs Armagh
Again really impossible to say who was first to hit etc but it does flick to 2 armagh holding McFadden. You would need to see the footage just before to decide. Either McFadden gets simply attacked or he flattens someone just before.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 12/08/2014 15:33:22    1635705