AnDunCeanada (Down) - Posts: 109 - 05/02/2020 21:02:16    2265516

Looking at all these above posts have to agree with most of the stuff , also saying about McManus showing potential at 16 isn't true as he didn't make minors , but since the following year he has showed how great he is , I think we are definitely lacking a key forward Donal O Hare not doing much from play , think gone are the days were you can carry a free kick taker on your team , you need to mix both , Now as for the county development set up , the current minor management is not nurturing the talented players and bringing them threw , there is plenty of talent within the county at underage just need to get them all on board with the proper training etc to make the breakthrew to senior footballers

BannGael (Down) - Posts: 44 - 05/02/2020 22:45:19    2265551

Thekid14 (Down) - Posts: 211 - 06/02/2020 07:41:04    2265578

Carryduff have won 3 in a row u21 tittles... only McCabe and Guinness good enough for seniors??

RedDog68 (Down) - Posts: 283 - 06/02/2020 11:37:19    2265637

Just checked some players ages, Donal O'Hare and Kevin McKernan are 32, Benny McArdle is 33, Darren O'Hagan is 29, and Ryan Johnson is 32, I thought he was about 24 or 25. Are their successors in the squad at the moment?

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 06/02/2020 17:41:08    2265733

downtothecore (Down) - Posts: 329 - 06/02/2020 22:41:52    2265815

AnDunCeanada (Down) - Posts: 109 - 07/02/2020 13:00:55    2265934

Thanks for the corrections, I took the info from the Official Down GAA website, maybe the players were having a laugh, or someone got their wires crossed. Disappointing that an official site would have misleading information. It doesn't seem to give the full squad and details for the National League.
How can you hope to generate interest in the team when you can't even be bothered to get a simple thing like a players age right. The match programme for the Derry game has Kevin McKernan as a Castlewellan player and the Irish Times had him as playing for Burren. Who knows, or cares?

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 07/02/2020 17:58:07    2266002

Tough ask against a team we generally struggle with. Conditions won't help, wind could be a problem and won't make our midfield struggles any easier. Expect Cork to win this well.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 09/02/2020 14:17:04    2266335

Cork won easy enough. 0.16 to 1.8. Any reports?

downtothecore (Down) - Posts: 329 - 09/02/2020 15:40:56    2266364

From twitter, Down had two points at half time playing against a strong breeze. Cork dominated the game, Cory Quinn's late goal left Down five points behind but even being a man up, Cork having used all their subs Down couldn't add to their tally in the six minutes of added time. Disappointing, home win vital next game. Looks like our achilles heal of not being able to win enough possession or score struck again.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 09/02/2020 16:07:34    2266392

It's obvious Cork are easily the best team in the division and likely will win promotion with seven wins. Down are competing for second place and likely will have to beat Longford at home and Offaly away to make certain and hoping they can take care of Louth and Leitrim. Against Cork Down went scoreless in the first period for thirty one minutes, granted they were playing against a strong breeze.
Cork had no such trouble being able to add on seven points in the second half. Cork had a player sent off late for a second yellow and finished with thirteen men. Not much encouragement to be taken from the game apart from Cory Quinn's goal. RTE report names our best performers as Darren O'Hagan and Paul Devlin. Let's hope the comforts of home and better weather help us see off Longford in the next home game.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 09/02/2020 17:42:29    2266458

The remaining games need to won in this division. These are arguably the most important games for football in our history as we really need to secure playing in the sam maguire cup. If we dont it could be very difficult to get up from second tier competition in the future.

downtothecore (Down) - Posts: 329 - 09/02/2020 18:23:35    2266480

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 09/02/2020 18:50:10    2266504

Just read the Irish Times match report, which describes Down as playing with a packed defence, obviously didn't work very well as the halftime score was 0-8- 0-2 in favour of Cork. Down also shot thirteen wides and returned a paltry 1-8.
Tally really needs to do something now about Down's atrocious shooting. If they don't have a dedicated shooting /kicking coach they would do well to employ one.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 09/02/2020 19:14:28    2266518

Tough day at the office against the division's outstanding team. Puts us in our place in reality and is a good measuring stick to the younger players. Saying that - the next 4 games are winnable so I'd still be fairly confident of going up.

AnDunCeanada (Down) - Posts: 109 - 09/02/2020 20:44:03    2266561

topdownfan (Down) - Posts: 555 - 09/02/2020 20:47:47    2266564

germac (Down) - Posts: 308 - 09/02/2020 21:50:18    2266601

The must win game is the home game against Longford, if Down lost that, Longford would need only two points from the final three games leaving them on nine, even if Down won their final three games Longford would have the tie breaking win. Although their final game is against Cork, who will probably be already promoted by that point. If Down win the Longford game it's advantage Down as they have Offaly, Leitrim and Louth. Though we remember what happened last year when Down needed a result against Louth to be promoted.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 61 - 09/02/2020 23:09:47    2266636

It's a sign of the times that the Longford game is seen by many as a toss up - but that's where we are. Despite that, with the utmost respect to the 4 teams, I think we should be winning them.

AnDunCeanada (Down) - Posts: 109 - 10/02/2020 13:52:18    2266790