Water Cooler: The football quarter-finals

Starting with Donegal v Kerry - was it a shock or not?

by Terry Reilly 8/6/2012 12:00:02 PM
Don't think so to be honest Terry

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:00:23 PM
Though you have to say had Kerry gotten ahead rather than Donegal, we'd have seen a different game. Lot of things went against Kerry in terms on injury on the day

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:01:05 PM
I don't think it was a shock at all, and I wouldn't think so either if Dongal beat Cork in semi

by Denis Hurley 8/6/2012 12:01:36 PM
Not a shock, no. The two injuries crippled Kerry. Brosnan had been playing good football this summer and Sheehan was missed for that crucial 45 which O'Donoghue put wide. All the same, better team won, no doubt.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:01:42 PM
Absolutely not, hate to say I told you so but Kerry's dynamic repeatedly changes against good teams, and we saw it again yesterday thus they aren't the forward power they were. Think the better team won John regardless of injuries but a Kerry team in transition were gutsy.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:02:26 PM
In saying that, Donegal will not beat Cork who will be All Ireland champions without a doubt.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:03:03 PM
Well done to colm mc fadden on gettin man of the match yesterday but great game by all! Well done lads :) #donegalgaa

by clarac98 via twitter 8/6/2012 12:03:15 PM
Watching the match now again, us Donegal supporters sounded so good yesterday! #DonegalGAA

by Laureen_baybee via twitter 8/6/2012 12:03:23 PM
Every told-you-so has a told-you-not, Ewan. Kildare, ho-hum!

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:03:23 PM
Joe Brolly was right all along, look Kerry in the eye for 70 mins and they will look down first #chokers Great win #donegalgaa

by RonanGallen1994 via twitter 8/6/2012 12:03:32 PM
Donegal didn't compete in midfield for the last 10 minutes and I thought that would be their undoing and then they win the most important kick out of the match that lead to Lacey's point

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:04:13 PM
In fairness, Kerry couldn't cope with the electricity in Donegal's surges forward. They stretched them attacking in phalanxes.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:04:17 PM
I've repeatedly said Kerry would not reach the last four, explained how their shape changes against the best, and it was there before our eyes again yesterday. As for Kildare, I didn't even realise they were playing!

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:04:25 PM
Donegal's shape had also changed. Didn't go three up front as they did against everyone bar Tyrone.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:05:11 PM
Cork will find it tough against Donegal as they're normally sluggish starters but they were absolutely pulverising against a spineless Kildare side yesterday. McGeeney showed once again how tactically inept he is

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:05:29 PM
There was a key as Kerry went well down late on, when Darran O'Sullivan for instance
broke a line and was faced with six defenders before him he'd cut back. At the other end, in same scenario, Donegal players went at full tilt and threw a sidestep and won a free.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:05:46 PM
Declan O'Sullivan call was unusual. Donnchadh Walsh won an incredible amount of ball yet people were calling for him to be benched.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:05:56 PM
Don't think you can blame just McGeeney for that and it's a GAA reaction to blame and change the manager when no one better about. Players need a long stare in mirror this morning. Agree on O'Sullivan John, if he couldn't get a ball from Lacey, Kieran O'Leary didn't have a hope.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:06:46 PM
Very strange alright John, you'd think at this stage he'd have earned the right to be kept on as he's always capable of conjuring something

by Denis Hurley 8/6/2012 12:06:47 PM
Two key moments in injury-time - Darran O'Sullivan should have been awarded a free after being fouled by Paddy McGrath. Paddy Curtin had more time than he thought when snapping at what would have been an equaliser.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:06:58 PM
What did ye make of that call? Any reason for it?

by Terry Reilly 8/6/2012 12:07:05 PM
Let's be fair, kerry are a team with a lot of mileage on the clock. Donegal's fitness had a big say on the game. Most of the sentiment I have seen from Kerry has been they hope that donegal will go onto win it. So I hope the Donegal supporters could be a little more gracious in victory,unlike some of the comments below.

by jerry k like 8/6/2012 12:07:43 PM
In fairness on the free, there could have been 10 sendings off between both sides, so for something not to be awarded wasn't new in terms of the game.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:07:57 PM
Run out of steam, said Jack, but there were other options than taking him off: for one, move the man to full-forward then and keep Donaghy alongside him.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:07:57 PM
Cynicism ruled supreme over the weekend - the team that fouled the most in each game won. Indictment on the game.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:08:32 PM
@John Fogarty absolutely John, it was the major contributing factor to Laois not having one shot on Dublin's goal in the 2nd half

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:09:13 PM
Dick Clerkin wrote a nice piece on it today admitting he regretted not being more cynical in the Ulster championship this year. Sad sign of the times but he's right, has anyone got a solution?

by Terry Reilly 8/6/2012 12:09:27 PM
Kerry now have to embrace transition that has been creeping up on them this last while.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:09:31 PM
Absolutely, couldn't believe in second game yesterday Duffy didn't book players for late hits early on. Once it was only a tick, players continued.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:09:39 PM
Sin bin Terry, but top managers can't get away with their whining this time and get it scrapped.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:10:19 PM
Well, had Limerick been cynical they'd have beaten Kildare, wouldn't they? The same problem is happening in hurling - the best teams foul the most.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:10:31 PM
Reafs have to stamp it out. Time for 2 refs on pitch?

by jerry k like 8/6/2012 12:10:34 PM
It's unfair to blame the referree though in this case, as Ewan said we could end up with 10 a side in this case

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:10:47 PM
Gaelic football is the only sport on the globe that rewards cynicism.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:10:59 PM
I like the sin bin idea but think 10 minites is too much of a penalty

by Terry Reilly 8/6/2012 12:11:03 PM
Managers will be pulled up on it, Ewan. They've vested interests. I don't know why McGeeney and Cody are on the playing rules committee.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:11:16 PM
But when a ref does flash a load of cards he gets castigated for ruining the game

by Denis Hurley 8/6/2012 12:11:31 PM
@Terry Reilly a five minute sin bin would do the job Terry

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:11:32 PM
McEnaney's three yellows in a Championship and you're banned next game is a move in the right direction.

by John Fogarty 8/6/2012 12:11:41 PM
Course they have vested interests therefore they shouldn't be allowed have such a say. The game bigger than certain counties cheating their way to the top.

by Ewan MacKenna 8/6/2012 12:11:56 PM
Ever sport rewards cyncism. Don't agree whatever on comment saying it's only football.

by jerry k like 8/6/2012 12:12:14 PM
@Denis Hurley but Coldrick wasn't ballsy enough in the Kerry v Tyrone game. Had he stamped out the rubbish early, players would get the message

by dcr22B 8/6/2012 12:12:34 PM
Were Donegal more cynical than Kerry yesterday?

by Terry Reilly 8/6/2012 12:12:34 PM
The sin bin was a huge success when trialled in the league, you had really high scoring and you could see players actually deciding not to tug a jersey or stop the runner. But the managers whinged and the GAA buckled. I think 10 minutes is fine. I also agree that yellow cards should have a cumulative effect.

by Daragh Ó Conchúir 8/6/2012 12:12:41 PM

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Water Cooler: The football quarter-finals